Greetings

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SrBrewmore
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Greetings

Post by SrBrewmore »

Hello All,

I found this forum through my research into the art of distillation. Being new to the craft, I seek authoritative information from informed sources. This place fills the bill nicely. I've done a lot of reading here and that process continues. My interests are to make Bourbons, Scotchs and Gin worthy of enjoying. And to succeed, I must learn. 8)

My experience to date is to ferment sugar washes and fruit juices, and run them through an air still. My first attempt at making cuts was from fermented apple juice that was slowly cooked down to bring the OG up without needing to add a lot of sugar. After stripping runs, I did two distillations of ~3 liters of spirit while tossing the foreshots and tails of each, making the cuts on the final run by collecting 250ml each into small jars to provide some granularity as a bit of an experiment/learning process. It was more involved than that, but I want to keep this short. The hearts came out surprisingly well.

I have acquired an inexpensive (~$250) 30L stainless pot still and have copper mesh to pack into what I'll call the "column" (not a reflux still). I've performed both a cleaning run of white vinegar and a sacrificial run of a sugar wash followed by a wash-down and good rinse. Heat source is an electric burner plugged into a PWM control. I expect that as I progress, a far better still lays in wait for me.

Next up is to decide what the first larger run will be and I have been reading various recipes posted here. I'll keep it simple to start, but want to get into all grain. I'm collecting the required equipment for that.

That's it for now. I'm glad I found this forum and look forward to the learning process.
juana_b
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Re: Greetings

Post by juana_b »

Welcome, and check out the tried and true recipes here.
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SrBrewmore
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Re: Greetings

Post by SrBrewmore »

Thanks. I have been reading through those recipes.

NChooch's Carolina Bourbon has my interest. I'm thinking of going with Birdwatchers sugar wash recipe for a start and then perhaps get some botanicals and do an infusion run as an experiment. My still has a chamber that will accommodate the process. I'll keep the batch relatively small (8-10L) of wash.

Still.jpg
I will not be using the stove to heat the still, this is just an image of it after assembling it for the first time. Yep. It is a typical cheap-O still from China. But it will serve its purpose for now.
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Demy
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Re: Greetings

Post by Demy »

Welcome!
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Stonecutter
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Re: Greetings

Post by Stonecutter »

Welcome aboard. Sounds like you’ve done got your feet good and wet. See you down the rabbit hole
Freedom had been hunted round the globe; reason was considered as rebellion; and the slavery of fear had made men afraid to think. But such is the irresistible nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants, is the liberty of appearing.
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Twisted Brick
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Re: Greetings

Post by Twisted Brick »

Welcome in, SrBrewmore.
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SrBrewmore
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Re: Greetings

Post by SrBrewmore »

Thanks for the welcome all. Yes, the rabbit hole runs deep. I have a list of things to get. And it gets longer by the day. I'm just trying not to do too many knee jerk purchases before knowing what to get.
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Twisted Brick
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Re: Greetings

Post by Twisted Brick »

SrBrewmore wrote: Wed Sep 28, 2022 3:46 pm I'm just trying not to do too many knee jerk purchases before knowing what to get.
Thats a sound approach to this hobby. Try to run any still purchase options by the group before you buy. There's a giant pile of burnt members who didn't and wish they had. Bonus if you're a builder and once you read enough you'll know the best design to go with.
“Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite, and furthermore, always carry a small snake.”

- W.C. Fields

My EZ Solder Shotgun
My Steam Rig and Manometer
SrBrewmore
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Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2022 7:41 am
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Re: Greetings

Post by SrBrewmore »

Thats a sound approach to this hobby. Try to run any still purchase options by the group before you buy. There's a giant pile of burnt members who didn't and wish they had. Bonus if you're a builder and once you read enough you'll know the best design to go with.
I have the skills and equipment to build a still. That is my goal. Perhaps I should have gone that rout for my first foray. However, the knee-jerk happened and I have something functional to learn the basics while I put together a design and bill of materials for a proper still. I'm thinking that I might build a copper condenser to attach to the body of my current sill. I've also looked at some ready made column stills in various price ranges from several suppliers. But I'm not going to go there for a while yet, and will solicit input from this community before pulling any triggers. The satisfaction of building your own is compelling. :D
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