Why we engage in this "hobby"...

[ScottishBoy]

I was on vacation last week and was offered a chance to have some "Jack Daniel's and Coke". I thought "hey why not?" My wife joined me.
After getting a small bottle, I opened it and smelled it and then added it to the can. Then I dropped the rest in my mouth and waited for the "glorious revelation that 100+ years of distilling should be giving me."

"Hmmm...Ow! Burn!" Swill describes this perfectly. I decided to hold my opinions to myself to see what my wife brought to the table.
She didnt smell or taste, but went straight to the mix. Poured herself some and then took a sip.
She wrinkles her cute little nose and goes " Wow...this has NOTHING on your stuff. People actually LIKE this stuff?"

Several laughs were exchanged as we finished it.

Im not bragging, but I am saying that there is a reason we do what we do. So we can enjoy the fruits of our very picky labor and produce drinks that are worthy of friends, not just whoever pays for it.

Still, it was a hell of a way to start the vacation!

[birdwatcher]

Sounds like you've got a winner there. Hang on to her.

Have a good day.

G

[rednose]

sure there is no better drink than the homemade.

But there are other reasons for shining:

HAND ME A DRINK, BUT FAST PLEASE

[ScottishBoy]

sure there is no better drink than the homemade.

But there are other reasons for shining:

handmeadrink.jpg

Wow.....I normally go by the theory that every woman is beautiful in some way...until now...

[mrhooch]

I tried to drink her pretty and I failed....

About 2 years ago I got into this hobby because there was too much month left at the end of the money....

I've fermented all sorts of things, I like wine but can't stand the hangover, a constant diet of beer gives me the worst case of athletes foot.

So a few searches on the internet lead me to this site. After much, much reading, I decided to try it out. I located my source of copper from a local metal recycler, dug out my old fermenting equipment and started fermenting a pair of sugar washes. While they were busy I designed the old Mark 1 and built it. I couldn't justify the price of any kind of boiler, but I had more than just a few old coffee makers hanging around so I built a continuous flow still.

I didn't have a problem investing the money I would save by making vs buying into the hobby in the first place, so for the price of two bottles of store bought, I bought all the copper.

After consuming the first batches I discovered that there was no bad hangover associated with it, so I brewed up a few more washes and continued to tweak with my still.

After a great run drinkin with the boys, I switched to water to run the last drop of alcohol out of the column (greed), and went out to say goodbye, and came back to a melted element. I invested then into a small hot water heater, and havent' looked back.

I'm ready to tweak it up again, I've got a bit saved up.

Hooch

[TN.Frank]

The first reason why I distill was to simply see if I could. The next reason was to see if I could perfect it to get something decent. Now my reason is because it's something that I've found that I do well and it's nice to DYI instead of having to buy it at the store. We just recently got liquor stores here where I live, before that it was a 60 mile round trip to get a bottle so if you wanted it you either spend gas and time to go get it or you made it yourself.
I"m NOT going to say that it's a cheaper way to get liquor, it's not. By the time I add up my supplies, time and electricity it's probably more expensive to make my own 'Shine then it would be to go buy a bottle of inexpensive bourbon or other whiskey. But it is more fun to do it yourself and to take pride in what you make.
My set-up will allow me to make about a 750ml bottle of 100 proof/week. Just enough for me to drink but not enough to be a totally drunk. LOL.

[blanikdog]

Cos it's fun!

blaniik

[Fastill]

Because I want to get back to basics.
I like to do the things my great grandparents did.
Grow my own garden, butcher my own meat, and make my own drink, from pressed apple juice for breakfast to apple pie to help me settle down at night. It is a very satisfying way of life.

[Fester]

As a hobby, it sure beats collecting stamps.

I engage in this hobby for several reasons.
It never bores me. I’m easily bored and seldom watch TV but find tending the still for hours on end to be relaxing.
I learn a new trick or two about fermenting or distilling on a regular basis either through my own trial and error or by reading through this forum.
I enjoy being self sufficient if practicable. I my never care to learn how to make my own soap but, as god is my witness, I’ll never go thirsty again! (I think that’s a quote from Gone With the Wind.)
I like my home crafted spirits better than store bought hangover slop.
It’s a manly art like barbequing or distance spitting. It is easy to learn the basics but only through practice and reasoned analysis can you expect to achieve superior results.
They wont let me build thermo-nuclear devices anymore.

[Husker]

heh,

I see a decent signature in that quote fester,

Distillation is a manly art, like barbequing or distance spitting. It is easy to learn the basics but only through practice and reasoned analysis can you expect to achieve superior results.

H.

[Ayay]

It's another step in self-reliance...excellent hooch and good fuel as a by-product. This knowlege will be priceless in the future.

[ScottishBoy]

They wont let me build thermo-nuclear devices anymore.

Yeah...but they still let me work on disaster scenarios...

[ArkyJ]

Fifth things I wanted to do before I dies.
This is #47. I love it.
48? Used car salesperson.
50. Door greeter at WalMart.
ArkyJ

[rtalbigr]

You've heard the expression "Jack of all trades, master of none." Well, that's me. Used to build houses years ago and I learned to do it all, from the footer to the roof and everything in between. I've even built some of the furniture in my house. When I decided to take up hunting it didn't take long for me to start reloading my own ammo. Figured I could do as well as the factory and in some cases was able to do better. So distillation is an extention of all that. I guess if I was a consumer of beer and wine I'd be doing that as well. The first time I drained a barrel of my "Scotch" whiskey I realized I'd been cheating myself for years. H***, I used to be a preferred customer at the likker store. This is a wonderful hobby, frustrating at times, delightfully complex. Some day I hope to be able to think of myself as a true master hobby distiller. That's why I engage in this hobby.

Big R

[TK Spirits]

I would walk in a ABC store and look around and think to myself "How in the world do they make that?"
I first used distillation on a Boy Scouts Survival Beach Camp-out. (Salt water to potable water) ever since then...
It's an incredible conversation topic
It's challenging, and fun.

[drmoonshine]

its fun
i like the science behind it
i like good spirit just as well as a good beer..... im sick of paying 20 pound for mass produced crap
it gives me something to do

[Mulitpleg]

I came because it was a cheap alternative.
I stayed cos I learned that I love the process and the results.
If I had silly money I'd only buy more stilling equipment and not go back to store-bought booze.

[Moorea]

We had 2 months of rough seas in the beggining of winter, 2 or 3 more ahead, so i was talking to a friend who makes beer and decide to taste some.
the first drop was like kissing the devils ass, it looks like dirty water mixed with some bubbles.
So i decided to do something really good to drink, not that shit this frined call home made beer...
Another friends grandfather run an alambique, maybe he´s the 7th or 8th generation of his family on the bussiness, it was love at first time, the first time i drink half a shot of 80gl pure pinga i decided i have to do something like this, in reduce scale at home,
At this time i have no worry about the winter without fishing, it was 4 years ago.
I started witrh cachaça, rum and now i´m playing with corn.
I had a good amount resting on oak barrels and some stock of bottled to use as fuel at partys and friend´s brithdays

No more angry when i need to stay at home, a new hobby to fill the head and forget the work problems and with a very good results to drink

this is it !

my regards

Moorea, from Ilhabela - Brazil

[Bushman]

I got into it because I was over at my daughter and son-in-laws and he had a "World Class" (I am glad I found this sight before I built) CM still. I was intrigued by the process and needed a hobby when not out boating or fishing. I enjoy the learning process that I gain daily from this site, the feeling of success from my build, and of course the enjoyment of the product. What I find hard is traveling and not enjoying a drink out as much as I used to due to the cost and taste!

[Moorea]

Ei Bushman, i think we have a lot of fishermen around here, maybe with more of us spending more time distilling tuna can grow a little more

Give tuna one more chance ! run the next batch !

best regards

Moorea, from Ilhabela - Brazil

[Caprimulgus]

Because I want to get back to basics.
I like to do the things my great grandparents did.
Grow my own garden, butcher my own meat, and make my own drink, from pressed apple juice for breakfast to apple pie to help me settle down at night. It is a very satisfying way of life.

Heck, you just listed all my reasons except one I have a true fascination for micro organisms in food. Anything that makes foodstuff keep better, fizzier, rize, cure or just taste good. Sour dough, sour kraut, cheese moulds. I drifted into this area from learning cheesemaking. Sertain cheeses are washed in vodka and it just didn't feel good to use store bought on my hand milked and pampered cheese. I am also into natural remedies and lacked a source of 95% for tinctures. There was also a "to see if I could" factor.

And yes, it tastes better and is fun.

[TexasReflux]

Started this after talking with a buddy who made beer.

Seeing the process a couple of time, kind of lead to a "what if" conversation. After a little research, figured out it's a whole lot easier than beer or wine and the payoff (amount of alcohol collected per gallon of wash) is much higher than beer or wine.

Interested in science, art and the whole DIY idea, and love the final product.

Guess it fulfills my desire for a hobby/vice on many levels.

[shiner51]

Been welding for 35 years and always wanted to build a still, and did. Plus it gives my wife something to piss and moan about, LOL Now just gotta learn to use it right!