Home Distiller

Sometimes you’ll find “Single Barrel” too.

Cheers,
Jonny

This is the thread that had some info on single malts that might be helpful:
https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... 15&t=81353

Cheers,
jonny

Good luck on your project ErnieV! Single Malts are typically aged in used bourbon barrels so they don't take on too much oak to overpower the subtleties of the malt and aged at a barrel proof somewhere in the 120-130pf range which also affects extraction of the various oak flavors. I read a thread r...

In a pot stilled AG strip taking fores very low and slow (45m-1hr) is also an opportunity for a “pre-boil” to break up proteins that can lead to foaming and cause a puke. I’m not sure if it works the same with a rum wash.
Cheers,
Jonny

Welcome to HD Wildflower! Lots of good info around here... Please post some pics of your still in another thread when you get a chance - if you have one already.

What kind of likker are you interested in making?

Cheers,
jonny

Pot stills are pretty simple and flexible too IMO so not much to upgrade there. If anything I might figure out how to add a longer condenser so you can strip faster and add copper for pot still use... You can add copper chips or pieces to the boiler and some loose packing to the riser. If you're aft...

I've done this when making vodka in a pot still and multiple "strips" topping up and washing with water each time. My point of reference was how nasty the left over stillage in the boiler was after each run and it did get cleaner and cleaner. Ended up being a lot of extra work and seems like most fo...

Welcome to HD! Hope you enjoy the journey - Which "moonshine capital of the world"? Post some pics of your setup in another thread when you have a minute.

Cheers!
-jonny

Well if you’re going through all that for a buddy then he must be good people. maybe plan to make 11 gallons and keep one for yer troubles? Cheers, Jonny Youve met me, im loud but my word means alot. I can vouch for your Gumbo and will be back for more at some future date also bearing gifts for y'a...

If you;re goal is a neutral via reflux it might be worthwhile to run your spirit runs with low wines only and save feints for an all feints run then discard those feints or use as lighter fluid /etc. All you probably want is the hearts for your neutral cut. Feints in a reflux setup are typically mor...

Well if you’re going through all that for a buddy then he must be good people. maybe plan to make 11 gallons and keep one for yer troubles?

Cheers,
Jonny

An apple pie sounds pretty good to me and it probably doesn’t take nearly as many apples as a bottle of apple brandy but i’d be a sucker for a cut of both....

Cheers,
Jonny

Y'all should be stillin fire water lol...

Hi Hex and welcome to HD! Looking forward to your input. Share some pics of the 15g when you get a chance.

Cheers,
jonny

+1 on sugar wash pH values to prevent a crash. Looks like you;re in the right direction. I might recommend making a larger batch - say 3-4 times the size of your boiler so you can plan to do three or four strips to get enough low wines to charge your boiler for the spirit run. Strip down to about 40...

Best to put some oak fingers in there put it away and forget about it for a year or two. Come back and compare your blending chops. You can always throw it back into another run down the road. Much harder to add a couple years.

Cheers!
-jonny

The physics involving the sun might be slightly different but on an earthly-bound scale yes lol... When stripping in a pot still we generally run it hard and fast - as hard and fast as the product condenser will knock it down. On a pot still spirit run it's typically dialed back to "a pencil lead st...

A quart lasted through 6yrs - Wow you deserve a medal! Woulda been empty first yr on a camping trip with my buddy...

Cheers,
jonny

Once it's up to boiling temp, more power = more vapor.

Cheers!
-jonny

That column will ultimately be filled with ETOH for best refluxing and be quite tall for good HETP (or even real plates). Lotsa capacity, power, and a big boiler... Outside of the hobby range? Maybe...

Cheers!
-jonny

I find using a wine press a little unwieldy and opt to squeeze a paint strainer bag - just easier for me with both options available... Interested to see what you think of the specialty blend and the peat.

Cheers!
-jonny

Welcome to HD! Not sure about the robobrew as a still (it may be fine) but your years of brewing will def be a bonus.

Cheers,
jonny

Hi Sampvt - Just to be clear on the ferment/strip/spirit protocol... The general protocol for neutral is to strip your wash with a pot still - three to four boiler charges should produce enough low wines to fully charge the boiler. Then spirit run with the reflux column and collect in fractions to b...

+1

I'd try it 5-10*F cooler in a test batch to see if you're denaturing the enzymes.

Cheers!
-jonny

I did Sake and followed a traditional method and it came out great. It was fairly involved so I think there's a lot of room in the process for diversity in creating different profiles. Another rabbit hole lol... My cellar is nice and consistently cool in winters so the extended cool ferment works ve...

I've considered converting one of these into a simple vertical thumper... Would require some hacking drilling and filing but copper is pretty easy to form and solder...

Cheers!
jonny

For cleaning runs you just need the vinegar and sac run. You don't need to clean every time and actually shouldn't. Every time you do a strip run you;re running a hot acidic vapor through it and a spirit run is hot ethanol vapor - both good for keeping it clean. It will develop a patina on the insid...

Extended time bulk aging almost always makes wines better and if the source material is "better" so is the refined product. Pretty much my observations. Not sure if/how this principle affects sugar washes but it appears to be across the board in varying degrees including after distillation and blend...

Do you all have issues with the oils in the spirit run?

Thx,
Jonny

Hi Sampvt - Sounds like you want to make gin. For neutral you probably want to use a tried and true sugar wash recipe like you mentioned. Three strips to about 40% low wines then a reflux spirit run fractioned out to 20-25 numbered jars. Choose your fractions to blend into your heads/hearts/tails cu...