Jump to content

Workpress

Members
  • Posts

    53
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by Workpress

  1. We use a 50% abv to macerate the cucumbers that have been sliced with a mandolin into thin sections and leave them to soak for 24 hours, then mix this straight into our Cucumber lime seltzer, it is not shelf stable (5 days) then it starts to taste like pickles, and not in the yummy way... but we make it in 20 L kegs and they sell out fast. The trick is scaling up...

    would re distilling prevent that "pickle" taste over time I do not know. 

    What would be interesting is to make a mash from cucumbers and add sugar and ferment, it may give something useful.

    Good luck, please keep us posted

     

    cheers

    Workpress

  2. What a delightful thread to immerse oneself in.

    I've savored the past hour, basking in relaxation while attending to my brewing rituals: watching the mash slowly meld, the ferment bubble with anticipation, and the still work its alchemical magic to craft the finest spirit within my capabilities. Additionally, there's the elegant anticipation of a brandy maturing gracefully in its barrel, patiently awaiting its time, about six more years to perfection—truly, no rush in the pursuit of excellence.

    As distillers, we embody patience amidst a world accustomed to haste. Let us relish this unhurried journey, savoring each step with reverence. So, raise a glass of your finest aqua vitae and toast to living the dream—the wait is part of the enchantment. Cheers to the artistry of time and the joy of creation!

     

    cheers

    Workpress

  3. Last weekend I did a 750L distillation run of an apple brandy and I wanted to see how the run would work out if I kept the head temperature at a constant 84*C running as a pot still. 

    (on my still that number will start at 80*C and I can raise / lower it throughout the run up to 95*C to help control the abv of the spirit.) With this run I wanted to see what would happen, over the course of distilling the abv settled in at 60% for 12 hours it was a long slow run, there was not a huge change in the smell, taste, or feel of the distillate, it was rather bland in my opinion, that could have been due to the type of apples used as there were not a lot of tannins in them. Once the abv slowly started to drop in the last hour down into the 50*C range I decided to stop collecting as the familiar wet cardboard smell was present. 

    I am looking for opinions on head temperature ,pros and cons of controlling it vs. just letting your mash seat and run at a constantly climbing temperature. 

    Cheers

     

    Workpress

  4. I have tried a vodka made from a milk by-product called VodKow there is a weird mouth feel that coats your mouth in the same way too much propylene glycol would. I also find and the faint memory of milk (perhaps it is only in my mind, knowing it is made from a milk product) But it was not unpleasant and great in cream based mixers. I would not like to drink it straight, but that is my own preference.

     

    workpress

     

     

  5. This is a product that we make and sell in our tap room, in a white and barrel aged version, our mixologist pushes boilermakers and some other custom drinks that work with the weird botanical and hop notes. There are those who love it, like some old school Germans and others who don't. This spirit is hit and miss...

     

    cheers

    Workpress

  6. I lucked in finding this tank, it is National board certified with a plate and serial number... F.V. 45 psi 300*F it is a great tank. I will defiantly reach out to you Paul when I am there. as for the boiler,  we have a 35HL brewhouse that it runs so I am confident that it can efficiently heat up the still in no time...

    I value the opinions that are given here and i do not have to re invent the wheel, however I have to make a lot of my equipment myself so I want to do it right the first time eh. 

    as for the top end currently i have an 8" diameter column that is 6' tall filled with copper  and a dephlag on top, it works well , however it is so tall and my other options are moving the column to the side of the boiler or I was thinking of a 12" 6 plate column... I am still researching what i want and what would work best for me.

     

  7. it is a modified stainless pressure vessel at 1300L  the inner walls are a bit thinner than 3/8'' thick and the outer skin is a bit more than 1/16'' or so I believe it will hold the pressure on my low pressure steam boiler. I am also planning in making a 12" column to go on top with 6 plates....

     

    workpress

  8. So I am at the stage where I need a new boiler I am going with steam... what is better a coil or a steam jacket (modified jacketed tank with a 3 3/8" hollow between the inner tank and the outer shell the shell is thick stainless and can take the pressure.

     

    what is better? what are your opinions?

     

    Workpress

     

  9. I appreciate all the good advice and offers to help and will take you up on them in the future, I will look into the seal material I assume that it is for hot liquid but will look into ethanol.

     

    thank you for the support Guys, it is great.

     

    workpress 

  10. Hi all I have found a combo mash tun, lauter tun at auction there is no manufacturer details on the tank (3000L), the motor that turns the rake is on the underside. there looks to be one jacket around the vessel, and am wondering could it be turned into a still? (would the jacket be able to boil a mash in a timely matter) what are your opinions as I am curious

    workpress

  11. Depending on your volume you can store your spent grain like they do with silage (on the ground in piles) covered with tarps. The outer layer will become skunky however the inner will remain viable, plus the decomposition will add beneficial flora to the feed stock. As you know the longer it is stored the less nutrition it has, and it is not nutritionally complete to begin with. I want to say there is a research paper that was published by a university in Tennessee, I can not find it now. I will look for it and post a link here if I can find it.

     

    What works for us is we put our spent grain in 1000L totes and have local guys pick it up for free. They pick it up and wash out the totes before they bring them back to pick you the next one. Our only effort is loading it onto their truck, it is a good system for us. (we found it too expensive to de water and dry the feed to a stable moisture content)

     

    cheers

    Workpress

  12. I have to be polite and not sarcastic, and yes we are an F1 classification with a distillery in the building. I am just looking for the low end limits, for example our building is 21,752 sq  my 80L test still produces at most 7L of 93% ethanol, is that vapor volume still "hazardous" in such a large space with adequate natural ventilation? Or is it the act of distilling any amount that is the classification? (would our 1L lab still count also?)

    the short question is what are the numbers used to make the classification decision.

    The link you provided was another great source of information for me, thank you Thatch.

     

    workpress

  13. Does anyone know where I may find the exact specifications that give volumes and size requirements that are hard facts used in the classification of a distillery as F1 "High hazard industrial occupancy."

    I am looking for numbers to help make a case for the size of our still and the size of our building. This is because our local building department has said to us that is the classification of your building, I am the Lord end of discussion. 

    numbers must exist, any help would be wonderful

     

    thank you

    Workpress

  14.  

    Thank you for the feedback and it answers an unasked question and that is the inefficiency of my elements and is something that I will have to address for sure.

    My current still would make an awful continuous still as I have come to relies, and to re design and build a proper one would be a great project however at this time my budget does not allow for a completely new still. New more efficient elements are something I will be looking into. 

    Slick Floss you almost made me choke on my coffee when you said "(honestly though just buy a new still 14 hours is bullshit you could build a better still)"

    I laughed so hard as I did build it. The only saving grace is that I have a timer and remote system so I can turn it on early and it can start heating early in the morning so when I get to the still it is 70*C 

    as always you guys have good information and there is nothing about this that in any way was discouraging.

     

    Thank you

     

    Workpress

     

     

     

  15. Hello All

    As I was distilling away the other day waiting for my still to heat up I was wondering if this idea would work.

    My still is 800L and it is electric with two 7500watt elements in an oil chamber that runs through the bottom of the boiler. To heat up 800L takes about 7 hours...

    I was thinking that if I heat up 200L or so I can get that boiling and then pump my mash in through a cip port above the packed column at a slow rate, the liquid would heat up as it travels through the raschig rings and would fall into the boiler at a temp around 98*c or so .

    my theory is that it would speed up the heating time of the liquid relative to the speed of the pump and incoming volume not dropping the temperature too much in the boiler.

    In my head it sounds like a continuous still set up but I don't think it would work efficiently, I do not know.  

    Any feedback is appreciated,

    Cheers

    Workpress

    ggjjjjj.jpeg.cf27a9c1924a56791488572a7a5ba822.jpeg

  16. In my small 80L still with internal elements I have just dumped the botanicals into the pot and ran it there was no scorching in the run. this has worked for me for the past two years.

     

    cheers

     

    Workpress 

  17. We simply use three 1000L plastic totes that we pump through our condenser and it drains into an empty tote that goes into our cooler to re chill.

    I have to add some chlorine to it once in a while, but it works fine. we go through two totes in a 14 hour distillation day on our 800L still

     

    cheers

    Workpress 

  18. Well it is carbonated nice however it seems when i take a sample from the hose i put on the outlet it must have done something with the carbonation in solution.

    when I put it in kegs and then into our bar taps it poured great with nice bubbles.... it is a steep learning clif ;)

     

    thank you

     

    workpress

×
×
  • Create New...