What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

Anyone here distill their own booze? (1 Viewer)

Evilgrin 72

Evilgrin 72

Distributor of Pain
Curious about doing some home distilling.  I was watching a show called "Moonshiners" and the concept of being able to create your own alcohol flavors is intriguing.  Now, just to be clear, I understand that moonshining and bootlegging are illegal, I'm not talking about setting up an operation to make booze for sale, just something small where I could maybe buy a 5 gallon bucket for mashing and distill it down to a gallon or so of liquor for personal use/gifts.

I was thinking about maybe getting something that can be used indoors.  I have an electric stovetop, so I could generate heat (enough?) to get a mash boiling/distilling without any open flame, which I imagine reduces the risk of me blowing up my house to almost nil.  I also see there are small countertop distillers that use air rather than water to cool the distillate vapor to liquid, but I have no concept of how good/effective these things are.  Is stainless steel truly inferior to copper in regard to the end product?  I see some of these things tout a 190 proof distillation - I don't think I want something like that as the whole point would be to commute flavor from the mash kettle to the finished product.

Wondering if anyone has tried this and has a few words of advice for your old pal EG.  TIA....

 
Evilgrin 72 said:
  I see some of these things tout a 190 proof distillation - I don't think I want something like that as the whole point would be to commute flavor from the mash kettle to the finished product.
Click to expand...
Are you suggesting that ultra high proof product would not carry the same amount of flavor?  I thought you just proof it down to drinkable level.

 
As a matter of fact, the only reason home brewing and microbrews are legal is because of Jimmy Carter and his administration (and probably executive order), believe it or not.  

 
coyote5 said:
Are you suggesting that ultra high proof product would not carry the same amount of flavor?  I thought you just proof it down to drinkable level.
Click to expand...
I imagine (and I'm no expert for sure) that the higher the proof of the resulting liquor, the more "pure alcohol" it would be.  I would think the flavor would largely be carried by the water vapor that condenses along with the alcohol.  You're not looking for a neutral spirit.  Again, I could be way off here.

 
This is become quite the fad at work, mostly apple pie and cinnamon flavors.  I’ve been told it is imperative to make sure you get the right temperatures so you don’t create methanol, which is toxic.

 
Evilgrin 72 said:
Curious about doing some home distilling.  I was watching a show called "Moonshiners" and the concept of being able to create your own alcohol flavors is intriguing.  Now, just to be clear, I understand that moonshining and bootlegging are illegal, I'm not talking about setting up an operation to make booze for sale, just something small where I could maybe buy a 5 gallon bucket for mashing and distill it down to a gallon or so of liquor for personal use/gifts.

I was thinking about maybe getting something that can be used indoors.  I have an electric stovetop, so I could generate heat (enough?) to get a mash boiling/distilling without any open flame, which I imagine reduces the risk of me blowing up my house to almost nil.  I also see there are small countertop distillers that use air rather than water to cool the distillate vapor to liquid, but I have no concept of how good/effective these things are.  Is stainless steel truly inferior to copper in regard to the end product?  I see some of these things tout a 190 proof distillation - I don't think I want something like that as the whole point would be to commute flavor from the mash kettle to the finished product.

Wondering if anyone has tried this and has a few words of advice for your old pal EG.  TIA....
Click to expand...
A friends dad does it.  Some good ####. I have no idea his setup or anything (other than its in his garage).

He brings different flavored moonshine every golf trip

 
Evilgrin 72 said:
Curious about doing some home distilling.  I was watching a show called "Moonshiners" and the concept of being able to create your own alcohol flavors is intriguing.  Now, just to be clear, I understand that moonshining and bootlegging are illegal, I'm not talking about setting up an operation to make booze for sale, just something small where I could maybe buy a 5 gallon bucket for mashing and distill it down to a gallon or so of liquor for personal use/gifts.

I was thinking about maybe getting something that can be used indoors.  I have an electric stovetop, so I could generate heat (enough?) to get a mash boiling/distilling without any open flame, which I imagine reduces the risk of me blowing up my house to almost nil.  I also see there are small countertop distillers that use air rather than water to cool the distillate vapor to liquid, but I have no concept of how good/effective these things are.  Is stainless steel truly inferior to copper in regard to the end product?  I see some of these things tout a 190 proof distillation - I don't think I want something like that as the whole point would be to commute flavor from the mash kettle to the finished product.

Wondering if anyone has tried this and has a few words of advice for your old pal EG.  TIA....
Click to expand...
Grainfather has an attachment that allows you to distill. So you can make your own beer and then make it into whiskey...

coyote5 said:
Are you suggesting that ultra high proof product would not carry the same amount of flavor?  I thought you just proof it down to drinkable level.
Click to expand...
This is correct

 
Evilgrin 72 said:
Curious about doing some home distilling.  I was watching a show called "Moonshiners" and the concept of being able to create your own alcohol flavors is intriguing.  Now, just to be clear, I understand that moonshining and bootlegging are illegal, I'm not talking about setting up an operation to make booze for sale, just something small where I could maybe buy a 5 gallon bucket for mashing and distill it down to a gallon or so of liquor for personal use/gifts.

I was thinking about maybe getting something that can be used indoors.  I have an electric stovetop, so I could generate heat (enough?) to get a mash boiling/distilling without any open flame, which I imagine reduces the risk of me blowing up my house to almost nil.  I also see there are small countertop distillers that use air rather than water to cool the distillate vapor to liquid, but I have no concept of how good/effective these things are.  Is stainless steel truly inferior to copper in regard to the end product?  I see some of these things tout a 190 proof distillation - I don't think I want something like that as the whole point would be to commute flavor from the mash kettle to the finished product.

Wondering if anyone has tried this and has a few words of advice for your old pal EG.  TIA....
Click to expand...
I have done it before and it's ok.  The spirits we did were good, but nothing earth shattering, after all the time, effort and money we put in we've had more fun and a more better product by purchasing an oak barrel and aging cocktails in that.  I've done a couple rounds of barrel aged negroni which were much more tasty than anything I got out of the still.

 
So, it can be super dangerous, is illegal and the end product will likely taste like 3 day old bathwater? It's amazing to me that very few people are doing this!

Seriously, just go buy the good stuff.  You won't be able to make anything close.  If you want to tinker with flavors, brew some beer.

Just my 2 cents.

Also, as a father of two young children, I'm obviously aggressively jealous that you have enough free time to even consider doing something like this....so #### you.

 
dschuler said:
This is become quite the fad at work, mostly apple pie and cinnamon flavors.  I’ve been told it is imperative to make sure you get the right temperatures so you don’t create methanol, which is toxic.
Click to expand...
Don't die, EG.  I'm sure the story would be awesome, but less so if you weren't around to tell it.

 
dschuler said:
This is become quite the fad at work, mostly apple pie and cinnamon flavors.  I’ve been told it is imperative to make sure you get the right temperatures so you don’t create methanol, which is toxic.
Click to expand...
I'm sure Ox can handle it.

 
a friend of mine has a stove top still.  He built it out of a pressure cooker - the cooker lid seals perfectly to the pot and all vapors go out the hole in the top, which doesn't have that little weight.  He just built the condensing coil on top of that.  He distills for personal consumption only - he can make about 375 ml at a time of high proof stuff at a time, which when cut down, gives him about a fifth at traditional strengths (ie 80 proof).  Not bad for a couple hours of work.

He typically makes rum, gin, brandy, and absenthe (including growing his own wormwood and bottanicals), although he has done bourbon as well.  At one point he was considering a kickstarter making oak bottle lids that would allow you to impart authentic oak character in a mason jar.  A few years ago I had a bunch of homemade wine that my wife didn't like.  For fun, I brought 6 bottles to my friends house and we distilled it down...not sure what distilled wine is called, but it's pretty potent stuff.

He learned how to make everything by researching on the web.  It's all out there.

 
dschuler said:
This is become quite the fad at work, mostly apple pie and cinnamon flavors.  I’ve been told it is imperative to make sure you get the right temperatures so you don’t create methanol, which is toxic.
Click to expand...
per my friend, all you have to do is cut out the "heads" (first 10% of distillate) and "tails" (last 10%).  He continually tastes the distillate to know when to make the cut.

 
dschuler said:
This is become quite the fad at work, mostly apple pie and cinnamon flavors.  I’ve been told it is imperative to make sure you get the right temperatures so you don’t create methanol, which is toxic.
Click to expand...
I think you're always going to get some, but from what I've read, as long as it's flowing properly, you just have to throw away roughly the first and last 10% of what comes out and you're in good shape.

 
belljr said:
A friends dad does it.  Some good ####. I have no idea his setup or anything (other than its in his garage).

He brings different flavored moonshine every golf trip
Click to expand...
This is what I want to do.

 
doowain said:
So, it can be super dangerous, is illegal and the end product will likely taste like 3 day old bathwater? It's amazing to me that very few people are doing this!

Seriously, just go buy the good stuff.  You won't be able to make anything close.  If you want to tinker with flavors, brew some beer.

Just my 2 cents.

Also, as a father of two young children, I'm obviously aggressively jealous that you have enough free time to even consider doing something like this....so #### you.
Click to expand...
I already buy the good stuff.  I'd like to experiment with my own flavor profiles.  If it sucks, I'll throw it away, no harm, no foul.  I really don't think it's super dangerous if you don't have open flame and you have pressure release valves. 

 
Tom Servo said:
I'm sure Ox can handle it.
Click to expand...
Ox will be co-piloting for sure.  He's dying to do this, he's the one egging me on to try it out.  He's a mechanical whiz, so having him around will be imperative to make sure everything is functioning properly and the necessary safety precautions are all in place.

 
moleculo said:
a friend of mine has a stove top still.  He built it out of a pressure cooker - the cooker lid seals perfectly to the pot and all vapors go out the hole in the top, which doesn't have that little weight.  He just built the condensing coil on top of that.  He distills for personal consumption only - he can make about 375 ml at a time of high proof stuff at a time, which when cut down, gives him about a fifth at traditional strengths (ie 80 proof).  Not bad for a couple hours of work.

He typically makes rum, gin, brandy, and absenthe (including growing his own wormwood and bottanicals), although he has done bourbon as well.  At one point he was considering a kickstarter making oak bottle lids that would allow you to impart authentic oak character in a mason jar.  A few years ago I had a bunch of homemade wine that my wife didn't like.  For fun, I brought 6 bottles to my friends house and we distilled it down...not sure what distilled wine is called, but it's pretty potent stuff.

He learned how to make everything by researching on the web.  It's all out there.
Click to expand...
Thanks.  This is precisely my aim and I'm sure there's a ton of info out there.  I always come here first to get the straight scoop.  I see a lot of countertop distillers that are air-cooled and seem like they're "set and forget" but I don't know if they work as well as traditional setups.  A lot of what you read on the internet is slanted - the traditionalists will scoff at an electric rig, while millenial city dwellers will swear by it.  Not unlike BBQ/smokers in that respect.

 
Evilgrin 72 said:
Thanks.  This is precisely my aim and I'm sure there's a ton of info out there.  I always come here first to get the straight scoop.  I see a lot of countertop distillers that are air-cooled and seem like they're "set and forget" but I don't know if they work as well as traditional setups.  A lot of what you read on the internet is slanted - the traditionalists will scoff at an electric rig, while millenial city dwellers will swear by it.  Not unlike BBQ/smokers in that respect.
Click to expand...
If I remember correctly, he mentioned there was some discrepancy about what goes into a stack - basically bits of copper that the vapor can condense on.  more parts, more mash flavor came through...or something like that. Googling a little for correct terminology, he uses a column reflux still.

 Anyways, there are pros/cons with any set-up out there.  For me, navigating your way through all of that and deciding on what is important is half the fun.

 
I watch Moonshiners a lot and have been tempted to try distilling too.  We have 2 apple trees in our yard that I was thinking we could possibly make some apple brandy with, if I ever get to the point that I know what I'm doing.  

I've thought about trying to buy something like this:  Copper Still  

I've brewed a few batches of beer, but it's been a long time.

 
moleculo said:
If I remember correctly, he mentioned there was some discrepancy about what goes into a stack - basically bits of copper that the vapor can condense on.  more parts, more mash flavor came through...or something like that. Googling a little for correct terminology, he uses a column reflux still.

 Anyways, there are pros/cons with any set-up out there.  For me, navigating your way through all of that and deciding on what is important is half the fun.
Click to expand...
That's precisely what I'll do.  I definitely want to carry as much flavor from the mash into the distillate as possible, that's the whole point of doing this.  I want to get funky with combinations and see what I can come up with.  Some of the best #### I've ever had in my life is moonshine - the really good stuff blows the nuts off of what you can buy at the local ABC.

 
Evilgrin 72 said:
That's precisely what I'll do.  I definitely want to carry as much flavor from the mash into the distillate as possible, that's the whole point of doing this.  I want to get funky with combinations and see what I can come up with.  Some of the best #### I've ever had in my life is moonshine - the really good stuff blows the nuts off of what you can buy at the local ABC.
Click to expand...
Sounds like you will enjoy the process which is excellent.  Don't spend a ton of money right away, if you really enjoy it you'll be wanting to upgrade your set up sooner rather than later.  Buy something decent now and get your wife to get you an awesome set up for Christmas.

 
thayman said:
Sounds like you will enjoy the process which is excellent.  Don't spend a ton of money right away, if you really enjoy it you'll be wanting to upgrade your set up sooner rather than later.  Buy something decent now and get your wife to get you an awesome set up for Christmas.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a plan to me...

 
Evilgrin 72 said:
That's precisely what I'll do.  I definitely want to carry as much flavor from the mash into the distillate as possible, that's the whole point of doing this.  I want to get funky with combinations and see what I can come up with.  Some of the best #### I've ever had in my life is moonshine - the really good stuff blows the nuts off of what you can buy at the local ABC.
Click to expand...
yup.  you will find that you learn a lot about it as well.  I'm convinced you can make stuff a hell of a lot better than the mass-market stuff out there, and you will learn about ingredients, processes, etc.  It will make you a better drinker.  At least, that's what my homebrewing experience has been.

 
whoknew said:
I went on a few distillery tours this weekend and found out you have to get rid of the head. Just keep the heart. Not the head or tail. The head will make you go blind.
Click to expand...
This. They go by smell. The cheaper stuff has the head in it. That's why it smells/tastes like gasoline. 

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Top