ebstauffer

Had a problem reported to me this morning (please don't laugh). Got a call that operator neglected to dose rum "mash" with nutrients and yeast last Saturday. They came in this morning and batch was bubbling away. Clearly a sanitation or wild yeast issue. I suggested they dose with 20 mg/liter of K metabisulfite, let sit 24 hours then add nutrients and pitch yeast at normal rate. Clearly yield will suffer. I was tempted to have them let it ferment out, distill, and see what they came up with. I'm just curious what others might have recommended in this situation.

Re: Mike & TCW -- great guy / business to deal with. Highly recommended. Not affiliated other than a happy customer.

>> but cam lock is even better for anything that is disconnected or reconected on a daily basis. I must agree with Steven 110%. Although the initial investment is greater, purchasing equipment, hoses, pumps, etc with camlock rather than triclamp is money very well spent. It's infinitely easier to connect camlock fittings by yourself that triclamp.

With all of the new suppliers coming online my biggest concern is how the wood from which the staves are made have been aged. I'm certain I've read somewhere that wood should be aged at least three years before being milled into staves. I'll see if I can't find the reference. Edit: I can't find the reference. Anyone?

25 psi? I call bullshit.

>> but in my opinion it's 90% marketing Only 90%?? ;-)

>> So yes, you might want to increase some of the hyssop for increased initial color, to anticipate the fade. We found hyssop increases thujone levels more than pontica. Have you found that to be true?

To what volume of distillate are you adding the coloring herb bill?

Welcome to making absinthe. Fun isn't it. At what temp are you conducting your coloring step? That seems like of lot of botanicals in your coloring step.

Pontica spreads by creeping rhyzomes. I've had about the same luck controlling roman wormwood has I have with lemon balm and mint.. that is to say "very little".

PET bottles for craft spirits? What am I missing?

Your own garden! Seriously, it grows like a weed -- a vicious weed. If memory serves you should plan on about 10 grams / liter of distillate for coloring. I too had a very difficult time sourcing. Artemisia absinthium (grand wormwood) is trivial to find. Petite (also called roman) wormwood -- Artemisia pontica -- is a challenge. I'm in USDA Zone 5 and have no problem with it wintering over. My only challenge is keeping it contained. Let me know if you want a start once it comes up here in a few weeks. As for sourcing, search for a few of the gin threads here regarding vendors and try contacting them. I bit of googling yielded: http://www.absintheherbs.com/Imported-Pontica-5-per-1-ounce.htm

Read Andrew Jefford's Peat Smoke and Spirit. Scots have been doing it for while.

Check out herb hammer mills on amazon.

That's certainly not what I expected you to say! I would guess one of two things. If you're running a plated column perhaps your turndown ratio is too high by overcooling the dephlegmator. Otherwise, I'd look to your boiler: make sure it isn't flooding or dry firing (more accurately not firing if the LWCO has activated). Check that all valves are open (I would imagine you'd get horrible water hammer if they weren't) and that your condensate return pump (fickle bastards that they are) is working correctly.