What'd ya'll make today?

[NZChris]

Proofed a sample bottle of rum that was distilled using scraps from a series of rum ferments and experiments with old technology, (H. H. Cousins) and distillations, then aged on oak from my local firewood supplier.

Distilled in November 2019, so less than 4 years on oak.

I think it's nice, but I'm guessing that the heart cuts from the original ferments will preferred by visitors.

[welly]

The first of two all grain mashes, hoping to fill my fermenter with 50L of 1.060 OG whisky mash for a Scotch.

[Yonder]

just had 21 gallons honey gave to me will have to figure something.

Oh, man, I could only dream. Mead galore! And what i didn’t care for, I’d run. My meads are usually 15 abv or so and do great distillates.

[The Baker]

You could use honey as a sweetener instead of sugar in a simple syrup.
In limoncello, maybe, as an example...

Geoff

[Oldvine Zin]

Getting ready to drain this 3+ year old barrel, getting ready for the upcoming PNW Meet and Drink

Stay safe
OVZ

[Yodaspike]

Decided to try something new.
Have a 3kg raisen and 500gr all bran 10kg sugar wash.
Going to age this on some old chips that i am soaking in red wine, waiting is going to be the hardest...

[Wildcats]

Decided to try something new.
Have a 3kg raisen and 500gr all bran 10kg sugar wash.
Going to age this on some old chips that i am soaking in red wine, waiting is going to be the hardest...

I made a All Bran wash ...with raisin bran a few months ago. I was very happy with the heart cut . Not aged tho.

[Yodaspike]

Seems the batch fermented out in 6 days.
So, seems i will be making some yummy things today.
Going to try the nuke aging as well

[Wildcats]

Spirit run on some SSS. Gonna make some apple pie for the wife and sister in-law. Just got into the hart's. Smell so nice and clean. Taste great proofed down to 40*/*.

[MooseMan]

Put on another honey wash.
40L batch.
10l of honey
3tsp DAP
4tsp bread yeast
2tsp calcium carbonate chips
1tsp Gypsum
1/4 TSP citric acid
8 limpet shells

Yeast pitched at 38°C
S.G. 1074

Nice warm lid to go on when it settles at 35 degrees and two little 6v heater pads running off the garage solar charger to keep it there.

[Wildcats]

Put on another honey wash.
40L batch.
10l of honey
3tsp DAP
4tsp bread yeast
2tsp calcium carbonate chips
1tsp Gypsum
1/4 TSP citric acid
8 limpet shells

Yeast pitched at 38°C
S.G. 1074

168814109741738828683660343016.jpg

Nice warm lid to go on when it settles at 35 degrees and two little 6v heater pads running off the garage solar charger to keep it there.

Nice Lil recipe. Are you planning on distilling this? Have you made it before? If so what's it like? The reason I ask is because I have been researching Mead for the past few weeks. Haven't pulled the trigger yet. Been busy with Shadys Sugar Shine for last few months. Your recipe sounds like one I'd like to try.

[MooseMan]

Nice Lil recipe. Are you planning on distilling this? Have you made it before? If so what's it like? The reason I ask is because I have been researching Mead for the past few weeks. Haven't pulled the trigger yet. Been busy with Shadys Sugar Shine for last few months. Your recipe sounds like one I'd like to try.

Yes Wildcats this is aimed for a "Rum'ish" end goal.
I had several gallons of really dark honey glaze from a food industry source, it's delicious and I have made loads of honey stout with it and cooked with it for years before I started running a still.
This is the 5th full 40L batch I've made intended for pot distilling, (After several smaller, trial runs and some just made into neutral) the previous 3 are already stripped and waiting for a spirit run.

I'm really hopeful that it will make a lovely white rum as even during stripping, there's a stage at around 35ABV off the spout that it comes off smooth and rummy, with that lovely thick buttery mouth feel and honey sweet taste.
The wash when fully fermented still has a residual sweetness but a back of the throat bitter finish, it's actually really tasty, but super dark brown.

If it doesn't go the way I want as a rum style drink, it will go through the reflux column and be turned into neutral anyway.

If you want to make really tasty meads, do a bit of googling on "Metheglin" and get some really light flavoured honey to start with.

And please, please start a thread when you do!

Moose

[NZChris]

Making Grapefruit Gin for Her Indoors. It makes a very nice G&T with a squeeze of grapefruit and a twist of peel.

[Wildcats]

Nice Lil recipe. Are you planning on distilling this? Have you made it before? If so what's it like? The reason I ask is because I have been researching Mead for the past few weeks. Haven't pulled the trigger yet. Been busy with Shadys Sugar Shine for last few months. Your recipe sounds like one I'd like to try.

Yes Wildcats this is aimed for a "Rum'ish" end goal.
I had several gallons of really dark honey glaze from a food industry source, it's delicious and I have made loads of honey stout with it and cooked with it for years before I started running a still.
This is the 5th full 40L batch I've made intended for pot distilling, (After several smaller, trial runs and some just made into neutral) the previous 3 are already stripped and waiting for a spirit run.

I'm really hopeful that it will make a lovely white rum as even during stripping, there's a stage at around 35ABV off the spout that it comes off smooth and rummy, with that lovely thick buttery mouth feel and honey sweet taste.
The wash when fully fermented still has a residual sweetness but a back of the throat bitter finish, it's actually really tasty, but super dark brown.

If it doesn't go the way I want as a rum style drink, it will go through the reflux column and be turned into neutral anyway.

If you want to make really tasty meads, do a bit of googling on "Metheglin" and get some really light flavoured honey to start with.

And please, please start a thread when you do!

Moose

Sounds great. Thanks for the feedback. I can't wait to start messing with honey for different recipes.

[MooseMan]

Making Grapefruit Gin for Her Indoors. It makes a very nice G&T with a squeeze of grapefruit and a twist of peel.

Grapefruit peel in the botanical bill as well Chris?
Care to share?

[NZChris]

Making Grapefruit Gin for Her Indoors. It makes a very nice G&T with a squeeze of grapefruit and a twist of peel.

Grapefruit peel in the botanical bill as well Chris?
Care to share?

Swap your usual citrus zest for grapefruit zest.

[MooseMan]

Oh ok, swap out entirely!

My plan was to wait until they are abundant and cheap around my way, then make additions to my usual satsuma and lemon, but not wholly swap out.

[NZChris]

Oh ok, swap out entirely!

My plan was to wait until they are abundant and cheap around my way, then make additions to my usual satsuma and lemon, but not wholly swap out.

It's up to you. If you don't like the results from a straight swap, you can always blend it with a previous batch and use less next time.

If you are worried about it being overpowering, try 2/3rds grapefruit, 1/3rd Satsuma.

I do my gin experiments in small stills, so bad ideas are not big problems.

[MooseMan]

Thanks Chris.

I'm still fully in experiment stage, so it's all made in 1L batches or occasionally 2L.

Do you use the full peel or just zest?

[NZChris]

Thanks Chris.

I'm still fully in experiment stage, so it's all made in 1L batches or occasionally 2L.

Do you use the full peel or just zest?

I've never included the pith of any citrus as I've often read that it is bitter. I get great results with only the zest, so I'll let someone else do the pith experiment.

[MooseMan]

Ah ok.

I use the whole peels with satsuma as I find the mild bitterness adds to the gin profile.
Try it you may like it if you are a London dry man?

Lemons it's zest only!
I'll do a run with grapefruit peel and with zest and see what I get.

[Dancing4dan]

Stripping a corn meal ferment on the corn with the steam stripper. Have not used this still in a long time. Didn’t want to use a BIAB so went back to this for some variety.

[Dougmatt]

Spirit run on more Panela Rum. Topping up the solera and getting a nice white reserve wrapped up. I’ve got 12 more gallons of ready wash and about 15#’s of panela (plus molasses) left to go.

This has been a journey! Coming up in the 200 gallon wash mark…. I will be ready to move back to bourbon and brandy after this.

[Konsekvens]

Filled up my New Badmo barrel with Winter Warmer Whiskey today.

[tombombadil]

Starting my most expensive creation ever.
Definitely only doing this once.

Step 1 is to turn 3 gallons of honey in to honey shine.
Starting the ferment tomorrow.

Step 2 is to start a mead fermentation, but dump in the honey shine when it's about 10% abv and 1.05 sg. I found a calculator so I can get it up to 20% and 1.04 sg. That should kill it.

Then I'll either put it on oak cubes or in a barrel.

I don't have a name yet.

Nectar Of The Titans?
Valhalla's Special Reserve?
Odin's Secret Stash?

[Steve Broady]

I don't have a name yet.

It sounds reminiscent of Port to me, so how about Portal to Valhalla?

[Dougmatt]

Yet Another Panela rum strip…. Sigh…. This stuff is awesome, but I’m ready to change it up soon! Considering using the Panela and molasses I have left as a rumski concoction as the 3 barrel solera is full and I have enough to top up for awhile as needed…

Dropped a cork into my strip collection vessel…. Hoping it doesn’t impart any crazy flavors because I can’t get it out.

[GrumbleStill]

Spirit run of the house bourbon. This batch is destined for keeping barrels topped up. I'm using little 10L barrels, so the angels are pretty thirsty .

As an experiment, I'm refluxing this one with about 1/3rd of the normal column/packing in place. Just to see what impact it had. Expecting better yield with limited flavour, which is what I'm seeing at the moment.

[jonnys_spirit]

Dropped a cork into my strip collection vessel…. Hoping it doesn’t impart any crazy flavors because I can’t get it out.

This might help but I’ve not needed to try it yet.

Cheers!
-jonny

[Dougmatt]

Dropped a cork into my strip collection vessel…. Hoping it doesn’t impart any crazy flavors because I can’t get it out.

This might help but I’ve not needed to try it yet.

Cheers!
-jonny

Thanks Jonny. Will try something like that once I empty the Carboy.