As per the thread name, how many people have you helped/convinced/informed and they are now distilling?
My number just changed to 13 today after a guy stopped by my room (I'm on a course right now) and had a drink of my bourbon and my scotch.
Only one went directly against my advise and bought a air distiller and every time I'm at the cottage and stop by his place he gets me to sample his latest turbo shit or essence of whatever. "doesn't it taste just like (insert brand name here) whisky/rum/etc?? He even had me try one that was an essence of vodka!??!! I said wtf is this? You realize by law vodka has no discernible flavor/taste/colour etc right?
Anyway...13 for me, how about others?
Numerous 57L kegs, some propane, one 220v electric with stilldragon controller. Keggle for all-Grain, two pot still tops for whisky, a 3" reflux with deflag for vodka. Coming up, a 4" perf plate column. Life is short, make whisky and drag race!
Anyone tried convincing friends to start homedistilling without telling them about your own distilling?
I'd love saying something like: "Me? No!!! But I think it would be the right hobby for you, eh?. No, I have no time for this. But you could start and then you show it to me."
And further conversations like: "Oh, that pressure cooker o-ring is food grade? Good to know. How do you know, that there is no methanol? No!!! Please, you drink first."
A few centuries ago, I was skateboarding the whole day with friends. Always when we found some new noob kids, we skated with the other foot in the front, so it looked clumsy, and we asked them for a teaching lesson. That was fun!
In this way, imperialism brings catastrophe as a mode of existence back from the periphery of capitalist development to its point of departure.- Rosa Luxemburg
None..I don't have any friends.
But I have found many who do while out on jobs
Little give aways like packets ogf turbo and demi full of brown stuff with wood in it .
Others just have it all hanging out
A few, and then in turn they have helped a few, some wanted to buy it when I've said well I don't sell it but I can do one better and show you how to make your own
Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.Benjamin Franklin
thecroweater wrote:A few, and then in turn they have helped a few, some wanted to buy it when I've said well I don't sell it but I can do one better and show you how to make your own
I hear what your saying, it's better to show them how.
One down side is having to sample the newbies product.
The other, is when they start making better shine than you do.
I've probably taught 50 people how to brew AG beer over the years. 2 of them actually brew. I don`t have much hope for distilling. Too broke....too busy...too lazy
I`ve introduced lots of people to whole leaf tobacco @ 1/10th the price, for that, all those they tell me year after year that they are going to quit and keep paying $9/pack for garbage
Interesting replies, I used to be quite quiet about it but now, I'm not in the closet at all. I'm on course right now with 100+ persons from all over the country, our "meet and greet" was wet of course and before we went over some guys showed up to my room. I was having a drink and then after a bit of talking and everyone tasting I did the whole "how I make whisky from all grain" speech and then answered questions for 20 minutes. Of course I pushed this site as well. I'm on a leadership course in the army and am quite comfortable speaking in front of large crowds (100+ pers) so if I get the chance I'll give a distilling lecture as one of my homework lessons.
EVERYBODY knows of either someone who makes something or knows of a new micro opening somewhere, the image of snuffy smith is finally dying. I still hear the "it won't make me go blind will it?" which sets me off on the "that was prohibition propaganda by the US gov" rant. But overall, I'm spreading the word as fast as I can even mentioning brewhouse and the push for legalization in the US.
Anyway, keep the replies coming, interesting to see what others are doing. To be honest I thought there would be more with higher numbers.
Numerous 57L kegs, some propane, one 220v electric with stilldragon controller. Keggle for all-Grain, two pot still tops for whisky, a 3" reflux with deflag for vodka. Coming up, a 4" perf plate column. Life is short, make whisky and drag race!
goinbroke2 wrote:To be honest I thought there would be more with higher numbers.
It would appear more people like to drink than there are people like us that are addicted to the hobby.
The average drinker wants something now, they don't want to start malting grain for a drink next year.
i have talked to a couple close buds and my brother and the son in law of a 90+ yr old shiner from sway back. But none of them are interested beyond the odd sample.
I keep pretty tight lipped about my distilling activities, People I work with might suspect but they don't know for sure. One guy bought a nice little 5 gallon copper pot still and I gave some advice to him about it and even gave him a carboy of All-Bran that I was about to run myself. 2 months later he brought back the full carboy. I ran it off and made a nice drop out of it. I think he has owned that still 3 or 4 years and still has never used it. Another guy who suspects I still has talked to me from time to time indicating he wants to make whiskey. I explained a few things but whenever he says something about me distilling I just say "That would be illegal". He is transferring to Detroit in a few weeks and says he is going to start when he gets there. I gave him a bottle of Unicorn Sweat and told him to start studying here and let me know when he is ready to start. I guess we will see if he actually does start making his own when he gets settled in Mi.
Although I have not introduced anyone to Home distilling , the folk who I have meet on jobs that I picked as Distillers , I have struck up conversations with them about it .
All except two had HBS stills .All used Turbos most carbon filtered .I have tried to convince them to try alternatives to Turbos and carbon filtering but when they here about less product per wash , they think I'm mad .
One guy proudly showed me his Home made stock pot pot still .I asked what he used for a gasket and he proudly showed me his rubber gasket he'd cut out of an old wheel barrow tire .All the while his face was twitching , (I kid you not ) . He then told me he doesn't bother wasting money on HBS flavours , he said the single run pot stilled Turbo tasted good to him
Yummyrum wrote:
One guy proudly showed me his Home made stock pot pot still .I asked what he used for a gasket and he proudly showed me his rubber gasket he'd cut out of an old wheel barrow tire .All the while his face was twitching , (I kid you not ) . He then told me he doesn't bother wasting money on HBS flavours , he said the single run pot stilled Turbo tasted good to him
You can lead a horse to water
I often wondered why some dogs eat sh*t, and others don't? Wus up wit dat? Great thread BTW goinbroke2. A lot of varying comments. I really wanna tell a lot a folks bout the good stuff I make, but then I know I am goin to get the question.....where'd ya get this, what is it? Well, am I gonna tell the truth?.....well this here is some illegal moonshine whiskey I made from my illegal still sittin in my shop. NOT! No, this is some imported special label stuff aged for 100 years....just for special people like you my friend.
Interesting thread. I've never tried to convince anybody, nor have I told anyone other than close friends about my hobby. I just found out that a senior executive at a company that I consult for is a stiller. He runs a 5 plate flute. Small world isn't it? I ain't about to out him, but we do talk about it and share recipes. I would guess that there are more people that enjoy this hobby than you might expect. This is probably because we are an underground community. "Don't tell, don't yell". Hopefully, we can come out of the dark soon.
Stilling and coming out of the closet in the same sentence, wow talk about conversation starters
I have had three people ask to buy my stuff to which my answer is "not a chance, but I can teach you how" and my brother who keeps asking "gone blind yet?"
Of those, one just bought a keg and is gathering materials for a build. His daughter sent me some junipers poached out of a national park, with a note saying that these illegal berries would be great for my next Odin's gin.
Those two just went tumbling down the rabbit hole
There appears to be an inverse relationship between tangible distilling problems and possible drinking problems...
3 with another buying supplies for a build. One makes really good stuff, one makes shot-house crap and the third did it in a country that doesn't allow spirits, he's gearing up for running in the States now. Each one is a voice for legalization.
heartcut
We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don't know.
thecroweater wrote:A few, and then in turn they have helped a few, some wanted to buy it when I've said well I don't sell it but I can do one better and show you how to make your own
Give a man a fish, he eats once. Teach him to fish he feeds you. Or some such talk.
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
So far, just one. He is in the slow process of building. Directed him here and he said he has read some, slowly digesting info. It was apparent he has been doing his homework as he came up to me speaking of different condensers to use, heat sources, etc. He's definitely interested in the hobby aspect of it, and safety, so that's a good thing. Other than that, my cousin was interested, but didn't get much further than interested.
Well, talked to two here on course that went to this site and were reading today. Give it a week or so and I'll see if my number goes up.
Numerous 57L kegs, some propane, one 220v electric with stilldragon controller. Keggle for all-Grain, two pot still tops for whisky, a 3" reflux with deflag for vodka. Coming up, a 4" perf plate column. Life is short, make whisky and drag race!
i dont think ive moved anyone to still them selfs but ive met quite a few people who do or were allready planing to go for it. ive tried some and havnt been overly impressed they have been air stilled not bad but not good. there is a fine batch aging that i hope i get to try. it was made in the grain father.
You're spot on Tater... ..and that's where we all started once ago..
Only three very close friends know about my shine, two of them are really interested in "how stuff works"..so i would glady give them a hand if they want to try for themselves.
Every one of them are like brothers to me...
..and that's where we all started once ago..