New Member
Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2017 7:35 pm
Hey everyone. I've been reading posts on this site off and on for probably 10 years, and am finally joining.
There was never a good time to just start building my still when I started reading on this site. Two relocations, a marriage, and four kids later, there still isn't a good time to, but I found a like-minded partner with a tig welder who is as averse to deadlines as I am. It may take us a year or two, but we're both thirsty enough to keep working on this thing at whatever pace we can.
I'm building a 3" tri-clamp system that will have an LM head of my own design, a shotgun condensor, a packed column, and a 25ish gallon boiler that will serve as a mash-tun when I get to my all-grain aspirations someday. Everything is 304 S/S, and i plan on using some copper packing in the column to get the requisite copper contact. The tri-clamps make it modular so that I can have a stripping and a spirit run setup mostly using the same parts. The boiler and shotgun condenser designs I am good with, and will post some build posts once we are farther along. I need some feedback on my head design before I start spending money and time on it, and will be posting soon with some sketches of that.
As for myself, I've got a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and work for an industrial boiler manufacturer--formerly in engineering, but now managing our commissioning processes at jobsites all over the world. My profession gives me insight into some fabrication methods that will be evident in my shotgun condensor build. I'm fairly analytical by nature, so I may take a different approach than some home distillers. i'd rather do something the hard way that I can clearly understand than just do something blindly that has worked for someone else for several generations. If I ever come across as contrary, I hope i can make up for it by drawing on my education and work experience to add value to this community.
The other things is that I have dear, close relatives that own a small pecan orchard which my family and I spend a great deal of time at. I'm interested in making some unique gins and genevers to suit my own personal palate, some lemoncello, absinthe, and apple pie shine for friends, and an ongoing cycle of Pugirum to provide cocktails all summer long...but long-term, I really want to explore using the noble pecan. Pecans are suited for steeping, and I've seen several pecan pie shine recipes I'd like to try and refine--there's also at least one commercial producer here in Texas that produces a pecan whiskey by steeping. (And who would complain about some booze soaked pecans as a by-product?) Pecan wood is also a unique alternative to oak that may have it's own flavors to lend to the aging process. Finally, pecan smoke makes for excellent smoked meats, and i can't help but wonder what a touch of pecan smoke on some barley would do to an all-grain whiskey.
The still build has a 1-2 year timeline, and I'm fine if the perfect Pecan Whiskey has a 20-year timeline, as long as I get to sample each experiment and test each recipe with friends along the way.
Prosit! to you, my new friends!
There was never a good time to just start building my still when I started reading on this site. Two relocations, a marriage, and four kids later, there still isn't a good time to, but I found a like-minded partner with a tig welder who is as averse to deadlines as I am. It may take us a year or two, but we're both thirsty enough to keep working on this thing at whatever pace we can.
I'm building a 3" tri-clamp system that will have an LM head of my own design, a shotgun condensor, a packed column, and a 25ish gallon boiler that will serve as a mash-tun when I get to my all-grain aspirations someday. Everything is 304 S/S, and i plan on using some copper packing in the column to get the requisite copper contact. The tri-clamps make it modular so that I can have a stripping and a spirit run setup mostly using the same parts. The boiler and shotgun condenser designs I am good with, and will post some build posts once we are farther along. I need some feedback on my head design before I start spending money and time on it, and will be posting soon with some sketches of that.
As for myself, I've got a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and work for an industrial boiler manufacturer--formerly in engineering, but now managing our commissioning processes at jobsites all over the world. My profession gives me insight into some fabrication methods that will be evident in my shotgun condensor build. I'm fairly analytical by nature, so I may take a different approach than some home distillers. i'd rather do something the hard way that I can clearly understand than just do something blindly that has worked for someone else for several generations. If I ever come across as contrary, I hope i can make up for it by drawing on my education and work experience to add value to this community.
The other things is that I have dear, close relatives that own a small pecan orchard which my family and I spend a great deal of time at. I'm interested in making some unique gins and genevers to suit my own personal palate, some lemoncello, absinthe, and apple pie shine for friends, and an ongoing cycle of Pugirum to provide cocktails all summer long...but long-term, I really want to explore using the noble pecan. Pecans are suited for steeping, and I've seen several pecan pie shine recipes I'd like to try and refine--there's also at least one commercial producer here in Texas that produces a pecan whiskey by steeping. (And who would complain about some booze soaked pecans as a by-product?) Pecan wood is also a unique alternative to oak that may have it's own flavors to lend to the aging process. Finally, pecan smoke makes for excellent smoked meats, and i can't help but wonder what a touch of pecan smoke on some barley would do to an all-grain whiskey.
The still build has a 1-2 year timeline, and I'm fine if the perfect Pecan Whiskey has a 20-year timeline, as long as I get to sample each experiment and test each recipe with friends along the way.
Prosit! to you, my new friends!
You really shouldn't rush into hobbies like this . It takes patience and time to achieve a harmonious outcome . 
