Still It

Are you thinking of getting into home distilling? Would you like to make your own vodka, whisky or gin? Its a pretty rewarding hobby, but can be hard deciding if it's right for you. Let's run through the good points, and a few things to consider before starting

Still it is all about chasing the craft of home distillation and making it a legitimate hobby. I want to promote this as a legitimate thing to be a part of, to show the rest of the world what an amazing community is out there. Raising the perception "outsiders" have of its members. Still it is also about creating a resource to help new distillers safely get started. There are plenty of amazing resources out there already. I have no interest in competing with them, in fact I want to work togeather. In time I would like to be able to create more scientific content. Side by side tests, lab tests perception tests etc.

Is home distilling safe? What can go wrong? Can moonshine make you go blind? Have you ever heard that? Turns out home distilling can be a totally legitimate hobby, you just need to understand and follow the safety rules!

Sometimes we want to test evaluate or assess a drink. The problem is bias can really mess with the test and throw the results way out. Today we are going to have a look at what bias is and how it relates specifically to testing whisky, scotch, bourbon, gin, vodka etc.

How does distilling work? What goes into a bottle of spirits? Where does the alcohol come from? What does distilling actually do, and how? is that all there is to it ? This is a brief overview to answer all of those questions. Touching on Mashing, fermenting, distilling, cuts and aging.

What does the boiler do? And which design is going to be best for you? These are common questions for new distillers. This video explains some of the things that I have learned so far, and goes through 6 things to think about before settling on a specific design.

"Moonshine" seems to have a few different meanings. In this video I talk through a couple of the most popular ones I have come across.

Here in New Zealand distilling is legal, lots of other people are not so lucky. I think everyone deserves to have the same freedoms. Hobby or home distilling is a fun, safe and rewarding practice. I think it should be legalized! So today I am running through 5 awesome things that could happen after legalization. Home brewers have already been through this. It's a huge success story, perhaps there a few things to be learned there? Most of this is just my opinion. But if you know of any ongoing or published research that applies please let me know!

This week things are a bit more relaxed. Im going to show you how Im going with my boka build and ask for a few pointers. After that I want to share some of the feedback I have been getting so far, and how I plan on addressing it!

There seems to be three "reasons" that distilling should remain illegal. In this video I share my opinions on them. And give discuss a few things you can do to help the situation.

Its time to brew! This time I am brewing a best bitter to fill up my empty kegs. During the process, I discuss transitioning from brewing to distilling. In an attempt to decide what brewing "knowledge" is helpful for distilling and what needs to be re-learnt or forgotten.

Off to the rusty nail! This week I am hitting the local reclaimed building supply spot in the hope of finding parts and materials for my build. My plans are challenged by what's on offer and I discuss pot stills vs boka stills.

It seems like a lot of new distillers and brewers struggle a little with the hydrometers. The basics are supper simple, but there are also a few traps to get caught up in. Here are a few tips and tricks to make sure you always get a reliable and accurate reading with your hydrometer.

I was a little short on time this week, but I do have something awesome to show you! But before I reveal the surprise I think its worth sharing some of the awesome comments from last week.

It's time to get my A into G and get up and running. Today I go through my new plan (perhaps you can help out?!), and test a piece of second-hand copper for lead. This gives me a sweet opportunity to talk about condenser controlled vapour management stills (CCVM). They may just be the perfect still for beginners!

Seeing as I have never brazed anything I thought this may be a good place to start. This probably isn't going to be pretty, it sure as hell isn't a tutorial. Im betting I am going to learn a whole lot though. So help me out and give me a few tips and tricks. Or learn along with me. Either way im getting started on my CCVM build.

You guys helped me out with a bunch of kick ass brazing tips and tricks. This week I want to thank you for helping me out and share what you taught me about how to braze copper to stainless with any other newbies wanting to learn. First up I share all the tips and tricks, after that I run through what I make this week. Making a few more parts for the CCVM still.

I know cleaning and sanitising is a lot less "mandatory" for distilling. But I still see a lot of new distillers asking how to clean things out. So today I am going to share how brewers get the job done. I get that a lot of distillers have no interest especially in sanitising. But I thought it would be a good idea to run through it as it seems to be less common knowledge in the distilling world.

I am FINALLY getting close to actually finishing the CCVM still. So its time to drop a wash to use for the cleaning run! I have never made a sugar a sugar wash so I am looking forward to it. This is loosely based on Birdwatchers recipe which is discussed at length on the Home Distiller forum. Link Below. I am also starting to plan out the area I am going to distill in. Any help on that front would be greatly appreciated. The ingredients I used 4.5kg sugar 1 Can crushed tomatoes 1 Lemon juiced 1 tsp Wyeast nutrient 26 L water (aprox) SG 1.065

This week I build my shotgun condenser! Honestly, I have been a little bit nervous about this build. But a challenge is always fun! So I bought a pair of aviation snips, broke out the pro-silver 2 and pro silver 15, cut up some copper and got stuck in! Once again thanks to everyone that helped me out. There is no way I would have even attempted this without your help.

A new still should always be cleaned before running product through it. It's a 3 part process, in this video im doing the second step. A vinegar run. Using a vinegar run allows you to safely blast every inch of the inside of your still with acidic steam. Great for cleaning everything and getting rid of the nasty flux we had to use.

A new still should always be cleaned before running product through it. It's a 3 part process. in this video, I do the final step, the sacrificial alcohol cleaning run. The alcohol cleaning run ensures that we thoroughly clean the still preparing it for production (WOOOHOOO!). It's also a great time to get to know your still a little. Use it as a practice run for the real deal!

A quick little video talking tasting the change in flavors between gen 1, gen 2 and gen 3 UJSSM. Also Lambs!!

I got a pretty cool package in the mail this week. So I thought I would show it off. Peter hooked me up with a bunch of wood for ageing. right on man! I have decided to start trialling "super fast bonus videos". Basically, these will be short little videos that pop up now and then. Things that are cool and I want to show everyone, but just don't fit into the main videos. . . . . basically I'm going to make lazy videos.

I'm a lucky man! Teddysad totally hooked me up with a care package to kick of my first "real" wash. Teddsads fast fermenting vodka (FFV, TFFV) seemed like a great option for my first wash. It ferments out dry FAST, like 3-4 days fast. It has a slight wheat flavor (like gray goose or absolute) and is pretty cheap. As well as the recipe pack Ted gave me a bunch of advice on how to get the most out of this recipe. Hopefully I can do it justice!

I thought it would be a good idea to summarise the 5 steps to make vodka in one video. 1 - Make a wash 2 - Fermet the wash 3 - Stripping run 4- Spirit/reflux run 5 - blending and storage Bonus step . . . .ENJOY IT! For those that are new to this, this video is not going to give you everything you need to know. But it should give you a really good starting point. Enough knowledge to get you started in the right direction.

A while back I briefly showed my drill powered copper cleaner. Its a bit of a gimmick but it does a good job of reaching hard spots inside longer bits of copper (like a length of column). A few people have asked how I put it together so here we go . . . . .

Now that the FFV I made last week is all ready to go its stripping time! Striping run that is not . . . . The second step to making a vodka (normally) is to strip the wash. Its a pretty easy thing to do and has a couple of awesome benefits. So come hang out while I get this FFV wash stripped and talk through what I have learned about stripping runs so far.

There is a fairly short list of materials that are deemed safe to use with high proof alcohol liquid or vapour. Luckily PTFE is one of them. Using PTFE tape and cardboard you can easily make a DIY gasket to replace any silicone or rubber gaskets that will come in contact with high ABV alcohol. Commonly called the everlasting gasket in distilling circles, these can be used on a pot or reflux still. Or on storage containers.

EXCITING! Finally, I am ready to do a reflux spirit run. I'm pumped to be at this point, but also nervous as this is pretty new to me. Wish me luck here goes my first reflux spirit run! Once I get into a groove, and I have some time I will have a talk about what a reflux still is and why you would use one. Its not an in depth tutorial, but should help out those new to the craft and looking for a starting point.

A lot of people have specifically requested that I make sure to have my first taste of finished product on camera. So here it is! My first taste of home made spirits! Kinda left me speechless for a while there ;)

Today I get to go through the process of assessing cuts for the first time, for my FFV vodka. I have been given a lot of advice and done a lot of reading. Time to give it a go! Going into this I was most interested and nervous about my ability to actually sense the difference between heads, hearts and tails.

FINALLY a "single malt". This is a huge part of why I got into this hobby, and I'm finally giving it a crack. I will be making this whisky with minimal gear. Partially because my homebrew kit is in pieces, but also to give people an idea of how simple all grain can be. It's not the optimal process, but it will get the job done. So this "scotch recipe" is, 50L 10kg base malt 2kg cherry smoked 1kg manuka fermented with a Belgian ale yeast. I messed up and had to add DME LME (both light and unhoped) and some sugar to reach 1.061

First up let's have a quick talk about what a triangle test is, how to use one and why they are pretty cool for distillers. Then I will show you an example of a triangle test. Can I tell the difference between Absolut vodka and my FFV?

This is the full version! First up let's have a quick talk about what a triangle test is, how to use one and why they are pretty cool for distillers. Then I will show you an example of a triangle test. Can I tell the difference between Absolut vodka and my FFV?

There is a lot of talk about PTFE gaskets going around in home distilling communities. I wanted to set up a little test to see just how well PTFE will seal a gasket. So today we find out, are PTFE gaskets safe!

Three things to go through today. 1 Quick update on why I have been sucking at youtube lately 2 I will be setting up tasting videos of YOUR spirits! That is if you think that's cool?! Let's be clear from the beginning. This isn't about drinking for drinking's sake. Its about getting honest feedback. 3 Three things tag

I have come to affectionately call this the "bastard whisky" and I am FINALLY doing the spirit run! I'm using my home made CCVM still in pot still mode. The awesome viewers have given me a whole lot of feedback that I explain and put into practice as well.

ScottBro noticed that I had FFV vodka sitting around. So he sent me a sweet little package to kickstart some infusions. You're the man dude thanks! ScottBro mentioned in the letter that he loved the color of hibiscus infusion, so it seems fitting to do that first. It turns out hibiscus infused vodka has an AMAZING color and a pretty interesting flavor too.

Last week I finished the spirit run for my bastard whisky. Now its time to asses the cuts. I want to decide which cuts have something worth contributing to the final blend, and what should be left out. Its all about finding the heads, hearts and tails & hunting out other flavours that may work well as the whiskey ages.

Oak aging spirits is a huge topic. With a whole lot of factors, so today I just want to give an overview of those factors. Hopefully, it will give enough information for new distillers to start thinking about the difference between wood flavor and aging, the type of wood, style of toast or char, and how much to use.

Today I get a little FFV ready to age on oak. Sorry about forgetting the mic :( Im a muppet! Teddysad recommended this when he sent the care package. The dude obviously knows his stuff so here we are! Turns out it ends up being a very pleasant drink to sip. For me anyway!

Today I am making moonshine! Uncle Jesse's Sour Mash (UJSSM) is a multi generation sour mash recipe that will make a tasty "bourbon".

After a LOT of requests I am finally doing a dedicated video about my boiler. I am SUPER happy with this thing so I will list a few of the reasons that a converted beer keg is the best beginner boiler (in my opinion).

This video follows on from last weeks UJSSM video. Last week we made the first generation, this week I am making generation 2. The first sour mash. Each generation after this is much the same. But things start to get good at around gen 5 (or so I am told!).

I have had a lot of requests to make a dedicated video of my CCVM build. So today I will give an overview of what a CCVM still is, how to make a CCVM, how a CCVM works and what parts you may need. I also talk briefly about why I chose this design as my first build. Spoiler, I think its a great build for a beginner! Coil Controlled Vapor Managed (CCVM)

You couldn't be faulted for assuming that heating a still would be a simple job. But it turns out there are a few things that could go wrong that you need to consider! My family gave me an induction cooker for my birthday and I think this will help illustrate a few problems. So lets crank it up and have a look!

Exactly one month ago I dropped a few pieces of oak into a glass jar with the first "single malt" I have ever made. Sounds like a good time to pull out a sample and see how it's doing! Turns out it's not exactly delicious yet, but it sure is interesting!

Infusions are a great way to stock out our cabinet. Today I am making a super fast herbal tea infusion. The cool thing is you can make these with vodka or everclear. So even if distilling is illegal where you live you can get in on the action!

Today I am going to share my mixed herd infusion attempt with you. I just wanted to get something done so Im shooting from the hip a little on this one team! The recipe I made: 10g licorice 5g cinnamon bark 1/4 vanilla bean 1 peppercorn 1g fennel seeds 1g star anise (I changed my mind half way through on this) 500ml of vodka Infused for 3-4 weeks.

Norbury this one is for you, my man. I think even you can get on board with this infusion. Trust me!

Generation number 4 of my UJSSM is stripping in the background, and its tasting really good. So I decided its time to go big on this one. I want to fill up the "cellar" and start building that pipeline! This is a super fast "low budget" video that I wouldn't normally put up on YT. I wanted to put this one up so everyone knows that these will be going up on Facebook more going forward

Its finally time for the UJSSM spirit run. So break out the pot still and get distilling! The viewers have been asking for this one for a while, sorry it took so long! But today I talk about spirit runs vs stripping runs. Foreshots, heads, hearts and tails as well as what "temperature" to run the still at. Through all of this I use the UJSSM as a example. Hmmmmmmmm tasty bourbon . . . . Bourbon . . . . whiskey . . . . stuff ?!?!

Looks like most of the whisk(e)y world has at least heard of these things now! So I think its time I get on board with the infinity bottle!

Wishing you all a Merry Xmas and hanging out for a quick drink ;)