What'd ya'll make today?

[The Booze Pipe]

I made a micro mini still! I had about half the parts on hand.

viewtopic.php?t=93920

looking forward to having a rig to use for test batches of gin, or other extractions. Also a great way to make a flavored vodka.

[samwell]

I made a micro mini still! I had about half the parts on hand.

viewtopic.php?t=93920

looking forward to having a rig to use for test batches of gin, or other extractions. Also a great way to make a flavored vodka.

That's a cool build. I've always been curious about the smaller stills for doing little test batches, but haven't ever really investigated because i thought the cuts would be too small. But for test batches of gin and stuff along that line, I feel like it would be worth it.

You've got me thinking.

[NZChris]

That's a cool build. I've always been curious about the smaller stills for doing little test batches, but haven't ever really investigated because i thought the cuts would be too small. But for test batches of gin and stuff along that line, I feel like it would be worth it.

You've got me thinking.

Being small runs, cuts can be be done by volume, see Odin's Easy Gin.

Bering a home distiller and wanting to experiment with flavors, I often want to do smallish gin runs, so mini stills are ideal.

Mini stills are very capable of doing multi-shot gins, so a small still can produce a large batch of gin if you need it and have the neutral to dilute the gin essence with.

[The Booze Pipe]

I made a micro mini still! I had about half the parts on hand.

viewtopic.php?t=93920

looking forward to having a rig to use for test batches of gin, or other extractions. Also a great way to make a flavored vodka.

That's a cool build. I've always been curious about the smaller stills for doing little test batches, but haven't ever really investigated because i thought the cuts would be too small. But for test batches of gin and stuff along that line, I feel like it would be worth it.

You've got me thinking.

Yes, this still is intended to be used with finished product. So no making cuts on a spirit run, but maybe making a cut or two on flavoring.

Overall, it wasn't an expensive build. running on 120V circuit makes it easy. That controller was $20usd on sale, on Amazon. I've been building the dumb thing for about 10 months, so the costs have been spread out.

[The Booze Pipe]

That's a cool build. I've always been curious about the smaller stills for doing little test batches, but haven't ever really investigated because i thought the cuts would be too small. But for test batches of gin and stuff along that line, I feel like it would be worth it.

You've got me thinking.

Mini stills are very capable of doing multi-shot gins, so a small still can produce a large batch of gin if you need it and have the neutral to dilute the gin essence with.

That's how I first made a gin! If a guy only wanted to make gin, or flavored vodka it would be the best setup. You can buy a decent vodka/neutral grain spirit for cheap, and come up with your gin on the other side.

[samwell]

That's a cool build. I've always been curious about the smaller stills for doing little test batches, but haven't ever really investigated because i thought the cuts would be too small. But for test batches of gin and stuff along that line, I feel like it would be worth it.

You've got me thinking.

Mini stills are very capable of doing multi-shot gins, so a small still can produce a large batch of gin if you need it and have the neutral to dilute the gin essence with.

That's how I first made a gin! If a guy only wanted to make gin, or flavored vodka it would be the best setup. You can buy a decent vodka/neutral grain spirit for cheap, and come up with your gin on the other side.

You guys have got me convinced LOL

[American newbie]

I made the most basic Kindergarten newbie batch you could imagine. A birdwatchers mash distilled in an Air still, I'm sure that would get a lot of hate from the old timers. But, I'm reading every night and trying to learn all I can from you guys. One day I'll look back and laugh at this set up.

[MooseMan]

I made the most basic Kindergarten newbie batch you could imagine. A birdwatchers mash distilled in an Air still, I'm sure that would get a lot of hate from the old timers. But, I'm reading every night and trying to learn all I can from you guys. One day I'll look back and laugh at this set up.

No one here will have a problem with you running a T&T recipe mate, it's a solid start.

That day when you look back, you'll probably already be using the little air still to make small batches of gin and be grateful for it.

[MooseMan]

I did a second 75l strip of Rum (Based on SBB's recipe) this morning, with just one small tweak.
I fermented it hot until it was just barely finished, then pumped into the still last night and heated slowly to 58c while stirring and splashing it, aiming to encourage a buttery Diacetyl aroma and flavour.

No butter notes came through during the strip, but I'm hoping I get it on the spirit run over the holiday as it's a big run for me.
40l of deep strip, 20l of racked and cleared wash, 8l of feints and I'm planning to add around 8l of infected Dunder to the boiler before the spirit run, that's been growing all kinds of strange moulds for nearly a year.

[Deplorable]

Spirit run today on another American Single Malt whiskey. 3% Caramel malt. This one will be aged on used oak, and at least some of it finished on apple wood.

[The Booze Pipe]

I made the most basic Kindergarten newbie batch you could imagine. A birdwatchers mash distilled in an Air still, I'm sure that would get a lot of hate from the old timers. But, I'm reading every night and trying to learn all I can from you guys. One day I'll look back and laugh at this set up.

Nah it's a great way to learn! I started out with those simple sugar washes as well. Heck I even started out distilling a gallon jug of cheapo wine for a learning experience.

[EricTheRed]

Running 1st 4 batches (3 litres each) of
- basic gin
- strawberry gin
- rosemary, rooibos and orange- 2 of

[Fletching]

Doing a spirit run of my 7-grain bourbon today. Fixing to fill another Gibbs Barrel.

Corn - 51%
Rye Malt - 11%
Red Wheat Malt - 9%
White Wheat Malt - 9%
2 Row - 9%
Honey Malt - 4%
Rolled Oats - 7%

[StillDome]

I was finally able to weld the boka parts together. Column 125cm plus the boka head 30 cm. Decided to weld threaded fittings for the Ports which i Had lying around 3/8" for liquid port and 1/2" for the Thermometer. Now need to Order a thermowell and a needle valve as well as the 2" TC clp parts snd PTFE gaskets.

While cutting the column i Made a big mistake and First Cut it wrong ...and the welding is really ugly. Would spraying some black color in it a Bad Idea? Or are there other ideas to make it more pretty?

[harold01]

stilldome
looks likes you used a grinding disc on it, get yourself a flap disc for the grinder and that will it up heaps

[Rusty Ole Bucket]

I made some cordials for a couple of friends using Pothead's Panty Dropper recipe with Shady's Sugar Shine. They came out really good. I did raspberry, blueberry, black berry and mixed berry.

Rusty

[samwell]

I made some cordials for a couple of friends using Pothead's Panty Dropper recipe with Shady's Sugar Shine. They came out really good. I did raspberry, blueberry, black berry and mixed berry.

20241219_065010.jpg

Rusty

Which fruit was your favourite tasting one? I made a blackberry and blueberry liqueur last summer and they were pretty decent, but my favourite was the blueberry one. So much good flavour even at higher proof.

Cheers,
Samwell

[quadra]

Stilldome that defocused picture looks like 1980s jewelery... or an over caffinated kid with ADHD was given a metal axe and told to get to work
I did my first in copper, and pissed away a pile of silver solder...no regrets, criticize all you like boys... the only thing that matters is what comes out the product end

[Rusty Ole Bucket]

Which fruit was your favourite tasting one? I made a blackberry and blueberry liqueur last summer and they were pretty decent, but my favourite was the blueberry one. So much good flavour even at higher proof.

Cheers,
Samwell

Hi Sam, it actually surprised me cause I'm a raspberry nut, but I liked the blueberry best too, same for my wife. They're somewhere around 70 proof, I think, just based on volume of ingredients. They're all tasty and very drinkable, but that one smells and tastes like a blueberry pie filling with a little kick.

So far a jar of strawberry I made with my panela rum has been my favorite. It tasted just like the strawberry bon bon candy.

Rusty

[NormandieStill]

After about 6 months of doing not a lot due to lack of time and space, I recently managed to get some stuff done.

Inaugural mash on my 2 keg kettle RIMS system (Need a rougher grind, or a few handfuls of rice hulls).
From the lautered grains I made a sugar head to continue my BeerHead (tm) project.
I finally steam stripped two previous BeerHead batches which dated from Many Months Ago. I'll soon have enough low wines for a spirit run.
And today I started a lazy 23l HBB batch with YLAY. Once steam stripped, this should net me enough low wines to go with the leftovers from my last run, and the bottle of HBB feints for a full spirit run.

Slowly working on clearing out the shed and reorganising things so that I can get back up to speed.

[samwell]

Which fruit was your favourite tasting one? I made a blackberry and blueberry liqueur last summer and they were pretty decent, but my favourite was the blueberry one. So much good flavour even at higher proof.

Cheers,
Samwell

Hi Sam, it actually surprised me cause I'm a raspberry nut, but I liked the blueberry best too, same for my wife. They're somewhere around 70 proof, I think, just based on volume of ingredients. They're all tasty and very drinkable, but that one smells and tastes like a blueberry pie filling with a little kick.

So far a jar of strawberry I made with my panela rum has been my favorite. It tasted just like the strawberry bon bon candy.

Rusty

My all time favourite liqueur has to be plum. That's one I want to revisit again in the summer in the new year. After I finish all my bourbon, I'll probably make another AG vodka and then make some neutral for liqueurs.

I'm so fucking pumped!

[MooseMan]

Rum spirit run for me today.
40l stripped low wines
20l cleared wash
8l rum feints

I intended to add some infected Dunder to the boiler last night, but it smells so horrific I shat out and opted to leave it. It literally smells like death, I couldn't bring myself to add it.

So far so good, I'm running nice and slow through heads right this minute.

[samwell]

Rum spirit run for me today.
40l stripped low wines
20l cleared wash
8l rum feints

I intended to add some infected Dunder to the boiler last night, but it smells so horrific I shat out and opted to leave it. It literally smells like death, I couldn't bring myself to add it.

So far so good, I'm running nice and slow through heads right this minute.

I’m yet to do rum, but by the sounds of it, if I had a similar experience at home, my family would hate me HAHAHAHA

Good luck with the run, Moose.

Cheers

[hbe5863]

Today I am making a spirit run of apple brandy. The recipe was 7 gallons of apples, 10 lbs. of sugar and 1.5 lbs. of brown sugar. We used bread yeast and some enzymes to get the mash going. The mash ( probably the wrong term with fruit) was at 1.060 in the refractometer when I pitched the yeast. We have done 4 stripping runs so far and have a little less than 3 gallons to run through. I am using a cheapo 5 gallon pot still on the stove. It has a "thumper" on it but there is no thump leg so I am not sure what good it does. I used it on some corn mash we made and it just collected some water in the bottom of it. If I use it on this run, we are just going to put some apple juice concentrate in it and run it that way.

[Bradster68]

Today I am making a spirit run of apple brandy. The recipe was 7 gallons of apples, 10 lbs. of sugar and 1.5 lbs. of brown sugar. We used bread yeast and some enzymes to get the mash going. The mash ( probably the wrong term with fruit) was at 1.060 in the refractometer when I pitched the yeast. We have done 4 stripping runs so far and have a little less than 3 gallons to run through. I am using a cheapo 5 gallon pot still on the stove. It has a "thumper" on it but there is no thump leg so I am not sure what good it does. I used it on some corn mash we made and it just collected some water in the bottom of it. If I use it on this run, we are just going to put some apple juice concentrate in it and run it that way.

You're correct. Fruit ferments are called "must". I make apple brandy every year. But... Never any sugar. Try it once without and you'll never go back. In the beginning I did add sugar to some batches and it is aging nicely but cannot compete with the real stuff.
Not sure how you're concentrating your apple juice. But you can freeze jack it to concentrate even more. A great way to dilute your Brandy to drinking strength.

[hbe5863]

Today I am making a spirit run of apple brandy. The recipe was 7 gallons of apples, 10 lbs. of sugar and 1.5 lbs. of brown sugar. We used bread yeast and some enzymes to get the mash going. The mash ( probably the wrong term with fruit) was at 1.060 in the refractometer when I pitched the yeast. We have done 4 stripping runs so far and have a little less than 3 gallons to run through. I am using a cheapo 5 gallon pot still on the stove. It has a "thumper" on it but there is no thump leg so I am not sure what good it does. I used it on some corn mash we made and it just collected some water in the bottom of it. If I use it on this run, we are just going to put some apple juice concentrate in it and run it that way.

You're correct. Fruit ferments are called "must". I make apple brandy every year. But... Never any...

We made some last year without sugar and it was good.I wanted to try a recipe I found that added sugar to raise the proof when distilled. Right now we are 7 hours and about 2.5 quarts in. still sitting at 60% and a good apple taste. I saw an apple brandy recipe on here and I want to try it next year. This batch is going to be xmas gifts. If we don't ruin it.lol. I wanted to freeze jack it but the temps here aren't allowing that. We seem to be having a hot winter. Been in the 50's when it's ussually in the 20's. Thanks for the advice! I've read some but haven't put that to actual practice.

[JustinNZ]

Well, I got sick of my 2-year-old 20L pail of muck sitting in my garden so I ran that with 20L of funny-smelling rum low-wines (strange batch of feedgrade), 6L of rum feints and 2L of all-feints rum. Kept 7L of reasonably tight hearts that tasted pretty sweet (literally) and seemed to have lots of potential flavour-wise, so am aging for 2 years at 55%abv on half new and half used oak dominoes. Doing the low abv to enhance the sweetness - seems to be a thing. Calling it Mucky Rum. The “muck” was dunder from SBB rum that had been often semi-open but mostly closed with an airlock and occasionally had been fed with things like yoghurt, banana, hard cheese and possibly a chopped potato. But no meat, sadly. That I know of.

[tombombadil]

I made a bunch of blueberry lemonade cordial for the holidays.

It's quite good on ice or with some soda water.

I planning on making a rye whiskey next.
I haven't decided if it'll be 100% or more a rye/corn/malt mix.

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

[The Booze Pipe]

Five gallons of a UJ style sour mash, 11 months on oak staves!

[NZChris]

Distilled about my eleventh batch of Old Tom Gin, each batch recipe building on the notes from the previous batches.

Yum yum, very nice.