What'd ya'll make today?

[NormandieStill]

Mixed up a fresh batch of Arto's V3 gin, and a small test batch of pastis last night. If I'm awake enough I'll run the gin tonight. The pastis can wait until next week.

[tombombadil]

Finally getting a chance to strip the second half of my rum run.
Smells very good so far.
Looking forward to getting this finished and in to the barrel.
I still have 3 bags of purple barley and 2 bags of blue corn to liquify...

I'm picking up 5 gallons of local honey soon.
The plan is to turn 3 gallons of it in to likker, then the honey likker and the other 2 gallons of honey will become a port style Mead.

[NZChris]

Decided to try to turn the spent corn from my recent UJSSM runs into GNS using Angel Starter of Liquor Making. Fingers crossed that it turns out ok. Last time I did this, I added random cereals that we had in the pantry, pot stilled it, and my notes say it would have been better to age it for a couple of years rather than use it for GNS.

[GrumbleStill]

Had to pick the oranges off my little tree before the possums ate the lot.
Good excuse to make some marmalade from the flesh, and first crack at a triple sec with the zest and some TFFV.
Also stripped my 1st attempt at an AG wheat and oat vodka.

[CoogeeBoy]

bottled my limoncello run for 2022 about 5l @ 30% before I ran out of simple syrup so a bit more to come.
Up next: 3rd rum strip (SBB All Molasses) and time to make some more gin to put down for Christmas.
Oh, and tasted my AG whisky that has been on white oak chips and bourbon spirals (separate aging flasks). Liking the white oak chips v much but a bit more aging me thinks.

[Lights Out]

Currently on a spirit run of 11 litres low wines from 2 Liquid Malt Extract ferments.

I have to say, we are talking about taste off the spout here, and also about me being a bit of an amateur, but its very nice and I reckon I would go this way more often than not, rather than mashing grains in the future.

Lots of light/dark/rye extracts to mix it up a bit.

It's just so easy!

[Deplorable]

I emptied my single malt barrel to make room for a HBB refill.
17.5 months in a once used barrel. This is what's left after pulling about 1.5L along the way. A bit over 3.25 gallons at 63%
The ABV out is the same as what went in.
Should net around 26 bottles at 40%

I'm really happy with how this developed and everything I learned along the way, considering that I made this and barreled it within 3.5 months of getting my first still. This aught to last a spell.

[jonnys_spirit]

I emptied my single malt barrel to make room for a HBB refill.
17.5 months in a once used barrel. This is what's left after pulling about 1.5L along the way. A bit over 3.25 gallons at 63%
The ABV out is the same as what went in.
Should net around 26 bottles at 40%

20220629_115629.jpg

I'm really happy with how this developed and everything I learned along the way, considering that I made this and barreled it within 3.5 months of getting my first still. This aught to last a spell.

Nice color and most excellent motivation!

Enjoy the fruits of your labor

Cheers,
Jonny

[Deplorable]

Nice color and most excellent motivation!

Enjoy the fruits of your labor

Cheers,
Jonny

Thanks Jonny. I'm looking forward to the HBB in a year. I'll supplement the barrel with a few oak fingers that the first 3 gallons have been sitting on since I made it. The rest of the new make is waiting for the spirit run this weekend. This came out just in time, since Im just about out of all my other spirits that were ready to enjoy. I have a half a bottle of sweet feed, and about two 5ths of a 13% rye bourbon left. Everything else still has a long time left to go in barrels.

[Twisted Brick]

Now that… is a pretty picture! Great color! Since we have identical barrels, will have to compare notes on how you determined the right time to bottle…

[Deplorable]

Now that… is a pretty picture! Great color! Since we have identical barrels, will have to compare notes on how you determined the right time to bottle…

LOL It was "time to barrel" when it was time to refill the barrel.
Seriously though, even after 17 months I don't think its over-oaked. I do think it is more complex than the sample you had a few months back. I definitely didn't want it in the barrel through another summer losing more volume. I'm going to temper a bottle down to 43% and see what I like better. All the bottles I've pulled have been tempered to 40% so far and I really enjoy it. It's gotten good reviews from everyone who's tasted it. I do have some used oak fingers I'll be dropping into the 3 gallon jugs just to keep it on wood as I have with all my glass aged stuff.
The next single malt I do will have a small percentage of specialty malt in the grain bill and will go into the barrel that currently has my straight corn whisky in it.
This fall I've got a growing list of mash bills I need to get busy on, so I'll be putting both of my fermenters to work full time through the winter. More KCB, another batch of 21% Rye to glass age since the last one I made is in my BMB. A wheated bourbon with Caramel malt, and a single malt to refill the corn barrel.

[Lights Out]

Incredible colour there Deplorable. What sort of toast/char do you have on your barrel?

[Rrmuf]

.... just pulled the plug on another textbook batch of TFFV. In a couple days I'll move it to a secondary for final clearing and recharge my fermenter with more sugar water. ... and I'm looking at more kit

[Stonecutter]

Trying out a new AG recipe today.
I will also be trying a new dry yeast strain to go along with it, “M31” a Belgian Tripel by “Mangrove Jack”. Claims to provide “a fantastic complex marriage of spice, fruity esters, phenolics and alcohol.”

6 gallon Mash

1.5lbs-Golden Promise Barley
6.5lbs-flaked maize
2lbs-Malted Rye
2lbs-Honey Malt

Just barely got it all in the pot. It smells delicious already.

[still_stirrin]

My “green fairy”

I have never made or sampled absinthe before. Until I sampled DAD300’s absinthe. Inspirational. So, I thought I’d try it. Coming home from the Falling Rock Distillery, I began my research here (on the HD website). There is a lot of info here.

In pursuit of a “benchmark”, I decided to try the Pontarlier recipe. I ordered botanicals and weighed them out. I happen to have 2 liters of 95%ABV spirit that I’d stripped from some salvaged beers and had refluxed as high as possible to clean it up.

I macerated the botanicals for about 48 hours, filtered, and then distilled in my stock pot potstill. Of course, I diluted the 95%ABV to 50%ABV before distilling. The net was 1800ml at 78%ABV with some loss to the botanicals. It was VERY bitter, with the wormwood predominating and the anise/fennel obscured. Whew, an “eye opener”. It had a great color though.

Not satisfied with the product, I decided to redistill it and adjust some of the botanicals. I added some anise and fennel seeds at about 40% the original (Pontarlier) recipe. But, I also added some star anise. Then, I macerated for an hour and added these botanicals to the boiler (like the OEG gin process) to redistill the original product. Of course, again I diluted to 50%ABV to run it.

This time I collected about 1500ml, again at 78%ABV. And I colored it according to Pontarlier, except I also added some spearmint leaves in lieu of the Roman wormwood. The result is a spirit with a great emerald color that is anise/fennel forward. The wormwood herbal flavor and bitterness is still there, but better balanced with the “licorice”. It also has a light, refreshing finish from the spearmint.

An experiment and revelation. And a satisfying (end) product. Give it a try.

Thanks again for the inspiration DAD300.
ss

[Deplorable]

Incredible colour there Deplorable. What sort of toast/char do you have on your barrel?

That's a standard Barrel Mill Barrel, #3 char, no toast.

[StillerBoy]

I'm really happy with how this developed and everything I learned along the way, considering that I made this and barreled it within 3.5 months of getting my first still.

When one put his mind to researching, learning and understanding, things come together without much trouble..

Congratulation Deplorable...

Mars

[Stonecutter]

I emptied my single malt barrel to make room for a HBB refill.
17.5 months in a once used barrel. This is what's left after pulling about 1.5L along the way. A bit over 3.25 gallons at 63%
The ABV out is the same as what went in.
Should net around 26 bottles at 40%

20220629_115629.jpg

I'm really happy with how this developed and everything I learned along the way, considering that I made this and barreled it within 3.5 months of getting my first still. This aught to last a spell.

Really nice coloring Deplorable!
Must get some satisfaction seeing all that come together after so much time. Congratulations!

[Deplorable]

I'm really happy with how this developed and everything I learned along the way, considering that I made this and barreled it within 3.5 months of getting my first still.

When one put his mind to researching, learning and understanding, things come together without much trouble..

Congratulation Deplorable...

Mars

Thanks Mars, I really appreciate all of your insight you provided along my journey. Some of it might have taken a while to really sink in, but none-the-less I got it.

[NZChris]

Selected the cut from what is probably my last damned run of UJSSM. I'm very happy with it. After this series, there should easily be enough in my cellar to last me for as long as I need it. I haven't even bothered to freeze some backset.

[BlueSasquatch]

I've got a 5 liter barrel of Rye that will hit 1 year of aging on the 4th of July. I've had some here and there over the months, so I don't think it will be overoaked. It was last used for some Honey Bear for about 6 months. Distilling my first feints run this weekend, to replace the rye with when I pull it.
I know the barrel probably won't have many uses left, but with a 6 gallon carboy of 35-40% feints, I figure its a fair candidate for a twice used small barrel.

The feints have been really a hodgepodge of all my runs, probably 80% grains but some sugar in there as well, and a hint of crappy gin I tried to make. May not turn out well, but interested to see it in action anyways. Good way to celebrate the 4th IMO. Calling it Slop Whiskey.

[Deplorable]

I've got a half a gallon of "slop whiskey" made from pot stilled AG feints, on used oak sticks. It's tucked away in the rafters of the garage where it's a pita to get to. In a few years I'll get the gumption to pull it down and check on it. I'm in no hurry

[Archee72]

Putting some Wineos Sugar wash thru the still as my neutral stash is getting low. Then some Odin Easy Gin. Time permitting SBAM Rum to round off the day!

[Deplorable]

Spirit run of HBB is in the early stages, taking off the first jar real slow now. Sitting on the empty barrel I'm going to fill once I select the final cut jars and blend into the other few gallons I've got waiting.

[BlueSasquatch]

I've got a half a gallon of "slop whiskey" made from pot stilled AG feints, on used oak sticks. It's tucked away in the rafters of the garage where it's a pita to get to. In a few years I'll get the gumption to pull it down and check on it. I'm in no hurry

I also find calling it "slop whiskey" makes people less likely to drink it. Talk about a win/win. I'm going to fill my 1.3 gallon barrel up with some of it and see what it does. It'll be the 3rd fill. (1st Honey Bear for 6 months, 2nd Rye for 1 year.)


Slop Whiskey was pretty good run, no complications, things went rather smoothly, which is tricky when you got kids running around and shit to do still. I always check things often and don't leave things unattended for long but when you're filling a quart jar up, your burner is set and your water is cool, there isn't much that needs 100% attention, just a watchful eye. Anyways have never done a Spirit Run with 6 gallons of 35% all at once, normally my Stripping runs are 4-5 gallons, and then spirit runs, maybe 3 if I've combined a few strips. So I filled this still up much more than normal, and kept my heat as low as I could, without the burner going out. It was something like 95 Degrees (Freedom Units) outside.

Anyways 1.5 hours to start producing, and probably 4.5 hours until I shut it off. Being an all-feints spirit run, I wasn't concerned about deep tails, last measurement I took was 145 proof, finished off the row of 1/2 pint jars, and shut her down. Need to do cuts tonight and see what I end up with, I've gotten things wrong before with the jars, my "fill line" is lower than the fill-line for the jar itself, I guess the measurement is pretty much 100% to the brim? I always stop it before the threads, otherwise you can't pour. But this leads to a lower actual yield than quick-jar math does. But my quick-jar math has me at 2.25 gallons before cuts and before proofing. Which is the most I've taken before and that feels pretty nice.

No real flavor, but I was surprised how un-harsh the heads were, even the early heads. They aren't yummy but still more mellow than I expected. The hearts are better, the tails are mild as well, but then hit you with the heat a hair later that says "We aren't that weak"

Wife will probably use most of this to flavor with random fruits and the like. The feints have been maybe 80% all grain, 20% sugar heads and a single terrible gin run, should've just tossed that all probably.

Has me very excited to start working on larger volume mashes, finally get the keg stripping and start tackling full spirit runs rather than small runs, I've suspected before that I was running spirit runs a bit hot, and knew that the larger the volume, the more potential you have for true separation of head/hear/tails but knowing this and experiencing it are two different things. I could probably strip slower yet, working on a diffuser plate, so I don't have to try and get a smaller burner or another set-up.

[Bradster68]

Made 10 more gallon of red wine. My oaked Brandy is now my go to drink. Well atleast till I master my bourbon which is getting better

[RockinRockies]

Hand picked western juniper from my property, filled Odin's easy gin recipe with already strawberry and watermelon infused vodka we made, that didn't turn out well. I added orange essential oil and mango.
What the heck, I already have a few bottles resting, gonna experiment.

[rubberduck71]

Ran 27L of CROW sugarhead low wines. Making cuts in the next 24-48 hrs, hopefully getting ~5L of hearts.

Also started up 5 gal of Summer Wheat beer from a kit. Already blown up through airlock twice despite what appeared to be extra headspace!

[RockinRockies]

Making a bloody from scratch, to help assist with this hangover. Hopefully the homemade salsa will pass. Gonna be interesting.

Update:
It was marinara. Ugh. Drinkable but not ideal

[EricTheRed]

Going to start stripping 140L of neutral today