Burning the midnight oil

Distillation methods and improvements.

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stillvodka
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Burning the midnight oil

Post by stillvodka »

Hello ,

Knowing the legality of our Hobby, What time does most of your distilling take place, does anyone feel that the only time has to be at night/ Burning the midnight oil ?
Big J
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Post by Big J »

I love sitting outside in the sun, listening to the distillate drip, tasting as I go along. 8) Its daytime for me.

Cheers,
J
Grayson_Stewart
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Post by Grayson_Stewart »

Freetime
Light travels faster than sound. That is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
pothead
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Post by pothead »

Grayson_Stewart wrote:Freetime
:lol: me too

I like to start early in the morning and run till the wife starts gettin pissy, (usually about 1 full run)
"Be nice to America, or we'll bring democracy to your country."
"The best things in life aren't things."


"Imagination is more important than Knowledge"-Albert Einstein
Aidas
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Post by Aidas »

Weekends. Daytime. Home. It doesn't get much better than that.
junkyard dawg
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Post by junkyard dawg »

I usually start before noon and end in the moonlight. usually late. I get one day every couple of weeks to work on this...
hornedrhodent
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Post by hornedrhodent »

="junkyard dawg"
I usually start before noon and end in the moonlight. usually late. I get one day every couple of weeks to work on this...
First quarter and full moon would be OK but it must be a really long day for the last quarter.
CoopsOz
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Post by CoopsOz »

I like to start early in the morning and run till the wife starts gettin pissy, (usually about 1 full run)
:lol: That's pretty much how I do it too.....it seem's women all over just don't understand the importance of this hobby.
It is most absurdly said, in popular language, of any man, that he is disguised in liquor; for, on the contrary, most men are disguised by sobriety. ~Thomas de Quincy, Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, 1856
jmc91199
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Post by jmc91199 »

For me it is 8pm till i'm done usually around midnight. I need to wait for the kids to be in bed. No need for little hands and feet around a hot still. Besides, The little buggers ask too many questions and would probably rat me out by accident. Last thing i need is to attend a parent teacher conference regarding my hobby. :lol:
Dave's not here!
pothead
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Post by pothead »

My kids know that I make "wine".
And they are very good at listening to daddy(Thank God). They know not to discuss my hobby outside the house (and they know to only discuss it with family inside the house).

They do ask questions, In fact my 7 yr old daughter understands the process of condensing vapors. She thinks it's the coolest thing that we can make pure water out of steam.
"Be nice to America, or we'll bring democracy to your country."
"The best things in life aren't things."


"Imagination is more important than Knowledge"-Albert Einstein
stillvodka
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Post by stillvodka »

I started this thread to see how many or if anyone do distilling through the night, i think that i will have to, as work is taking most of my spare time up, but i have found that doing our hobby in the middle of the night is not a very good idea, it's surprising the amount of noise you can make when you are trying to keep quiet, the nosey neighbours wondering what your doing in the shed/garage in the middle of the night and all the little chinks of light showing through the cracks and gaps making people suspicious, not that we should need to worry really, because the law regarding us making our own spirits is so unfair, in my view, We Aint No Criminals.

Good to see the response to the thread. :)
drunk2much
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Post by drunk2much »

No real specific time for me just whenever i have a long streak of free time (which i usually make for this hobby). Most of the time though I try to start early in the moring and get done around lunch with a big batch. I just try not to bother my neighor, the detective. I am suprised he has never inquired about the smell. though he is about 4 acers away which, is 4 acers too close.
when is never enough?
Hackers
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Anytime, anywhere and I tell everybody!!!!

Post by Hackers »

I tend to forget that here in enlightened New Zealand we are rather privileged for it to be LEGAL to distill alcohol (as much as you like) for your own consumption with the only restriction being that you can't onsell it. However "family" can make a contribution to reimburse you for your costs :D

Consequently I don't have to worry even when my daughters mid-wife drops around and asks " is your Dad a scientist or something?" :roll:
Never do tomorrow what you can do today because if you like what you do today you can do it AGAIN tomorrow!
LONEEAGLE155
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Post by LONEEAGLE155 »

Sorry for you guys who have wives that give you greif about this mine went outand bought me yeast sugar and corn to get my first batch going
butback to the question only did 1 batch started in the morning on my day off
muckanic
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Post by muckanic »

="stillvodka". i have found that doing our hobby in the middle of the night is not a very good idea, it's surprising the amount of noise you can make when you are trying to keep quiet, the nosey neighbours wondering what your doing in the shed/garage in the middle of the night and all the little chinks of light showing through the cracks and gaps making people suspicious, not that we should need to worry really, because the law regarding us making our own spirits is so unfair, in my view, We Aint No Criminals.
Our government in its wisdom has been circulating literature that encourages people to report on suspicious activity in neighbouring garages, especially when it involves more than one person. The fact that someone might not be manufacturing pyrotechnics will probably still not save them from a bust.

One thought occurs after the event: I guess a distiller could be unintentionally manufacturing pyrotechnics. :P
copperhead
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Post by copperhead »

i run when ever the mood strikes as far as the wife gose she helps me out with straining grains fruit or what ever sometimes i think she enjoys this hobby as much as i do.
CoopsOz
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Post by CoopsOz »

I've done the night time runs in the past. I live in suburbia and am quite close to my neighbours (my garage light shines into their bedroom), I'm sure they think I've got a crystal meth lab in my garage!
It is most absurdly said, in popular language, of any man, that he is disguised in liquor; for, on the contrary, most men are disguised by sobriety. ~Thomas de Quincy, Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, 1856
dutch@home
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Post by dutch@home »

i'm not ready for distilling yet but my neighbours are used at lights in my
garage after midnight.
i like to work in the late evening on specific jobs becourse of no phone -
wife - etc are disturbing you.
the kids leave me alone, they know i dont wont to be disturbt.
their old enough to understand.
the oldest might even help me producing and have a sipp.
so:i'm going to distill after +- 7-8pm
if you don't want to do time,
don't do a crime!
and as a finishing touch,
god created the dutch.
Brewmeister
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Post by Brewmeister »

I have a rather large garage so I just run mine in there - usually start early morning and run all day - have a high roof in the garage so no problems running my tall column etc and have very high fences so neighbours can't see. If need be can shut the roller door and close the curtains on the windows.

I also have really good neighbours so am not paranoid about em.
Regards,
The Brewmeister.
-------------------------------------------------------
1st guy :- My wife is an Angel.
2nd Guy:- You're lucky, mine's still alive.
bourbonbob
Angel's Share
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Post by bourbonbob »

I'm about to do my first ever distill, I'm not really fussed about what time I do it, just keen to to it. :lol:
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