What'd ya'll make today?

[NZChris]

And no... I've never tasted Huckleberry. How would you describe it?

Huckleberry look very similar to high bush blueberry when ripe. They get a deep blue/black color. The skins are thicker and the seeds are small but harder than blueberry so there is a little more “chew” like wild or black grapes vs red table grapes. To me when fully ripe, they are cleaner and slighly tarter than blueberry, but much more flavor. On a side note they make incredible wine.

Blueberries are a little bland for my liking, so Huckleberry sounds pretty good to me. I might have trouble getting plants here in NZ.

[DetroitDIY]

Had a working weekend. Finished making my cuts last night.

Only about 3/4 more gallons to top off the barrel... next weekend.

[Windswept]

Doing the first stripping run with my new shotgun and simplified pot still. 10th generation UJSSM. I’m very impressed with how much vapour this thing knocks down with way less water.

[SwollenGoat23]

Doing the first stripping run with my new shotgun and simplified pot still. 10th generation UJSSM. I’m very impressed with how much vapour this thing knocks down with way less water.

FC520311-031D-44B8-86A4-86E5991E9CD8.jpeg

Is that an 8gal or 13gal kettle?
I run the same setup. I'd like to compare some notes sometime.

[Windswept]

Doing the first stripping run with my new shotgun and simplified pot still. 10th generation UJSSM. I’m very impressed with how much vapour this thing knocks down with way less water.

FC520311-031D-44B8-86A4-86E5991E9CD8.jpeg

Is that an 8gal or 13gal kettle?
I run the same setup. I'd like to compare some notes sometime.

It's an 8 gallon, but I'm waiting on the parts to upgrade to 15. I have problems with puking, but I think it's because I'm used to running with a sight glass and I'm trying to push it too much to see what the new max power input is. Feel free to send me a PM any time!

[Beerswimmer]

Stripping rum wash #3 of 4, smelling great!

[tubbsy]

Used the 3rd sparge water from here, which wasn't actually going mouldy. It started swelling but still smelled great. So I heated it up and added 1.5kg of Dark Liquid Malt Extract. Took off like a rocket after adding the yeast!

[Beerswimmer]

Stripping #4 of 4. Had a "little" puke Not worried. It's flavor, baby

[GreenEnvy22]

Last night I did the spirit run for my kitchen sink recipe (corn, malt, sugar, bulgur wheat). Ended up with 8L at 62% after cuts.
Filled a few mini jars with some of this white dog, and some with a batch of nchooch recipe I made earlier this year that's been aging. Will drop them of at some buddies to try on our next zoom tasting night.

[DetroitDIY]

Last night I did the spirit run for my kitchen sink recipe (corn, malt, sugar, bulgur wheat).

Hah! My kitchen sink recipe consists of the years bad wines my wife didn't like and the failed cider and mead ferments from myself and my friends.

On another note, ran another batch of bourbon. Barrel will be topped off tomorrow after cuts. 40 gal of rum wash bubbling away.

[NZChris]

The annual brandy run. The blend is chosen and it's on oak already.

[GreenEnvy22]

Last night I did the spirit run for my kitchen sink recipe (corn, malt, sugar, bulgur wheat).

Hah! My kitchen sink recipe consists of the years bad wines my wife didn't like and the failed cider and mead ferments from myself and my friends.

On another note, ran another batch of bourbon. Barrel will be topped off tomorrow after cuts. 40 gal of rum wash bubbling away.

That sounds like a good idea actually. I do have 4 gallons of Apple cider no one is drinking, and lots of wine on hand to.

This 'kitchen sink' was just from stuff I had on hand after my lhbs shut down due to covid.

[SaltyStaves]

UJSSM in the boiler and Rye sugar wash in the preheater.

[seabass]

First wash for a single malt. 19gal in the fermenter at 1.060. Need two more for enough low wines to fill the boiler. Hoping to fill two 2gal Bain marie "barrels" and have a bit of new make to sip on in the end.

[Beerswimmer]

Prepped for the spirit run of rum. Dumped the cooled dunder and re-filled one of my 2 pits. Filled the boiler and thumper with low wines, and got everything connected and ready to go in the morning.

Turns out I have about 3-4 extra gallons of low wines, so time to experiment! I'm going to try my hand at a high ester rum. I chopped up a handful of frozen brown bananas, shriveled oranges and bag of freezer burned raspberries mixed with some sugar and 2 gallons water and added yeast. When it's done fermenting I'll be mixing that with my low wines and about 5 gallons weird perfumey old dunder for a few days and then heating it all to 130F for a few hours and leaving overnight for some extra esterification before I run it. I'm hoping to get a few gallons of high ester weird rum!

I'll be saving that dunder!

[tombombadil]

I fixed the leaks in my copper to stainless connections, that was fun. Never used an oxyacetylene torch before.

Also started a bourbon mash:
8 gallons of water
16# corn meal
4# ground steel cut oats
3# distillers malt
1tbsp each alpha and gluco enzymes
11g Windsor ale yeast

Im going to ferment and strip 4 or 5 of these for a spirit run to lay down. Got a second job starting soon so I can buy my first barrel for this stuff.

[Beerswimmer]

Big spirit run of rum. I'm about 3/4 way through and it looks like I'll have about 7-8 gallons of keepers to play with after cuts!

[seabass]

Finally getting around to the first stripping run with the thumper. Two kegs each with 10 gal of wash. So I guess it's a double stripping run? Also my first malt whiskey made without boiling it after the mash. Ended up at 1.06 and dropped to 1.001 in 4 days.

[rolling]

We're fixing to move so I've been distilling up a storm before I have to pack it all up! Second run of all grain fermenting now, about a 25 gallon mash. I've got a bunch of molasses up next...

[Durhommer]

Heating 5 gallon for single malt barley 10 pound. Also gonna make a turbo sugar wash to clean my milkcan it's been sitting for a few now

[Durhommer]

Damn this barley smells so wonderful

[Jstroke]

Long day in the shed, ran 25 gallons of wash, sharpeened my hand tools and chainsaws and started thinking about a a extension to my space

[Durhommer]

Woke up to pitch temp put dady on it and its rolling an hour in. Single malt is what I like it's easy and flavorful.now to order a bag of wheat malt without the missus seeing it on the statement

[seabass]

Found out that my boiler will go below the element level if I strip with 10 gallons each in the boiler and thumper. Got down to 25% and noticed a little bit of smoke coming out of the still. Then it got worse real fast. Checked and it was right at the top of the element. Had probably 13 gallons in the thumper at that point and only around 5 in the boiler. Guess next time I'll add a couple gallons of water to the boiler when I'm getting into tails.

Fortunately the little bit of scorch flavored low wines didn't mix with the rest.

[StillsNMash]

Waking the still i built in 2012, hadnt touched it since. Found half a batch i hadnt run thats been sealed since march of 2012. Started prowling this site again, finding out all my dictionary terms are a mashed mess. So im starting out as a noob again.

In short, Washed everything, started a tnt recipe from birdwatcher last week. It still fermenting. I started my next wash of 75% cracked corn 25% sweetfeed. I do have some questions but they will be for another thread. .. .

[Beerswimmer]

Had probably 13 gallons in the thumper at that point and only around 5 in the boiler. Guess next time I'll add a couple gallons of water to the boiler when I'm getting into tails.

seabass, mine does the same. Now about 75% of the way through I add to the boiler, no problems since.

When stripping I add wash, for the spirit run I add water or dunder or a mix of the 2.

[seabass]

Had probably 13 gallons in the thumper at that point and only around 5 in the boiler. Guess next time I'll add a couple gallons of water to the boiler when I'm getting into tails.

seabass, mine does the same. Now about 75% of the way through I add to the boiler, no problems since.

When stripping I add wash, for the spirit run I add water or dunder or a mix of the 2.

That's a great idea. Maybe I'll withhold 3 gallons of wash from the thumper and add it to the boiler when I hit tails.

[Durhommer]

5 gallon turbo wash is down for cleaner run after the vinegar run.prolly didn't need to clean it's only been sitting six months

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

[DetroitDIY]

Looks beautiful ShineOn.