LuckyGuy

I'm a local, and have read a bit about you. Any chance I can come by and spend some time with you two?

is there a link to these rules?

with a tapered bottle, I haven't found ANY cheap solution. I have to hand label them for sure. Once my production numbers increase, I hope I can find a viable solution that doesn't cost me an arm and a leg.

Of course, if you can afford to buy the building, why would you need investors? Owning is great, if everything you need is there and it’s a great location. Leasing can work too.

was a typical store bought food coloring. I didn't test the pH of the vodka....I could if you thought it mattered. Like I said, this was just an experimental batch, not sold anywhere. I still have a bottle or 6 and they're still all pink. Also, if you have a recommended supplier of Carmine (or TTB approved food colorings), I'd happily take it and give it a shot. I need to find something the TTB would allow, as I think I'm going to make this product for distribution and sale.

I didn't mean ZERO difference, just not enough that I took the column off. Naturally, and surface area increases means that we're increasing the amount of condensation inside and thus a minor increase in proof (amongst other things outside of my level of knowledge I'm sure)

so, I've fought stalls, so I'll add that the things I've done since helped greatly. Realize I only have 200 gallon mashes currently. Spoke specifically to a chemist at Lallemand. 1. control pH below 6.0 using citric 2. lower temps for both re-hydration of yeast and temp of overall mash before adding yeast. I hydrate at specified 96.8 degrees, but wait until mash is UNDER 90 before adding rehydrated yeast. Continue to lower temps (I use a tubed crash cart) for the 15 mins I'm blending the two...usually putting in fermenter at 85 degrees or so. 3. Using yeast nutrients. I add Distilavite, a Lallemand product. The two types I add are GN, and HY. These 3 steps really helped eliminate stalls, and have sped up protocol to mostly get SG to 1.00 in 4-5 days. I haven't had stalls in protocols where starting SG was under 1.65 Good luck...I know it's frustrating.

Wow. I'm glad I came in here to read this. I have never even considered this, and maybe I should do some more reading.

well, it literally sat on an outside bar. And it wasn't carmine. All of the remaining bottles are still pink/red, so pretty sure it was just the sunlight.

I've cut to 150 and charcoal filtered. The corn flavor doesn't completely go away (not do I want it to) but it's definitely more palatable for most people. I've also tried a few things like double charcoal filtering, and filtering at higher and lower proofs. They all work about the same, but have subtle variations.

I love reading all the different techniques. Since the low wines I collect vary slightly from batch to batch, and the containers I keep them in don't always mean the same abv going into my whiskey still, I agree that paying attention to temps is pointless. Taste/smell and clarity when mixed with water (a la the way scotch whiskey makers determine their hearts) are how I move from heads to hearts. I cut from hearts to tails purely by smell, but in general it's just above 100 proof. The wet newspaper smell is generally how I notice where I make it. That said, I don't sell white whiskey, and thus all of my hearts go in a barrel, so I'm probably cutting to tails later than guys/gals who are bottling the spirit white (or as moonshine) - want those more complicated parts to interact with the barrel. Like you, I want to read a lot to see what I'm missing, or to learn of new techniques. Make a few smaller batches and mess around a little, see what works and what doesn't. It's what I'm going to keep doing. Also, I'm using a smaller copper still, and while it has a 10 window column on it, I don't use the dephleg. I've worked with a bunch of different setups, taking the column off, taking the dephleg off, adding a copper onion dome, etc....but it has rarely if ever mattered to what's coming off the parrot. Very consistent flavor and process over 50-60 batches.

Do we know if ultraviolet light affects this red dye? Made a batch, used red food coloring, and it looked great. Event was outdoors, and by the end of the second day, the color was gone, or almost gone....the very faintest of pink color remained in the flavored vodka

yeah, rotary evaporator is the cheapest method for proofing sugared spirits

I think I'm adding too much enzyme to my mashes, given that no one said his amounts were too low. I've been adding .5 kilo per 200 gallon mash of each, and that appears to be at least 2x what's suggested here.

I realize this was forever ago....but did you filter prior or after the mixing with the spirit, and was the spirit fully aged prior to mixing? I'm assuming you would never want honey in the aging process.

simply doing some research on pumps and came across this. If one is working with lower proof alcohol, is this as much of a concern? In visiting, spending a day at a distillery in central WI, I didn't notice ANY level of worry with regards to electricity, phones, lighting.