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distiller_dresden wrote:That there is a good idea corene, I love these kind of ideas. I am a startup by most of your measures, but I love trying new things with existing standards and recipes; I have a rum fermenting now that I put a gallon of pineapple juice in there. I'd like to try out your idea with my next rum mash-in to see how that goes; how many pounds of malted red wheat would you use/suggest for a 5.5 gallon mash-in using .75 gallons of high quality molasses and .75 gallons of blackstrap molasses, or how would you adjust those to allow for the smooth lighter flavor of the malted red to be there?

Saying again, I really love ideas like this! Combination and innovation is the excitement and alchemy of this lifestyle and what has me so deeply enamored with it.

Been trying a bunch of things . We tried malted rye as well makes for a little bit of a peppery taste . This batch was 24 gallons of water with 2 gallons of fancy molasses , 24 pounds of dark brown sugar and 10 pounds of malted red wheat. We used 14 gallons of hot water to blend the sugar and molassas then mashed 10 pounds of malted red wheat and 10 gallons of water at 148 degrees , then added it to the wash.

I can work from that; so 26 gallons total liquid. The fancy molasses I use is about 3200 sugar cal per gallon, and dark brown is 450 if I recall correct per pound. That puts the total around 17,200 -- divided by 5 gives 3440 and 5.2 gals with 2lbs malted red. My range.

So I can modify with that. Maybe 1/2 gal of fancy, 2 lbs malted red, 5 gals water, and 4lbs dark brown; what yeast did you use, just bakers, or did you have something specific in mind that grabbed your smoother flavors? (thanks for sharing, by the way!)

Once I try this recipe, I wonder about trying a half or even pound of honey malt in the hot water while it's cooling for a honey front flavor too? And then maybe try ShineOn's butter treatment on the rum -
Honey Butter Vanilla Rum anybody? In fact this might be what I've been looking for when I make my hazelnut rum. Honey butter vanilla hazelnut rum...

I've been malting my own wheat and using it in conjunction with liquid enzymes. I like the wheat hint to corn and oat whisky. Rum is something I have not tried other than adding some molasses to a grain wash for experimentation. Each November they make the cane syrup using mules to crush the sugar cane at a festival. I thought about going and getting about 10 gallons of that fresh cane syrup and trying it. There's always a bunch of antiques for sale at this festival which interests me.

Watching those old timers make the syrup leads one to believe they become mesmerized by the golden syrup as it makes it's way down the trough to the Jars. I foolishly tried to ask questions and learn from these master syrup makers but soon found out syrup puts them in some type of trance and my questions were like an annoying fly, so I shut up and watched. I soon learned syrup makers are as serious as distillers just not near as laid back, Lol!

Between the smell of the smokehouse and the syrup in the air that little country festival is one of my favorites. They have a mule pull which seems to be a dying craft.

Hilltop said, 'They have a mule pull which seems to be a dying craft.'

You would have enjoyed my father's funeral. (No, seriously; so would he if he was watching and maybe he was....)
He was born in country Australia in 1903 and not long afterwards the family moved to a new farm, in two bullock wagons.
So when he died in 2,000 we carried the coffin in my cousin's wagon with twelve bullocks yoked in pairs, from the country hall where the funeral was held, half a mile up the sandy hill to the burial ground. With everyone walking behind.
A treasured memory.

Geoff

kiwi Bruce wrote:The "glasses and flags" is a quote from Shakespeare...it's either " Midsummer nights Dram " or "Taming of the Flue"

Were there Rose Colored Glasses in Shakespeare's day?

ga flatwoods wrote:Seing as how i havent been around here much lately, i have some bs for the bench and a confession. You have to forgive the blasphemy herein.
Last week i bought a bottle of Dr James Crow's original Kentucky Bourbon for $11.45 a fifth and liked it. Didnt have any of my own, been too busy with other things. I guess we each place our own priorities where we think they ought to be. What a twisted way of thinking!
GA Flatwoods

aging taste buds? but for full disclosure I'll always have a soft spot for McNaughton's. My father and I would drink that together. He always loves cheap booze

jon1163 wrote:

kiwi Bruce wrote:The "glasses and flags" is a quote from Shakespeare...it's either " Midsummer nights Dram " or "Taming of the Flue"

Were there Rose Colored Glasses in Shakespeare's day?

My favorite song, John Conlee's "Rose Colored glasses." his song " Backside of thirty" runs a close second. But I doubt Shakespeare's time had Rose Colored glasses as John Conlee had not sung about them yet! Lol!

Same ol' riff raff around here I see. Who has a jug i can have a pull offa? Been awhile. Seems my life took me on a route with a move that took me 1000km away from family and alone, just to work. But it's going well. Finally brought up some things for my hobby. Now I just gotta figure out how to get up to speed with electric. I already have my ported stainless keg, the 5500w element, and a controller kit from (can I say? Is it still allowed to mention still dragon?). Time to browse some threads and try to figure it out . . . not great with this stuff . . . always liked to do it on flame. But now i'm in an apartment and it's a bit of a trip to my back yard to run my copper pot on the flame, so electric it is. I'll have to use my stove or dryer outlet, and that's about as much as I know.

How's everyone been here? Still misbehaving and causing trouble? Hope to be around more once again and great to see some familiar faces!

distiller_dresden wrote:I can work from that; so 26 gallons total liquid. The fancy molasses I use is about 3200 sugar cal per gallon, and dark brown is 450 if I recall correct per pound. That puts the total around 17,200 -- divided by 5 gives 3440 and 5.2 gals with 2lbs malted red. My range.

So I can modify with that. Maybe 1/2 gal of fancy, 2 lbs malted red, 5 gals water, and 4lbs dark brown; what yeast did you use, just bakers, or did you have something specific in mind that grabbed your smoother flavors? (thanks for sharing, by the way!)

Once I try this recipe, I wonder about trying a half or even pound of honey malt in the hot water while it's cooling for a honey front flavor too? And then maybe try ShineOn's butter treatment on the rum -
Honey Butter Vanilla Rum anybody? In fact this might be what I've been looking for when I make my hazelnut rum. Honey butter vanilla hazelnut rum...

I just use plain Red Star bakers yeast and ferment at 82 to 84 degrees. It takes about 6 days to finish.

moosemilk wrote:Same ol' riff raff around here I see. Who has a jug i can have a pull offa? Been awhile. Seems my life took me on a route with a move that took me 1000km away from family and alone, just to work. But it's going well. Finally brought up some things for my hobby. Now I just gotta figure out how to get up to speed with electric. I already have my ported stainless keg, the 5500w element, and a controller kit from (can I say? Is it still allowed to mention still dragon?). Time to browse some threads and try to figure it out . . . not great with this stuff . . . always liked to do it on flame. But now i'm in an apartment and it's a bit of a trip to my back yard to run my copper pot on the flame, so electric it is. I'll have to use my stove or dryer outlet, and that's about as much as I know.

How's everyone been here? Still misbehaving and causing trouble? Hope to be around more once again and great to see some familiar faces!

Yep same ol riff raff and a few newer faces . Some of us older folks been a bit lax here as we aren't as spry as we used to be. Still a good place to come and have a sit for a spell and share a bit of our wares. Here's to ya!

What Corene said . Good to hear from ya .

Missed this place for sure. Definitely nice to have life settle down a little and let me get back on the forum. Still been stillin' . . . just not much time for leisurely chats or checking up on the forum. Glad to see the same ol' riff-raff.

Hey, moose, nice to see ya pop yer head up!
I too have had life changes/events lately, not been around as much, but still try to keep an eye on the going’s on.
Welcome back, hope to hear more from you.

MichiganCornhusker wrote:Hey, moose, nice to see ya pop yer head up!
I too have had life changes/events lately, not been around as much, but still try to keep an eye on the going’s on.
Welcome back, hope to hear more from you.

I'll definitely be checking in more frequently now. Hope to figure out how to get this electric stuff done up so I can run here. Always ran on propane, but my living situation here doesn't allow it discretely. Got controller parts, element, keg all ported. Now just gotta figure out what goes where lol. The still does look pretty sitting in my living room though!

You'll never go back brother. Promise.

Whew ! Have a cold one on me and I ain't one known to be fond of iced drinks .
I swear ! Last couple of days here has been hotter than a whorehouse door knob on 'Nickle Night' .
How's the weather where you live ?

HOT! Should be in the low 100's by this weekend. Here is our 10 day forecast.
WednesdaySunnyPrecipitation: 0%0%99°71°
ThursdaySunnyPrecipitation: 0%0%99°70°
FridaySunnyPrecipitation: 0%0%101°70°
SaturdaySunnyPrecipitation: 0%0%104°74°
SundaySunnyPrecipitation: 0%0%103°78°
Sunny today with a high of 103 °F (39.4 °C) and a low of 78 °F (25.6 °C).
MondaySunnyPrecipitation: 0%0%99°75°
TuesdaySunnyPrecipitation: 0%0%100°74°
WednesdaySunnyPrecipitation: 0%0%100°73°
ThursdaySunnyPrecipitation: 0%0%96°70°
FridaySunnyPrecipitation: 0%0%96°68°

Too damned Hot...believe me when I say I hate the cold, and snow is a filthy four letter word to me, I don't normally complain about the heat, but... I'm trying to get some baby wasabi plants established and they don't do well in the heat, I may wind up taking them indoors until the fall.

Good whiskey aging temps though! The attic is clutch right now!

98 yesterday and 95 today, I don't know about the rest of yall but in eastern Va. the humidity is about 75-80% Which makes these days seem like 110 and air so thick you can't breath. Miserable is what it is!!!

So here is a nice iced rum and coke to help cool yall down, enjoy and stay cool.

SCD, TB.. yall have a 5th coming yall's way at the S3:18 of my finest rum to date.

Maybe a bit of butter rum too (white)

I was looking for the euphemism y'all use to describe how hot it is where you are .
My buddy Brock claims that it's 'Hotter than a fresh fucked red fox in a forest fire' here ....................
How colorful can the rest of you get ?

Hotter 'n a virgin in a feather bed! Been that way here the past month.

it's hotter than burnt liquer in July.

Cooled a bit today. Still hotter 'n a 3 dollar pistol tho'. Still ain't helpin' none.

Yonder wrote:Cooled a bit today. Still hotter 'n a 3 dollar pistol tho'. Still ain't helpin' none.

Sheeeit! I love it, my mash is frying like bacon! Now one thing these new folks will learn Yonder, and I shouldn't tell them so they learn it the hard way is.

1. In the heat of summer, maggots will soon sit up in any barrels outside with spent mash left in them. It's a nasty disgusting experience you won't repeat. It will awaken you some night.

2. Fruit flies can smell liquer a mile past a click away.

3. Hummingbirds will get drunk and party, but they can't keep up with the bees.

This time of year I love to think about those old moonshiners from the past who did this in a thicket with no wind and 107 degree heat index. Some tough guys they were. I would assume in say the year 1880, they ran many a run at night when it's cooler.

Truckinbutch wrote:I was looking for the euphemism y'all use to describe how hot it is where you are .
My buddy Brock claims that it's 'Hotter than a fresh fucked red fox in a forest fire' here ....................
How colorful can the rest of you get ?

Other side of the world here sold "Cold as a mother inlaw's kiss" right now.

I have seen,'Cold as a Witch's tits'.

Geoff

The Baker wrote:I have seen,'Cold as a Witch's tits'.

Geoff

Colder than a well diggers ass in Idaho! Lol! Please send it to me as Its 107 around here.

Just mashing in my version on Goddess' vanilla rum today, the malted red wheat is mashing now just struck it into the water and it's at a perfect 153F.

I'm excited for this recipe, thanks again Goddess/Corene!

Evening , y'all . Have a pull on some white dog AG if it fits your taste . Life is good here . Got the orthopedic boot off my broke foot and am getting back to farming . Need to do some stillin too .
SOH still loves me . She bought me a new toy .........
During fly time when our kids were little I would load a bunch of 1 gauge shot shells with just a primer and commission them to fly and wasp control in the house with a sawed off Savage 12 ga pump shotgun . Kept them amused and would effectively blow the wings off a fly or wasp out to about 5' . Hous got a bit noisy and the air smelled like a fire fight . Upset the house pets as well .
SOH presented me with a belated anniversary present today . (Father's Day , her Dad's birth day , and our 25th anniversary fell on the same day this year)
Look up 'BUG-A-SALT 2.0". This little sawed off pump gun will kill flies at 3' and is street legal . Uses table salt for ammo . 80 shots per 2 tbs +/- charge . You can fire it directly into a window pane with no damage to any thing but the fly .
I see a lot of application for this in the still house . Hope I can reduce the number of fly strips that keep grabbin me by my hair and the side of my face .