Stillin' Season

[MountedGoat]

Well with the long wet winter just around the corner, it is almost time for stilling season here in the Northern Hemi. On my table is some grappa, brandy and whiskey. Then if there is time and whatnot, maybe even some rum, though I don't think so this year.

What is on your plate coming up?

[Dutchmancreek]

For me, it's about the end of the season. It gets a little too cold and damp for me to sit out there in the shop for long periods...just gettin old. I also like to keep one of the big doors open for ventilation when I'm using a propane burner so that adds to the chill. I've got a few spirit runs to do and then I'll clean up and put everything away until spring.

Around here it almost the beginning of deer season. I don't hunt here on the farm, but I'll spend a week at deer camp in South Western Pennsylvania (I don't hunt there either...I'm the cook). Before anyone asks, I don't have anything against hunting. I've just got so that I don't like to get up so early on cold mornings anymore. I cook breakfast for the hunters at deer camp, but at least I don't have to go out in the cold and sit in a tree. Besides, I hold the record for largest deer at camp an am happy with just the picture on the wall.

[goinbroke2]

I've got 40L of wash and 13.5L of 20% feigns to do. But winter is coming so if I get it done before too long good, if not I'll be waiting until spring.
I think I've got about 8L of 40% left and about 6-7L of 50% left. After that I might HAVE to run a batch.

[BW Redneck]

Me, I'm looking at finally building that keg still that I've been hankering for, then making bigger all grain mashes. If I get a lot of time, I might even start on a VM head.

I've got a few other things on my hands though. Lambing season is January-early March, so that's going to keep me sleep deprived for a few months. Not to mention that it's so wet around here that the only time to run the combine is when the ground is froze hard enough to keep it from sinking. Last year we were still doing corn in April! Oddly enough,it held a record test weight and needed no blast drying to get the moisture down.

[trthskr4]

Me, I'm looking at finally building that keg still that I've been hankering for, then making bigger all grain mashes. If I get a lot of time, I might even start on a VM head.

I've got a few other things on my hands though. Lambing season is January-early March, so that's going to keep me sleep deprived for a few months. Not to mention that it's so wet around here that the only time to run the combine is when the ground is froze hard enough to keep it from sinking. Last year we were still doing corn in April! Oddly enough,it held a record test weight and needed no blast drying to get the moisture down.

If I remember correctly sheep like to get you out on the nastiest nights to lamb. Or they go all at once and you run out of room in the livery. I don't miss that sh!t at all. I can't even eat lamb now.

[BW Redneck]

People who know me just don't bother me at all during those months. Sleep deprivation takes its toll on me by about the second week.

One of my neighbors has goats and he puts a baby monitor out in the barn. He says he can tell when one is about to kid just by listening. I'm gonna have to try that this year, since waking up at 3am to check if anything's going on, then finding nothing happening wastes a lot of my time that could be spent sleeping.

[smokerscully1]

Stillin season just about to start here. Tourists have all gone home. Boats are pulled up into dry dock. Moose is all in the freezer. Bears are all denned up. Deer huntin just about over. Lake effect snow has kicked in and small lakes are freezin over. Another month to go before wolf huntin starts. Put down a 20 gallon batch of Black strap molasses to ferment today and the shop is startin to smell like it should.

[SuperDavid]

please excuse my ignorance.
but what makes it stillin season?

[MountedGoat]

Stillin' Season starts when people stop coming around, paying attention and you have the time to spend a full day in front of a propane burner. When work slows down, the weather turns and your other alternative is to watch Seinfeld reruns. For me, that is now through march. For some it is summer, though I spent one day with it being 95 in the shed and I about died from dehydration.

[trthskr4]

Stillin season is a great time of year when most of your buds are off hunting or it's too cold for them to come knocking. That way you get a jump on their thirst for your products. I personally like to run in the fall and spring. For most though stillin season is year round, those with electric setups anyway. There's nothing better to walk into the shed on a 50* morning and smell a molasses wash percolating away. makes me warm and fuzzy already.

[rad14701]

please excuse my ignorance.
but what makes it stillin season?

It's when the snow gets ass deep and you know you won't have unexpected company and anyone stupid enough to venture out on the roads and ends up in a ditch has a cell phone...

It's when you let the over-confident idiots driving SUV's end up ass over teacup all by their lonesome while you watch the snow pile up outside your windows...

It's when you're ready for Spring as soon as the first lake effect snow dumps hard, causing the problems previously stated...

How long is it till Spring, anyway...??? The lake effect machine is dumping even as I type this...

[duds2u]

Feel kinda sorry for you folks up there on the other side. Here it's stillin season all year round, just need a smart protective dawg.

[pintoshine]

I spent one day with it being 95 in the shed and I about died from dehydration.

Cooking corn when it is below 0C outside is a very warming activity. Not for July though.
I have a 3 bushel corn and malt planned for this winter. My stock of true Bourbon is getting a little low.
If that A&J Barrels guy could hook us up with some real 20 L white oak barrels with a 46 second char for less than a C note that would be a good thing now. I am a real fan of good corn, but in the spring just before the leaves come out it is rum again. Fast Fermenting stuff for me. This year it is only going to be a 40 gallon molasses wash though. I still have white rum left from last april.

[BW Redneck]

It's when the snow gets ass deep and you know you won't have unexpected company and anyone stupid enough to venture out on the roads and ends up in a ditch has a cell phone...

It's when you let the over-confident idiots driving SUV's end up ass over teacup all by their lonesome while you watch the snow pile up outside your windows...

It's when you're ready for Spring as soon as the first lake effect snow dumps hard, causing the problems previously stated...

How long is it till Spring, anyway...??? The lake effect machine is dumping even as I type this...

I feel for ya man. Last year (or was it two years ago?) there was a big fukin snow in Ohio. I forget the exact figures, but it got so bad that the Sheriff, fire crew, ambulances, and even the snowplows refused to run the county roads because it was impossible to determine where the road was, let alone try to clear it. When the neo-blizzard stopped and the snowplows got the roads cleared, the blowing snow kept us under a level 2 snow emergency for several weeks. I made a habit of running up and down a few roads with a tractor to pull out anybody I saw.

Needless to say, I got quite a bit of spirits done in those few weeks.