Dipping my toe in

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Beamerstearoom
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Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2023 9:10 am

Dipping my toe in

Post by Beamerstearoom »

Greetings to all.

I am just now beginning to investigate home distilling.

I made this decision mainly due to getting tired of such a high WA state tax. When a $18.00 handle of vodka cost 30 bucks due to tax…. That’s a little outrageous. And they are trying to raise it to 32% this year.

I am also originally from WV. I grew up in the city and learned about moonshine at an early age due to being out at a friend’s farm in the backwoods hills after a very cold day of trail riding in the rain.

I am not new to basic processes of brewing. I have assisted a best friend who is an excellent beer brewer. (His Russian Stout is amazing and hits at about 9.5 to 10.5 %)

I have been absorbing a lot of YT time also. I have found Phillbilly to be pretty educational and fun.

I am trying to decide on what to start with. A turbo still or a Vevor. I am the kind of guy that would rather get the 70L kit than start small and then have to buy a bigger pot later. I also can pick up a starter set of a turbo still for $100.00 from a friend’s friend. (My friend played with it, decided he didn’t have the patients for the process and sold it to his friend, who now does not use it)
I am actually thinking that I May get it also so I can have 2 different mashes fermenting for different liquors.

The long game for a whisky and a short game for basic honey shine. I do realize I’m getting ahead of myself, but I tend to look through things that way.

I have downloaded 2 different beginner books to my Kindle and will read them also.
The more I look at all the info it makes me wonder if some of my brewer friend’s equipment would be usable also.

As I lurked on one thread I will say up front, I do have a YT channel that is predominantly Triumph motorcycle related but also covers music and other bikes (predominately parallel twins) and spirits. Mostly what I am sipping at the time of any of my vids.
Ill talk about my distilling journey also but I am not hawking any products. If anyone wants to sub I surly will not mind at all however i will not go fishing for viewers. Just want to state that up front

Thanks for all the knowledge I hope to soak up..
greggn
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Re: Dipping my toe in

Post by greggn »

Welcome to HD !

Beamerstearoom wrote: Tue Jan 24, 2023 9:44 am
I have downloaded 2 different beginner books to my Kindle and will read them also.

Read but don't invest too much time in their details. Books being static sources of information, rather than something dynamically updated, tend to be "behind the times" with regard to designs and materials. Sure, use 'em to learn high-level concepts but don't necessarily take them as gospel when it comes to building or process.
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Bradster68
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Re: Dipping my toe in

Post by Bradster68 »

Lots of great information here. Read,read, read. Welcome 🍻
I drink so much now,on the back of my license it's a list of organs I need.
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sadie33
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Re: Dipping my toe in

Post by sadie33 »

hello and welcome
n_plains_drifter
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Re: Dipping my toe in

Post by n_plains_drifter »

Welcome BTR, We're happy to have you. I'm not familiar with the 'turbo still', but I've seen the Vevor and know that some like them, but they are often outgrown quickly. They have gimmicks like a little thumper, a flake and worm etc. The issue that I've heard is that Vevor is the distributor/sales outfit and the suppliers and relative quality vary by what they have in stock from the various mfrs.

EDIT: A good thread on modifying Vevors: viewtopic.php?t=89172

Do some research before you spend your money. If you are handy, there are lots of designs here that you might want to try. An easy route is to get a stainless keg for a boiler, and fab a pot head out of copper plumbing parts.

Best, Drifter
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jonnys_spirit
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Re: Dipping my toe in

Post by jonnys_spirit »

Good advice here so far and welcome to the machine.

Cheers,
Jonny
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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