Mentoring an Old Newbe

[mash rookie]

I have been sharing my best stuff with my 82 yo father. He has a large flavor pallet for different booze. Loves them all and has made wine for many years.

On fathers day when I told him about my new flute, I asked him if wanted my old rig. He said hell yes!. I am going to set him up with my old CM. I found another keg for a boiler and have welded it up ready to go.

I emailed him The Birdwatchers recipe. (yes he does email) With his experience making wines he should take right off with this hobby.

His 5 gallons of Birdwatcher is almost done. I am going up in a few days to set up the still and run it with him. It will be great father and son time watching the still run. After the run I will teach him about diluting cuts, sampling and blending. (I know they should set a couple of days.)

I think I will take up a bucket with corn and sugar, ready to start some UJSSM. I have backset in gallon jugs. I will get him started and hand him a copy of the recipe.

He will do great. Smartest damn guy I have ever known.

It will be great to have a reason to spend more time with him in his later years. He is in perfect health, but is still 82. I wish we lived closer. I am excited to share a hobby with him.
MR

[banter_king]

thats sounds awesome mashrookie i wish i had a son that would give me a column like that.

[rubber duck]

Well shit, and old wine maker like him might be able to teach us both a thing or to. You might do well to listen more then you teach, hell I wish I had listened more.

[mash rookie]

Well shit, and old wine maker like him might be able to teach us both a thing or to. You might do well to listen more then you teach, hell I wish I had listened more.

Good advice RD. One of the most enjoyable things in my life is when I get to spend time with him. We talk for hours. Damn smart guy. I listen carefully.

He lives seventy mile away now so it has not been as easy to spend time with him while I have been working a lot of hours.

He has also done infusions and flavoring of store bought spirits for years. He gave me the best damn Kahlua recipe I ever found. I will bet he will be making some damn fine brandies in short order.

When I spend time with him, I know who I am and where I have come from. He taught me to weld when I was ten. I had full run of his work shop and was taught the confidence that anything is possible if you make the effort. “cant be done” is not in my dictionary.

This is going to be fun.

[Usge]

That sounds great M_R_. Only thing I learned from my Grandfather was to flinch and run/hide when him and his "friend" been drinkin' stuff they made without watering it down. There was always a "misunderstanding" about something somebody said..or meant....or didn't say, etc. He never taught me shit...cept to duck. He was firm believer in whippin kid's asses, and it didn't take much to set him off...one way or the other (when he was drinkin' or not drinkin..ie., hung over). I was way to young to drink any of it at the time. I have no idea what he'd think about the stuff I make. Heck..even I'm not that happy with it. But, if I had to guess, he probably wouldn't even care what it taste like...long as it got him likkered up good.

[Prairiepiss]

That's a cool thing to do for him. He should love it. If he does e-mail maybe you should get him set up on here. Sounds like maybe he could teach us all a thing or two.

[Bull Rider]

MR:

Thanks for sharing, take a TON of photos. I regret not learning more from my Grandfather, I knew too much back then. Now I realize how much HE knew.


Keep sharing, I'd love to hear how this turns out...


Bull.

[mash rookie]

Father, not Grandfather. And yes I will let you guys know how it goes. I dont know if I want to turn you rascals loose on him yet but, he does know about the site. He has been a mentor and example my entire life. I am honered to teach him even a little. We'll get him warmed up before I send him into the lions den.
MR

[Bull Rider]

Maybe he has some photos of you Mash... Now wouldn't that be a hoot?

I know that you were referring to your father, but for me, my grandfather was my mentor.


Bull.

[banter_king]

while my father doesn't still and can usually be found of the golf course i can always count on him to share a drink with me. Some of the best times of my life

[rtalbigr]

Take full advantage MR, you have a good thing there. My dad never has had much time for me.

Big R

[bentstick]

Have fun MR will be great to, as ratilbigr my father was in house but not there my son has taken interest in what I do but he now lives 1800 miles away hope you and your father enjoy.

[mash rookie]

Tomorrow is the day! Heading up first thing in the morning with his new still, parrot, boiler, hoses and temp probe. It will be pretty much turn key. He will have to purchase his own burner and ABV meter. We will use my burner tomorrow. Because we will be working in his garage, I will talk to him about going electric. I am going to order a MK controller. I might as well order two if he wants to go that route. I will post the tale of our day!!
MR

[Tater]

I know your gonna have a good time .i got to do some stillin with my father and his stilling buddy from the old days a few years back .It was a time Ill remember forever.

[mash rookie]

I was loaded up and hit the road to my dad’s yesterday morning. When I got there we got to work and starting setting up. The bottle of propane he had to run my burner was the old style and he had to get a different bottle filled. I didn’t think they would even fill the bottles without an OPD anymore.

I siphoned five gallons of birdwatcher from his glass carboy. Clearing nicely it was finished to absolute dry. (My first ten washes weren’t that good) He said his vino meter showed it was 10+%

We threw away a half cup of fore shots and started collecting a half of a quart at a time. We ran my old piece of crap CM as slow as possible and got her out put as high as I have ever done. We were hitting 85% at a slow one drip per second.

Dad said, “Damn this like watching paint dry” I said I know, that is why I built a flute.

I gave him my copy of the Complete distiller, several printed recipes and an article (by one of our members) about cuts and blending.

We BS’ed and drank beer into the day as the paint dried.

He read, I watched the paint dry and answered questions.

I took him a bucket with three inches of cracked corn and seven pounds of sugar in a bag.
Mid day, (about when we started drinking beer) We boiled the gallon of backset I brought and mixed up the UJSSM. We woke up a couple of heaping tablespoons of distillers yeast and when the wash temp was right we pitched half and put some wash into the yeast bowl to grow up overnight.

I forgot to say, I also took a bottle of my best UJSSM. We started sampling that too. He loved it and was excited to know that is what he just mixed up.

When we finally saw the head temp rising and the ABV dropping in the parrot we knew we were heading into the tails. I cranked her up to ring out the last few drops for feints.

Well, we did have a little buzz when we started diluting and sampling the cuts. Dad took notes and could clearly identify the heads hearts and tails. It was a beautiful thing.

He was conservative and kept only the best. After diluting to 40% He got a beautiful ½ gallon of good neutral. He thought it was good enough to drink the way it was but put it on a shelf without a lid to let it air and for the distilled water and alcohol to marry for a few days.

One hell of a day. We shared a little emotional time later in the day after we were done and a little liquored up. He gave me a hug and told me I was his number one son.

The story of this part of our lives is just beginning for me. I will make the time, take the time to see him more often.

[banter_king]

Thanks for the update mash rookie. I have been waiting to see how the first run went. It sounds like you two had a wonderful time. Nothing like some good ol' illegal activity to bring a father and son together. Cheers.

[mash rookie]

Just got a call from my Dad. Tons of questions. Really good questions. He is going to catch on fast. Emailed him the glossary I am working on.
I am going to try to run his UJSSM with him in a couple of weeks. He will be off and running after that.
MR

[Bull Rider]

Thanks MR.. So, when are you going to introduce him to the forum? I bet he has some photos of you as a lad that we'd enjoy...


Bull.

[mash rookie]

Thanks MR.. So, when are you going to introduce him to the forum? I bet he has some photos of you as a lad that we'd enjoy...


Bull.

Geeze Bull, I love this man. Why would I do that to him ???.........

Just kidding Bull. There are a lot of great guys here. I am sure he has some stories about me that would make you laugh and me turn red.

He does seem to be real excited about stillin. He is of course in that head spinning stage trying to absorb all the info. I think he prefers to read paper. I gave him about five pounds of printed stuff the other day and he is wading through it now.
With his wine skills, he will come along fast. Anybodies guess on how long before he climbs aboard the forum seeking more wisdom from us knuckle heads.
Thanks for caring,

Mash Rookie

[mash rookie]

I spent the day with my Dad yesterday. We ran his five gallons on UJSSM that I had setup for him. It was finished to absolute dry and clear as hell. He has the Midas touch.

He was pleased that it went much faster than when we had watched paint dry trying to make neutral. The run was smooth and fast. Eight cuts. Smelling and tasting the whole way.

After the run we went through the process of melting new sugar with hot backset and cooling it down. After checking the PH we slopped the mix back and forth a dozen times to oxygenate before closing his bucket up.

When we did the cuts, sampling and blending he was a little greedier than I would have been. Jar two had a slight heads taste that he included. He used heavy tails as do I.

Although he says he is having a hard time absorbing everything, he is actually picking it up really fast.

Sorry guys. I don’t think we will be seeing him here on HD. We talked about it.
He said that he just doesn’t like being on his computer anymore. He said he would rather read a book than watch TV as well.

He loves to read. I guess I will have to print as much good stuff for him as possible. I gave him my copy of
Ian Smiley’s Making pure corn whiskey.

Do you guys have any suggestions for good distilling books I can buy for him?

A good writer needs to digest this whole site and write an HD book.

MR

[Bushman]

Great to hear your story, I loved my dad as well, we shared sports together as I competed through the University. During the depression my dad was Tiger Jone's sparring partner and would be paid $10.00 a session (some people during the depression didn't make $10.00 per month) Tiger Jone's at the time was the light middle weight champion of the world. When I took up high school and collegiate wrestling I don't think my dad missed any home matches. My only regret was my dad was a private individual and didn't share much family history as he was on his own at the age of 15. It has been difficult for me to now research family history.

[mash rookie]

Great to hear your story, I loved my dad as well, we shared sports together as I competed through the University. During the depression my dad was Tiger Jone's sparring partner and would be paid $10.00 a session (some people during the depression didn't make $10.00 per month) Tiger Jone's at the time was the light middle weight champion of the world. When I took up high school and collegiate wrestling I don't think my dad missed any home matches. My only regret was my dad was a private individual and didn't share much family history as he was on his own at the age of 15. It has been difficult for me to now research family history.

.


Thanks for sharing Bushman. That’s an interesting story about your dad. Sounds like he was nobody you would want to mess with.

I hope everybody feels free to chime in here and tell a story or two about their dad. (or son) After all, this is predominately a mans site. Most of us were heavily influenced by our fathers in one way or another.

[frozenthunderbolt]

Great to hear your story, I loved my dad as well, we shared sports together as I competed through the University. During the depression my dad was Tiger Jone's sparring partner and would be paid $10.00 a session (some people during the depression didn't make $10.00 per month) Tiger Jone's at the time was the light middle weight champion of the world. When I took up high school and collegiate wrestling I don't think my dad missed any home matches. My only regret was my dad was a private individual and didn't share much family history as he was on his own at the age of 15. It has been difficult for me to now research family history.

.
Thanks for sharing Bushman. That’s an interesting story about your dad. Sounds like he was nobody you would want to mess with.

I hope everybody feels free to chime in here and tell a story or two about their dad. (or son) After all, this is predominately a mans site. Most of us were heavily influenced by our fathers in one way or another.

I started brewing at 12-13 after helping my mum and dad brew feijoa wine and with memories of dad making beer (with the first nasty brew kits available). brewed in PET softdrink bottles with homemade air locks and got some good plum wine after the rest hit my roof!

Only been distilling this year - taken a while to bring my old man round as he isn't a spirit drinker and thinks (rightly so) that concentrated alcohol is more dangerous. He has come to see the use of it all when i made him REAL vanilla essence and gave him some 89% for tincturing. Hope to also impress him soon with alcohol gell fuel (made with homemade calcium acetate) and mebe a alcohol lantern.

[rtalbigr]

Mash Rookie - I know you're cherishing every moment. You are very fortunate. I could never do what you are doing with my dad. Never heard much from him for the past 30 yrs. Now that he's in failing health he actually calls me and my brother occasionally. I used to try to call and talk to him, but when he hung up on me after a couple a minutes because I interupted his watchin a ball game, well...

Big R

[mash rookie]

Mash Rookie - I know you're cherishing every moment. You are very fortunate. I could never do what you are doing with my dad. Never heard much from him for the past 30 yrs. Now that he's in failing health he actually calls me and my brother occasionally. I used to try to call and talk to him, but when he hung up on me after a couple a minutes because I interupted his watchin a ball game, well...

Big R

Thank you Big R.
Yes, I am very fortunate. If its any consolation, I don’t speak with my mother. She is a mean and nasty woman. I cant have a civil conversation with her. I was 50 before she told me she loved me. Not sure she meant it then. My dad was one lucky bastard when she left him forty yeas ago. Not to air my dirty laundry but, life has a way of balancing things out.

I am sure you have some very close people in your life. We find ways to make things work in life. Someone is receiving what your father has chosen not to value. His loss.

Truth be known, it has taken me most of my life to really value how great of a guy he really is. It would kill me if I didn’t get a chance to give back a little.

If I disappear around here someday you guys will know that it is because I am spending time with people I love. (or maybe just got tired of all you knuckle heads, quit drinking, etc, etc. etc)

MR

[rtalbigr]

Yes, Mash Rookie, ya gotta find it where it is. My mother kicked me out when I was 16, I haven't talked to here either, but now she's in a nursin home and don't even know who she is.

But I have a wonderful friend in my daughter whom I think the world of. She is the light of my life! Sometimes we have difficulties, but she will always be the best part of my life. Damn thing is though, daughter's are expensive!! But how do ya say no?

Big R

[rubber duck]

I spent the day with my Dad yesterday. We ran his five gallons on UJSSM that I had setup for him. It was finished to absolute dry and clear as hell. He has the Midas touch.

He was pleased that it went much faster than when we had watched paint dry trying to make neutral. The run was smooth and fast. Eight cuts. Smelling and tasting the whole way.

After the run we went through the process of melting new sugar with hot backset and cooling it down. After checking the PH we slopped the mix back and forth a dozen times to oxygenate before closing his bucket up.

When we did the cuts, sampling and blending he was a little greedier than I would have been. Jar two had a slight heads taste that he included. He used heavy tails as do I.

Although he says he is having a hard time absorbing everything, he is actually picking it up really fast.

Sorry guys. I don’t think we will be seeing him here on HD. We talked about it.
He said that he just doesn’t like being on his computer anymore. He said he would rather read a book than watch TV as well.

He loves to read. I guess I will have to print as much good stuff for him as possible. I gave him my copy of
Ian Smiley’s Making pure corn whiskey.

Do you guys have any suggestions for good distilling books I can buy for him?

A good writer needs to digest this whole site and write an HD book.

MR

Manufacture of Whiskey, Brandy, and Cordials by Irving Hirsch.

It's an old book so you might have a hard time finding it but it's a good one.

[mash rookie]

Thanks Rubber Duck. I will find it. Either Amazon or Ebay should work. If you think of any others let me know.
Mash Rookie

[Bull Rider]

Thanks for sharing MR, this thread is a good read. I wish I could do what you're doing with my Grandfather.


Bull.