Home Brew

[martinfan30]

Motorad, do you do extract or AG brewing? I found a site homebrewtalk.com, and trying to figure which path to take from my Mr B.

Extract brewing obviously seems easier, but capable of high quality beers. AG/Partial mash brewing seems like a ton of work(AG wise).

The partial mash video I saw didn't look too bad, but you have to have a barley crusher?

[Motorrad]

Anyone do anything latly?

I cracked some Apple Cider I did 1.5 years ago.. been aging...   me and my buddy opened 1gal jug of it, in the idea of Tasting it.. and checking carb level..   we ended up drinking the entire 1gal jug it was so good..    to top it off, It was at 9.2% alc/vol..

[Motorrad]

anyone play with Shine?

been talking about building a Pot Still for years (about 8 years now).

decided to take the plunge and go for it   (time to light off the TIG torch)

[Brute]

I started with making beer, added wine, then when a 5 gal wine batch got messed up I started distilling. First with a gallon jug, a crock pot filled with mineral oil and a water cooled tube to start with, then on to a larger one. ?Larry?s Brewing Warehouse? in Kent Washington sells all kinds of Brewing supplies and BEAUTIFUL distilling tanks. When I was making beer I took him a sample of one I had made up and he told me what and how much of everything I had put in the batch! Amazing. Nice guy too. Decided to stop it all and had him sell all my stuff. Distilling was great fun. I distilled everything using the gallon jug first to see what it would taste like and the original flavor of whatever I distilled always came through. My favorite was a dark beer I brewed. Distilled about ten gallons out of a 16 gallon batch of that once I liked it so much!

[Danger4u2]

I still have all my bottles, swing lock tops,  haven't used them in 30 years.  I had to wash off the dust for the picture.  About 50 of the small bottles, 30 of the pint size, 15 wine type and 5 of the big bottles.
2 of the clear flask type.  I should drag out my stuff and make a batch.

[Dutch-K5 Fan]

I see two Grolsch beugel flessen. A well known beer brand here in Holland.
I'm more of a Heineken man, but Grolsch will go in as well.

Dutchie

[Motorrad]

I started with making beer, added wine, then when a 5 gal wine batch got messed up I started distilling. First with a gallon jug, a crock pot filled with mineral oil and a water cooled tube to start with, then on to a larger one. ?Larry?s Brewing Warehouse? in Kent Washington sells all kinds of Brewing supplies and BEAUTIFUL distilling tanks. When I was making beer I took him a sample of one I had made up and he told me what and how much of everything I had put in the batch! Amazing. Nice guy too. Decided to stop it all and had him sell all my stuff. Distilling was great fun. I distilled everything using the gallon jug first to see what it would taste like and the original flavor of whatever I distilled always came through. My favorite was a dark beer I brewed. Distilled about ten gallons out of a 16 gallon batch of that once I liked it so much!

what kind of still Head are you running?   (pot, flute, bubble plate, bokabob,  blab blah blah)

[Hillbilly]

Reminds me of Graffinvier in Germany.Flippie Beer,2 of those and i was done for.

[Brute]

Home made old school! Glass gallon jug, crock pot filled with mineral oil, Cork in the top with a hole drilled in it, 2' of 1/4" copper tube with 1" conduit and washers silver soldered on, inlet on the bottom side, outlet on the top side. Hose from top to sink, hose on faucet to bottom inlet. Slow dribble of water to cool the coil. Did the long coiled copper tubing at first, but too much to work with and clean. You have to clean the tubing with vinegar for 20 minutes, then flush just before you start. If you clean the copper well you do not have to worry as much about getting poisoned.    Some still charcoal filter after, but that is a personal choice. There are things you watch for (blue tint, slick on the top of the liquid) so you know it is not contaminated. If the liquid "boils over", or gets in the tube you have to stop and clean everything again and start over. ALL distilled alcohol is clear. Additives or burnt oak give the color. Later outfit did 5 gal at a time. Old stainless 5 gal milk jug with the removable sealed top, but a 3/4" water cooled tube. Propane cook element to heat it SLOWLY. You can watch the vapor move up into the tube to the top of the copper. Acts like a liquid. When it starts to 'pour' over the top bend it starts the flow and the temp spikes. If it is too hot it will boil/foam up into the tube then you get to clean up and start over! Do NOT fill your vessel too full! 1/2 was usually pretty safe. Bringing back some memories. making me thirsty!

 

[Motorrad]

Currently in my pile is

15gal keg.

3" stainless pipe  (5' long)

PID temp controller

5500W electric element

and various other bits.  to make a Vapeur management  setup (reducers, stainless ball valves, etc etc)..    should be right at 8' tall when im done...

will also have a quick connector in the lower section (about 2' up) to attache a pot still head for quick rum and whiskey runs...


sad thing.. I had all of that laying around     havnt bought a thing yet...    

[Brute]

If you are thinking of the keg for a still, keep in mind you have to clean the insides of the leftover 'stuff'. Kegs are bad for that unless you weld in an opening that can seal. Water boils at over 200, alcohol 175 or so. The PID would be great for that. Sounds like you want to go big time with the size! I always ran my stuff twice to get it up to 180 or more. The first stuff out is the strongest. The easy way to test it is lighting it on fire. When it gets down to around 80 the flame changes and/or you can not light it. Not worth going more. The flow will be less as well. I liked the 5 gal one as it could be stored out of the way, would do a 3 gal batch in about 45 minutes. I am talking 3 gal in. The out is whatever percentage you start with/stop at. Not much out! The higher content going in, the more you get out. At one time I had quite a collection of notes and recipes. Gave it all away.

[Motorrad]

If you are thinking of the keg for a still, keep in mind you have to clean the insides of the leftover 'stuff'. Kegs are bad for that unless you weld in an opening that can seal. Water boils at over 200, alcohol 175 or so. The PID would be great for that. Sounds like you want to go big time with the size! I always ran my stuff twice to get it up to 180 or more. The first stuff out is the strongest. The easy way to test it is lighting it on fire. When it gets down to around 80 the flame changes and/or you can not light it. Not worth going more. The flow will be less as well. I liked the 5 gal one as it could be stored out of the way, would do a 3 gal batch in about 45 minutes. I am talking 3 gal in. The out is whatever percentage you start with/stop at. Not much out! The higher content going in, the more you get out. At one time I had quite a collection of notes and recipes. Gave it all away.

I have like 5 15gal sanke kegs around.. and 2 pony kegs (7gal?)

the colum im building will attach to either.    so I can run BIG 15gal batch, or small 5gal batch.   a nice option.   and when I say 5gal run.. you could get away with a 3gal run with my electric element placement.

Im very familiar with the HEads, hearts and tails..    (heads, first out, is full of acetone, etc.. that is better for cleaing parts, than drinkign)


oh.. I have full sized keg washers... so no need to worry about cleaning them.  (that and BLC (beer line cleaner) works wonders.

[Brute]

Must be the season! Guy at work was quite interested to do some distilling as well.

[Motorrad]

Must be the season! Guy at work was quite interested to do some distilling as well.

Was working on a 6' high Bokakob / vaper management still..     

But copper etc prices are so high.. that I decided to go another route...   Since my cost was getting so close to what I actually wanted.

a Bubble plate still..

specifically a Stilldragon...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2UaQmV9Bz4

[Motorrad]

stumbled across some pictures of my Old Kegorator.

Still have the tap head off it...    need to put it back together again..   lots of fuzzy memorys with that thing.