my first keg still, need your input

[coalminer]

Update, I did a test run with water, had a few leaks. I am using the home made gasket with teflon tape around it.I also think I had too much water in both boiler and thumper. So I did some changes, fixed solder joints put 5 gal water in boiler and 3 in thumper, and tried it again. Had some minor leaks but nothing that will stop me. I have some tape ordered like Corene suggested, I am sure I can fix the leaks with it. In the mean time I have some mash getting ready to run, it smells good. It is kind of a combination of uncle jesse's and some with advice from Truckinbutch and spirit run, some cracked corn, oats, sugar and brown sugar. lookin good. I am looking forward to making a stripping run sometime next week. Thanks to everybody!

[yakattack]

Here's a link for you guys for the expanded ptfe
http://www.equalseal.com/product-p/eq535-js.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

No affiliation just came across it

[jb-texshine]

Update, I did a test run with water, had a few leaks. I am using the home made gasket with teflon tape around it.I also think I had too much water in both boiler and thumper. So I did some changes, fixed solder joints put 5 gal water in boiler and 3 in thumper, and tried it again. Had some minor leaks but nothing that will stop me. I have some tape ordered like Corene suggested, I am sure I can fix the leaks with it. In the mean time I have some mash getting ready to run, it smells good. It is kind of a combination of uncle jesse's and some with advice from Truckinbutch and spirit run, some cracked corn, oats, sugar and brown sugar. lookin good. I am looking forward to making a stripping run sometime next week. Thanks to everybody!

That sounds tasty,hope it ain't your sacrifice

[Truckinbutch]

Update, I did a test run with water, had a few leaks. I am using the home made gasket with teflon tape around it.I also think I had too much water in both boiler and thumper. So I did some changes, fixed solder joints put 5 gal water in boiler and 3 in thumper, and tried it again. Had some minor leaks but nothing that will stop me. I have some tape ordered like Corene suggested, I am sure I can fix the leaks with it. In the mean time I have some mash getting ready to run, it smells good. It is kind of a combination of uncle jesse's and some with advice from Truckinbutch and spirit run, some cracked corn, oats, sugar and brown sugar. lookin good. I am looking forward to making a stripping run sometime next week. Thanks to everybody!

That sounds tasty,hope it ain't your sacrifice

It will not be . I needed to do a cleaning run after doing some mods and he came to watch as the cleaning run and strip run are very similar . End result was 2 4 liter wine jugs of cleaning fluid for him to take home for his sac run . When that ferment finishes it's going to be his first keeper run .

[jb-texshine]

Good! Just sounded too good to waste. Y'all help him making the cuts so he can get a good taste of his own homemade. He'll be stuck on it like a gut hooked catfish!
Jb

[Truckinbutch]

Them cuts are a matter of his taste . Yea , we will help . He's still his own man with his own tastes .

[jb-texshine]

Understood. Sure wish I'd have had someone to help me along. Didn't take long to identify heads but tails took a bit longer.

[Truckinbutch]

Understood. Sure wish I'd have had someone to help me along. Didn't take long to identify heads but tails took a bit longer.

We are just trying to give help where we can .
Help here is great but it doesn't compare to hands on learning .
Because SRD and I had to do it the hard way is no reason to not share what you all have given us with a novice .
Payin it forward .

[Swedish Pride]

Understood. Sure wish I'd have had someone to help me along. Didn't take long to identify heads but tails took a bit longer.

We are just trying to give help where we can .
Help here is great but it doesn't compare to hands on learning .
Because SRD and I had to do it the hard way is no reason to not share what you all have given us with a novice .
Payin it forward .

Big fan of paying it forward, If we all did this here world would be a better place for all.
sorry, hippy moment over, back to stilling and cussing

[jb-texshine]

Understood. Sure wish I'd have had someone to help me along. Didn't take long to identify heads but tails took a bit longer.

We are just trying to give help where we can .
Help here is great but it doesn't compare to hands on learning .
Because SRD and I had to do it the hard way is no reason to not share what you all have given us with a novice .
Payin it forward .

Big fan of paying it forward, If we all did this here world would be a better place for all.
sorry, hippy moment over, back to stilling and cussing

Me too and it seems like there has been a lot more of it around here lately. Especially in the novices area. I like it.
Jbt

[coalminer]

Butch and SRD have been great!! I owe them alot. Corene has been a big help also. Don't think I could have done it without all of you! thanks to everybody

[coalminer]

For anybody that is still following. I have been working a good bit and haven had time, but today I made time and did the first half of a stripping run. It is working great, I am running my cooling water off a 55g barrel and I need to tweek that a bit but I was getting a quart every 5 minutes and tasting it off my fingers, it is good, sweet and smooth! I shut her down for the night, gona take a bike ride tomorrow and come back and run some more. Can't wait until I do a run for drinkin. Thanks to all who helped. Corene, I did order some of that tape and it works great. I now have about 10 feet of it if anybody needs some.

[coalminer]

Ok a short update. I am at work so got to keep it short. Did some tweaking and ran 3 mashes through it. Had some minor leaks. Fixed them and now i have about 10 gal to strip. Plan on stripping them this week if everything goes right

[Truckinbutch]

Keep everybody posted . Sounds like you are on your way .

[coalminer]

Well I did run some of a spirit run and had to shut her down and go to sleep. Let them air out and that's where I screwed up. I mixed them all together.what tasted real good has too much heads.so tonight after work in going to run it again and this time make my cuts with more patience

[Truckinbutch]

That patience is the hardest thing to add to likker . You will get there .

[coalminer]

Well I did it. I got home about 7:30 off a 12 hr shift. Fired up the still and ran it all through again. I started with 5 gal of about 40%. I made my cuts in pint jars, I came up with 26 pints. I shut her down at 6am when she hit 30%. I know there is still a little alcohol in there, so I will keep whats in there and add the last 5 gal to it, after cutting it to 40% it should be about 10 gal. So I am looking at another 26 to 30 or more pints. It started at 90% and dropped to 85% on the foreshots. Then it dropped to 80 and stayed there for a good long while, Then to 75% and slowly dropped to there till it hit tails and started rapidly dropping from there. I only wish I had more time to run more tails, this stuff smells delicious. I think I am going to ask Butch to help make cuts so I dont ruin it again. It is airing out right now. Have a great day!

[Truckinbutch]

I've talked on the phone with Coalminer since he made that post and we are going to blend this coming week . I'm also going to encourage him to collect in half pints for more definitive cuts .
I'm impressed with the long steps he's made getting with the program that defines this hobby . Some folks you spend a lot of time with mouth the words but never get the music .
He's about ready to start his own band .

[bronctoad]

Coalminer.
when you and Butch are doing your cuts/blending will you post your results?
I have my last run still sittin on the shelf, waiting for me to attempt cuts an blends, it would be nice to see how my run fairs comparatively. I know it wont be the same but just general info. With someone as fluent as TB in on a cutting session there's bound to be lots to learn from.
thanks guys
bronctoad.

[coalminer]

Absolutely Bronc. I am willing to help all I can. Feel free to ask any questions you have. Without HD forums, I wouldent have been able to do it and Butch and SRD have been tremendes help so the least I can do is help a fellow newby all I can.

[RedwoodHillBilly]

Coalminer.
when you and Butch are doing your cuts/blending will you post your results?
I have my last run still sittin on the shelf, waiting for me to attempt cuts an blends, it would be nice to see how my run fairs comparatively. I know it wont be the same but just general info. With someone as fluent as TB in on a cutting session there's bound to be lots to learn from.
thanks guys
bronctoad.

The problem with reading about cuts is that you can't taste what others are talking about. Ultimately, you have to cut to your own taste. I does however help to have someone else give you input. Their tastes may not be the same as yours, but any input is helpful. Now, that being said, if their tastes run toward the cheapest whiskey they can find, their input must be judged accordingly.

So, make your cuts and if you screw it up, that is a data point for the next time. Experience is making and correcting mistakes.

[Truckinbutch]

True be dat , RWH . It's all about taste or lack of it . Ya just got to taste often enough to determine whether what you are tasting is something you want to drink or use to light the charcoal for the next BBQ .

[corene1]

So glad that your still and washes have worked out. I have been lax in my time online but have been working way too much. Too many outside projects going on. Cuts are a funny thing and I am not sure I will ever master them. I depends on what you are cutting for also. Do you want to drink it now? do you want to put it on oak and give it time? It is a long process. But keep everything you make and if you don't like it , try it again in a year. I made that mistake early on. Re ran a bunch of bourbon and only saved 1 bottle on oak. 3 years later it is very tasty indeed. Have fun I know T will keep you on the straight and narrow.

[Truckinbutch]

Good to hear from you Gal . I'm doing my best to pay forward what I have gained here . I will not give anyone bad advice by intention .

[coalminer]

Thanks to everybody, Corene, good to see you back. I too have been workin my butt off. Anyway, I have been sniffing it while it airs out. Jar #1 is full of heads and does not smell good at all at 180 proof, but jar 26 at 80 proof smells great. I want to keep some of my first run and age it, maybe in 20 years I can open it up and say "this was out of my first run" . I have ordered some JD smoking chips to age some, some will be drank now, some flavored. I should note that I still have 5 gal. to run through, so I can experiment with this and run the rest later this week and then I will figure out what to to with it. Thanks again for all of the help. I am looking forward to getting with Butch and seeing how good I did!

[coalminer]

Just want to let everyone know, it has been 9 months since I built it. So far it has worked great. Had some leaks and cured them. Made several gallons of great tasting drink. Had it to do over, with more money of course, I would have used tri clamps and weld in some sight glasses so I know how much is in there and if I build another, I will do so. However this works good. I am doing a stripping run, running wide open and getting about 1 gallon every 20 minutes or so. I am happy. Thanks for all the help!

[Old Man Bakke]

Great thread...good xmas reading! Thanks for the pics!

[Truckinbutch]

There's just one thing wrong in America in regards to Coalminer and SRD . They get pressed into working such hellish hours for a living that they don't get to concentrate either on their craft or visiting their friend TB .

[jon1163]

You'll be ok . If you can find another 15.5/16 gallon keg for a thumper you will be happier with that in the long run . Much more versitile .

Why is that? As opposed to say a thumper. Per 1/2 the size of your boiler.

[Truckinbutch]

You'll be ok . If you can find another 15.5/16 gallon keg for a thumper you will be happier with that in the long run . Much more versitile .

Why is that? As opposed to say a thumper. Per 1/2 the size of your boiler.

You have the capacity and ability to do double strip runs with dirty wash/mash being steam distilled in the thumper . Half the size of your boiler simply limits what you can do .
It's all good . Equal size is just more useful capacity .