Probably towards the end of the hearts I got this. Stainless steel pot. Using a thumper with mash in it. I’m thinking it was a puke. Thoughts?

Anybody know of anywhere to get reasonable sugar instead of just buying it at the grocery store?

Hello folks,

i'm doing my very first batch of mash, according to the recipe of birdwatcher. After the first run with my pot still, i ended with 5 Litres with 36.7 ABV. next, i would like to run with my reflux and VM. but as i said, its my first run, and i would like to take some advice from you on what i should take care of in the next step.

thank you

/r/firewater,

I turn to you for help: I got a lovely 2L cocktail aging barrel kit for Christmas and I made the mistake of storing water in it WITHOUT a storage tablet. The inside of the barrel is moldy or messed up in some way now.

Is this recoverable? Is there a way to sterilize the inside of the barrel so I can keep making cocktails in it?

Thanks in advance.

Removed 2 sections and the bubble plates for “pot still mode”. Heating super slow to mitigate foaming with a grain wash. First drops imminent!!

I’m very much new to all of this. I had made the mistake of not washing my corn before fermenting my mash. My thought is to proof down the my jars with water and redistill everything again to try to get what if assuming is starch from the corn out. Does anyone have a better more effective idea?

Someone in New Zealand was running a batch through his still and the distillate wasn't a beautiful clear color like is normally seen.

He was experimenting with distilling on grain, additionally, the PH was pretty low in the end product wash, <3.5. There was still dissolved CO2 smell coming off of the wash but sugars were all converted.

The temperature of the stripping run was fairly high, all sub 196 F however. There was no puking or contact between liquid and copper.

He plans on distilling again to create final product, but he was wondering if there was any danger here as he hasn't seen this before.

The product has a yellow tinge and a few of the jars have a thin film on top. He rinsed the still last batch but did not wash the shotgun condensor. Maybe that's the problem? My friend would appreciate your input.

I check my buckets today and they have a gross moldy looking layer on top. Is anything to be worried about? All grain angel yellow lable yeast day 5.

Hi all! I have been diligently working to fill my first Badmo with my wheated bourbon. My plan is to distill enough of a wheated and a rye bourbon to fill two separate Badmos, and to fill another Badmo (ex bourbon filled) with Benchmark full proof. I also plan to work on filling a few Ten-30 micro barrels with my wheated and rye bourbons, but try my hand at a honey finish, maybe port, and possibly a maple finished bourbon.

Where is the best place to store your barrels? I've seen various opinions. I'd absolutely love to make a mini-rickhouse in my backyard. I saw a photo on a thread where a guy built one. I'm in northern Indiana so temp swings are extreme. Obviously my fear is losing hours and hours of work. Next would be non temp control garage, and finally the basement.

What are all you doing? Thanks!

What’s the process I should avoid, or any links to know how to make it just so I don’t, cause Yk don’t wanna make that mistake.

A big batch of añejo I just finished aging and filtering. Time for some margaritas 🍹😋. About 4 cases of bottles. Yes it looks dark in the carboy but all of it is a nice golden color when in the bottle like on the right.

It’s up and running the heads now

Hey,

I have a big tree trunk in my backyard (chestnut) an I was wondering if I could just hollow it out and use it as a barrel for whiskey. I looked online and didn't find anyone who had experience with this. I have no experience with making barrels ( looking into it to make some, someday)

Kind regards

Used some citric acid to clean out my MegaHome water distiller. I didn't rinse of the citric acid well enough and now my water has a slight citric acid taste. Should I just keep distilling?

For those of yall thinking about putting a drain in your mash barrel. I used a spigot and one of these. It screws right on. I just took a hacksaw to it and cut slips all the way around. Works great. If show you the finished product but it's under 12 gallons of pure corn goodness right now.

I want to make my first whisky. I am looking for grains in home brewing supply stores, and there are a huge number of options available. I know they are mostly for beer, which I have no knowledge of, so I am coming to you.

Any advice on the type of malt I should get? What to avoid?

I'm finishing up my 3" slant plates boka head, about to trim the pipe and solder on the 3" tri-clamp fitting. Does it matter how far above the plates the condenser is?

Would you be looking for automatic temp control for the duration of the run, app control, abv reading to stop when stripping run is done?

Can’t seem to find any advice on this topic on here or HD. Had to get new copper scrubbers, old ones were thrown out on accident. Do the scrubbers need to have their own vinegar soak, vinegar run & then sac run to clean them? Unfortunately the setup is 100% stainless other than the scrubbers so they’re needed for the sulfate removal.

I have been working with fruit so far. I want to start doing grain mashes.

Do you have a ratio of water to grain that you recommend?

I want to try with barley, corn, oats, and wheat. Mixed and each on their own, if that matters.

So..I've gone and gotten myself in a pickle over what to attach to what.

I have a T500, packed column and standard plumbing (not modded the water flow)

A PD pot condensor

A PD copper dome,

A 4" tall sight glass,

A 3 plate 2" bubble plate unit

Enough flanges, nuts, seals and tri-clamps to join them in various configurations..and here's where I get stuck.

My primary goal is to make clean, high ABV spirit for use in a 5L copper alembic for small test gin runs and potentially larger scale in the T500 boiler when I get a good recipe.

Secondary goal is a nice smooth spirit (currently experimenting with Jessies oats/barley/sugar/raisins recipe) for turning into whiskey (not whisky) so would like some of the mash flavour to come through.

I'm thinking I have to put the unpacked column on top of the bubble plates and mod the plumbing for split control over condensor and product cooling (?)

Put the PD condensor on the pot..maybe above the sight glass (?)..or without the sight glass (?)

..any other options and advice will be hugely appreciated. I'm not at the grain recipe level yet..still getting a handle on the techniques and process first. Please be gentle with me 😂

Been reading about baking soda across various forums and trying to make sense of things. This is what I understand :

• When making neutral spirits, adding 1g -- 2.5g per liter of low wines and letting it sit for ~1 week yields more hearts and more easily discernable hearts.
• Sprinkle in baking soda slowly, and stir every day.
• Don't add baking soda to washes -- yeast + baking soda mix yields ammonium (not good).

I've never tried using baking soda before, but I'm curious about it. I'm working with a pot still. Does anyone with experience using baking soda have any tips or advice to share? Would it be better to just add it to a feints jar, diluted to 40% ABV, after a spirit run?

Thanks

Fresh fermenter. This is my favourite combo atm.. 60l food safe fermenting drum with a 100w glass submersible aquarium heater and a s bend air lock.. ready for molasses washes.. can now run 2x 50l molasses and sugar washes simultaneously 🫡

I had planned to spend all weekend distilling my most recent wash. I got called into work early and had to travel for the week.

I stuck the wash in a cooler (about 15 degrees) area of the house hoping to maybe slow the yeast down a bit, but a wash that I had figured would be ready to go last weekend needs to sit for 8 extra days before I can get it run through.

I figured that the CO2 and alcohol the yeast would make would stop any real chance for bacteria growth but thought ide double check with you guys.

It was quite warm (28 degrees or so) before putting in a cooler room. It's a corn and sugar wash.

Is two weeks too long to make a decent product?