My First Post and I am Thrilled to be here.
Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2013 9:49 am
Hello everyone. I've done my best to familiarize myself with this forum before introducing myself. I have found this forum very helpful. I hope to someday be able to offer as much advice as I have read here.
I'm a guy in my mid thirties living in the UK. I'm originally from South Texas. I've always (probably too early on) been interested in beer/wine/spirits/alcohol in general and thought it was high time I got off my back side and attempted to master the mysteries of distillation. I've never brewed beer (well ok, once in college me a few buddies bought a kit but I hardly count that as experience) or created any alcohol whatsoever. I've recently found that I have the time, motivation and income necessary to do this the way I would like to do it. I hope to be able to learn to do it very basically and acquire as many skills across several disciplines as possible. Then slowly progress to more advanced methods as I feel the urge.
My still - or what will be my still - was purchased on line. It's an all copper kit, with 5 gal boiler and 1 1/2" x 12" (I think) column that I'll assemble some time in the next few weeks. It's essentially a bunch of flat copper cut outs. I have a few more tools to purchase and some soldering practice to do before I start to assemble her in earnest. I can't wait. She'll only be a 5 gallon still when completed. I have no more ambition at the moment than to be able to produce a few jars of simple corn alcohol that is drinkable. If that's all I am ever able to do I'll be happy...but that being said, I've always loved a dry white rum so I'm probably opening a can of worms here.
Currently, I am attempting to dry out about 25 pounds of corn that I "malted". I use the quotes because I can only guess that it's malted. Probably 1/4 of the kernels have rootlets and acrospire after being soaked twice for 24 hours at a time then kept moist in a burlap sack. I'm hoping that will be sufficient. Not sure how I am going to grind this stuff if it does dry out? Worst case scenario I've got a decent albeit small mortar and pestal if I can't think of something else soon.
This is my first attempt at everything in the process so wish me luck and thanks again for the resource. Any and all advice is always welcome.
I'm a guy in my mid thirties living in the UK. I'm originally from South Texas. I've always (probably too early on) been interested in beer/wine/spirits/alcohol in general and thought it was high time I got off my back side and attempted to master the mysteries of distillation. I've never brewed beer (well ok, once in college me a few buddies bought a kit but I hardly count that as experience) or created any alcohol whatsoever. I've recently found that I have the time, motivation and income necessary to do this the way I would like to do it. I hope to be able to learn to do it very basically and acquire as many skills across several disciplines as possible. Then slowly progress to more advanced methods as I feel the urge.
My still - or what will be my still - was purchased on line. It's an all copper kit, with 5 gal boiler and 1 1/2" x 12" (I think) column that I'll assemble some time in the next few weeks. It's essentially a bunch of flat copper cut outs. I have a few more tools to purchase and some soldering practice to do before I start to assemble her in earnest. I can't wait. She'll only be a 5 gallon still when completed. I have no more ambition at the moment than to be able to produce a few jars of simple corn alcohol that is drinkable. If that's all I am ever able to do I'll be happy...but that being said, I've always loved a dry white rum so I'm probably opening a can of worms here.
Currently, I am attempting to dry out about 25 pounds of corn that I "malted". I use the quotes because I can only guess that it's malted. Probably 1/4 of the kernels have rootlets and acrospire after being soaked twice for 24 hours at a time then kept moist in a burlap sack. I'm hoping that will be sufficient. Not sure how I am going to grind this stuff if it does dry out? Worst case scenario I've got a decent albeit small mortar and pestal if I can't think of something else soon.
This is my first attempt at everything in the process so wish me luck and thanks again for the resource. Any and all advice is always welcome.
