Hello From the Heartland

[WillieP]

First post as required.....
I started making homemade fruit wines more than a dozen years ago, and can say that I produce a better product today then I did in the beginning. LOL
I then picked up home-brewing beer about 5-6 years back. I started with extract and moved on to all grain. This is a little more my speed and I have really enjoyed it so far. (the Mrs. is the wine drinker) I have attend a monthly homebrew meeting with some of the members having 25 years of experience and a couple that brew professionally the last couple of years, and that has certainly helped with my brewing.
I recently researched the making of mead, and have dabbled in it just a touch, but then my interest shifted to home distilling.........
I have been lurking in the shadows of this site for several months doing the required reading and soaking up all the knowledge I can. My desire is to make the finest product that I am able to produce. I'm not a cut corners on quality kind of guy. I am a DIY kind of guy though, and enjoy the challenge of building the required hardware myself when able. I've built a yeast stir plate, a copper manifold for a mash tun, controller of a fermentation chamber, and a PID controller for a HERMS system. I have began the build of my still, after much reading. I've chosen to use the 15 inch salad bowl and 8 gallon brew kettle as my boiler with a 2 inch by 30 inch column and a 36 inch by 1/2 inch condenser with a 1 inch water jacket. My interest lays more with bourbon/whiskey and rum so I plan on running as a pot still, though I like the idea of adding packing and seeing if I can get any reflux out of it if I decide to try some neutral.
So far, so good for a guy that has not as of yet made a single wash.....
This site has a wealth of knowledge to draw from. I am in agreement that one should be willing to do the digging if they want to drink from the well. Although it is sometimes nice to be able to ask someone where to dig.

Cheers,
Willie P.

P.S. I also enjoy smoking meats and making cheeses

[fizzix]

Wow, nice rap sheet. Your odds on making some good liquor are pretty high with those accomplishments.
That, and with the support of this great community if and when you need it.
(I don't know if you've run across the Tried & True Recipes yet, but the Honey Bear Bourbon is killer.)
Welcome WillieP to Home Distiller!

[MoonBreath]

Welcome to HD from Horseshoe Bend Ky!
An eye bleeder of an intro..Sounds as if you've done some research..Distillers yeast is where I'd start, then derive yourn with the 'yeast tray'..Pics would be proper before you clean and get to the point of no return without rebuild..Experienced critique may save you time and some money, and can reassure your choices and confidence.
Have fun and be safe, post your journey ifn possible.
Good luck.

[WillieP]

Thanks for the welcome, and the tips.
I have read all the tried and true's, there is some really great info in there. Especially the all grain stuff. IMHO
Good tip about posting photos of the proposed still build, I hadn't thought of that, and I will work on it. Where should I post that type of thing?
Cheers,
WillieP

[TDick]

Thanks for the welcome, and the tips.
I have read all the tried and true's, there is some really great info in there. Especially the all grain stuff. IMHO
Good tip about posting photos of the proposed still build, I hadn't thought of that, and I will work on it. Where should I post that type of thing?
Cheers,
WillieP

Welcome from way down South!

Alabama Flag.gif (46.83 KiB) Viewed 522 times

[WillieP]

Well, Guys and Gals,
This will be my second introduction, so to speak.
I re-read my first introduction and all that was totally valid, and then the plow hit a stump.
Back when I was originally researching this hobby, SWMBO worked in the local school district.
She was not too keen on the idea of her husband getting busted for making likker. And as it says right in the name, "must be obeyed", I put the brakes on the plans for distilling.
The good news is that she has since retired and has OK'd the idea of moving forward.
Cheers,
WillieP

[greggn]

The good news is that she has since retired and has OK'd the idea of moving forward.

Welcome back !

So, you've waited six years. How long has she been retired ?

[WillieP]

So, you've waited six years. How long has she been retired ?

Thanks for the welcome back!
She has been retired about two years now.
To be honest, she is very tolerant of all my varied hobbies.
She just had a problem with the possibility of my name in the paper for getting busted making illegal booze while she was working in a local elementary school. (small town, everyone knows everyone)
Hopefully 2025 is my year!

WillieP

[subbrew]

A liquor bust would be major news in any small town. You would have been half hero and half villain depending on which side of main street you talked to. Now it is your turn to head down the rabbit hole.

[WillieP]

A liquor bust would be major news in any small town. You would have been half hero and half villain depending on which side of main street you talked to. Now it is your turn to head down the rabbit hole.

Amen...

[sadie33]

Hello and welcome back!! Did you end up building your still?

[WillieP]

Hello and welcome back!! Did you end up building your still?

I did, it's still drawing dust in the basement while I re-read and refresh my memory.

WillieP

[shadylane]

and then the plow hit a stump.