What'd ya'll make today?

Production methods from starch to sugars.

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mrhooch
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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by mrhooch »

I'm stilling up a batch of birdwatchers at the moment. Pot is at 196F, still a while to go. I dumped in what was good out of the batch I stilled last weekend.

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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by LWTCS »

BTW,
This is how the ovaltine wash cleared. The mason jar has condensation on it as the wash just got pulled from the fridge.

Even though this beer tasted really good, I prolly won't do this one again as it didn't quite finish up (at least not with the distillers yeast).
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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by NcHooch »

Ran my all grain corn n barley wash today ....got a late start and I'm still runnin at 11 pm....
starting to get into the tails now, may only get another pint from here on out.

Smells pretty darn good :)
tastes pretty darn good too

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Casper
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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Casper »

Doing up a batch of the Bird....Oooooooh ba, ba, ba bird, bird ,bird, ba, ba bird is the word.:D Should finish faster than the last one I did up (it was my first time), but I am not going to rush it. Hate to mess with a good thing. This will be my second run with my rig. First one turned out great! Can't wait to taste the results of this one. Wish me luck! Cheers.
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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Casper »

This Bird is churning over like butter! Blew the top last night! I thought the cap looked a little high in the carboy last night, but I thought it might ride through the night. Covered the wall and ceiling with tomato paste! Not sure how I am going to explain that one to my landlord. :oops: It is finally starting to tame down now though, so I will try the airlock again. Guess I need to invest in a bigger fermentation vessel. Looking at this one.....what do ya'll think?

http://cgi.ebay.com/9-5-Gallon-Kayaking ... 9944930267" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Hell of a long URL....but it should get you where you need to be. Comments are welcomed. Thanks ahead of time.
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Whitedog
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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Whitedog »

Says used but not what for.....
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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Casper »

Whitedog wrote:Says used but not what for.....
Aaaaaah. Thanks for pointing this out Whitedog. I will have to ask the seller what it has been used for. I did not see the USED part of the posting. Good catch. Could have been bad. What might you recommend?

EDIT ----> I should have read further. Says they were used for pharmaceuticals and food products. Should be relatively safe. It says to use at own risk, but I don't think anything would have leached into the plastic. If anything, the plastic may have leached into the contents of the barrel. Seems safe to me WD. What do you think?
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mrhooch
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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by mrhooch »

Yes I have a couple of those barrels I use for canoeing. The ones I obtained were used to transport bulk drug powders, they were in a plastic bag inside the barrel.

Check this site out: http://www.atkinsonmaple.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow They have food grade white hdpe containers.

Blew it out the top eh... When I first read the recipe, I though tomato paste???? But it works like a charm.

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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by kiwistiller »

I've got 5 of those blue barrels... they were used to carry vitimans to the chook factory :? ewwww factory chicken.... anyway still foodsafe so they just had a hell of a good wash and then are being used as fermenters, the lids don't seal perfectly, so i didn't even have to airlock them.
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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Casper »

Thanks for the feedback. I think I will purchase a couple. Should work nicely. I am not sure about the lids not sealing well though. I like to know how far along the ferment is by the sound of those bubbles. I will let you know ow the wash turns out. Seems to still be coming along nicely....even after the episode this morning.
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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Whitedog »

Casper,
Yeah, I was in a hurry and didn't read it... I have one of these, among others, and I love it!!

http://www.brewhaus.com/Fermenter-32L-w ... 77C97.aspx


they're available all over... just watch the shipping when comparing prices.... this place has always done me right and shipped next day... WD
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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by LWTCS »

My fermenter of choice also.
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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by kiwistiller »

Experimenting with some potential gin botanicals today, three native nz plants. I've made up maceration samples of Manuka seed pods (used in South gin I think?), Horopito leaves (not used in anything that I know of), and Kawakawa leaves (used in Lighthouse Gin).
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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by kiwistiller »

Put down a maceration destined to be distilled into feijoa and lime vodka. started thinking about next liqueur project, which will be a kinda chilli-chocolate creation.
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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by blanikdog »

Feijoa makes beautiful wine, you lucky enzed bugger. Probably got trees everywhere while I struggle with one and get two fruit a year, but nice to eat. :)

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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by kiwistiller »

I made good wine last year and distilled it into bad brandy :? ended up feeding the column. this is a neutral maceration with the fruit + lime zest, then will be redistilled into a fruit codka. Could be interesting. wonder if that is how 42 below makes their feijoa vodka. nahhhh they'll just flavour it :roll: . everyone has trees here, I got given a big shopping bag full the other day. made feijoa and apple crumble, yum!
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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by kiwistiller »

Distilled my feijoa and lime maceration today. my first go at distilling on pulp, fortunately it didn't scorch or have any nasty side effects. A very intense flavour was the result! louches like crazy as well :lol: I think it might need a bit of dilution with neutral.... only thing is I used my last neutral to make the stuff. Oh well, better chuck on a sugar wash.
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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by kiwistiller »

In the shed today trying to fix this run. I'm running My VM column with 1m of packed column removed, aiming for maybe 90 down to 85% from a 30% charge (dilute).
Here's a pic of the setup (can you tell I'm bored with heads extraction?).
IMG_0901.JPG
No couch in this setup :( Ah well.
points to note: cooling reservoir behind it (wheelie bin); improvised insulation around head (socks :D ); netbook with a linux distro being installed, will probably control my next build. See the 4" pipe in the background? I have great plans, GREAT PLANS bwahahahahahaaha :lol:

See how the collection is in a bucket? good added safety plan for those who haven't seen that before. also see the mirror attached to the top of the coil? bit hard to see. gives a nice constant check for vapour out the top.

During equilising I took a snap of the bypass vs cooling of my pump. thought some might be interested.
IMG_0899.JPG
Bypass is the big one, obviously. trickle is coming out fairly warm. system is all done with garden hose fittings (brass where it matters, plastic where it don't).

EDIT Shit this thread is turning into my private blog :lol:
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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by olddog »

kiwistiller wrote: See the 4" pipe in the background? I have great plans, GREAT PLANS bwahahahahahaaha
We want to see some movement in that direction, wacha going to build.

OD
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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by kiwistiller »

Almost there OD. Still doing design work for now, just working out the heads reservoir maths and such, trying to work out how to impliment it without making a headscolumn.
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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by blind drunk »

Just finished a 7 gallon spirit run of various UJSSM bastards. I did this run with a packed pot head column. Lots of big and little jars :roll: Next up, deal with all those rum stripped runs that have been sitting around for quite some time :shock:. bd.
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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by kiwistiller »

Stripping some WPOSW, putting on a birdwatchers. blending the narrow hearts of my failed rum in with the all feints reflux hearts of the same run. Bloody great result. pity it is winter, or I'd be in mojito heaven.
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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by blanikdog »

kiwistiller wrote:Distilled my feijoa and lime maceration today. my first go at distilling on pulp, fortunately it didn't scorch or have any nasty side effects. A very intense flavour was the result! louches like crazy as well :lol: I think it might need a bit of dilution with neutral.... only thing is I used my last neutral to make the stuff. Oh well, better chuck on a sugar wash.
I'll bet that that is a bloody gorgeous spirit, kiwi. I planted a feijoa tree but I think it's too hot here, bugrit. Makes a fine wine too.


My persimmon wine is going nicely here. Has an intense flavour like feijoa - but tastes of fpersimmon, of course. This will stay as wine. No more fruit spirits for me. During the fruit season I had so much that I've almost rum out of rum. :(

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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by kiwistiller »

I can get some persimons at $1 per kilo Blanik. reckon I should go for it?
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Re:

Post by birdwatcher »

new_moonshiner wrote:Im at day 8 with a 52L sugar wash still chugging the airlock so I guess im still ok .. maybe by the week end .. :D
Should be nearly finished. What is the Specific Gravity?

G
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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by blanikdog »

kiwistiller wrote:I can get some persimons at $1 per kilo Blanik. reckon I should go for it?
I would kiwi. Let them get nice and soft, sorta like apricot jam, or even softer. I squashed them with the hard green bit left on. We love the buggers. We eat more than I can ferment. I think I'll have another one now. :)

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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by kiwistiller »

do you add sugar or do an all fruit? Also, pentinase?
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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by blanikdog »

I just tasted it kiwi and ferment is still happening and it tastes great, a bit spritzig but as I said, it's still fermenting.

I used 30 lbs of persiminns and 20 lbs of sugar all made up to 10 about gallons (imp) of water. I added pectin enzyme and around 10 grams of DAP. I made a starter bottle using EC-1118 and sugar. No must. Added the starter next day and let 'er rip.

No idea about sg, I never bother with wine. I sorta know what I'm after, but I'll bet you a pound to a penny that dunder will be able to calculate it. :lol:

blanik
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(50 litre, propane heated pot still. Coil in bucket condenser - No thermometer, No carbon)
The Reading Lounge AND the Rules We Live By should be compulsory reading

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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by blind drunk »

Making a wheat, millet, rye and malt (both wheat and barley) mash as I write. Depending on the conversion success or it's absence, I'll top it up with liquid barley malt and sugar to get an 8-10% ABV. Usually I aim lower but I want too try a slightly higher ABV. Cheers, bd.
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Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by scarecrow »

Stripped a double batch of rum this morning. Only ever did a single batch of 18 litres. Took an hour to heat the keg up to fores and was finished at 10% in 3 hours.

The whole garage smells like rum. Love it!

Found the limit of my 60 litre cooling coil. Distillate was just coming out warm. Ended up losing about 6 litres of water.

Happy overall. Can't wait for the spirit run.

scarecrow
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