Tell us about your mistakes.
Moderator: Site Moderator
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
Just bought a serious 4in column unit and was jonesing to run it. So I ran it on my day off even though it was over 100 degrees outside which I wouldn't normally do. When I got up, turned off the AC, and an hour or so later once the house was miserably hot I opened all the windows and started my run. It was a stripping run so might as well reboil my sugar wash refills while I was at it while I'm not worried about more heat in the house. So I got my 2 6 gallon pots heating up.
By now the house is hot and even more miserable even though windows are open. It had me just in my underwear.
And then I go to dump the sugar into the super heated pot. The burns didn't bother me as much as the mess. Now i know to heat it up with the sugar and paste in already.
By now the house is hot and even more miserable even though windows are open. It had me just in my underwear.
And then I go to dump the sugar into the super heated pot. The burns didn't bother me as much as the mess. Now i know to heat it up with the sugar and paste in already.
-
- Bootlegger
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2012 7:05 pm
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
Welding up my new boiler almost put the 2- 4 in tryclamp fittings on top to close had to grind a bit off the clamps
- shadylane
- Master of Distillation
- Posts: 10363
- Joined: Sat Oct 27, 2007 11:54 pm
- Location: Hiding In the Boiler room of the Insane asylum
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
Nice looking boiler ADU1
- Kegg_jam
- Site Donor
- Posts: 1167
- Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2014 5:29 am
- Location: Appalachian Mountains of MD
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
Ha! At least it wasn't pickles in that jar...cuginosgrizzo wrote:I finally got some american oak (JD smoking chunks) so yesterday I got some ready and went to oak some UJ that had been sitting white for a coupla months in a glass jar. Before dumping them in I gave it a go and tasted a diluted sample. OMG is that lemon that I am tasting? Yes it is. The jar had been previously used for my limoncello, and although it had been washed, I now have two liters of lemon scented UJ...
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
This story is for entertainment purposes.. just reading more of this thread and saw the one of the guy lighting his BBQ with his feints and it had me remember a time when I used to ATV ride.. group of buddies would drive down on a friday night and camp and then ride all weekend..
anyway.. the neighboring camp I see this guy going to stoke his camp fire by doing a little splash from his gas can... the fire climbs the stream of fuel and his reaction was to wing the can in a huge arc over his head and behind himself... which just flung a huge flaming arc of lit fuel perfectly over his campground. He got some on his buddies and their vehicles and i'm sure other stuff as well. It wasn't a big deal, but watching it in action I remember to this day as one of the best laughs I ever had.
anyway.. the neighboring camp I see this guy going to stoke his camp fire by doing a little splash from his gas can... the fire climbs the stream of fuel and his reaction was to wing the can in a huge arc over his head and behind himself... which just flung a huge flaming arc of lit fuel perfectly over his campground. He got some on his buddies and their vehicles and i'm sure other stuff as well. It wasn't a big deal, but watching it in action I remember to this day as one of the best laughs I ever had.
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
whew.. that was a long read.. finally finished it.. was some things i was surprised i didn't see here..
1- when my meter sits in my parrot with the bottom valve open, the bottom glass blob actually goes down into the valve piece. So if I try to close it with the meter still in it I'm presuming it'll break my meter very easily. So I always remove the meter before closing the valve
2- saw several threads of people fermenting in closets where their water heater was for the heat generated... curious that co2 build up never kills a pilot light.
3- no one thought turbo yeast might be like pop rocks and put it in their mouth?
1- when my meter sits in my parrot with the bottom valve open, the bottom glass blob actually goes down into the valve piece. So if I try to close it with the meter still in it I'm presuming it'll break my meter very easily. So I always remove the meter before closing the valve
2- saw several threads of people fermenting in closets where their water heater was for the heat generated... curious that co2 build up never kills a pilot light.
3- no one thought turbo yeast might be like pop rocks and put it in their mouth?
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
It is entirely possible that they were talking about an electric water heater... If it was gas fired there should already be ample ventilation, otherwise there would be a potential carbon monoxide hazard even without the addition of CO2...spiff wrote:2- saw several threads of people fermenting in closets where their water heater was for the heat generated... curious that co2 build up never kills a pilot light.
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
Thought I had stuff all figgered out I did. And it was working well, too. Who needs a condenser tube bigger than 1\4" says i? Well, I got a strip run going earlier this year with some free raw material and was working on some stuff in the garage after I got the flow stabilized and such. All of a sudden I hear a nice 'pop!', whoosh, splat! And get greeted by a bunch of boiling liquid raining down. Seems that I didn't turn my burner down quite enough once takeoff started and it was just too much for the condenser to take (1/4" graham, vertical). Well, made a hell of a mess and I go immediately to shut down the burner. I got flame inside the keg after it took off the cap with the column assy. which was put out quickly enough with a metal lid.
All in all it did what it was supposed to do and relieved the pressure but it was ignorance that caused the pressure in the first place.
The fall broke a condenser connection, which is just as well since I won't be tempted to rescue it. I rebuilt the condenser using a 3/8" coil so oft cited as the minimum. This was the only real damage. I see better now why the bigger tube is recommended. This also demonstrates the need to be at the equipment while running. Everything worked out ok (except for the 10 gal of beer splattered EVERYWHERE in the garage) but it could've been worse. DON'T GET COMPLACENT! Stay safe, everyone.
All in all it did what it was supposed to do and relieved the pressure but it was ignorance that caused the pressure in the first place.
The fall broke a condenser connection, which is just as well since I won't be tempted to rescue it. I rebuilt the condenser using a 3/8" coil so oft cited as the minimum. This was the only real damage. I see better now why the bigger tube is recommended. This also demonstrates the need to be at the equipment while running. Everything worked out ok (except for the 10 gal of beer splattered EVERYWHERE in the garage) but it could've been worse. DON'T GET COMPLACENT! Stay safe, everyone.
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
Chucker, the term "ignorance" implies that you did not know. We all know better than that. You have been a member here since 2014 and we all know you knew better. It's alright though because you learned from it. You had a close call and lived to tell about it. Count yourself lucky and heed the advise of the forum in the future brother.
Steam injection rig http://tinyurl.com/kxmz8hy
All grain corn mash with steam injection and enzymes http://tinyurl.com/mp6zdt5
Inner tube condenser http://tinyurl.com/zkp3ps6
All grain corn mash with steam injection and enzymes http://tinyurl.com/mp6zdt5
Inner tube condenser http://tinyurl.com/zkp3ps6
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
That was the point of mentioning it; that others might profit from my lesson as well. You never really know everything and we're always learning something as we go. This incident continues to give me reminders as every time I move something around in the garage I find something still crusty or sticky. It should also serve as a reminder to ANYONE who contemplates leaving their still running unattended. Had I not been right there to shut down and get a lid on the pot things could have turned out differently.
Personally I think this thread should be considered as much a mandatory read as any other here.
Personally I think this thread should be considered as much a mandatory read as any other here.
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
...and you're right. I did know better. But ignorance because I chose to ignore it.
-
- Site Donor
- Posts: 394
- Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2016 8:02 pm
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
Time to design a label. Very funny.muscashine wrote:Fermenting Brown sugar and bananas in the trunk of my old car (because wife didn't want to smell it in the house). Everything going along very nicely until I somehow cracked one of the buckets and didn't know it. Checked on the ferment - all that's left in the bucket is banana mush and foam. The liquid and yeast soaked through the carpet and was now fermenting around the spare tire. Took forever to clean it out and air out the car.
The other bucket ran nicely though. I call it "Trunk Monkey" rum.
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
Well I discovered one I think. I've had 50 gallons of gen 5 ujssm wash sitting for about 6-8 weeks. I checked on it today with hopes I could run this weekend. When I pulled the lid off a small swarm of tiny red flies came out. It no longer smells or tastes of alcohol so I'm pretty sure I've got about 50 gallons of vinegar in my fermenter.
I guess it's time to try making that batch of sweet feed I've been considering...
I guess it's time to try making that batch of sweet feed I've been considering...
- Truckinbutch
- Angel's Share
- Posts: 8107
- Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2013 12:49 pm
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
Did you get a pull of that UJ vinegar I had for show and tell at S316 Truckorama ? It came from a 44 gallon batch I lost .DSM Loki wrote:Well I discovered one I think. I've had 50 gallons of gen 5 ujssm wash sitting for about 6-8 weeks. I checked on it today with hopes I could run this weekend. When I pulled the lid off a small swarm of tiny red flies came out. It no longer smells or tastes of alcohol so I'm pretty sure I've got about 50 gallons of vinegar in my fermenter.
I guess it's time to try making that batch of sweet feed I've been considering...
If you ain't the lead dog in the team , the scenery never changes . Ga Flatwoods made my avatar and I want to thank him for that .
Don't drink water , fish fornicate in it .
Don't drink water , fish fornicate in it .
- cranky
- Master of Distillation
- Posts: 6505
- Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
- Location: Pacific Northwest
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
Run it anyway, One of my apple ciders turned and made both a great brandy and a great apple cider vinegar.DSM Loki wrote:Well I discovered one I think. I've had 50 gallons of gen 5 ujssm wash sitting for about 6-8 weeks. I checked on it today with hopes I could run this weekend. When I pulled the lid off a small swarm of tiny red flies came out. It no longer smells or tastes of alcohol so I'm pretty sure I've got about 50 gallons of vinegar in my fermenter.
I guess it's time to try making that batch of sweet feed I've been considering...
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
Yeah truck, I did get a pull off that. I figure I'm going to run it and see what it makes. Worst case it gets dumped, best case it still makes liquor.
- Truckinbutch
- Angel's Share
- Posts: 8107
- Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2013 12:49 pm
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
There ya go MCH and Jed always told me : "Run it . Then you know for sure ."DSM Loki wrote:Yeah truck, I did get a pull off that. I figure I'm going to run it and see what it makes. Worst case it gets dumped, best case it still makes liquor.
Good advice in the long run .
If you ain't the lead dog in the team , the scenery never changes . Ga Flatwoods made my avatar and I want to thank him for that .
Don't drink water , fish fornicate in it .
Don't drink water , fish fornicate in it .
-
- Master of Distillation
- Posts: 3036
- Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2015 12:03 am
- Location: Texan living in Missouri
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
I got some uj vinegar ageing on oak... hoping it comes out like aged malt vinegar. If it does I'll use it sparingly on fried fish lol!
From earlier today:
Started a yeast bomb in the kitchen and then went to the shop to start a sfwash. Came back to discover yeastyness all over the top of microwave and bottom of cabinet... woopsie!
From earlier today:
Started a yeast bomb in the kitchen and then went to the shop to start a sfwash. Came back to discover yeastyness all over the top of microwave and bottom of cabinet... woopsie!
Remember not to blow yourself up,you only get to forget once!
Deo Vendice
Never eat Mexican food north or east of Dallas tx!
Deo Vendice
Never eat Mexican food north or east of Dallas tx!
-
- Master of Distillation
- Posts: 3002
- Joined: Wed Jul 31, 2013 4:45 pm
- Location: Hounds Hollow, VA
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
I rack into buckets to clear then I never have any trouble. I racked 6 buckets of sweet feed from my fermenters and let it sit in my garage for 4 weeks when the the temps outside were tickling triple digits and had no trouble with it. 5 gallon buckets with lids.DSM Loki wrote:Well I discovered one I think. I've had 50 gallons of gen 5 ujssm wash sitting for about 6-8 weeks. I checked on it today with hopes I could run this weekend. When I pulled the lid off a small swarm of tiny red flies came out. It no longer smells or tastes of alcohol so I'm pretty sure I've got about 50 gallons of vinegar in my fermenter.
I guess it's time to try making that batch of sweet feed I've been considering...
LM Still Operating Instructions
Cranky's New Distiller's Advice
Using Google Search
Drinking Rum before noon makes you a Pirate not an alcoholic.
Cranky's New Distiller's Advice
Using Google Search
Drinking Rum before noon makes you a Pirate not an alcoholic.
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
Yeah, I had been racking into another 55gal barrel to clear but hadn't had time to mess with this one. My downfall on this is that the lid on my primary doesn't have a seal because I don't run a blow down tube and I didn't put the locking ring on so vinegar flies were able to get in. Time for sanitizer, and a new batch.
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
It finally happened to me... fermenter blow-out. I just loaded up some 5-gallon fermenter pails with DWWJ. I've recently been increasing the amount of wheat germ (due to convenience, availability and just plain curiosity). That was probably my downfall, much thicker, added to foaming. Not too much to clean up, thankfully, but it is a wonder that I didn't hear something when the lid popped open. Maybe that is why the dog was so nervous this morning. Perhaps a bit more headroom in the fermenter next time, or maybe I'll leave out the air locks for 24 hours until things settle down. Probably won't leave them in a carpeted room EVER again.
- thecroweater
- retired
- Posts: 6079
- Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:04 am
- Location: Central Highlands Vic. Australia
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
Normally I would agree but having seen this ferment I would say forget it. You will get bugger all and anything you might get will be not pleasantTruckinbutch wrote:There ya go MCH and Jed always told me : "Run it . Then you know for sure ."DSM Loki wrote:Yeah truck, I did get a pull off that. I figure I'm going to run it and see what it makes. Worst case it gets dumped, best case it still makes liquor.
Good advice in the long run .
Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. Benjamin Franklin
- Kegg_jam
- Site Donor
- Posts: 1167
- Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2014 5:29 am
- Location: Appalachian Mountains of MD
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
Not sure if this is a bad mistake or good one.
Never malted corn before. Didn't turn out as good as I had hoped but wanted to test its ability to convert itself. Did a small batch to see how it would mash... Crap only 5 brix. Left it wrapped up over night and thought I would cook it good and proper next day.
Popped the lid and found this:
Smells like cheesy bread.
Never malted corn before. Didn't turn out as good as I had hoped but wanted to test its ability to convert itself. Did a small batch to see how it would mash... Crap only 5 brix. Left it wrapped up over night and thought I would cook it good and proper next day.
Popped the lid and found this:
Smells like cheesy bread.
- MichiganCornhusker
- retired
- Posts: 4527
- Joined: Mon Jun 23, 2014 9:24 am
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
Let 'er rip, then run it!Kegg_jam wrote:Not sure if this is a bad mistake or good one.
Shouting and shooting, I can't let them catch me...
- jedneck
- Site Donor
- Posts: 3769
- Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 5:16 pm
- Location: drive to the sticks, hang a right past the sticks amd go a couple more miles.
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
yeppppy. then throw a sugar head back on itMichiganCornhusker wrote:Let 'er rip, then run it!Kegg_jam wrote:Not sure if this is a bad mistake or good one.
welcome aboard some of us are ornery old coots but if you do a lot of
reading and don't ask stupid questions you'll be alright most are
big help
Dunder
reading and don't ask stupid questions you'll be alright most are
big help
Dunder
-
- Swill Maker
- Posts: 242
- Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2015 6:33 pm
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
Soldering.
Every time I do a project involving hot copper tubing I get burned. Today I didn't have enough solder sticking off the spool and got my thumb in the way of the hot blue stuff coming out of the torch. Nice painful blister on the end to remind me not to be stupid. It's amazing how long those pipes hold heat. I knocked over a 2" pipe once that I had just finished soldering a T onto. Bad move to reach out and catch it. Really painful lesson there.
Every time I do a project involving hot copper tubing I get burned. Today I didn't have enough solder sticking off the spool and got my thumb in the way of the hot blue stuff coming out of the torch. Nice painful blister on the end to remind me not to be stupid. It's amazing how long those pipes hold heat. I knocked over a 2" pipe once that I had just finished soldering a T onto. Bad move to reach out and catch it. Really painful lesson there.
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
ummm...yeah.
picture is worth a thousand words.
(most of the words started with "F" anyway...)
picture is worth a thousand words.
(most of the words started with "F" anyway...)
I finally quit drinking for good.
now i drink for evil.
now i drink for evil.
- jedneck
- Site Donor
- Posts: 3769
- Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 5:16 pm
- Location: drive to the sticks, hang a right past the sticks amd go a couple more miles.
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
real men use electrical or duct tape. not fufu girly gauze.HDNB wrote:ummm...yeah.
picture is worth a thousand words.
(most of the words started with "F" anyway...)
hope its not to bad
welcome aboard some of us are ornery old coots but if you do a lot of
reading and don't ask stupid questions you'll be alright most are
big help
Dunder
reading and don't ask stupid questions you'll be alright most are
big help
Dunder
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
Ouch! No keys to the jet for you, that's for sure!HDNB wrote:ummm...yeah.
picture is worth a thousand words.
(most of the words started with "F" anyway...)
Re: Tell us about your mistakes.
Anyone else thinking that becoming a Mod seems eerily similar to joining the Yakuza?
Best place to start for newbies - click here - Courtesy of Cranky :-)
If you have used this site to save money by making your own top quality booze at home then please consider donating a couple of dollars to help keep this site running. Cheers!
If you have used this site to save money by making your own top quality booze at home then please consider donating a couple of dollars to help keep this site running. Cheers!