Where do I start?

[losthog]

I am like most here and interested in creating some homebrew for personal consumption. Being a Southernboy by the grace of God, I think to start I should find a way to create a clear corn likker. I watched the popcorn video series, and plan to built that kind of still. Suggestions are always welcome. I really do not know where to start. My first taste of shine was in high school and the results were less than gentelmanly, but I have had a tase for the Pot Likker since. I tasted the shine at Gattlynberg this year and it is good (hot but good).

I would like to find a recipe that is able to stand on its own with as little store bought resources as possible. A historic recipe malted sour mash without the yeast blocks. I hope to ferment in wooden barrels and have a wooden thumper. I hope to build my own pot (or have a stainless 50-100 gal) built.

Help! What am I getting into?

[Bushman]

I am like most here and interested in creating some homebrew for personal consumption. Being a Southernboy by the grace of God, I think to start I should find a way to create a clear corn likker. I hope to build my own pot (or have a stainless 50-100 gal) built.

Help! What am I getting into?

All your answers are in the Board index, start off by reading the New Distillers reading lounge then move to the Safety and related issues.

I watched the popcorn video series, and plan to built that kind of still. Suggestions are always welcome. I really do not know where to start. My first taste of shine was in high school and the results were less than gentelmanly, but I have had a tase for the Pot Likker since. I tasted the shine at Gattlynberg this year and it is good (hot but good).

You will find better designs in the Pot distillation & design section.

I would like to find a recipe that is able to stand on its own with as little store bought resources as possible. A historic recipe malted sour mash without the yeast blocks. I hope to ferment in wooden barrels and have a wooden thumper.

You will find the answers to this question in the Tried & True Recipe section.
Good Luck

[ArkyJ]

Like the rest of us. We looked and thought: Holy Shit! What, when, where and how.

Read, read, read!

Start simple. Learn and learn from your mistakes.

Save the hard stuff when you can say: This is easy, what's the fuss.

The tries and true receipies are time proven and will turn out a great product. Then go exploring.
Most important, BE SAFE!

ArkyJ

[blind drunk]

Welcome losthog, have a look at this recipe. Very well liked here. Easy and good.

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=725

[Prairiepiss]

50 to 100 still is quite large for hobby use? I would look around here at designs that use a keg for a boiler. At least to start with. After you read up on all the basics the other gentlemen have suggested.

With you being new you don't want to learn using a 100 still. If you mess a wash up somehow. And more then likely you will. We all did do or will. That's a big chunk of money in ingredients down the drain. Start out with the keg. It's a good size and you may just stick with it. It's more then ample to supply YOU with plenty of spirits.

[rad14701]

Welcome to the HD forums, losthog...

All good advice so far, especially the part about the boiler sizing... The primary goal of these forums is helping folks learn, sharing ideas, and proving that home distillation can be done responsibly on a personal consumption level... If a member comes here asking about large boiler sizes it raises a red flag regarding intentions... If Johnny Law stumbles across such posts, and he almost certainly monitors this site, he's gonna be less inclined to ever back off on his efforts to seek out and prosecute home distillers... We would like to see the hobby decriminalized but all members need to be on the same page as far as what defines hobby sized versus producing for illegal non-taxed sales... The rule of thumb around here is that once you start creeping above a 15.5 gallon beer keg, or a bit larger, people are gonna start wondering... Some folks may feel that we beat safety and hobby scale into the ground but there is good reason behind such practices... NUFF SAID...

Anyway, good luck in your journey, enjoy yourself, and stay safe...

[losthog]

Thanks, I did not ralize that a 100 or 50 gal boil pot was big.

I will stick to something that will not get me in trouble. Thanks for the heads up.

I have been reading and will try something simple to start out like making a mash.

[Prairiepiss]

I would say not to start out with doing a mash before you have done the due research on it all.

If you do then you will have a bunch of mashes sitting around waiting for you to build a still. This will in turn rush you into building a still with out the proper research. See where I'm going with this? Research the basics and safety then move on to building a still. Then when you have it built then start on a mash.

Slow down and smell the roses. You will be happier in the long run. This hobby isn't for the patients impaired.

[rtalbigr]

I'm assumin ya got some Gatlinburg shine made by the Smoky Mtn Distillery. Well, not to far from there they busted a fella just the other day and his still was a LOT smaller than the 50-100 gal you're talkin bout. He had about 50 gal a shine and now he's in jail. Glad you're reconsiderin that. Them revenoors are pretty smart and a low profile is a good policy.

Big R

[losthog]

I'm assumin ya got some Gatlinburg shine made by the Smoky Mtn Distillery. Well, not to far from there they busted a fella just the other day and his still was a LOT smaller than the 50-100 gal you're talkin bout. He had about 50 gal a shine and now he's in jail. Glad you're reconsiderin that. Them revenoors are pretty smart and a low profile is a good policy.

Big R

Yes that is where we got our tastin' It was good. The band playing there was a nice addition. Are there legal limit to this? Or is it like some other things that certain amounts tend to be over looked.

[rtalbigr]

It's absolutely, strictly illeagal to distill alcohol w/o a liscense. Low profile is essential. Don't sell, don't tell.

Big R