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I got a mini (3 liter) pot still today - mainly for making gin and to play with weird ingredients. Did a sacrificial run (put some skeeterpee through the still) today and tried to see if I can make cuts on such a small still. [IMG]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202011 ... c8e9c8.jpg[/IMG]

Saltbush Bill wrote: ↑Wed Nov 25, 2020 4:04 am A big step up since your first post less than a year ago Coogee.

NZChris wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 11:19 pm You have lucky friends CoogeeBoy.

Thank you both, you have both been great supporters and offered some great advice along the way, along with the others of course but with all the help I have received, I am really grateful to tell you that my friends who got and opened the first bottle loved it.

I should mention, we also tried it with a sprig of Rosemary and a couple of crushed peppercorns and it was a super nice drink.

THank you all again.

Blending cuts from a TeddyFFV run!

Bought 75 pounds of BRM corn meal, some wheat, some rye, 55# barley, and a brick of yeast. That should keep me busy the rest of the winter, and fill my cupboards in the garage with booze for a good long while.

Deplorable wrote: ↑Fri Nov 27, 2020 1:34 pm Bought 75 pounds of BRM corn meal, some wheat, some rye, 55# barley, and a brick of yeast. That should keep me busy the rest of the winter, and fill my cupboards in the garage with booze for a good long while.

You know something I don't? Every one is stocking up and I'm not

Durhommer wrote: ↑Fri Nov 27, 2020 1:50 pm

Deplorable wrote: ↑Fri Nov 27, 2020 1:34 pm Bought 75 pounds of BRM corn meal, some wheat, some rye, 55# barley, and a brick of yeast. That should keep me busy the rest of the winter, and fill my cupboards in the garage with booze for a good long while.

You know something I don't? Every one is stocking up and I'm not

The only thing I know that you likely don't, is that the winters here are wet as fuck and there is nothing better to do, so I might as well make whiskey.

I had a very busy couple of distilling days.
Yesterday I did both the stripping run and the spirit run on my rye whiskey that was around 12 gallons of wash, ended up with almost 4 L after doing cuts, at 66%.

Yesterday I also did the stripping run on my rum, that was 16 gallons, today I did the Spirit run. I have 6 L of that before doing cuts.

I also had some stripped brandy/grappa that I made last month which I'm just doing a spirit run on now. That's a small batch, after stripping it was only around 3 L.

This week I also cut up some oak planks, toasted and charred them period they are now in some other batch of Grappa that I made earlier this fall, and also in the rye whiskey.
Also kegged one of my beers, and I'm sampling a barrel aged Stout that I made last month.
Then I'm pretty much done for a while. although I do have a couple hundred liters of wine that really should be filtered and bottled soon.

Cuts on yesterday's mostly barley spirit run and an OEG using some less than stellar double pot stilled Sugar Shine base spirit. Both have turned out quite nice,

My first all grain. Have about 140 litres (35g) of 100% malt barley and about 15% peat. Fermenting off the grain and reusing the spent grain in a UJSSM style sugarhead with maybe 6th gen backset from previous runs. All grain has a sg of 1.066 and sugarhead 1.070.

Crabmanstyle wrote: ↑Sat Nov 28, 2020 4:16 am My first all grain. Have about 140 litres (35g) of 100% malt barley and about 15% peat. Fermenting off the grain and reusing the spent grain in a UJSSM style sugarhead with maybe 6th gen backset from previous runs. All grain has a sg of 1.066 and sugarhead 1.070.

That's the way to go pulling the sugar head on the beginning end of the ferment while there are still some sugars to be eaten

I did a golden promise run 4 days ago it's done today and ready for the boiler

I started mash number 2 of chocolate bourbon. I really need to join the high volume mashing club.

Started up 2x6 gal fermenters of an oat whiskey with that no mash/no boil Angel Yeast.

In each:
6 lbs rolled oats
1.5 lbs 6 row barley
2 lbs honey

Later tonight, should be putting some 7th gen Odin Rye Bread into the boiler...

Weighed out 46# of grains to grind, and made a 1 gallon stovetop mash to propagate yeast for another 23 gallon mash of single malt.

While i'm waiting for parts to arrive for my 2 inch CCVM I wondered if I could convert my little pot still to CCVM. So Yesterday I added 8 inches to the 1 inch column, packed it with a SS scrubbie and whacked a RC in the top. Its sitting on a 9 litre boiler which today I filled with 2 litres of heads and 2.5 litres of water, total 40% ABV. I wasn't expecting a great result but after a bit of fiddling I could hear a gurgling from the column and the output was just nudging 94%. I think the RC needs to be a bit longer and a proper cleaning run but judging by the smell it actually works.

Durhommer wrote: ↑Sat Nov 28, 2020 4:32 am

Crabmanstyle wrote: ↑Sat Nov 28, 2020 4:16 am My first all grain. Have about 140 litres (35g) of 100% malt barley and about 15% peat. Fermenting off the grain and reusing the spent grain in a UJSSM style sugarhead with maybe 6th gen backset from previous runs. All grain has a sg of 1.066 and sugarhead 1.070.

That's the way to go pulling the sugar head on the beginning end of the ferment while there are still some sugars to be eaten

I have to ask. From 1.066 (all grain) and the other batch 1.070 of ag to 1.025 in 24 hours at c. 15 degrees C? Is this normal?

Edit.: Bakers yeast used.
I left outside last night with the intention of moving to a warmer climate inside.

Crabmanstyle wrote: ↑Sun Nov 29, 2020 1:53 pm I have to ask. From 1.066 (all grain) and the other batch 1.070 of ag to 1.025 in 24 hours at c. 15 degrees C? Is this normal?

Edit.: Bakers yeast used.
I left outside last night with the intention of moving to a warmer climate inside.

I'm guessing it was a fairly big yeast pitch. How many grams did you use?
15C may have been the ambient temperature, but inside a big ferment like that it would be tropical.

I used 125 g per 70l ferment (normally on a sugar head I'd pitch 250 for the same amount and take 2 weeks plus at summer at 18C ish temperatures). Maybe time to relax on the yeast, last check this morning on temp was about 20c.

CoogeeBoy wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 11:13 pm OEG.jpg

Wax sealed a dozen bottles OEG for Christmas gifts!

You are not going to believe this.
We had a heatwave on the weekend, got up to 42 celcius but my stash is under the house where I thought it was cool, not cool enough it turns out.
one of the lids of my OEG popped off, wax split and off it came!

Bottled a batch of TedFFV vodka, getting it ready for my very Russian friend to pronounce quality of it (I can't tell the difference between it and Absolut that I tend to favour). I will bottle a batch of OEG (with a couple extra botanicals) which turned out very nice, and I might start another batch of TeddyFFV ... I'm thinking I will use it as a base for my next Gin... AND I need to consider next steps.

Tested and Bottled my OEG batch (with a few different botanicals added).
... It is very nice! I am keeping 2l to experiment with tinctures, and maybe turn out a blue gin or tom cat gin. Any other ideas out there?

Rrmuf wrote: ↑Wed Dec 02, 2020 4:27 am Tested and Bottled my OEG batch (with a few different botanicals added).

Odins Glaukom batch.jpg

... It is very nice! I am keeping 2l to experiment with tinctures, and maybe turn out a blue gin or tom cat gin. Any other ideas out there?

Very nice, 500ml bottles I am assuming.

At first glance I thought you were keeping 21 to experiment!

I found the OEG was perfect with a sprig of rosemary and a few cracked black peppercorns, I hope that gets the creative juices flowing!

Also, I used the TFFV as a base neutral for my OEG and it was fantastic.

CoogeeBoy wrote: ↑Wed Dec 02, 2020 2:54 pm

Rrmuf wrote: ↑Wed Dec 02, 2020 4:27 am Tested and Bottled my OEG batch (with a few different botanicals added).

Odins Glaukom batch.jpg

... It is very nice! I am keeping 2l to experiment with tinctures, and maybe turn out a blue gin or tom cat gin. Any other ideas out there?

Very nice, 500ml bottles I am assuming.

At first glance I thought you were keeping 21 to experiment!

I found the OEG was perfect with a sprig of rosemary and a few cracked black peppercorns, I hope that gets the creative juices flowing!

Also, I used the TFFV as a base neutral for my OEG and it was fantastic.

750ml bottles and I will definitely take the rosemary and peppercorns under advisement.
I have also turned my attention to the TFFV. I love the way it just takes off and keeps going until done! It is my fire-and-forget fermentation recipe!

Rrmuf wrote: ↑Wed Dec 02, 2020 3:10 pm
750ml bottles and I will definitely take the rosemary and peppercorns under advisement.
I have also turned my attention to the TFFV. I love the way it just takes off and keeps going until done! It is my fire-and-forget fermentation recipe!

Good on you. I went to 500ml so I could get out more bottles as gifts for Christmas!

I can only run the still on the weekend, usually while doing the washing.

CoogeeBoy wrote: ↑Wed Dec 02, 2020 3:15 pm

Rrmuf wrote: ↑Wed Dec 02, 2020 3:10 pm
750ml bottles and I will definitely take the rosemary and peppercorns under advisement.
I have also turned my attention to the TFFV. I love the way it just takes off and keeps going until done! It is my fire-and-forget fermentation recipe!

Good on you. I went to 500ml so I could get out more bottles as gifts for Christmas!

I can only run the still on the weekend, usually while doing the washing.

I usually run my still on weekdays while I work! I am too busy on my weekends

Hav some corn fermenting.

Getting ready to mash in.

SaltyStaves wrote: ↑Sat Dec 05, 2020 3:57 pm Getting ready to mash in.
Bairds Heavy Mash day.jpg

100% bairds heavily peated?

tombombadil wrote: ↑Sat Dec 05, 2020 4:18 pm 100% bairds heavily peated?

One hundred percent.

SaltyStaves wrote: ↑Sat Dec 05, 2020 4:20 pm

tombombadil wrote: ↑Sat Dec 05, 2020 4:18 pm 100% bairds heavily peated?

One hundred percent.

How did it go? Super peaty or what?