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any help would be good
just did first run fist qt good and clear second one cloudy and third the same both good burn nice and blue but still is cloudy what did i do wrong

what about fermenters?

i like the concept of this thread, but as a first time poster i see this as starting at the end and working backwards.

it would help us newbs a ton if the thread went from stills and still concepts to fermenting and then brewing.

SpankeyBrewster wrote:what about fermenters?

i like the concept of this thread, but as a first time poster i see this as starting at the end and working backwards.

it would help us newbs a ton if the thread went from stills and still concepts to fermenting and then brewing.

Might be of some help to ya if ya read forums parent site and reading lounge first .And posted your first post in welcome center.

Tater wrote:

SpankeyBrewster wrote:what about fermenters?

i like the concept of this thread, but as a first time poster i see this as starting at the end and working backwards.

it would help us newbs a ton if the thread went from stills and still concepts to fermenting and then brewing.

Might be of some help to ya if ya read forums parent site and reading lounge first .And posted your first post in welcome center.

i made 3 posts around the same time. one in welcome, my still, and here. this was the last of three. i actually posted this in the wrong thread (i had about 15 tabs open) i have been reading and soaking up a ton of info. (still processing)

I have a mash going that I read somewhere and now I am a little concerned if I have a bad recipe. 5 gal water, 8 lbs cracked corn,5lbs sugar, turbo yeast. I cooked the corn for 90 min at 150 degrees added sugar , cooled added turbo yeast. It has been bubbling for 18 hrs . The concern is I have read that turbo is bad and that you should always add malt in your recipe so I am wondering will this be o.k. I am new and do not expect a top shelf product just working my way up.

goodtimes wrote:I have a mash going that I read somewhere and now I am a little concerned if I have a bad recipe. 5 gal water, 8 lbs cracked corn,5lbs sugar, turbo yeast. I cooked the corn for 90 min at 150 degrees added sugar , cooled added turbo yeast. It has been bubbling for 18 hrs . The concern is I have read that turbo is bad and that you should always add malt in your recipe so I am wondering will this be o.k. I am new and do not expect a top shelf product just working my way up.

Never use Turbo Yeast with a grain mash/wash... This has been covered many many times here in these forums... Turbo Yeast is only good for making fuel, not quality potable spirits... It is crammed full of chemical nutrients already... Grains have their own nutrients... Combined, the over abundance of nutrients will cause excess heat during fermentation, will stress the yeast colony, and contribute to off flavors, off smells, and perhaps even a stalled ferment due to the yeast colony dying...

Please stick with recipes from the Tried and True Recipe forum until such time that you have enough knowledge to start devising your own recipes... We can help with recipes we are familiar with but when you start experimenting it becomes a guessing game as far as helping...

Thanks , the turbo (3 of them) came with the kit and I didn't read the warnings until I found this site. So, is it harmful? or just not a good product at the end? I mean my wash mentioned above. Just ordered some super start distillers yeast to make a sweet feed mash with. Hoping for the best for the sweet feed so I can get a good idea of what it should taste and smell like.

goodtimes wrote:I have a mash going that I read somewhere and now I am a little concerned if I have a bad recipe. 5 gal water, 8 lbs cracked corn,5lbs sugar, turbo yeast. I cooked the corn for 90 min at 150 degrees added sugar , cooled added turbo yeast. It has been bubbling for 18 hrs . The concern is I have read that turbo is bad and that you should always add malt in your recipe so I am wondering will this be o.k. I am new and do not expect a top shelf product just working my way up.

Let us know how it turned out. I'm guessing that it will be just fine, certainly not harmful.

need a little help, Being new at this I have been stopping my distilling at 200 degrees as suggested and my proof was always about 120. I also read that 80 proof is where the good taste is so in getting to 80 proof my temp went up to 205-210. I am more than a little confused about what is going on. Oh and I have to distill for over 6 hours for 5 gal wash. This is a pot still made from a 2" milehi column and a 7.5 gal keg.

goodtimes wrote:need a little help, Being new at this I have been stopping my distilling at 200 degrees as suggested and my proof was always about 120. I also read that 80 proof is where the good taste is so in getting to 80 proof my temp went up to 205-210. I am more than a little confused about what is going on. Oh and I have to distill for over 6 hours for 5 gal wash. This is a pot still made from a 2" milehi column and a 7.5 gal keg.

not sure where your getting the 200 deg stopping point but you cant run a pot still by temps. water has a boiling temp of 212 with all the ingredients mixed together the boiling point is not going to be set. a pot still is run by output bring the temp up untill you get product out of the condenser then adjust power input to regulate the flow. as for stopping the run go by the abv of the output most take it down to 30% some go to 20% these fients can be ran later. you need to do a little more reading till everything is straight in your mind before continuing just for your own piece of mind and safety

stuartashers wrote:Now I'm soooooo glad I got the net I'm not alone! knowledge if only I had it years ago it would ov'e saved sooooooo much heart ache (money the curse of freedom(tax the curse of ""free man""!!!)) Now free at last except for tax noo escape from that unfortuneatley. A toast to us all for if it weren't for men like us man would not have evolved. Were the pioneers of man kind keeping the arts of old alive god bless us all.

well said
the old ways are some of the best ways, they are some of the simplest ways and defiantly an art.

Thanks, As you say I think I might have stumbled on the beginning of figuring out cuts. While I was trying to figure this out I noticed that the smell was much more faint and the sharp taste was gone, a few pints later and I finally noticed the "wet dog" smell come through at about 60 proof. I am surprised and a little disappointed that most of the output is unwanted heads and tails only 3 pints of good drink. Yes, a mistake at stopping at 200 degrees seems in my set up that is the beginning.

goodtimes wrote:Thanks, As you say I think I might have stumbled on the beginning of figuring out cuts. While I was trying to figure this out I noticed that the smell was much more faint and the sharp taste was gone, a few pints later and I finally noticed the "wet dog" smell come through at about 60 proof. I am surprised and a little disappointed that most of the output is unwanted heads and tails only 3 pints of good drink. Yes, a mistake at stopping at 200 degrees seems in my set up that is the beginning.

sounds like you were running too fast also smearing the product together. you want a broken pencil lead size stream from your condenser. you can dilute all down to 30% then rerun for better spirit

I ran the heads slooooow and did run the last pretty fast cause I had been at it for 6 hrs and getting frustrated, but I did learn something I think. . I think I missed the cut from heads to body, I will have to keep a closer eye now that I know (think I know) what I am looking for. Thanks for answering me , it's nice to run things past someone who has experience.

I'm a little disappointed this thread doesn't have more advice. I can tell you just from doing this for a short period of time not to listen to anything you hear from any other website.

First myth I will bust is the keeping your mash air tight at all times. I personally like to let my mashes get about 30 minutes of fresh air every day. I also stir it everyday...if you ask me...the stirring speeds up the process a bit. Some advice I can give is keep your mashes warm as possible. I keep a small heater on mine. This also speeds up your process.

More advice for newcomers......don't get upset if u don't have a real good outcome on ur runs. You can always throw some water in it, throw it back in the still and come out with some good product. Real good product normally. I personally preferr sweet feed runs. I do the tried and true sweet feed recipe. Tried corn, all bran, sweet feed, and apple mashes and the feed normally gives me a good amount of 120-130. I always,ALWAYS at least double distill my product. 80% of the time I triple distill it. I'm the type that likes the best of the best. Normally I will have 3 5 gallon mashes ready at a time. Get about 2 1/2-3 gallons of wash. I get around 5 pints of 120 and a quart of tails. Take that....pour it into my next wash and cook it....take that finished product and tails and pour it back into the next wash....take that finished product(normally around 1 1/2 - 2 gallons) put in a little over a gallon of water.....throw it back in the still again and getaround : 12 pints of 170-190. This stuff is fire. Goes down smooth for 180. However...I use this to make peach and apple pie mixes.

I also dont use a hydrometer anymore. I used one for the first few months. Unfortunately one day it shattered and i have yet to get another one. I always do the smell, taste, and shake test. I always get really big bubbles that disappear within a second on my triple distilled.

I atypically stick with the feed recipe however i got one fermenting now that was a scrap feed mash. It has 4lb of sugar, 2lb of powdered sugar, 1 bottle of honey, 10 diced apples, 2 cups of Quaker oatmeal squares(brown sugar), a few cups of feed, and a package of high active yeast. I actually had everything in a stockpot boiling for a little while....let it cool and added my yeast....it had a 2 inch head on it within an hour of mixing. I also recycle my mash...normally the longer I recycle the grain....the better and smoother product I get. I scoop a little off the top and add 1 cup of new feed.

One thing I will tell you is to not waste ur time on air locks if you use buckets. Get ya a big roll of shrink wrap(Saran wrap) and it will last awhile. I just throw some plastic on top and pull it tight so nothing can get in but co2 can still escape. The best thing about it is you can watch your product working and you can see when it has cleared. The airlocks are cool the first time you use them....but they get annoying and become a pain in the ass.

Another piece of advice that's has been mentioned many time DO NOT GO BY TEMP on your pot still. I keep it on high until the worm gets hott...then drop it to around 3(out of 10) and she spits real good for a few hours.

I hope this helps some people out. These were a few things I learned and wish I would have known from the get go. But honestly...no one ever taught me hands on.....I read this site for around a month before I did my first run. Patience is the key to producing good product. This site is probably the best thing a novice distiller can stumble upon. If anyone has any criticism or advice on this post or for me please feel free to throw it my way. As I said I haven't been doing this too long.

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+1+1 Double K. That is some of the best advice I have seen in one place.

Looking for some advice. I had to shut down the still about half way thru a spirit run (just starting into hearts). Is there any correct way to finish this run out? Do i still have to collect fores and throw out or has that been covered with the first run of this. I had a family emergency and had to leave the still for about 48 hrs. with everything still in it.

I know that there is no definite answer to how long it takes to run your wash, just your alchol content to 20% out of the 5 gallons how much backset should you have left over? 4 gallons? Approximately how long should it take to run? I ran my first run and it took 3 hours to get a half gallon of heads, hearts, and tails total. No clue what my starting abv was due to no hydrometer. I know I got approximately 110 proof alcohol till I broke the proof and tralle hydrometer.

redcorn53 wrote:I know that there is no definite answer to how long it takes to run your wash, just your alchol content to 20% out of the 5 gallons how much backset should you have left over? 4 gallons? Approximately how long should it take to run? I ran my first run and it took 3 hours to get a half gallon of heads, hearts, and tails total. No clue what my starting abv was due to no hydrometer. I know I got approximately 110 proof alcohol till I broke the proof and tralle hydrometer.

Here's my honest answer... Just by reading the few questions you have mentioned I am left with the feeling that you need to stop and do what we consider mandatory research... You quite honestly don't know enough of what you really need to know to be running a still... Now stop wasting your and our time and just take some time to read... You'll also find answers to questions you don't even know you have yet... Perhaps not what you want to hear, but what you need to hear... We want you to be safe and knowledgeable...

I'm with Rad on that. I read this site everyday for around a month before I even considered making a run. Sorry about the previous post and not putting a whole lot of time into it. I often do my posts from my phone which makes it a bit hard sometimes. Back to the topic.....if you're looking for advice......everyone on this site will tell you READ! I guarentee your question and answer is already on this site somewhere.

I do read, but shit is scattered everywhere in here. I fou nd my answer over 1st distill section that should have been under another area. I do read a lot of information that I can. I have read and still find more stuff. As I said, I have already built my still and made my mash before I joined up with this awesome site. Sometimes I have to add these questions for me to understand in my own way. Also I am a more watch and do my self type person. In other words I do better that way than reading a textbook. Trust me I do read and literally take notes. My only Internet is my phone cause I live in the country. So typing takes forever and so does reading. I thank you rad for the bluntness but if I had a computer I would be able to help you fellows organize a few things. And to answer your question, I do know a shitload more things than I did starting out. Already ran that turbo shiiiit through the still as my sacrificial run and did well with it. Probably had very little alcohol to begin with but I got it going and ran what I could. Tomorrow will be a different story when I run the mash that I did right. I'm not a dumb ass city slicker nor a youngin. I learn quick from my mistakes but I am always open to suggestions and not afraid to ask stupid questions.

hi there, can anyone direct me to a link or forum discussions about the different temps for distilling whiskey in a reflux still with no packing, any information to read would be helpful...i have been running rum and doing good...i need to learn how to run some grain...i hope im not offending anyone with these questions...thanks

Should I discard the first 2 ounces on every run?Eddie

rescueeddie wrote:Should I discard the first 2 ounces on every run?Eddie

How big is your boiler? I distill about 12 liters (or 3 gallons) in my small setup, and I usually discard about 100ml each time just to be safe.

rad14701 wrote:

roddy104 wrote:cooling water to the still. is there a temperture spread or is there an ideal temperture?

Several lines of thinking on this...

First is the fact that you never want to shock cool the distillate vapor back into liquid... This can impart unwanted flavors that may not result from more gradual condensation back into liquid state...

My first two runs I did with bags of ice. They turned out just awful. Mostly smelled like cleanser. Inexperience was mostly to blame on my part, but the shock thing makes sense.
On my most recent run I just used cool water. I didn't feel like going to the store for ice. Several times I removed a quart of the warm top water and replaced it with more cool water. The result was much better. So silky smooth.

well i am a complete novice but i am learning, got a 1 gallon copper pot from a place in kentucky, fermented 2 gallons of sweetfeed, and 1 gallon of malted corn. out of all that on the first run it netted me about 1/2 a gallon at 80 proof. question i have is if i take the half gallon, and run it again should i becareful of the temp? got 2 gallons of tails out of the first run. should i add some of the tails? also it tastes like a wrung out sweat sock, looks milky blue to clear. would it be safe to run the 1/2 gallon by itself on the second run? i don't have a temp gauge on the pot. but i got a glass thumper with copper mesh, and it works like a champ.(indoor use and i have a stew pot underneath for safety) any precautions when getting it up on proof? also did the shake to see how the bubbles disapered, about 2-3 seconds. and they were small. but that taste whew! also the malted corn when i ran it came out crystal clear. and the 2 sweetfeeds came out milky, combined them after the first run. the sweetfeeds showed the most activity with the yeast, the malted corn showed very little. when fermenting the sweetfeeds looked like brown water, the malted corn was yellow to clear. whats the best to run? for the highest proof on the first run? and the best taste? well let me know. i like this it's interesting. thx jess.

jess1982 wrote:well i am a complete novice but i am learning, got a 1 gallon copper pot from a place in kentucky, fermented 2 gallons of sweetfeed, and 1 gallon of malted corn. out of all that on the first run it netted me about 1/2 a gallon at 80 proof. question i have is if i take the half gallon, and run it again should i becareful of the temp? got 2 gallons of tails out of the first run. should i add some of the tails? also it tastes like a wrung out sweat sock, looks milky blue to clear. would it be safe to run the 1/2 gallon by itself on the second run? i don't have a temp gauge on the pot. but i got a glass thumper with copper mesh, and it works like a champ.(indoor use and i have a stew pot underneath for safety) any precautions when getting it up on proof? also did the shake to see how the bubbles disapered, about 2-3 seconds. and they were small. but that taste whew! also the malted corn when i ran it came out crystal clear. and the 2 sweetfeeds came out milky, combined them after the first run. the sweetfeeds showed the most activity with the yeast, the malted corn showed very little. when fermenting the sweetfeeds looked like brown water, the malted corn was yellow to clear. whats the best to run? for the highest proof on the first run? and the best taste? well let me know. i like this it's interesting. thx jess.

I got to say, there must be something wrong with your still! Maybe you should just return it.

Lots wrong with that info and set up. Maybe do some reading here before continuing on with this

So I am still new and still doing a lot of reading and I have done about 3 runs so far and I have a question. I am running my 20 Gallon boiler and I charge it with my wash. I then turn the gas on its 4 burners of a table top gas stove. I use those and in about an hour the pot starts to warm and an hour and a half it starts to run product. It seems that my product will cum out dripping and then in a small stream about the size of a match stick. But some times it will push out in an even larger stream for a few seconds and then go back down to a real small stream then to dripping then back to a small stream then a larger for a few seconds in a cycle.

I am wondering if I have enough heat or if that's my problem. It looks like as my heat goes down less and less of the product will run, but my heat is wide open on the regulator the whole time so I really don't have anyway to vary it, because its already wide open? I saw some suggestions from others that once product starts to run to back my heat down, and other say to leave it go or bump it up? What are some of your onions and thoughts on this?

What kind of condenser do you use? If you have a worm there could be a flat spot. Or if you use ice to cool the water it could be huffing.

I use a worm condenser, and worm box. And I do use a volume of water and ice blocks in the bottom of the ice and then loose ice on top in the water. The top gets hot and I keep swapping the top of the water that gets warm I either siphon the warm out and add a bag of ice to bring the level back up or I add cold water.

How do I tell if its huffing? I mean I think it might be doing that to.

What I wanna know is if once it starts running if I should leave the turkey burner wide open or should I back the flame down? and will it still run when I back the flame down?