Running seasons

[IMALOSERSCUMBAG]

I'm "up north", well Wisconsin so we in the middle of summer and I have found little to no time to devote to the hobby. It's OK, I spend tons of time on outside projects and on the pontoon. My wife asked me yesterday, "how come you haven't been in the garage lately?" I told her, me making liquor is more of a winter thing. Not that I don't want to "work in the garage" but the sun's only warm for so many months.

Maybe it's because I am all electric and have an indoor setup so I can run inside during winter?

I know youse guys down south don't get very crazy winters. My belief is that you guys run in the summer and not in the winter. Is this true or legend? I can't imagine sitting next to a hot still in 90+ degree heat with 80% humidity.

[Twisted Brick]

I know youse guys down south don't get very crazy winters. My belief is that you guys run in the summer and not in the winter. Is this true or legend? I can't imagine sitting next to a hot still in 90+ degree heat with 80% humidity.

My primary stilling season in SoCal is late fall to late spring, where the ambient temps have smaller swings. I don't have a ferment chamber yet and prefer the cleaner whiskey profiles from colder, longer ferments using ale yeasts. Stilling in the summer heat (90-100F) IS brutal, but at least its a dry heat.

[Hambone]

I’m in SW Missouri and will still all year. That said I run the hotter ferments (rum, tequila, etc) in the heat of the year and apples with cooler fermentation temps in the fall, early winter…that’s when the fruits are available anyway.

Whiskey anytime, may use different yeasts depending on ambient temps

[Deplorable]

In the PNW, late summer to late spring. I'll pick back up in September with a SSS wash of 30 gallons to get me some neutral, then into the lower temp ferments for AG whiskey. I'll make that all winter, and try my hand at a pear brandy if there's enough fruit for it.

[River Rat]

In the south here but not the deep south, we do have some pretty cold winters. I still run more in the winter just because I have more free time. I've got an insulated building that never gets below 40* even though it's not heated most of the time. A reflectix tent over the fermenters with a 100 watt light bulb on a temp controller keeps everything happy.

As far as seasons affecting your running I'd say it just depends on the facilities/equipment a man has at his disposal. Or if ingredients are only available seasonally.

[NZChris]

I have enough heating and cooling that I can ferment at any temperature in any season, but if it's too hot or cold in my shed I'll leave the distilling until we get better weather.

[Uncle Jesse]

I'm "up north", well Wisconsin so we in the middle of summer and I have found little to no time to devote to the hobby. It's OK, I spend tons of time on outside projects and on the pontoon. My wife asked me yesterday, "how come you haven't been in the garage lately?" I told her, me making liquor is more of a winter thing. Not that I don't want to "work in the garage" but the sun's only warm for so many months.

Maybe it's because I am all electric and have an indoor setup so I can run inside during winter?

I know youse guys down south don't get very crazy winters. My belief is that you guys run in the summer and not in the winter. Is this true or legend? I can't imagine sitting next to a hot still in 90+ degree heat with 80% humidity.

My setup is in my basement. Too hot these summer months to sit down there with propane going and a copper still full of boiling liquid.

[zed255]

I run anytime I can regardless of season, though I am more active in the cooler months with less other chores to do.

[IMALOSERSCUMBAG]

As expected, how we are set up is the main factor. Between the boiler and the compressor on the bulk tank (150 gallon tank used for cooling water) generating heat, it works great in winter but summer can get pretty hot. Since I am set up in a detached garage I could open the overhead doors but that's not a good idea since what I'm doing would be very visible.

Plus too many things goin on the in the summer.

[IMALOSERSCUMBAG]

I'm "up north", well Wisconsin so we in the middle of summer and I have found little to no time to devote to the hobby. It's OK, I spend tons of time on outside projects and on the pontoon. My wife asked me yesterday, "how come you haven't been in the garage lately?" I told her, me making liquor is more of a winter thing. Not that I don't want to "work in the garage" but the sun's only warm for so many months.

Maybe it's because I am all electric and have an indoor setup so I can run inside during winter?

I know youse guys down south don't get very crazy winters. My belief is that you guys run in the summer and not in the winter. Is this true or legend? I can't imagine sitting next to a hot still in 90+ degree heat with 80% humidity.

My setup is in my basement. Too hot these summer months to sit down there with propane going and a copper still full of boiling liquid.

You run propane in your basement? Are you not worried about CO? You must have a good vent?

[Uncle Jesse]

You run propane in your basement? Are you not worried about CO? You must have a good vent?

Yes, very good ventilation. It's accessed via outdoor, so it has a door and a window and good ventilation. That's part of the problem, when it's hot outside I have the door open and it just cooks down there. Too hot to sit there comfortably.

[IMALOSERSCUMBAG]

I have the same issue in the garage. My last run was a couple weeks ago in 90 degree heat. I realized I either needed an ac or to not run when it's so hot.

[Deplorable]

I have the same issue in the garage. My last run was a couple weeks ago in 90 degree heat. I realized I either needed an ac or to not run when it's so hot.

That and the cooling water is too hot from the hose, so I use more. Better to run in cooler weather, for me anyway.

[Hambone]

I have the same issue in the garage. My last run was a couple weeks ago in 90 degree heat. I realized I either needed an ac or to not run when it's so hot.

That and the cooling water is too hot from the hose, so I use more. Better to run in cooler weather, for me anyway.

If I’m running from day into evening, I actually notice and have to adjust for the temp difference once the sun stops hitting my garden hose…

[Chucker]

I’m also in WI and have my activities confined to an unattached garage. The season gets pretty darn short when you have to factor in the use of the outside water and if nighttime temps will be warm enough to manage fermentation. I had a couple really slow down on me this spring cuz I just got a little too eager to get started. That warm spell sure seemed like winter was over, until it froze up again for the next couple of weeks! I usually seem to pick the hottest weather to run and I’m usually stuck with working it in around work trips so I have to run when time allows.
I guess it’s just the nature of a hobby that has a significant time factor and competes for that precious time from amongst other discretionary activities or obligations. It might be nice to be able to take some of this indoors where I’d be less subject to nature’s caprices but the space, the mess potential, the smells- I really just don’t see it.
I feel fortunate to be able to make the best of what I’ve got with the support and understanding of my wife.

[River Rat]

I feel fortunate to be able to make the best of what I’ve got with the support and understanding of my wife.

Ditto.

[The Baker]

I feel fortunate to be able to make the best of what I’ve got with the support and understanding of my wife.

Ditto.

Keepers!

Geoff

[NZChris]

I’m also in WI and have my activities confined to an unattached garage. The season gets pretty darn short when you have to factor in the use of the outside water and if nighttime temps will be warm enough to manage fermentation. I had a couple really slow down on me this spring cuz I just got a little too eager to get started. That warm spell sure seemed like winter was over, until it froze up again for the next couple of weeks! I usually seem to pick the hottest weather to run and I’m usually stuck with working it in around work trips so I have to run when time allows.
I guess it’s just the nature of a hobby that has a significant time factor and competes for that precious time from amongst other discretionary activities or obligations. It might be nice to be able to take some of this indoors where I’d be less subject to nature’s caprices but the space, the mess potential, the smells- I really just don’t see it.
I feel fortunate to be able to make the best of what I’ve got with the support and understanding of my wife.

When I first started this hobby, I sized my still and fermenter so that I would only have to spend a couple of weekends per year hard out distilling to keep us in home made spirits. The rest of the year the parts were spread around the property so that it would be difficult to prove I had a still. Without going back through my notes, I'd guess that most of those ferments were done in the warm months, especially the rums.

[kimbodious]

I do my fermentations and distillations in December and January. That is Summer here in Australia. I do it then because the fermentations in the warm conditions are all done and settled out within the week. I distill on Saturdays and set up the next fermentation as soon as I empty the vessels. So in a 4 week period I can fit in four stripping runs and one spirit run. At least I know what I am doing on Saturdays at that time of the year!

[BlueSasquatch]

I've had poor luck this summer with puking, I think it's from to much heat to fast, but the propane heat is about as low as it can go before flickering out, I'm suspecting the 95 degree garage weather is part of that, same set-up in the winter and I can run half open with no issues.

But I feel like if something isn't fermenting or in the still atleast once or twice a month, that Im missing out? So I just plow on ahead.