Home distilling pt. 2 - closer to Bourbon

I worked up a new recipe for my hobby. Did my first run today and the shit is GOOD. Even before aging it's smooth as silk. I had some friends try the tails (about 40-50 proof) and they love the flavor too.

I have two disppointments with the outcome. The first is that the ABV is a little lower than I'm used to. Given the flavor I can live with that. The other is my problem, I kinked the gasket on the boiler and I lost maybe 15% to the 'angels.' That particular problem I can fix.

I learned a trick from Mischka re. the aging and found a source of American White Oak lumber. So I'm cutting the lumber into 1"x1"x 6" chunks, charring them and dropping in the aging container with my other 'specials.' (I have found that for small batches Arizona Tea 1 gal. containers work famously.)

The recipe is as follows;

Start with 3 gal of spring water in a large SS kettle, copper works too. (Alum. works but not advised.) Add 3 lbs of cracked corn and 2 lbs of sugar. Bring to a simmer (165 F) for 40 min. After the 40 min. add 1 lb of malted Rye and 1/2 lb of malted Barley. Bring temp. back up to 165 F and simmer for an additional 20 min.

Pour the whole mess into your fermenting bucket and allow it to cool, covered, until the temp. reaches less than 85 F. Now pitch your yeast, I'm using two strains, Distillers Yeast and Red Star Champagne (1 pkg. of each). Also add 1 tsp. of yeast nutrient. Let it ferment until complete.

Distill and let it rest for a few days. Dilute to your chosen proof, I have settled at 90. Put it in your aging jugs, add your botanical s and let it mellow for at least a month.

Enjoy.

Ishmael

How do you avoid the poisonus stuff?

remy_lebeau8 said:

How do you avoid the poisonus stuff?

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Science.

Different liquids boil at different temperatures. At my altitude the methanol and the fusil's (bad stuff) begin to boil off at approx. 160 deg. F. The Ethanol (good stuff) starts to boil off at approx. 173 deg. F. So everything I collect between those two temperatures goes in the dirt. For a 5 gal mash distillation this turns out to be just a tad more than 2 oz. So to be on the safe side I discard the first 4 oz. I collect.

Ishmael

That makes sense. Ive been tempted to buy this little air cooled micro still from my local brew shop. Its 200 I dont want to spend right now though. It distills a litre from a gallon of wort

OK, this shit is going to be GOOD!!!!

Initial tasting makes me think it's the best I've produced so far. Really, really smooth.

Ishmael

How do you get the proof where you want it? Add water? How do you test that?

Yardley said:

How do you get the proof where you want it? Add water? How do you test that?

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Yup, add water. You test the proof with a hydrometer. You can get them at any store that sells beer/wine brewing equipment/supplies.

Ishmael

Ishmael said:

Yup, add water. You test the proof with a hydrometer. You can get them at any store that sells beer/wine brewing equipment/supplies.

Ishmael

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I didn't think of that. Same idea as an antifreeze tester. When you say spring water do you use something local to you, or bottled from a spring water?

Yardley said:

I didn't think of that. Same idea as an antifreeze tester. When you say spring water do you use something local to you, or bottled from a spring water?

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A friend has a cabin at 9,000 ft. with a spring and no uphill neighbors, that's where I get my water. But store bought can work too.

Ishmael