New Guy - Brewer, soon-to-be Distiller

[KY Speed]

Hey. Still roaming around the site trying to absorb all the information I can. I've been brewing beer all grain for over a year, which I love, and I brew quite a bit. I have really been itching to distill, especially to make some bourbon. I figure I can brew up plenty of bourbon mashes and distill those. I was thinking I could get some nice charred oak sticks/staves (I will avoid oak chips) and age the liquor on that in a glass carboy, rather than in a barrel. I'd like to go simple and cheap. I have acquired a few kegs free or cheap (not stolen). I am going to cut one soon to boil wort in for brewing. I am kind of thinking using one with a copper column clamped to the keg opening (not cut, spear removed of course) and have the cut keg as a condenser with a copper coil inside, fill it with water, and use frozen water filled plastic milk jugs and swap them out to keep the water cool, and then have the runnings drain out of the bottom of the keg via a valve attached to the coil inside. I would like to try to avoid the liebig style condenser so I don't waste more water, which I already do from brewing. I just threw all that together in my head. Still researching, and will be for awhile. That's just a rough draft. I'm not sure what's a good idea and what's not and all the technicalities. Open to suggestions. I don't plan to distill til late summer, so plenty of time to learn. I'd also like to try some all malt mashes to distill. I guess that's about it. I also love muscle cars. I wish I could have an old 30-40 Ford, and a 70 Chevelle. I've had a 5.7L Camaro for years, but may be getting something else, or another, and possibly building a turbo setup, or throwing a supercharger on it. I'd definitely need a new rear-end regardless. Anyway, I'll be around, trying to find answers and info before I ask.

[rubber duck]

Welcome aboard KY speed.

Sounds like you have a pretty good handle on what you want to do. Pot stills are kinda hard to mess up lots of different designs and most of them work. When your building a worm coil you need 7 turns minimum, 3/8in minimum diameter tubing and at least the same amount of cooling water as your boiler will hold. Those are the bare minimum. I like 10 turns and 1/2- 3/4 tubing.

[kiwistiller]

Welcome! Your beer skills give you a great head start. Good luck and keep us posted on the build!

[rad14701]

Greetings, KY Speed...

With your brewing experience you're part way there (can't say half way) so you're off to a good start... Working with grain mashes shouldn't be a problem...

Good luck...

[KY Speed]

Thanks. Yea I've always used Flaked Corn for certain beers, but just found a place locally to get 50lb dried corn kernels for $6.50. If I am doing a bourbon mash with malted barley (6-row) and wheat, do I just cook the corn in a big stock pot for 2 hours? Does it need to boil or be under boiling at a certain temp? Thanks for the tips.

[rubber duck]

Cook the corn at 180f or better for 2 hours minimum. You might need to cook it longer depending on how well you crack it.

[KY Speed]

Awesome. Thanks man. I have a Barley Crusher but apparently that's no good for corn, which makes sense. I may try to get a Corona mill cheap just for corn.

[Dnderhead]

I have a malt mill, cracked corn will go threw that.

[Kentucky shinner]

welcome aboard Ky speed. what part of the state are ya from ? I am western KY

[KY Speed]

More Northern KY, but not as far North as people refer to NKY as.

I'm not sure if you're aware or interested, but 1 of only a couple true American beer styles originated in KY, Louisville to be precise. There's limited info on it but I've made some recipes for it based on the info, and it's a great session beer. Too bad it died out after prohibition. It was huge before. It uses 30% corn in the grain bill. Go figure, hah.