Home Distiller

I'm pretty new to distilling, but have had pretty good success so far. I built a 5 Gallon pot still from Clawhammer Supply. I started with grains this past winter. I made a couple batches of corn and several different recipes of bourbon. I think I can make a decent drink, based on friends comments after tasting and I look forward to continued experimenting with grains. Making cuts is very difficult and most times ive ended up just keeping the middle third? So much tasting and they kinda run together after a while. I've got a long way to go in that department. When I found this site I eagerly read everything I could. This site is an awesome resource for new folks and I thank everyone involved with it. The fruit brandies fascinate me and I passed the winter and spring dreaming of making blackberry, blueberry and peach. Tater's recipe seemed really solid and the awesome pictures made my mouth water! Well, the farm raised blackberries down the road are ripe and Saturday I spent 3 hours picking 9 gallons. This is a very expensive experiment at $12 per gallon. Each gallon weighed about 5 pounds. I plan on using 20 pounds per 5 gallon ferment. I have them in the freezer now in two 20 pound batches. I have also frozen 3 quarts in jars for soaking later. I do have some questions about how to proceed. I don't have the masonry drill bit device that tater has but it seems the blackberries should be pretty easy to mash up, at least easier than peaches or other stuff. They were really soft and ripe. I'm concerned about the seeds which are kinda bitter if you chew them up, but I want to make sure I give the brew every chance possible to carry the blackberry flavor thru. Should I try to strain the seeds out before fermentation? If I do I may end up removing some of the pulp also. With the grains I've strained everything thru a paint straining bag after fermentation before stillin. I've read some folks say that you should put everything in the still to get the most flavor to carry over. I'm not sure exactly what to do. I plan on adding some sugar in order to get a little more finished volume. I'd also appreciate some advice on how much to add and still get good flavor. Based on my reading here I'm trying to decide which yeast to use. I have Lalvin EC-1118 and K1-V1116 on hand. Which one should I use? Any other advice would be appreciated. I want to give my very best effort based on the cost of this deal!

I am fairly new to distilling, but have made fruit wines for many years and recently ran some, with good success. If you haven’t visited Jack Keller winemaking site, it is worth the read and has many fruit recipes for wine. I would suggest 20 lb for 5 gal is a little on the heavy side for the fruit, probably 15 lbs would be fine. I’ve read some recipes that suggest more fruit will result in a heavier character of the brandy, maybe so, but I would keep the fruit to a minimum. I know a fruit wine made with a lot of fruit per gallon taste like crap. Anyway, just mash them up best you can with a potato masher or something, add sugar and water, I wouldn't try to strain the seeds before fermenting. Best to add some hot water and let sit for a few hours to get all the fruit sugar in solution, then continue adding water and sugar to your target volume and SG. You won’t need any other winemaking additives. I’d also use a primary fermenter bucket for a few days then siphon and strain and filter everything including the seeds, into a secondary with airlock to let it finish and clear and settle, might take 3-4 weeks, then rack off only the clear, no pulp, seeds, lees for the boiler. When you distill I doubt you will be able to identify the specific fruit flavor no matter how many berries you use, but definitely will get the brandy character. You’ll probably have to sweeten and soak some blackberries in the distillate to get the blackberry flavor and bouquet and put on some oak for color. As far as yeast, what you have will work fine…bakers is even fine. Again I doubt that a certain strain of yeast will change the distillate flavors enough to identify with the yeast strain unless you have a super refined brandy drinking palate.

I appreciate your advice and the other information. I'll have to check that out. I've never made wine before but I bet blackberry wine could be pretty good. You'd probably get more of the flavor. I do plan on following Tater's berry liquor recipe with at least some of the distillate. I'm reading more and more that the panty dropper method is the best way to get good flavor. Very interesting that you recommend less fruit as opposed to more. I could split up the berries into 3 batches of 13 pounds each? I'm also undecided on wether to single or double distill. I'm leaning towards single but after drawing off the fores, add the heads and tails from the first batch to the second batch. If I split it into 3 batches, I could add the heads and tails from the second batch to the third batch also. Decisions, decisions.

I tried to make a blackberry mash once but falling sort of berries I stretched it with some grape juice and some other fruit. My mash was a flop . Not trying to knock making a mash, I'm sure it could be done and turn out great!
But I would like to suggest saving some of those yummy berries to make a macerate. The flavor really comes through and it don't take anywhere near as many berries!

Richard7 wrote:I tried to make a blackberry mash once but falling sort of berries I stretched it with some grape juice and some other fruit. My mash was a flop . Not trying to knock making a mash, I'm sure it could be done and turn out great!
But I would like to suggest saving some of those yummy berries to make a macerate. The flavor really comes through and it don't take anywhere near as many berries!

I second that . Sippin some blackberry PD as I post . 9 pounds of berries , 5 to 8 pounds of sugar , and less than 6 quarts of white dog yielded me about 4 gallons of very tasty drink that works so well that I may have to get a pacemaker installed .

I third that...macerate and sweeten for flavor after distilling. Use about a pound of berries per gallon of water and sugar to SG around 1.080 for the ferment. Like a sugar wash but the berries will supply all the nutrient, and you will still get some brandy carryover.

Truckinbutch wrote:yielded me about 4 gallons of very tasty drink that works so well that I may have to get a pacemaker installed .

Is it just me or can anyone else get through one of Truckinbutch post without laughing or at least a chuckle! You crack me up!
It's a shame we ain't neighbors, we would have to go out cow tipping!

Dang, where's Tater when you need him? You guys really have me thinkin. I have been totally sold on using more fruit as opposed to less. I've never even thought about doing a sugar wash with the dreaded turbo yeast! All I've made so far has been all grain with the exception of one attempt at apple brandy made from store bought apples and apple juice. If I steer your direction then I've just kinda wasted a hundred bucks on a pile of blackberries. I did get a good workout picking them though. I kinda thought sugar washes were mainly for column stills. I've never even read many threads about sugar washes. Do they do ok in a pot still? I'm thinking why bother with the whole brandy deal if all the flavor is going to come via maceration/panty dropper methods?

If you have all them berries you are in good shape! Do a run on them and keep us posted on how it turn's out!
We all learn buy what works for us, and share the results.
I really was looking for my blackberry to make good booze and it failed when I tried to ferment it.
But you may have better luck at the fermenting end of it. Keep posting and let all of us know what happens.

A 2x4 and a bucket should take care of mashing the berries .If ya don't want seeds in wash put mashed berries in a pillow sack and remove when fermented.I like berry as white dog as well as liqueur.Blackberries will only have about a oz and half sugar per lb so Id add sugar to get at least a 10 proof wash.A thumper with some mashed unfermented berries will also help with taste .Personally I prefer the liqueur made with likker made with same product..But a good lite rum base fruit /berries tastes liqueur is really good also . ec1118 is what I like with fruit.Ive got around 60 lbs of blueberry's in freezer I'm trying to decide to what to do with . Likker or wine

Thanks for all the advice. I bought my first 25 sack of sugar today! I kept an additional few pounds of berries for maceration later and have decided to stick with Taters recipe this time. I"ll have about 18-19 pounds per 5-6 gallon tub. They are thawing now. I will smash them tomorrow and add the sugar, water and start the yeast in a small amount of must. I'm gonna use 1116 in one and 1118 in the other to see if there's any difference. They will be fermenting in my basement at about 75 degrees.

Do I need pectin enzyme?

What temp should I check SG?

probably 60f

+1 on the BB PD

Rooster64 wrote:Do I need pectin enzyme?

only if making wine only.

Thanks. I didn't think so but the guy at my brew store said I should so i second guessed myself. I thawed the frozen berries over night last night. I noticed some turned red after freezing. This afternoon I mashed them in the ferment buckets with a big potato masher. It worked ok. When I got them to the point of being good and soupy they measured 2.5 gallons in my buckets. I ended up adding 8.5# of sugar dissolved in 3 gallons of water to each bucket along with 3 table spoons of lemon juice. The mix is exactly at the 6 gallon mark in each bucket. I monitored the SG as I added the water and sugar knowing it wasn't accurate because it was too hot. I cooled a final sample to 60f and it showed about 1.075. When they cooled to a little over 90f I added 2 5g packs of 1118 that I had rehydrated. I used a whisk to froth it up real good and put them to bed for the night. Hopefully I'll have some action in the am. I was told to pack my little column with copper scrubbers and I have had them in there for all my grain runs so far. Should I remove them when I run this? Would it help bring over more flavor?

Both buckets are bubbling steadily!

Rooster when living at home my mama made us a blackberry cobbler every day we picked enough to have one. Real easy way to make a lot of your questions simplier. Put a little water in the bottom of a large pot and boil enough to mash them in the hot water. Absolutly no flavor loss. Strsin through a collander and straing bag or panty hose and squeeze to remove all juice. No seeds to release tannin or get stuck in your teeth. Yes add pectic enzyme. Sugar with some of the water heated and add juice. Premier cuvee or montrachet wine yeast if the opportunity comes around again. NEVER use bread yeast for a wine based drink, I can smell it in a wine before drinking some with it having been used.

"Yes add pectic enzyme."
the reason for using pectic enzymes is so it clears ,witch is not nesasary when distilling . braking down pectin makes more methanol (the pectin is why fruit has more) boiling the juice can "set" pectin witch is how they make jelly.witch again not so bad when distilling but not wanted when making wine.

The reason for using pectic enzymes is so it clears ,witch is not nesasary when distilling . braking down pectin makes more methanol (the pectin is why fruit has more) boiling the juice can "set" pectin witch is how they make jelly.witch again not so bad when distilling but not wanted when making wine.

True this. May want to save a little as wine.

GA Flatwoods

The temp came down to about 77f, and it has formed a nice 2 inch cap.

I checked the SG last night when I mixed the cap back in. It was 1.04. The temp. Has settled at 76f. It's just steadily bubbling. Smells great at 4 days in!

If you do use pectic enzyme to make wine and get more methanol, does that mean that the wine drinkers drink the methanol, but the distillers, not only do not promote the production of it, but also attempt to remove it?

Yes you are correct. Pectic enzyme is used to make a more "presentable" product by helping as a clarifier but produces methyl as a by product. That is why wine will leave you with a headache a lot of the time. Methyl is one of the first distilled off and discarded therefore the less in the wash the less in the distillate.
Ga Flatwoods

Should I distill on the pulp or strain it when it comes time?

At 7 days in one bucket is 1.012, and the other is 1.018.

I would say strain it, especially if you are using electric heat. Gas, I would still strain it, steam, you might be okay. But I only run gas, maybe some one with more knowledge on these maters could give you a better answer.

i made some last fall, but we get our berrys free from the woods on the back 40. i left mine ferment for about 3 weeks. and i would say to strain before puting in the still or it will burn. my nephew said it was the best i ever made,he asked me for some this spring and all i could say was sorry,its all gone,guess every body thought it was the best i ever made.

Last night was the end of 11 days fermenting. I checked the SG and both containers were around .99?. My hydrometer stops there and it was floating right at or less than that so I figured it was pretty close. I filtered it thru a straining sack into carboys to let it settle. Now this evening both carboys are still bubbling, although very slow. I figure I'm gonna run it this weekend. I've packed my little column in the still with copper scrubbers on all previous runs. Should I put em in or run it without em? The company that I got the materials and plans from recommended I use them all the time I guess.

I found using pectinase the second biggest mistake when dealing with fruit spirit (bakers yeast was the biggest)