Still It

So I was gone for a few weeks, but now I'm back! There are a few things I want to catch you up on but more importantly, I have some exciting news!

I have been finding it really hard to find the time I need to run the birdwatchers vodka in one go. So why not just take a break?! Does it affect the distillation? Let's find out.

People ask me all the time, "should I build a CCVM still?" or "should I buy a CCVM still?". I have been using my one for well over a year now. So I think its time to review it. Spoiler alert: The CCVM is still the best choice for a beginner (IMHO)

I have been wondering for a while what American whisky essence is best? So I decided to set up a little knockout competition to see what Bourbon, Kentucky Bourbon or Tenessee Whisky essence is best.

Teddy Sad's Fast fermenting vodka (FFV) was the first reflux spirit I ever made. Now that I have some new Birdwatchers spirit I would like to compare the two.

I have been looking forward to making gin for a long time and Odins Easy Gin seems like the perfect place to start. This recipe was developed to be an easy, simple base that people can alter as they see fit. Odins Easy Gin: 1L of 43% neutral spirit 12g Juniper Skin of one tangerine (I used orange) 3g of coriander seeds Slightly crush the juniper and the coriander then macerate (soak) all of the botanicals in the neutral spirit. If you are distilling with the botanicals in the still let it macerate for 24hrs. If you pan to strain the botanicals our before distilling soak for 2 weeks. Distil slowly like a spirit run, throw away the first 10ml then collect the next 400ml. Proof down to 40-50abv. The gin will improve in flavour over the next few weeks.

Last week I made Odins Easy Gin, this week I wanted to do something a little out there and different. So let's make a more savoury slightly smokey gin with paprika, sage, lemon and earl grey tea. Here is the recipe: 1L 43% abv neutral (I am using Birdwatchers) 14g of Juniper 3g of coriander seed 2 strips of orange zest 1/2 a small lemons zest 1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika 6 large, fresh sage leaves 2 cracked peppercorns 3g of loose leaf earl grey tea Macerate for 24 hrs then slowly distill on the botanicals. Discard 1mls and collect the next 400ml Proof down to 40-45%abv and let it sit ( ideally for a week).

My Peated "Irish" Whisky is now around 4months old and I have not tasted it in a while. So let's get in and see how it's doing, what is the difference between the new American white oak version and the maple wood version? Anc, of course, I want to taste it against some Connemara. After all Daniel and Rex's review on the Whisky Vault started this project.

Information overload! The learning curve is real for this hobby and I see new distillers making a few mistakes that make it even harder. So today I have a few tips that will help you learn that vital info quickly and get into the hobby of home distillation a little faster!

Home distilling is often thought of as very dangerous. In some ways it really is, that is if you don't follow the safety rules! But hey, many activities are like that right? So let's go through the main rules of home distilling so you can enjoy a wonderfully rewarding and safe hobby. The Safety Rules Of Distilling: Use The Right Materials Its A Poison It's Flammable Walk Before You Run Methanol . . . .

This hobby is a daunting thing to get into. A lot of steps need to come together to make a bottle of spirits. Today I walk through the main stages of the process to give new distillers a bit of a road map to understand the hobby. So let's go through a Distilling process overview: Ingredients Mash Fermentation Distillation & Cuts Blending Ageing

Note taking is not exactly the most exciting part of the craft. But it really will help you improve your product, especially in a hobby like this where you don't know what something is going to turn out like for years. Also, I will let you know how I screwed up in a video recently. Keep on chasing the craft!

A while ago Bearded and Bored asked a question. "Have you ever wanted to make something stronger than beer or cider in your kitchen?" His answer? APPLE JACK! All you need is some hard cider and a freezer! Ever since seeing his video I have wondered exactly what it tasted like. Now I have the chance to taste it along with his Cream Ale (made with self malted corn!). . . . . .. after he abducted me from the airport . . . . . .

While In Austin Texas I was lucky enough to get a whiskey education with Josh from Cask Strength. Josh walked me through the definitions of Bourbon, Corn Whiskey, Rye Whiskey, American Single Malt and Tennessee Whiskey. Along the way, we ran into (and dispelled) a few common misconceptions too. Then I was lucky enough to be walked through some of the best Whiskeys made in Texas (and something else!). Offerings from Andalusia, Iron Root and Balcones.

I never thought I would actually be able to pick up this bottle of whisky. Honestly, I bought it just to support something I thought was pretty amazing.

Blending spirits has always felt a little bit like a black art to me so I jumped at the chance to get some help. Daniel & Rex from The Whisky Tribe & The Whisky Vault seemed like the perfect people to help me out! So in this video, I (very luckily) got to hang out at the crowded barrel and blend my own Peated Irish Whisky at the same time as Daniel Whittington and Rex Williams. The guys gave me some great information, tips and of course laughs. If you are a Magnificent Bastard let me tell you these guys are even more fun in person!

Still Austin is a grain to glass, craft distillery in Austin Texas. I was lucky enough to be able to hang out with Harry at the distillery for an afternoon. Harry walked me through a tasting of some of their products and also went out of his way to share a bunch of prod distilling tips, tricks and techniques that we can use for home distillation as well.

So I absolutely love geeking out and doing things the tough way just for the love of it. But every now and then I just really REALLY want to get a result as easily as possible, I am sure you feel the same! Thats where Liquid Malt Extract (LME) comes in to play. What is LME? Well, basically some kick-ass brewer has already made a killer all grain mash for you. Seeing as it would be impractical to ship the whole thing it is reduced down to a thick gooey liquid the consistency of molasses. To make a wash from it all you need to do is mix it with water, hit your volume and temperature then pitch yeast. While this is really simple I have a few tips and tricks that will make it a little faster and easier for you. Once it is fermented out as dry as it will go I suggest distilling it with a pop still before making cuts and ageing it on oak. The Recipe I used here: 3x 1.8kg Amber Malt Liquid Malt Extract 2x US-05 yeast 25 l of water Pot still and cut by flavour then age with US

A couple of the regular viewers heard I was going to be in Prescott Arizona. They told me in no uncertain terms that I HAD to go visit them. So I did. I was able to hang out with Jared (the head brewer) for an afternoon. We sampled and assessed 6 of their meads (dear god these things are amazing!) and then talked a little about high gravity fermentations. Jared gave me 4 tips to make sure high gravity ferments succeed. 1) Oxygenate! And oxygenate a lot further into the process than I thought. 2) De-gas! Carbon dioxide ( C02 ) is a waste product and not great for the yeast 3 ) PH! The yeast have a zone they like to be in and fermentation can push the Ph outside of that zone 4 ) Nutrients! It's less important with an all grain brew. But definitely a necessity for a honey or sugar wash.

I was able to taste still Austin's coffee Liqueur a while ago with their distiller Harry. Harry gave me a few pointers on how to go about making my own so here goes . . . . First, we need a base spirit. We can use any aged spirit, but bourbon and rum were specifically suggested so that's what I am going to use. Then we need coffee beans. I used Robbert Harris Italian, dark roast. Like I say in the video I do wonder if something more mellow would have been better. Next up is cocoa nibs. They add a wonderfully full and rich flavour and mouthfeel. I would definitely not skip these. Mascerate for 3-5 days. When you think the flavour is right filter the mixture with a coffee filter. Proof down to your desired ABV, I hit 30%. And add the simple syrup or maple syrup. At this stage, you may want to let the mixture sit for another few days and filter again. Oh yeah, I totally get that the UJSSM (Uncle Jesse's Simple Sour Mash) is not actually a bourbon.

Today we are talking about the legalisation of distilling and malting corn with Bearded & Bored. Bearded is one of my oldest youtube buddies, so it was pretty cool to be able to hang out with him. This is a topic that we are both very passionate about. So we figgered it was worth getting a quick conversation on camera to share with you. In the USA its legal to homebrew, legal to make wine and mead. But not spirits. We think its crazy and would love to see it change. Write to your congressmen people!

I had heard of Vinnie nails before visiting Superstition Meadery, but never actually seen one in operation. So today the crew at Superstition Meadery show me the ropes and answer some questions. What is a Vinnie nail? How does it work and why would you use a Vinnie nail? I also jumped on the opportunity to drink a little more of their amazingly tasty mead. I mean it guys this stuff is world class!

Bearded and bored is a guy I trust and respect. He makes sweet videos, does cool experiments and is totally happy to speak his mind. Unless it is about feet, wait, what? Just watch the video! So it was pretty cool to be able to have him try my product and give me his honest thoughts.

Before you fire up your brand new still for the first time there is something important to think about. Your still is going to have some nasty stuff left over from the manufacturing process. It does not matter if you made it your self or if you bought it. You really should clean your still before using it properly. There are three steps to properly cleaning a new still: 1 - Soak all the parts in an acid solution. Ideally overnight. 2 - Run a vinegar solution through the still. 50;50 water to vinegar works well 3 - Run a sacrificial alcohol run. Use cheap alcohol and throw it out afterwards. Thanks to Clawhammer for hooking me up with these new parts! I will be putting them to good use soon enough.

Making moonshine at home can be tricky as its often hard to deal with the corn on home brewing equipment. At the very least it adds another step, gelatinizing the starch. Even worse, you need specialised equipment to distil on the grain (if you want to). Let's make moonshine the easy way instead! Using malted corn means you can mash the same way as a standard homebrew beer mash. The starches are already gelatinized and we even have a reasonable diastatic power. In this video, I go from grain to glass with a malted corn Moonshine (or whiskey/bourbon depending on what you want to call it).

Feints are a part of distilling but just because they didn't make the cut the first time around does not mean they should go to waste. In fact, they can make something rather tasty and unique! After distillation, the distiller will decide what to use in the finished product and what to leave out (making cuts). Everything that does not make the cut is called "feints". You can deal with feints in different ways: Throw Them Out Or even better reuse them for cleaning the next addition on your still, fire lighter, cleaning etc. Add Them To The Next Run: This is especially useful when you are making the same thing over and over. Add the feints from the last run into the boiler right before distillation. All Feints Run: This is what I decided to do. I took the feints from everything I have made so far and did one large run. You can do it this way, or you could separate feints into types of spirit. An all feints bourbon run for example.

This one is just for regular followers. What happens if youtube decide that Still It is just not right for their platform? It's not likely, but it is a very real possibility. In case it happens I want to make sure you guys know where to find me and what the backup plan is! www.chasethecraft.com This is home base, the one thing that I totally control. If anything happens look here first! If you wish you can watch the weekly videos from the website and make sure to sign up to the newsletter on the home page.

A lot of people have been asking me how much wood to use and how long to use it for when ageing spirits at home. So let's have a look at a quick, medium and long version.

There are two main options facing a new chaser of the craft when it comes to distilling apparatus. Should you buy a pot still? Or should you buy a reflux still? Two answer that question you need a little basic knowledge about how the two stills differ. Then you need to ask yourself really important questions. What do you really want to make?

I have been using a refractometer for quite a while now. I love the things. For me its just fun to use them, I don't feel that way about hydrometers for some reason. So let's talk about how to use a refractometer properly. We should also go over the advantages and disadvantages compared to a hydrometer and talk about a huge trap that new users often fall into.

I have wanted to make a Manuka Smoked Single Malt Whisky since before I even started building my still. If you are not from New Zealand you have probably heard of Manuka honey. But did you know its a very common wood to smoke with here? I have always wanted to use this quintessential New Zealand ingredient in a spirit.

Smooth. We hear this word thrown around a lot for whiskey (or whisky), but what does it actually mean? What attributes contribute to a whiskies smoothness? And is a smooth whisky a good whisky? Are all good whiskies smooth? This is what I am talking about today. But lets break it down into a few differnet points. Alcohol Burn Astringency Spice Smoke/briney/other strong flavours Funk Softness Sweetness Percieved Sweetness

Ok you guys asked for it so here it is! Can you smooth out a rough spirit with Glycerine? This video walks through a few different points in relation to using glycerine as a smoothing agent in moonshine, spirits, whisky or vodka. First up, how do you use it? The still spirits product recommends 5ml per litre. Measure it out, pop it into the bottle and give it a good shake. Then, what does it supposedly do? What are the benefits of glycerine in moonshine or spirits? It is supposed to "smooth the spirit". I think what people are really talking about here is a reduction in alcohol burn. Then I walk through a small triangle test I performed to see if people could perceive a difference when using glycerine. Afterwards, I share the results and my personal thoughts on the matter.

Time for something a little sweeter. This week we are making Amaretto, in fact, we are making two different versions of Ameretto. These turned out a WHOLE lot better than I thought they would. But I wanted to blind taste them against Disaronno anyway and see how they faired.

Ok, I will admit it. I used to LOVE Baileys, so I am pretty excited to try my hand at making some. So how do you make Baileys Irish Cream? I scoured the internet and found a promising-looking recipe. But I am not happy with that. Let's make it, taste it & improve on it! Thats right you get 2 for one today, two recipes. Then a BJCP judge is going to taste it and see which he prefers. Spoiler, it's not the baileys.

There are a few reasons you may want to break a barrel down to use for your homemade spirits. Perhaps it's just really hard to get good wood where you live, barrels are a great option. If you get a good barrel from a reputable cooper you also know you have great quality wood. Of course, you also have the option of picking up a barrel that had something else in it, a perfect flavour boost! Port, sherry, cognac, rum, bourbon . . . . the options are endless! Once you have selected a barrel to break down the job is pretty easy. 1- Remove the small tacks holding the hoops in place (if the barrel has them) 2 - Remove the hoops themselves 3 - Process the staves themselves and store them Taking a wine or whisky barrel apart really is verry easy. why not give it a go yourself?

Its been a while since I caught you guys up on how a lot of my homemade spirits are ageing. So let's get stuck in and taste a bunch of them in one go. Bastard Malt: Named as its a bastardized single malt Some sugar and DME added. This is now my oldest ageing spirit. UJSSM: Uncle Jesse's Simple Sour Mash. Nope, not me! Another Jesse developed this to be a super simple introduction for new distillers. A sugar wash infused with corn. Buccaneer Bobs Rum: A fairly popular rum recipe from the forums. Made with blackstrap molasses and live dunder. This one is not your standard captian morgans! Peated Irish Whisky: I LOVE Conamara. This whisky was inspired by it. Peated malt, malted barley, unmalted barley and little oats. Chimera: An all feints run. I saved at least some feints from literally everything I have ever made and redistilled it all in one run. The run varied it so much I decided to split it into two distinct spirits. Super Easy LME

I know it has taken a while, but I FINALLY got to put a real run through the genio 50L oil-jacketed still. To test it out I collaborated with Bearded & Bored. We made a wash together last time I was in Texas and I ran it through the still here in New Zealand. This is my first impression of the automatic Genio still, I thought I would share it with you. Once I have some real-time and experience laid down with it I will do a full review. But first impressions are good . . . .. really good!

A while ago I asked the patreons what questions they would ask professionals if they had the chance. I will indeed be asking professionals these questions in Texas this October. But I thought it would be fun if I answered them too. So here goes . . . . Why did you start chasing the craft? How much does yeast choice and treatment effect the final product? How did you make your start in the industry? What do you do with your feints or heads and tails? How many cuts do you make? Do your recipes scale on a % basis between commercial and home distilling volumes? How do you stop boil overs/pukes?

This week I wanted to make a unique, earthy and spicey GIN. To be honest this may push the limits of what some people will call a gin. But thats ok by me, as home-distillers we can make the drinks we want to drink the way we want to drink them.

This time I asked the crew over on the Chasers Of The Craft facebook page what they would ask professional distillers if they had a chance. Let's see what they would ask, and I will have a crack at answering them my self.

I recently made a earthy, spicey gin with the low end of my Chimera spirit. This time I am using the High end to make a rummy, liquorice, fennel, orange, star anise gin with a touch of cinnamon. What's it good for? So far I have tried it mixed with mango juice and/orange juice with a touch of tonic and also mixed with a strawberry liqour. Both are pretty awesome.

People are always asking me about the Still Spirits T500 still. Is it worth buying? Can the T500 be used to make good spirits? Is the still spirits still a good beginner still? Today I want to make my thoughts on this still known and give a honest review on what has to be one of the most popular home distilling models out there. You can find links to pretty much every thing we talked about today on the Still It Amazon list: https://www.amazon.com/shop/influence... What an absolute pleasure to be able to hang out with these two humans! I would never have started Still It or made it through the first month without these two! So if somehow you have not found their channels already, check them out now!

Ironroot Republic makes amazing whiskey (and other distilled beverages) in Denison Texas with two beautiful stills. You know you are doing something right when you get awarded the "Worlds Best Corn Whiskey" at the world whiskey awards. . . . . more than once! I got to get up close and personal with them both. So if you have ever wondered about how the commercial outfits work this video is for you. The first still is a large pot still over 4500l in fact ( 1200 gal) with a big copper onion and a steep line arm. Second is the combination pot and reflux still with two separate columns.

As home-distillers we do not often get the chance to see a continuous still up close. Josh from Still Austin was kind enough to give me a behind the seans look at a 50 ft continouos still. I had a bunch of questions for him, like how do you make cuts on a continuous still?

Liqueurs are a popular way to enjoy spirits. So here is an easy way to make your own Strawberry liqueur. Of course, you could sub out the strawberries if you wanted. Blue Berries? Peaches? Nectarine? Plum? Pineapple? Endless possibilities!

I have always wanted to know the best way to smoke your own grain. Who better to learn from than Ty from Andalusia. Ty is one of the few commercial distilleries that I know of that actually smokes their own grain. In fact, this may be the only distillery in the world smoking grain with Irish peat?!? Ty was very generous and shared a lot of information on how they smoke their own grain so we can do it ourselves as home-distillers.

While in Texas I had the opportunity to hang with The Modern Rogue team. Naturally, we promptly got to distilling Dr. Pepper. Because . . . .reasons! We made a quick down and dirty pot still to run the Dr. Pepper through. People had a few questions about the process. So I took 15min to answer a few questions. Then there is a quick crash course on distilling for the new viewers.

Chase The Craft Flasks & Shop: https://www.chasethecraft.com/shop A lot of people have been asking about the new Chase The Craft logo. What does it mean for Still It? Is something changing? Am I moving away from distilling etc? Nope, not at all!

The Bastards Ball is the Whiskey Tribes yearly event. Magnificent bastards come from all over the world to raise a glass together to celebrate whiskey, people and community. I had an absolute blast, but it really got me thinking. Could home-distillers have something like this? If there was a home distilling event like this what would it involve?

A small part of episode #001 of the Chase The Craft podcast. Ty from Andalusia gives me some great tips to make a great smokey whiskey.

A small part of episode #001 of the Chase The Craft podcast. Ty from Andalusia gives me a few tips on how to go about using specialty malts to create a delicious whiskey.

A small part of episode #001 of the Chase The Craft podcast. Ty from Andalusia Whiskey co and Jesse talk about the merits (or there of) of the Moonshiners TV show.

A small part of episode #002 of the Chase The Craft podcast. Robert & Jonathan Likarish explain ways to promote more flavour in whiskey through fermentation techniques.

Limoncello is super easy to make at home, although it does need a little time to soak. You can make it with your own homemade spirits, or with a high proof spirit like everclear. I love this stuff, it's delicious after a meal. The perfect way to finish of a great night. In fact, it's one of the only spirits I will ever keep in the freezer, its really good ice cold. Full Batch (6-8 bottles): 1.5 L of 90% or higher alcohol (1.58 quarts 180+ Proof) 15-20 lemons worth of peel 1.98 l of water ( 2 quarts) .99 l of sugar (850g or 29.9 oz) Half Batch(3-4 Bottles):.75 L of 90% or higher alcohol (0.8 quarts 180+ Proof) 7-10 lemons worth of peel .99 l of water ( 1 quart) .5 l of sugar (425g or 14.9oz)

A small part of episode #002 of the Chase The Craft podcast. Robert & Jonathan Likarish explain how they choose interesting corn to make award-winning whiskey.

Are you thinking of getting into all-grain brewing for beer or distilling? What equipment is best for you? Today I have Matt from Dave & Goliath to walk us through 5 different all-grain brewing systems so you can choose the right one for you.

Tis the season to make your own kick-ass pumpkin-spiced liqueur! People will joke about it, people will hate on it. But screw that, it's tasty so have at it. Besides this one is guaranteed to score you some brownie points! This recipe is designed to macerate quickly so you can have it ready in only a few days and ready for the holidays. Use whatever brown aged spirit you like. But I suggest a mix of a sweet molasses forward rum and a high ester Jamaican style single pot rum. The spices are fairly straightforward, I mean its pumpkin spice. We know what is going to be in there. But I do suggest you leave the powders and go with the whole options to make straining easier and for a better flavour.