Dreamer wanting to get started

[Dreamer]

Hi all,

I recently started drinking spirits (I'm 51), but I'm disappointed with most everything available in the stores. So I decided to try making my own. I've never been a DIY kind of guy so I bought off-the-shelf equipment. I bought this stuff before doing much reading and now wonder whether I've started off ok.

From Brewhaus:
Essential Extractor Pro Series II- Complete Distiller
Fermenter Starter Kit - Silver

Of course, I forgot to get a mash tun and am kind of stuck until I do. Will any 30 qt stainless steel stock pot suffice?

Regarding fermentation, I am concerned with the low temperature in my New England home. I just read a post about wrapping the tun with a heating blanket and old blankets. Do you think it would be ok to put the blanket-wrapped fermenting tun in a cardboard box to try to maintain 80F?

TIA

Dreamer

[rad14701]

Welcome to the forums, Dreamer...

Sure, putting the wrapped fermenter in a cardboard box would help... Anything to help maintain a constant temperature... And almost anything that is food grade will work as a fermenter... Even plastics are okay for fermenters, as you will be dealing with fairly low alcohol content... Many here use 5 gallon plastic buckets... I use glass jugs and 5 gallon water machine bottles...

Before you start out with that turbo kit, which I'm fairly certain is what you got, read up on how to make better washes using turbo yeast as you might make your life, and the learning curve, a bit easier...

Good luck...

[kiwistiller]

yeah electric blankets are great. I have one single that maintains the temps of four fermenters. check the link in my sig to see a pic. I used to use heating pads and a cardboard box, and it worked quite well actually, but I found I could keep the temperature steadier with old blankets and such.

If you're talking mash-tuns I guess you're going to be aiming towards making all grain whiskeys? If so I'd suggest that you have a lash at UJSM (in tried and true) first. It's cheap, pretty much foolproof, goes like clockwork and makes great spirits that will be close-ish to your end goal. well as close to an all-grain whiskey as you can get without making an all-grain whiskey anyway