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Bradster68 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 4:40 pm My citrus taste seems a little strong.

I very quickly started using less citrus than Odin. I've never abstained from drinking it for weeks after making a batch, usually making enough so that there is still some left after five weeks.
I sometimes do a gin run in a small copper alembic on the dining room table in front of guests and serve up G&Ts as soon as it's proofed.

I made Gouda cheese today, plus Ricotta from the whey.

Haven't made a damn thing lately, cold weather is painful and sucks.
But the Youngins have plans to clean up the still house and get ready.
It's the time of year that malting is naturally easiest.

NZChris wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:24 pm

Bradster68 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 4:40 pm My citrus taste seems a little strong.

I very quickly started using less citrus than Odin. I've never abstained from drinking it for weeks after making a batch, usually making enough so that there is still some left after five weeks.
I sometimes do a gin run in a small copper alembic on the dining room table in front of guests and serve up G&Ts as soon as it's proofed.

I made Gouda cheese today, plus Ricotta from the whey.

I had a hard time staying out of it lastnight. Momma went to bed and I continued to sip.
I will also be cutting back on the citrus slightly

shadylane wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:00 pm Haven't made a damn thing lately, cold weather is painful and sucks.
But the Youngins have plans to clean up the still house and get ready.
It's the time of year that malting is naturally easiest.

Cold weather for malting?

Bradster68 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 10, 2023 3:22 am

Cold weather for malting?

Ideal steep/aeration temp range is 50-60F which promotes even water uptake and minimizes bacterial growth.

Twisted Brick wrote: ↑Fri Mar 10, 2023 5:21 am

Bradster68 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 10, 2023 3:22 am

Cold weather for malting?

Ideal steep/aeration temp range is 50-60F which promotes even water uptake and minimizes bacterial growth.

Ahh. Good to know. Makes perfect sense

I made some Gin.
Juniper,
Coriander,
Angelica root,
Tanka bean,
Grapefruit skin

It's cloudy at 55% so maybe I have overdone it with the grapefruit skins... smells great though! I'm out of tonic but I'll get some soon so I can do a taste test.

tombombadil wrote: ↑Fri Mar 10, 2023 1:11 pm I made some Gin.
Juniper,
Coriander,
Angelica root,
Tanka bean,
Grapefruit skin

It's cloudy at 55% so maybe I have overdone it with the grapefruit skins... smells great though! I'm out of tonic but I'll get some soon so I can do a taste test.

Grapefruit Gin is very popular in our house, especially when they are in season. A squeeze of grapefruit juice and a twist of peel in a Grapefruit Gin with tonic is very nice.

Tame the louche with neutral and water to an ABV that isn't bitey and you might have a nice sipper.
___
I made two Gouda cheeses, plus Ricotta from the whey.

I just put down 84L of molasses wash. Nice warm day in Porirua so it should hold 35deg for 2-3 days under a blanket. Sorted. Using Agrifeed Blackstrap from PGG Wrightson at $65 per 27kg. It’s quality stuff. They overfill too.

My 2nd all grain mash. Starting gravity was 1.078 which I am extatic about. 7.5 lb flaked corn, 6.5lb flakes wheat, 2lb 10 oz quick oats, 5.5 barley, (3lbs Munich, 1lb crystal, 1.5lb pilsen)started with 5 gallons of water at a rolling boil, in went the corn, wheat, and oats,then 1 gallon of water at 160 degrees, then slowly started working in barley at 158, added another gallon of water at 158 degrees because it was pretty thick and my target was 7 gallons so I had space had to turn the turkey fryer in low and stir for 10 minutes a few times to keep it between 150-158, added 1tbsp of alpha amalayse just to hedge my bets, mashed for 2 hours then let it go down to 82 degrees, pitched 2 packets of still spirits whiskey yeast


Reading the flavor notes on those specialty malts they all sounded delicious and I wanted all those flavors in my product, in hind sight as a novice I wish I would have just picked one or two so I could taste what each one is like

I striped two batches of peated single malt to fill my carboy yesterday and will do the spirit run today.

Canuckwoods wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 11:46 pm I striped two batches of peated single malt to fill my carboy yesterday and will do the spirit run today.

Sounds yummy

I blended the cuts from gen. 2 of SBB rum. I got a lot more hearts cut than I was expecting, and holy smokes is this stuff good! Put it away in a used BadMo until I can’t stand to wait any longer.

Today was a good day for distillation here. Did a stripping run on some SBB rum, which miraculously did not want to puke at all, even at full power. While that was going, I started another batch of rum with a mix of molasses, piloncillo, and panela. I also racked the beer off of a batch of bourbon, and am mashing the next batch right now. I fee like I accomplished a little bit today.

Stripped a sugarhead

Bradster68 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 13, 2023 5:13 pm Stripped a sugarhead

Far better than stripping a crackhead!

Proofed a bottle of 2019 stockfood molasses rum for the drinks cabinet. It's very nice, but I have made better.

Made a clone of an exotic sounding cheese that I've never made before, (Queso de Mahón), and Ricotta from the whey.

Steve Broady wrote: ↑Mon Mar 13, 2023 5:56 pm

Bradster68 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 13, 2023 5:13 pm Stripped a sugarhead

Far better than stripping a crackhead!

i didn't have to worry about jagged teeth

Spirit run of my sugarhead

A blend of corn, oats and barley from three ferments.

A) Two 16 gallon ferments of...
16 gallons water each to get 32* C after the addition of the following.
10kg corn meal each
2.58 kg rolled oats each
Yellow label yeast.
Both ferments stripped with pot still
Low wines from both ferments combined for a spirit distillation process using LM / VM and reflux as done below on B.

B) One 16 gallon ferment of...
16 gallons water to get 32* C after the addition of the following.
10 kg Golden Graham malted barley
2.58 kg rolled oats.
Yellow label yeast.
No strip run.
Distillation of B using a combination LM / VM still head and reflux through a short 24" copper packed column which is to short to strip flavor, but will do the following.
LM with reflux compresses the heads.
VM with reflux compresses the tails.
Toward end of hearts monitor closely for tails by taste, smell and sight glass fogging.
Any sign of tails I decrease VM product take of rate allowing increased reflux to push tails down column.
Stop VM take off and reflux to clean column and push tails down if needed. Restart LM after reflux period at reduced rate.
This method of distillation widens the heart cut by compressing heads and tails and due to the short column, retains big flavour from the barley that is cleaner than pot stilling.

Combined Hearts from A and B into carboy. Set carboy into a large tub in the event of breakage. Dilute to 60 ABV and add oak to age.

Yellow label yeast was used to eliminate the mashing process for all three ferments.

Tastes pretty good white so looking forward to this after a year or so.

Just pitched yeast on the last ferment of 100lbs of red wheat for another Jimbo's.

Spirit run for my corn oat whiskey. Hearts r very tasty white.

I got 2 40oz bottles of dandelion wine that was about 30yrs old they figured. Found hidden in a crawlspace. There's lots more where that came from, but I distilled the 80 oz and ended up with 500mls of actually tasty stuff.Its on uncharred oak now. It was undrinkable before. I wish I would have taken a pic before I emptied the bottles it looked terrible lots of sediment.

Maďe some wine.

Bradster68 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 4:34 am Maďe some wine.

That looks like a lot of wine. What kinda wine is it. What's you recipe. I been thinking about make a batch of wine myself. But probably won't make any until it warms up some. All my fermenters are full rite now. Maybe time to buy some more.

Wildcats wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 5:32 am

Bradster68 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 4:34 am Maďe some wine.

That looks like a lot of wine. What kinda wine is it. What's you recipe. I been thinking about make a batch of wine myself. But probably won't make any until it warms up some. All my fermenters are full rite now. Maybe time to buy some more.

It's banana wine. I got a shitton of banana for free. Ripened em to a black sugary goo froze em then thawed. Heated to 145 added enzymes and pectin added a little more sugar and I'm seeing what I get.

That sounds great. Never had any banana wine. Will have to try some soon. thanks for the reply. Let us all know who it turns out.

Wildcats wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 5:58 am That sounds great. Never had any banana wine. Will have to try some soon. thanks for the reply. Let us all know who it turns out.

This is my first time also. Iv read it takes a year to mellow. It smells good

Made a huckleberry "whisky". Light pilsner malt, corn sugar, and Monin huckleberry syrup. This is something I made with the intent to drink unaged. Proofed it down to 90. Then added a little sugar to back sweeten. That really made the huckleberry pop. Almost like a slice of fresh bread with a little bit of jam on it. This should keep me from sampling the stock I have aging!

Started the third and final purple barley mash.
50#s purple barley
20#s 6 row barley
3 packets Voss dry yeast

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this stuff once it's done.
I'll have a barrel to empty in a few months. Currently holding honey Bourbon for its first fill.

Once this is done I have 100#s of blue corn to liquefy, then it's time for a break.