My name is, uh, Oatmeal. I live in the desert southwest. Everything I learnt about distilling was from my reading here- thanks to everyone for a remarkable resource!
I don't drink a bunch, but lean whiskey. Been liking the red breast 12, suntory toki, and Law's 4 grain bourbon. Only thing I dont really drink is vodka.
My interest in distilling has mostly been driven by easy access to still head and condenser construction materials. My first distilling experience was probably when I was 14 or so and built some sort of worm and distilled a Coors light...
This is my third pass through this site learning about distilling. The first time I stumbled on home distiller 8 or 9 years ago I read a bunch I didn't understand, convinced my boss to give me a keg he had laying around and built a pot head based on [url=https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17101] samohon's design [/url]. Got one spirit run of all bran in and didn't pick it up again for a bit.
A while later, I came up with 42" of 3" copper, and built a version of rad's concentric vent reflux column. I didn't want to diminish the column length, so I built the condenser in 2". Packed with lava it was pretty straightforward to get close to azeo. After running it the last time I decided that the reduction from 3" to 2" was accelerating the vapor enough that it was easy to overcome running too fast, so too slow for what a 3" column should be able to produce.
I built a boka head with a 16" piece of 3" Dwv I cut out of a system and baked the poop out of for a year or two in the yard with a csst condenser from scrap out of the truck. This worked real good, much faster!
Things started down hill from there, and I found a 3" sight tower, and then came up with a whole 2 bath house of copper dwv and started thinking about a whole variety of builds.like a ccvm, flute, and stove top gin rig.
This was about the time I realized all the reading, wishing and building in the world wouldn't put a drop in the cellar if'n I didn't start stilling and make all the mistakes of doing it wrong. Ran some sweet feed pure whiskey style, then in the pot. Did a single malt wheat (got poor conversion, but delicious whiskey owing to too rough a crack I reckon). A gumballhead on the wheat and a cereal gumballhead (allbran and cornflakes) on some spent barley. Got some booner's waiting to be stripped, and then on to rum. If I don't run out of steam, a single malt barley, and some honey bear. Looking to get enough in the cellar I can age a while!
Lusting after a flute, but after reading built a short column with 12" of packing and just finishing up a plate to go under it. Moving from the pot head to boka head in pot mode. Just need a pc for the boka. Got enough to build to keep me busy a spell!
A few threads (of many) I've enjoyed:
[url=https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... 87&t=78276] dephlag preferential condensing[/url]
[url=https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... 17&t=29940] Mr. P's bubble bumper [/url]
[url=https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... 17&t=66074] neutral spirit - plates vs packing[/url]
[url=https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... =1&t=65762] whiskey in a fractioning column[/url]
Edited to add pics.
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Oatmeal
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- Location: In the East, (IYKYK)
Re: Oatmeal
Welcome out from the shadows.
Fear and ridicule are the tactics of weak-minded cowards and tyrants who have no other leadership talent from which to draw in order to persuade.
Re: Oatmeal
Welcome. Now that's an introduction!
My 9" Shotgun Condenser
This hobby really is not so much about making alcohol. But bottling opportunities to make memories with Friends and Family.
This hobby really is not so much about making alcohol. But bottling opportunities to make memories with Friends and Family.
Re: Oatmeal
Welcome aboard, well maybe a few stops ago. Looks to me like things are well under way.
Have fun and stay safe.
Have fun and stay safe.
If in doubt leave it out.