Hello from Central Illinois

[MidgetFarms]

Hey there everyone.

Long story short i wanted to find something my Dad & i can do together as we age & cant go cow tipping anymore.

We have built 2 stills - the first was a proof of concept pressure cooker & worm. We've run a couple of sugar / molasses washes through it.

Honestly the flavor sucks. Sugar just makes it taste like hot sauce for some reason. But - we played with it & learned from it.

I built (still refining) a 5 gallon keg still with a 2inch copper stack 2ft tall with 1 removable quart jar doubler & a copper shotgun condenser.

I really like the setup though i will eventually upgrade to electric heat as it's cold outside & though i have heaters it's just not as much fun for old bones.

That said - my goal is for my Dad & i to come up with the best quality spirit we can make.

Since we've tone a sugar wash i want to go with pure grain for the best flavor.

Lots and lots to learn but i've started the required reading & have an all corn mash bubbling away.

I'll apologize now for all my dumb questions but i've learned a ton in just the last few hours of reading!

[still_stirrin]

... Sugar just makes it taste like hot sauce for some reason.

Cuts. You didn’t make cuts. Because of your “hap-hazard” ferment, you produced a lot of volatile compounds. Those, when included in your collection jar, give you that “burning mouth” sensation. And with such a small boiler, the volume you collected was minimal and more-than-likely, included all: fore, heads, hearts, and tails.

I built (still refining) a 5 gallon keg still with a 2inch copper stack 2ft tall with 1 removable quart jar doubler & a copper shotgun condenser.

I really like the setup though i will eventually upgrade to electric heat as it's cold outside & though i have heaters it's just not as much fun for old bones.

That said - my goal is for my Dad & i to come up with the best quality spirit we can make.

Since we've tone a sugar wash i want to go with pure grain for the best flavor.

Lots and lots to learn but i've started the required reading & have an all corn mash bubbling away.

I'll apologize now for all my dumb questions but i've learned a ton in just the last few hours of reading!

Welcome aboard.

I suggest starting with a Tried & True recipe, something that you can make. Remember, the ferment is a fundamental part of our hobby, so recipe does matter.

Also, read through Cranky’s spoonfeed thread. It has many links to threads with a ton of info. It’ll help answer your questions even before you ask them. All the knowledge “in the world” is somewhere on this website, so all you have to do is “find it”.

Be safe, responsible, and discrete.
ss

[MidgetFarms]

Welcome aboard.

I suggest starting with a Tried & True recipe, something that you can make. Remember, the ferment is a fundamental part of our hobby, so recipe does matter.

Also, read through Cranky’s spoonfeed thread. It has many links to threads with a ton of info. It’ll help answer your questions even before you ask them. All the knowledge “in the world” is somewhere on this website, so all you have to do is “find it”.

Be safe, responsible, and discrete.
ss

Thank you for the welcome!

I've read Cranky's post & am working through the beginner posts.

You are correct that we didn't make any cuts - we tossed the first 2 oz & just mixed all the rest. Ran it & tested % on each glass till we were getting 10% then just dumped it all together.

My first run on the larger still produced almost nothing - i jacked up the fermentation pretty bad.

2nd run was better - dumped the first 4 oz & got 140 proof on the first 1/2 pint, 80 proof on the second when i ran out of propane.

That was MUCH MUCH better quality. But still less than 1 qt of 100 proof spirit.

I'll keep reading because the more i learn the more i like the art of it.

Next will be to perfect my all corn process - might take a month or a year. But once i know what volume to expect from what amount of mash i can start playing around with different grains to see what i can make happen.

[Saltbush Bill]

Welcome aboard Midgets.
Keep on reading , there is a lot to learn.

with 1 removable quart jar doubler

Glass thumpers are not considered safe or acceptable for use on this forum.
We are very safety minded here.
Look around the forum and you will find much better alternatives for building "doublers".

[MidgetFarms]

Welcome aboard Midgets.

Glass thumpers are not considered safe or acceptable for use on this forum.
We are very safety minded here.
Look around the forum and you will find much better alternatives for building "doublers".

I did not know that. Thank you i will search for a safer alternative. I've found it reassuring during the run to "see" whats happening. But i didn't know it was unsafe

[BourbonStreet]

You can make good cuts with a 5 gallon boiler if you run it slow. I’ve been doing it for years. You should be getting a lot more than a quart of distillate. I usually get about 3 quarts.

[MidgetFarms]

You can make good cuts with a 5 gallon boiler if you run it slow. I’ve been doing it for years. You should be getting a lot more than a quart of distillate. I usually get about 3 quarts.

Thanks - i figured it was the thumper that was reducing the output - in my mind it's like a stripping run & a spirit run together.

I've also just learned that a quart size jar is too small to do much with a 5 gallon still. So - PLENTY more to learn!

Thanks for all of the advice! I truly appreciate it & want to have many years of safe running!