Sayin Hello to All

[ksarrow]

So Ive been been lookin around and always been interested in this Hobby/Craft. I now live in the midwest part of the US surrounded by by fields of SUPERCORN. Got me thinking to maybe do studying. There is so much info here so just wanna say thanks to all that contribute and steer us green-beans in the right direction.

[Condensifier]

Hi ksarrow and welcome to HD.

I would advise you to do a lot of research and ask questions before you build or buy a still if you don't have one already, that way you might end up with a better still to begin with and save some money at the same time.

Safety is the priority above all else but have fun and please post pics of your still when you get one.

Here are the links to the "New Distillers Reading Lounge" and the parent site. They are considered mandatory reading for everyone that joins this site.

http://ww.homedistiller.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=46

http://homedistiller.org/intro" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Have fun and be safe.

[cranky]

Welcome ksarrow,
Begin your research with the first 2 links in my signature. One very important thing to remember is the parent site has some outdated information that could get you in trouble, That is covered in that second link. We want you to be safe and successful so don't build or buy until you have done that research.

[still_stirrin]

Welcome ksarrow.

If you start by reading, you'll quickly find answers to questions you haven't even asked yet. That's going to help you in the hobby. Think about and understand what products you'd like to make (to start). I say it like that because as you gain experience, you undoubtedly will add new flavors, processes and products.

Start with a Tried & True recipe and practice, practice, practice. Remember, fermentation is the first process in distilling. And it is very important to the quality of the product. So pay attention to how you do it.

A potstill is the easiest to build and will get you started in the hobby. You can add reflux down the road when you have good control of the other processes. And with all that "supercorn" nearby, whiskey seems to be a good target...and it is an excellent potstill product.

So, do your homework. Read and read until you know what you want to make. Read more and you'll understand how to build. You'll see...the future will unfold in front of you.

Be safe. Be responsible. And be discrete.
ss

[ksarrow]

Big thanks for the welcome, I have a small bout 4 gallon stock pot with a welded 1" copper welded into to the lid. 4" up flanged to 3/4 column about 13" elbowed to a 17" Liebig. It's copper inside galvanized jacket. Home made for sure. Well used and bought it from a buddy. Output is slow on sugar wash and I was wondering if changing the column to 1" would be worth doing.
It would be an easy fix wile I'm getting my feet wet.

[rad14701]

Greetings, ksarrow...

Scaling up the size of your copper won't really increase the take off rate of your still... Heat input and condensing capability are the two factors that will determine take off rate...

As mentioned, get to the research and you'll start grasping the theories and fundamentals of this hobby... We consider that research to be mandatory, not optional... You need to know what you need to know before you need to know it... We want you to be both safe and successful...

Please post some pics of your rig so we can make sure it is safe for use... It doesn't matter how many times it has been run, unsafe is still unsafe... Let us help determine whether it truly is or isn't...

Good luck, stay safe, and enjoy the journey...

[ga flatwoods]

What is SUPERCORN? Welcome to the forum.
Ga Flatwoods

[ksarrow]

That's what I call it. It's just I'm new to the Midwest and never seen corn grow 8 feet tall and 3 inches apart. They spray roundup on it, it can flood or no rain for weeks at a time and it still makes ears just the same.

[Truckinbutch]

That's what I call it. It's just I'm new to the Midwest and never seen corn grow 8 feet tall and 3 inches apart. They spray roundup on it, it can flood or no rain for weeks at a time and it still makes ears just the same.

Well , you can distill it but I wouldn't try to sprout it

[still_stirrin]

That's what I call it. It's just I'm new to the Midwest and never seen corn grow 8 feet tall and 3 inches apart. They spray roundup on it, it can flood or no rain for weeks at a time and it still makes ears just the same.

Tall corn like that is either feed corn for blowing into the silo, or making fuel alcohol in commercial distilleries. Since all the energy is spent growing tall stalks, much less energy is conserved for the ears (grain). Ironically, fuel distilleries use the stalks, much like sugar cane, as the carbohydrate source and not so much the grains.

I saw miles and miles of corn fields when riding motorcycle through Tennessee....imagine that! Oh, and tobacco fields too.

Let's have a look at that potstill you've inherited. A 3/4" column may be a little small for your boiler, but that indeed does depend on your heat source.
ss

[ksarrow]

I will get some pics up soon, yea there is s bio diesel plant few miles away. Lots of big silos everywhere. It's feed corn cause it tastes nasty.

[GrassHopper]

Welcome ksarrow,
In my neck of the woods, (Idaho), they grow a lot of corn for feed and then just at the right moisture content it is all ground up into very course chunks and then put under tarps for a year or so and fermented. It is then fed to cattle. It is called silage and smells like puke. But the cattle love it. Oh by the way, I doubt that they put round-up on the corn. Round up is a weed killer.
Just a note: I found out real quick once I started this craft, that my small setup of a 5 gal pot still was way too small for me. You will find that many on here will tell you that a small unit is hard to make cuts with. But you have to start somewhere. And what you have is what you have. Take your time, learn, read.....and read some more.
Enjoy the ride, this is a great hobby!

[FullySilenced]

welcome have fun...be safe

FS

[StillLearning1]

I saw miles and miles of corn fields when riding motorcycle through Tennessee....imagine that!

I thought "corn won't grow at all on rocky top, soils too rocky by far."

[rad14701]

I will get some pics up soon, yea there is s bio diesel plant few miles away. Lots of big silos everywhere. It's feed corn cause it tastes nasty.

Most distilled spirits are made from "feed corn" rather than "sweet corn" due to there being more convertible and fermentable starches... Sweet corn is actually just a genetic mutation... There should be at least one detailed topic about corn here in these forums...

[BoomTown]

I will get some pics up soon, yea there is s bio diesel plant few miles away. Lots of big silos everywhere. It's feed corn cause it tastes nasty.

Most distilled spirits are made from "feed corn" rather than "sweet corn" due to there being more convertible and fermentable starches... Sweet corn is actually just a genetic mutation... There should be at least one detailed topic about corn here in these forums...

I'm with rad, The search for a variety of corn consumes me. We've been using Tractor Supply, medium cracked corn at home for a couple of years with good success, but in my search for the 'best' variety, I've still got no clear understanding of what variety would be best. Maybe we have an agriculturalist around that can pontificate about corn?