With my still, I have a spice pot. At first, I thought it was a thump keg, but, well, newbie here.
Anyway, since it is a spice pot, I've been thinking on how to best use it. I currently have a sweet feed fermenting. When it's ready to run, would some pecans or walnuts in the spice pot flavor the spirits? Or maybe some toasted oak pieces? Any suggestions? With rum runs, I thought about putting some raisins in the pot.
I've never heard of a spice pot either but I did a quick HD Google search. Is it like the one in this thread? http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 27&t=57480" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
A spice pot is a vessel for botanicals in the vapor path. Because of the configuration, it doesn't have a condensate collection capability that the thumper does. And it shouldn't. Any condensate in the vessel should return to the boiler. So the correct install position for this vessel would be above the boiler (to properly drain back to the boiler.
You can put spices in the spice pot, but frankly, you'll get more extraction of the spices if you put them in the boiler (refer to Odin's Easy Gin recipe for comparison). The spice pot would be ideal for fruits/citrus peels extraction in the vapor path.
I think you should experiment with your (purchased) still. Learn her quirks and strengths. You can try some different combinations in the spice pot. You can bring your experience to the recipes forum. Show us how YOU do it.
Hey, believe me, if I had the skills and the tools to build my own, I would. But just getting started, it'll serve my purpose. I'm already planning to expand in the future.
Hey there RacingDreamz, it warms my heart to see that you're out there doing it. Never tried adding any adjuncts to my runs but they certainly sound interesting.
I did a run of the sweet feed today using some pecans, walnuts and butter nuts in the spice pot. I got almost a quart of the good stuff before the taste started falling off. I got about a pint or so of the last of the run. It was bout 128/130 proof and the last fell off to about 110. So I bottled/barreled it up and letting it sit for a while. But, before I did, I had to taste it. PRETTY DAMN GOOD. Now, I dont drink, but I will take a taste test. It had a slight nutty flavor. More of the butter nut flavor than anything else. I used the nuts from our butter nut tree. Plus as it was all cooking it smelled so good. I kept dipping my finger in the jug to see how the flavor was going. I did cut it with some well water also to bring the proofs down to 100 and 98. The 100 is in the barrel, the 98 is in a quart 1/2 jar with toasted white oak chips. I cant wait to test it again in a few weeks.
A big thanks to everyone for their input and support. Gotta do more now.
