Home Distiller

Hey Everyone!

Its really nice to see a old time tradition continue to thrive, instead of dying off as times change.

With that being said in my family, my grandfather made corn whiskey and fruit brandy just as his father taught him. So as im sure you can imagine, there are plenty of storys that I have sat back and listened to over years and years. Soo now I think its my time to keep the tradition alive that was passed on, unfortuantly my dad didnt want any part of it growing up but I want to belive that it just "Skipped" a generation so that I would be more enthusiastic about it than he was.

I have been doing alott of reading over the passed.. eh Id say almost a year now, but by no means am I anything besides a novice when it comes to distilling. So I think that I have found a good home here to start my learning process even more and one day do some hands on trial and errors of my own. Then maybe one day if I have children and they are interested in this, I can pass this down to them.

Soo, now heres the fun part... Me asking a few questions...

Through all the reading ive done, My plan is to start out with a simple pot still (keg) and one day progress to a reflux and so on.

So besides the figures that ive just drawn up on my own and all, what would a good simple pot/keg still to start out on?
Also a good corn whiskey reciepe?

Also if anyone has some good reading material for me pleasee link me upp, I keep my note pad right beside me and even through all the reading ive done I keep learning new stuff every day / every hour so just help show me the way!

Thanks alot for reading, and Im really glad to be here!

welcome. this is a good read
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=725
this is mandatory
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=46
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =35&t=5090

Read all the safety stuff FIRST! (yes I meant to shout that)

As for corn whiskey the Uncle Jesse Simple Sour Mash (UJSSM) is real popular, I haven't personally tried it yet. I would recomend the Sweet Feed recipee. Both are in the Tried and True section.

Spend some time browsing and most of your questions will answer themselves.

Remember safety is the primary concern as you are dealing with some volatile compounds.

Welcome!

Welcome aboard.

Good of you to carry on the tradition.

Yes a pot still is a good still to start with. A keg is a great choice for a boiler. Using a triclamp to mount the still head gives you the option to build a reflux later and swap them out. Samohon has a great pot still plan. You can find it in the plans and diagrams thread. It's a pdf download. Add an easy flange and triclamp and you are in business. The pot still head will be good later on to use for stripping runs for the reflux still.

Starting out with a good tried and true recipe is the best choice. There are a bunch of them. But sounds like UJSSM is right up your ally. Use it to learn with and get a handle on fermenting and driving the still.

Good luck be safe have fun.

ipee7ABV-
Ill give Uncle Jesse's Sour mash a read, and I really appreciate you linking me up. Ive read all of the threads on page 1 of the New Distillers reading lounge, and I am reading the Rules which we live by thread as we speak. Im the type of person that wants to do alot of research on ANYTHING and EVERYTHING before ever even attempting to do hands on. I guess its because it gives me a little lead way of if somthing messes up I can be like "oh yeah I remember reading where this happend to someone eles" then I look in my little book on where I read it at and go back and re read on how they fixed the problem

SuperHawk-
Thanks again for telling me about the recipes, Ill def be giving uncle jesse's or the sweet feed a try. Im possitive my Gpa is looking down on me smiling right about now, and once I get it running ill be sure to pour a little out of each run for him.

PrairiePiss-
Ive read alotttt of thread where you posted helpful advice and id like to go ahead and thank you for answering future questions of mine that Im sure ill ask lol. As for the still plans, I DEF need to check some of them out. I really want to have a still that is either interchangable or just make a Pot Still for my stripping runs and reflux for my Spirit Runs.

Another question that keeps popping up in my head alot recently has been, what to ferment my mash/wash in? What container would be best to put it in? As for Airlocks and all on it? Are they needed for all fermenting or just some?

I appreciate everyone being so nice and helpful on here, and Ill try to post around alot more for now on.

If your are old and broken down,,,,try and design your rig according to your work space. Set it up so the the business end elevation will allow you to collect at counter top elevation. Or you can collect on your knees if ya want.

1, 2 or 3 inches in height here or there is not a big deal for pot still construction so don't fixate to much on height. Diameter will be a more worthy consideration.

Best hobby ever
Larry

Thanks Larry, and naa not too much on the old and broken side yet. Still 24 years young My plan is to be using a propane cooker so Ill be having everything elevated on cinder blocks.

Also, can someone help link me up to some good pot still plans. As bad as I want to tackle a ruflux still, that is noo point for a novice like myself to start at.

Soo I was thinking a simple 10Gal Keg, with a 2in collum but I would really like to see some proven diagrams.

Also, if anyone can answer the question of what to ferment in (as far as what container to use, and does it have to have airlocks)

Thanks alot everyone

Hey man im in good ole N.C. to. you sound bout like me my grandpa was a bootlegger use to be dry counties here till a few years ago, id listen to stories of him and his grandpa makeing shine, my mom it seemed to skip a generation everytime, I only wish my grandpa was around now, I like to think he'd say thats pretty good Hammer Head but you betterer get to makeing more. I saw him kill a many pint of likker like it was water.

Haha yeahh, we have a old home movie of my granddad n my great aunt at his still. He ran off about 3 inches deep in a mason jar poured some in the palm of his hand and light it on fire and he would count untill he felt it and he would name the proof then he would pass my great aunt the jar and she would just knock it back and never flinch. Its truely amazing how this tradition has never died, and even though its a huge part of history its like a ghost...

Anyway, im glad to see another fellow North Carolinian making this wonderful brew. Id love to know what kinda set up you use, and how/when you ferment sense everything differs state to state.

Samohon has a great pot still plan. You can find it in the plans and diagrams thread. It's a pdf download.

5 gallon buckets. Can usually get them free from places like Walmart bakery go through a lot of them. And will give them away. Or Lowes sells the food grade white ones. Can use a blow off tube for an airlock. Simple tube from the lid to down into a jug of water.

So id have to cut a hole in the lid to add that correct?

Also, How do yall feel about me using somthing like this...

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/grd/3470996203.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I was looking at the 15 gal ones, but I mite consider the 55gal down the road some day.