It's never enough.....

[Whodat1972]

I see where the site says that over a 25 gal boiler would be "not a hobby".... yet....I have a 7.5 gal boiler. in which I never fill, outta a 5 gallons of mash I make, I get about 2 750 mil and then maybe a pint or two, The rest are heads and feints.( I make about 20 gals of mash.... 4/ 5 gal buckets) If I give a 5th away...and share just a tad. ..Maybe it's me , and I must be a heavy drinker....but I don't see nothing wrong with a 40 gal still....lol... A liter or maybe two... does not get me threw the week. Maybe I like mine too strong? Maybe I like a little more kick....but it only comes out at 125 (heart pull)....If I had a 25 gal still that could produce 5 gals of 150........I prob. wouldn't bitch....

[Tokoroa_Shiner]

So then get a 25 gal still. Just don't tell anyone. The reason that limit is imposed is that making large amounts leads people to believe that it is being made for profit. Easiest way to get more. Run more often.

[Tokoroa_Shiner]

Or get a 50L keg. One run got me ~5L at 100 proof

[NZChris]

My still is not much larger than yours, but the fermenters are three and four and more times the size. Without the large fermenters I would never make enough to be able to age anything.

[Whodat1972]

My still is not much larger than yours, but the fermenters are three and four and more times the size. Without the large fermenters I would never make enough to be able to age anything.

no matter how much ya make, your stuck by your boiler.....I got another 5 gals of mash.......that needs to run when it cools down.

[WooTeck]

I see where the site says that over a 25 gal boiler would be "not a hobby".... yet....I have a 7.5 gal boiler. in which I never fill, outta a 5 gallons of mash I make, I get about 2 750 mil and then maybe a pint or two, The rest are heads and feints.( I make about 20 gals of mash.... 4/ 5 gal buckets) If I give a 5th away...and share just a tad. ..Maybe it's me , and I must be a heavy drinker....but I don't see nothing wrong with a 40 gal still....lol... A liter or maybe two... does not get me threw the week. Maybe I like mine too strong? Maybe I like a little more kick....but it only comes out at 125 (heart pull)....If I had a 25 gal still that could produce 5 gals of 150........I prob. wouldn't bitch....

im about up production on my 50l keg still. my thought was to make 3x 35l wash (105l total) at an average of 10% strip all 3 and add them together for the spirit run. i think that should be enough for for a few weeks sipping and maybe some to age. once the fermenter are empty then fire them up with a new batch and keep the process on a loop until i have more than an abundance.

ill be able to experiment after ive got al few weeks of product

[NZChris]

My still is not much larger than yours, but the fermenters are three and four and more times the size. Without the large fermenters I would never make enough to be able to age anything.

no matter how much ya make, your stuck by your boiler.....I got another 5 gals of mash.......that needs to run when it cools down.

It takes me 12 minutes from heat off, to heat on for the next charge. Four strip runs in a day's distilling is easy. Go fishing the next morning then do the spirit run in the afternoon and there's nearly a years supply ready for aging before I pop down to the pub. The limiting factor is the amount I can ferment.

[rad14701]

The new limit for hobby scale is 25 gallons... So anything up to 25 gallons is fine... No discussions about anything larger is allowed unless you are a craft distiller and are posting in the craft distilling section... I have been able to keep up with a 2 gallon stock pot for a single drinker and a 4 gallon stock pot for two drinkers if I run often enough... I now have a 7.5 gallon stock pot so I can run an entire 6 gallon carboy of wash in one run... You don't need a 40 gallon boiler to supply yourself so get that idea out of your head...

[HDNB]

be pretty easy to make a continuous head for stripping and collect from a larger fermenter, without having to wait for the boiler to cool down between runs.
then run your regular pot still head for spirit runs.

[Red Rim]

Or get two 15.5 gallon stills.....

[bearriver]

+1 Rad

I average 50 gallons of BW every month in my 15.5 gal boiler. It takes me 2 days of light duty distilling and it yields approximately 10-13 gallons of %50 ABV before cuts. That is an impressive supply of alcohol.

My wife and I both are heavy drinkers, and we entertain heavy drinking house guests once a week. My 15.5 boiler keeps up just fine. I am hard pressed to believe that anyone needs a boiler over 25 gallons, unless that person is selling.

The only scenario I can see even a 25 gallon boiler being necessary is for a seasonal distiller, who is processing a harvest of fermentables for a year supply.

[sltm1]

Now, I believe one should go to bed at least slightly inebriated every night, (on any day that ends in a "Y"), but that's it. I run a 7gal boiler & do 5gal at a time, have 2 6+gal ferments going of UJ most of the time and I can't possibly keep up with (or drink down), what I make! So, you guy's and gal's that have anything larger than 15gal stills have me perplexed. I can see the need if you're doing seasonal harvest beverages, but for personal consumption including give-away's, why would so much bigger (25gal), be better? Now, on a plus side I understand, less time consumed with the hobby & less chance of being popped while doing it, but....on the minus side, you don't get to distill as much, do as many different recipe's, experiment as much or make improvements as frequently as you would with small batches. "Lucy, you got some splain'in to do" (Ricky Ricardo of The "I love Lucy Show" for you younger folks)

[Whodat1972]

+1 Rad

I average 50 gallons of BW every month in my 15.5 gal boiler. It takes me 2 days of light duty distilling and it yields approximately 10-13 gallons of %50 ABV before cuts. That is an impressive supply of alcohol.

My wife and I both are heavy drinkers, and we entertain heavy drinking house guests once a week. My 15.5 boiler keeps up just fine. I am hard pressed to believe that anyone needs a boiler over 25 gallons, unless that person is selling.

The only scenario I can see even a 25 gallon boiler being necessary is for a seasonal distiller, who is processing a harvest of fermentables for a year supply.

I'm not selling. This is strictly giving some away. They don't sell 25 gal boilers where I'm at. It goes;

basic pricing: (complete, unpolished, unhammered)
7 1/2 gallon (produces up to 7 quarts) $250
40 gallon (produces about 10 gallon) $750
62 gallon (produces about 15 gallon) $1200

Now if i had a 15.5 (keg still) I might be alright. But I would still have to run three times a week to keep me, my family and close friends happy. I might add that I have a rather large family. A litre is gone in under 15 mins. You guys are right. I prob. dont need 40. But this just aint cutting it.

[rad14701]

You see, part of the problem is that you think it's alright to supply the whole neighborhood or list of friends with endless alcohol... Think if it like beer or wine... You can make it for yourself or a houseful of adults... No bartering, no giving it away like its water, no selling... Your problem is you're too generous... Get a handle on it before you end up getting busted... It's just that simple... This has been covered in the past on more than one occasion...

[bearriver]

Now if i had a 15.5 (keg still) I might be alright. But I would still have to run three times a week

If I did 3 spirit runs of low wines @ %40 ABV a week in my 15.5 keg still, I'd go through 1,200 pounds of sugar every month easily producing 150 gallons of booze at 40% ABV. Outrageous numbers like that are impossible to justify. I don't drink half that much in water in a month.

If your plan is to "give away" 150 gallons of booze every month, you got some bigger problems going on. So I gotta ask, how many gallons every month do you think you need? I can't help but feel that you are underestimating the capabilities of a 15-25 gallon boiler.

[NZChris]

Tell your friends they can't expect to bring a bottle of Coke and get bladdered any time they feel like it.

Make up bottles of cardboard for the ones who don't get the message.

My 8.5 gallon still has mostly been used for seasonal crops for the past twenty years. I got a twenty gallon fermenter right at the start because I knew I was going to have to be fermenting three or four times my still charge to make enough for a decent spirit run of rum. I've never regretted it. My five gallon fermenters get used for beer, cider and wine, overflow from seasonal crops, and the occasional 1st generation to make some backset or dunder.

[WooTeck]

Now if i had a 15.5 (keg still) I might be alright. But I would still have to run three times a week

If I did 3 spirit runs of low wines @ %40 ABV a week in my 15.5 keg still, I'd go through 1,200 pounds of sugar every month easily producing 150 gallons of booze at 40% ABV. Outrageous numbers like that are impossible to justify. I don't drink half that much in water in a month.

If your plan is to "give away" 150 gallons of booze every month, you got some bigger problems going on. So I gotta ask, how many gallons every month do you think you need? I can't help but feel that you are underestimating the capabilities of a 15-25 gallon boiler.

that there is one hell of a lot of booze .
Whodat1972 maybe you should up grade to a 50l keg with a 50l keg thumper. that is my dream for when i have storage space for everything, with that set up i figure i could supply my self with a variation of spirits for months with some to age and hand out. filling up the boilers after many stripping runs. how much product do you really need?

[WooTeck]

Tell your friends they can't expect to bring a bottle of Coke and get bladdered any time they feel like it.

Make up bottles of cardboard for the ones who don't get the message.

My 8.5 gallon still has mostly been used for seasonal crops for the past twenty years. I got a twenty gallon fermenter right at the start because I knew I was going to have to be fermenting three or four times my still charge to make enough for a decent spirit run of rum. I've never regretted it. My five gallon fermenters get used for beer, cider and wine, overflow from seasonal crops, and the occasional 1st generation to make some backset or dunder.

seams like the way to go. i have 3x 60l ferments for making shine and 3x 5 imperial gal ferments for making ales and have countless 5l bottles for making batches of cider/wine. im at the point that the point that the stills big enough just need to continue to upgrade the brewing aspects of this hobby.

eck

[bearriver]

that there is one hell of a lot of booze .

I overestimated. It penciled out to around the 110-120 gallon range. Point still being the same. Nobody needs a big ass still running 3 days a week. That notion can lead to some very bad roads... If someone just HAS to buy one, all anyone asks is that it is not discussed here.

Many members are very passionate about legalizing distilling, and want to show a image of responsibility to the world.

[scuba stiller]

Many members are very passionate about legalizing distilling, and want to show a image of responsibility to the world.

Well said bearriver.
SS

[Jimbo]

100 fifths a year is three 5 gal barrels at 62%. Thats about 15 8% 12 gal stripper runs and 3 spirit runs. 18 runs a year including the spirit runs, one every 3 weeks. Thats 2 fifths a week. 3 if youre doing 12% sugarheads. Why the hell anyone would need to run 3 times a week, for 18 fifths a week (over 25 fifths a week for sugarheads) is a discussion that is likely to get you banned from this forum, or an intervention.

[Bigbob]

Whodat I started out kinda the same way, giving away product right and left. Never had any for myself,now I've been a lot more conservative handing out stuff.and surprise surprise I have lots! So take that however you want, hope you solve your problem.

[HDNB]

yep, i haven't had time to make any for a long while. I got a little rum left...it's a little headsy. wanna try a shot of that?
(no one ever want to take a bottle of that home.) usually costs me a bottle of beer to put the fire out though. strictly a humanitarian gesture.
rarely do they ask again.
hehehe

people in general are idiots. you can give you best friend of 30 years a crock tell him to keep his mouth shut and he'll be drinking it with his other friends the NEXT NIGHT saying "oh yeah this is the best moonshine, my best bud jimmy makes it just up the road here...hahahaha, wanna another shot...??? not his nuts on the line....

[skow69]

You got some fucked up friends.

[HDNB]

You got some fucked up friends.

obviously you've met them.

you know the golden rule of gossip right? if you haven't hear a rumour by ten am you start one.

actually i'm more worried about thier 17-21 yr old boys bragging to their friends and those ones finding out where my shack is and kicking in the door one night.

[Whodat1972]

Whodat I started out kinda the same way, giving away product right and left. Never had any for myself,now I've been a lot more conservative handing out stuff.and surprise surprise I have lots! So take that however you want, hope you solve your problem.

But that's the thing Bob. I don't share alot of it. I do give a quart to my close personal friend. Maybe throw a pint to my sister, and I've got maybe a 2 day supply for myself. And that's if I'm lucky and I drink it slowly.



Maybe I drink more then most people like I said. But my responce to why would you need to run three times a week is.....why wouldnt you? I'll die of sobriety if I don't.

I just want to be able to make enough to get me threw to the next batch. That's not too much to ask is it? I'm just saying I need to bump up. Maybe a 15.5 still. Double what I'm making now. And I'd probbly be a happy camper.

[Tokoroa_Shiner]

Get a big keg. Turn your little one into a thumper. Or finishing still.

[Whodat1972]

Get a big keg. Turn your little one into a thumper. Or finishing still.

sounds about right XD

[rad14701]

What proof are you drinking and/or handling these spirits out at, Whodat1972...??? If I were to run a 6 gallon boiler charge every week I'd end up with way more spirits than two people could drink... So that means you're either drinking way too much or giving way too much away... My last run was 6 gallons of rum, pot stilled, and it yielded 1 gallon of 100 proof drinking stock... We don't drink 1 gallon a week... If I was to reflux the 6 gallons I'd still end up with roughly 1 gallon of ~100 proof, give or take...

In short, you need to be at least somewhat responsible... You don't need to be running your still shitfaced because that's when accidents happen...

My adventures of drinking a liter or more a day, almost every day, are behind me... All of my old drinking buddies never slowed down and are dead... And I drank more than they did, back in the day... What does that tell you...???

[Whodat1972]

What proof are you drinking and/or handling these spirits out at, Whodat1972...??? If I were to run a 6 gallon boiler charge every week I'd end up with way more spirits than two people could drink... So that means you're either drinking way too much or giving way too much away... My last run was 6 gallons of rum, pot stilled, and it yielded 1 gallon of 100 proof drinking stock... We don't drink 1 gallon a week... If I was to reflux the 6 gallons I'd still end up with roughly 1 gallon of ~100 proof, give or take...

In short, you need to be at least somewhat responsible... You don't need to be running your still shitfaced because that's when accidents happen...

My adventures of drinking a liter or more a day, almost every day, are behind me... All of my old drinking buddies never slowed down and are dead... And I drank more than they did, back in the day... What does that tell you...???

I don't dilute. I like it to taste like moonshine .....if that has any bearing....I can ...and do.....drink over a gallon a week. my last run before the one ya see....my wife finished......she dont even drink. Personaly.

Rad...I love ya.....I do think about safety when bumping up and all that.....however you yourself inpose a little serious about the whole ordeal ... can ya blame me with wantin to buunp up a little?\\

Its a 5 gallon bucket frineds........not like ya can fit 5 gals...