What is new?

[bullpeters]

The major complaint i have about this really great forum is, based on other , far more dangerous hobbies that i have, there is a real "you get nothing for free, and we don't like any crazy new ideas" philosophy here. People have been doing this stuff for 2k plus years, do you think that you have anything original? Geez, i would think that you would be encouraging people to come up with off the wall ideas to move it all along. You boil it you condense it u drink it? = Please show me another way?
I am not trying to cause a raucous, this is my feeling having been here for 2 months. I have distilled some "average" neutral, i have learned a lot about distilling something better, and i am building a copper column so i can get better control of what i want. There seems to be so much knowlede but a bit to much "pay your dues", its discouraging
I was just wondering how long everyones 2" column was
anyone?

[Odin]

BP,

I see you are not getting out of this forum, what you think you should, right? Now, if I read your other post about this subject, I see that you are looking for answers and pose questions. What you get back is not straight answers but advice to dig deeper yourself. I do not think this is an intentional way of treating "newcomers" to this forum, or a way to discourage them. I think it is more of a natural outcome of how this hobby works. You start somewhere, read something, learn a bit from practice and do it again. A bit wiser, maybe. I know, and I know many on this forum have the same experience, that something interesting can happen when you start this hobby. When you read the same article after a few months into this hobby as you read when you just started this hobby, you will read the same text, but ... it will tell you completely different things than it did the first time.

Somehow the process of making a good drink, improving your fermentarions, building a still are all based on taking small steps ahead, based on trying, reading, re-reading and trying again. It is that process by itself that will improve your abilities as a homedistiller. It is not about pouring knowledge in another persons head, so he can start where someone more experienced already is. Does not work that way. And somehow, that leads to answers on questions that only make you think harder. Again: I think this is not an intentional character traid of people on the forum. It comes almost automatically from how the learning curve in this great hobby is intertwined with getting the results you (very personal) like. Hope this makes sence & hope this encourages you to stay on board, because, in the end (to my experience), it does pay off to travel allong this road together, rather than alone.

Now, new ideas are not promoted, I read you write. Old Dog showed you how he took up an idea (magic flute) and build something there that everybody loved. On the other hand, I do have similar experiences as you on certain topics. "CM sucks" & "Turbo yeast sucks" are two items I got hid on the head with when I told this forum I have a CM and use turboyeast with success. I think people in a hobby that is so much about exploring and finding your own path to get to what you like may tend to be ... well, focussed on what works for them. That may shut off other, new ways of exploring new methods. But if you can present results and show that you are interested in making this trip all the way (instead of looking for the easy road and the short cuts - not saying that is what you do, by the way!), you will get positive attention on pretty much any topic you want to investigate.

Felt I should write this to you, because I see you are "in" to this hobby, but are somehow frustrated in how this forum works for you. That feeling of frustration was mine as well, only a few months ago. Now I see mayself as a happy participant. Stick with it, you will be one soon too, I wish.

Odin.

[Odin]

BP,

BTW, I have a column that is 3.5 centimeters wide and 100 centimeters high. But - hey - it is a CM, so don't take any learning out of that!

Works great on making a fantastic neutral at 96.5% from a turboyeast. Oh sh*t, I did it again ...

Hope nobody starts taking swings at me for mentioning "CM" or "Turboyeast" or - help - both of these words together in one post! Glad to be living at the other side of the ocean than most of you!

Bye, Odin.

[rtalbigr]

BP - I hope you are just misinterpreting some of what goes on in this forum. Ya gotta realize there are a lot of different personalities here which makes for some pretty intersting discussions. Odin and I have butted heads over ideas about aging. Let's just say Odin will always have a difficult time convincing me that distressed aging adequately produces quality spirits. This does not mean he should not experiment with procedures that he thinks might work successfully. It certainly doesn't mean I don't respect Odin's ideas. We simply differ in a particular philosophy and idealogical discussions can lead to new ideas.

The vast majority of the participants in this forum are helpful to a fault, but we also want individuals to make a concerted effort at researching their problems first and then discussing them to find a solution.

Big R

[rubber duck]

I see new and crazy ideas on this forum all the time. The boka was pretty crazy, using 2 different yeast strains is a little out there, store bought lacto is something new, how about aged dunder? This is just naming a few.

Yes there is an expectation to do research/ read. You can only put so much info into a post and if it's handed to a new guy with out any effort he misses out on a lot. When I got into reflux stills I did a lot of reading and a lot of it didn't seem pertinent at the time. Well now all the mundane info that didn't seem to be important at the time is helping me to achieve a better neutral.

Since your so full of new ideas lets hear some.

[Prairiepiss]

"you get nothing for free, and we don't like any crazy new ideas"

Well do you expect the mentors to answer the same question over and over and over again? Filling the forum with thread after thread of how do I carbon filter my bad tasting stuff. Or why do my stuff taste so bad. Or my favorite I can't hold the temp in my pot still.

Crazy new ideas are excepted. If they are well thought out by someone that has a real understanding of distillation theorys. All new people have what they think are new ideas. Most aren't new and with a little research they would have known that. But let's say a new person to distilling has a new idea that hasn't been used before. Do you think this new person who has no experience should be experimenting at this level. Or should they be learning the basics first. The older ways are pushed because they work. Not to mention safety.

I felt the same way when I came to HD. But after a short time I realized why. It gets old reading the same thing over and over again. If you really don't like it here there is an easy solution. If not dig in learn as much as you can and contribute some good information to the wealth of knowledge we call HD. But don't be upset when someone doesn't agree with what you have to say. HD is made up of many peoples from around the world. And they all have their own thoughts. Just like you. I just need to shut up now.

[tomgndallas]

I'm a noob here and trying to learn basics as well. Good thing is I got a decent head on my shouldersband love to ask questions. So far folks like Odin, Prairie, LWTC, and Rad have really supported me, and I am happy for that. My only advice to you is damn the torpedos and full speed ahead. if you try something new and it works well, great share it. if it craps out or yields poor results, oh well. Besides how many ways did Thomas Edison discover not to make a light bulb? I like learning things myself, but I always try to make the effort to benchmark and get peer review. This site is perfect. The only thing that blows is the general search function, you have to be creative when using it to find what you are looking for. Chin up buckaroo.

Tom G

[LWTCS]

Been a few crazy new ideas round here......But good crazy new ideas ain't gonna happen every day,,,,or even every week,,,,,or month. And good new ideas often cost money.
And the good crazy new ideas was proved by the folks that had em......not by the general population of the forum. Some qualified eggheads said "this" won't work. Some said it'll work ,,,,but won't work well....... It is up to the individual to present information that will get the desired results and the desired attention of the forum........It is not the responsibility of the forum to qualify new stilling ideas. Further,, the forum would be hard pressed to control and take responsibility for the response of any one individual's skepticism over any "new ideas".

True,,, the forum can be a shark pit. But,,,,
if you don't think this forum can cut years off of the basic learning curve for a very high percentage of new users (and intermediate users), then I just don't know where else you can go?

It's hard to be all things to all users.
No offense intended.

Cheers

[tomgndallas]

Figured I would make another post here as well...

I think the site may dish out a little tough love, but the fact that they are taking the time to dish it out...that is a good sign. I dunno, maybe I just have thick skin from time served in the Navy, you did not survive without it. So here's a little story...

I am very new here, and when I got my still (over 600 buck worth of investment including supplies) I was going for the turbo wash, but did not have turbo carbon, just a big bag of activated. That got me started searching and I found this forum. Immediately I was advised to ditch the turbo and go with a tried and true. A few posts later back and forth with some of the master's and the plan became to not ditch the turbo, use it as a cleaning run and test of my new still. Also, I could do a pepsi challenge on the products. I modified the turbo recipe to use less sugar, inverted the sugar, and hoped that it would result in a cleaner wash. My Gerber is still bubbling, slower now, at almost 5.5 days.

I ran the Turbo last nite, wow, that stuff was smelly. Ditched the first 100ML, actually I am saving it to use to burn ant hills..haha. Then I took 100 Ml samples throughout the run of around 21 liters.
the first 4 progressively got better. I combine 5 and 6 and diluted to 90 proof. I collected 7,8,9 and diluted to 100, and then 10, 11 went together for an 80. The rest went into a tails jar that I may use as a cleaning solution for the still before my Gerber.

So, I like neutrals, and good vodka. Let me tell you...I ran the still at 56 C output temp which is slow for the T500, it was easy to control the temp, and I did alot of cleaning and prep using the hot water coming out for my next fermentation while I kept eyes on the still...remember safety!!!

back to those, ummmm, I guess you could call these hearts. they are drinkable, my dog seems to like the taste, but then again, he licks his butt too. Had I not found this forum and listened to the advice, I may have continued to use the yeasts they gave me...I got three packs...and would have continued to make what I would consider as a lower quality spirit for a 600 dollar investment. This could have easily caused me to say Sionara to this hobby early.

Anyway brother, I am just saying, stick with it, take the punches, dish em back out and challenge others. Stick to your guns, while at the same time being humbled by the vast knowledge being presented here. I would have been in an expensive trial and error mode if it not for this place...THANKS YA"LL big time

[WalkingWolf]

. . . . . and the circle of life continues.

Welcome to HD BP.

[tomgndallas]

. . . . . and the circle of life continues.

Welcome to HD BP.

For some reason I am picturing a scene from the Lion King...and the ciiiirrcllle of liiifffee!

[Odin]

Yeah, it's progress we are making ... but ... BP ... love to hear from you, man. Does these posts give you any help, understanding, gratification maybe? I mean ... you posed a question or 2 that are pretty much about the heart of this forum. Interested to learn your reaction on our explanatory efforts ...

Odin.