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!
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!
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 ;)
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.
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!
A quick little video talking tasting the change in flavors between gen 1, gen 2 and gen 3 UJSSM. Also Lambs!!
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 ;)
The homemade bastard whisky is 3 months old. It didn't seem worthy of drinking before Xmas so I am trying it again now. If its tasting better I think I will throw it into a freshly emptied Laphroig 10 bottle to add a bit of smoke.
Time to tackle some controversy! Turns out I actually really like whisky or spirit stones. . . . . . . . Wait! Let me tell you why! But first a whisky stones vs ice test!
I had a few spare moments so I thought I would share some thoughts for the future of the channel with the crew that hang out every week! Don't worry the normal programming will continue later this week haha!
Matt got hooked up with a solid amount grain. Naturally, he wanted to make something to run through the still with it. But he didnt realise until after mashing in that it was roasted. So whats the problem? And what now?
We have lots of new members that want to start distilling and are trying to learn, which is AWESOME! Welcome. But let's be honest this is not a hobby you can pick up by just watching one video. So instead of trying, I thought perhaps I could describe (what I think) is the best process to go about learning. Think of it as a roadmap. A list of things to think about when getting started and a list of resources to help you get stuck in! STILL ITS 10 STEPS TO CHASING THE CRAFT STEP 1 : FIND RESOURCES (AT LEAST 2) Sure, still it can be one source. But I would suggest getting intimate with at LEAST one more. STEP 2 : LEARN THE BASICS AND LINGO Dont worry about learning all the ins and outs yet. Just start getting used to the overall process and learning keywords. STEP 3 : LEARN THE SAFETY STUFF!!! This is the big one. Nail your safety research early, then you can relax into the hobby knowing you will be safe. Just don't get complacent! STEP 4 AND 5 : WHAT DO YOU LIKE?
Hi, team a quick and light-hearted video this week. I mean come on, Im on holiday! haha First up talking about the "failed" collab with bearded and board. Then talking about a super simple bourbon desert. Bourbon and ice cream! Then I push the envelope a little further and try a bourbon, coke and chocolate ice cream float. Is it too much?
Today I am finally going to run my moonshine through the homemade pot still. This is the big batch, generation number 5! I have a little freak out at the beginning. But I learn from it, so I guess that's cool!
Today I am blending the UJSSM Moonshine back together jar by jar. Im going to talk through my thoughts on every cut and let you know my thought process as I go. If you are not sure how to spot heads, hearts and tails listen up, I will go through that for you as well. Just keep in mind, blending is partially subjective. Some things are fairly black and white but most are up to your taste. Make what you want the way you want it!
Hi team, So today I am tasting 3 different versions of my UJSSM whiskey, moonshine. . . . . stuff.
Today I am taking a hunk of American white oak and getting it ready to age spirits with. I need to cut it, split it and toast it. Although I am using American White Oak, other suitable woods are prepped in the same way.
Birdwatchers sugar wash recipe is a great alternative to a turbo wash and it is insanely easy! This is a quick tomato paste wash that delivers on simplicity and flavour . . . . or so I am told. Anyway, let's get this made so I can stock up on vodka and get to making some GIN!
This week I decided to test 4 different American white oak toasts and chars by quickly "ageing" some UJSSM whiskey. I wanted to be able to taste the differing flavours fast so I decided to use the nuclear ageing method. NOTE: - Yes, I used those "bad" lids. I know its a problem but I needed to use 4 "identical" vessels to keep variables down. I know its not on, but am willing to do it in a test scenario. - I understand that some people think of this method as unsafe. I understand your concerns, but personally, think the risks can be minimised to an acceptable level. - If you DO try this method MAKE SURE you are careful, take precautions and DO MORE RESEARCH! - Yup this is not "really ageing". That's the topic for a whole other talk. That's not what this video is about. It's about being able to experience the different flavours that wood imparts quickly so I can use that knowledge now. - Yes the wood will likely impart different flavours over a different time per
I had planned on making another video for this week, but my homebrew fermentation has ground to a halt! So let's talk about what a stuck fermentation is and how we can fix it!
Wanting some help with stripping runs? Not too sure what to do in your situation? These (in my experience) are some of the most commonly asked questions about stripping runs.
This homemade "scotch" has been ageing on oak for 6 months now. Time to check in with another taste test! I do realise this is not REAAAAALLLLLY a scotch. But thats what it is suposed to imitate. So excuse my liberty taking :P I also decided on the spot to try a wee experiment involving some peat bog oak! Basicly I cold smoked it at let it age a little longer, tasty stuff!
How do you control an electric still? What controller should you use on an electric element? You could of course use a PID (very specific ones) . . . . Or you could use a cheap and simple SCR. SCRs make it easy and cheap to control an electric still!
Do spirits just taste like burning? Do you feel like you are drinking liquid fire? Honestly, I think we have all had that experience. But if you can get past the alcohol heat to the flavours underneath a whole new world of beverages will open up to you. So how do you do you stop spirits from burning when you drink them? Here are a few tips to help beat that burn!
I decided to lift my game a little and try to have uniform matching bottles. These ones will work . . . . I guess. Can you guys help me find something better??
Distillers parrots or parrots beaks are a very common piece of equipment for home distillers. But what does a parrot do? How do you use a distillers parrot? Do distillers parrots cause smearing and should I use a parrot? These are the questions I am going to talk about today! I also geek out a little bit a do a small experiment involving food coloring :)
A little while ago I smoked some of my bastard whiskey with a little bog oak. It's been sitting and chilling and now its ready to taste. So what does whiskey and peat bog oak smoke taste like? Let's give it a go and find out! Also, its time to reveal which rum recipe I will be making next. Spoiler: It is Buccaneer Bobs Rum!! I hope you will give it a go and brew it too
The crew on patreon voted and its decided! My first rum recipe is going to be Buccaneer Bob's Rum! So let's get stuck into making some homemade rum. Just a heads up team I have gone off a recipe in a few places so make sure to check the link to the original recipe below (it has a cool PDF to download linked there). The ingredients I used in this video: 5kg of blackstrap molasses 2L of old, funky birdwatchers wash (dunder replacement) 100g of dry angel yeast Juice of 3 lemons 2 packets of Safeale BE-256 (Abby ale yeast) Water to top up to 25l total.
When you are chasing the craft of home distillation it's super important to be able to assess your own product. Today I am going to run through 6 things that will help you assess your own spirits better.
Daniel and Rex from the whiskey vault are nutters, its true! But they also know whisky!! I happen to be in need of a whisky expert or two to help assess my spirits. So I think its time to send a little assessment pack over to the Som and Mooch at the Whisk(e)y Vault! Honestly, I am not too sure if they will have time to really look at it (they kinda have their hands full with the whiskey vault, whiskey biscuit, and the crooked barrel right now!) So if you would like to see what they have to say about my "bourbon" and "scotch" let me know down in the comments then go and let them know too!
I'm excited. Today I am finally distilling homemade RUM! A few weeks ago we made Buccaneer Bobs Rum wash and today I am going to run it through the still. I have been looking forward to homemade / home-distilled rum for a LONG TIME. While we are at it I thought it would be a good time to have a bit of a talk about what dunder is. Dunder, dunder pits, muck and muck holes are words that get thrown around a lot. But can be hard to understand for new distillers. So lets see if we can help answer "what is dunder?". Lastly, I need to get the second generation of buccaneer Bob's home-distilled rum making. So let's use some of the dunder from the boiler and make a new batch of rum with the leftover yeast and some new molasses!
Dunderpits are a little mysterious. But the community seems to agree that they help make great rum! So Its time to save the backseat from the last run (a wash of blackstrap molasses) and get my live dunder pit started. I have colected a few samples from around the property (and further) and think I am adding Brett (Brettanomyces) and Lacto (Lactobacillus) + a mix of all sorts of other things. Today I am also tasting the Buccaneer Bob's Rum from the last video! Its always fun tasting home made spirits. This is my first time with rum though!
Hows it going everyone, sorry for the short episode. The kids are crook so time has been short! Never the less I have a few awesome treats from Wither Hills Winery. Thomas came to visit and dropped of some new bottles that are perfect for a distiller. He also gave me a little wine! So I thought why not soak some oak in it :)
The MaltMuncher 2 roller grain mill is one of the cheaper mills on the market so I decided to order one and see what it was like. Today I am setting up, reviewing and testing the malt muncher. Grain rollers/mills are a great addition to your all grain brewing equipment allowing you to mill or crush your own ingredients.
Welcome to still it, the channel all about chasing the craft of home distillation and making it a legitimate hobby! I'm Jesse, I hope to see you in the comments section of the other Still It videos. I do my best to reply to everyone so I will see you there.
It's time to make a big old batch of Buccaneer Bob's rum. The plan is to use up all the blackstrap molasses and make a decent size rum wash. We also have a little look at the two dunder pits.
Why do we care about fermentation temps? What happens if our ferment gets too hot? Is it a problem if your wash is too cold? In this video, I am going to go over all these questions. Then I will offer a few solutions to actively control the temperature of your fermenter using light bulbs, blankets, heaters, aquarium heaters, fridges and of course the mighty STC-1000. If you do not know what the STC 1000 is stay tuned. These things are awesome!
All grain washes and mashes can sound complex at the beginning, but really they are not that hard. There are a few key components you need: Water, gelatinized starch, alpha and beta amylase and the right temperature.
Wow! Still It made it to 10K . . . . . . I really am stunned! hahaha!
Rum and live dunder, The mystery is ripe! the Buccaneer Bobs rum is almost ready to go. But I still had not decided exactly how to use the live dunder for it. I have heard and read so much about live dunder pits. So many things that contradict each other. I decided that I should attempt to set up a little test. I wanted to taste test these three things against each other. I have also seen "esterification" referenced when talking about dunder pit rums. So I wanted to test that too! - Straight low wines in a pot still - Low wines + live dunder in a pot still - Low wines + live dunder refluxed for 1.5 hrs then pot stilled
The day is finally here! It's time to pot distil my Buccaneer Bob's, blackstrap molasses rum! I will be distilling it with my CCVM still in pot still mode.
All right team, what do you think? Should I start making a few "chase the craft" products? To be clear I am not talking about hats and shirts. I am talking about distilling and all grain accessories! If you are interested make sure you sign up for the newsletter. I will be sending out polls soon!
This week I am blending my Buccaneer Bob's rum. I have over 40 different cut jars to sample. I blend by taste and smell so that's the plan today. Find the heads hearts and tails, and go hunting for flavours that should or should not end up in the final spirit. This is a blackstrap molasses rum that has been pot stilled and has live dunder added back into the boiler with the low wines. So I am hoping for big flavours here!
Last week my senses were off so its time to taste my homemade rum again (to do it justice!). This is a pot stilled, blackstrap molasses rum with live dunder added in. So I expect to find a little bit of funk. But I did do a bit of an average job blending while sick. I guess I will use the heads and tails in the feints for something else in the future though, so it's not a total loss!
I have been looking forward to making an all grain Irish whisky for a long time! So today we are mashing in and getting the process started! Connemara's peated Irish whisky is the inspiration for this recipe although I am not really going for a clone here. I will be using: 20kg distillers malt 20kg steam flaked barley 9kg peated malt 4kg Oats 1.5 kg Dark chocolate I think that should give me plenty of enzymes to ensure conversion with the overnight mash. I am aiming for a starting gravity of 1.075.
18,920 views Sep 14, 2018 Discussion and talking head videos There is going to be a fair bit more all grain mash action going on around here so I thought I should dedicate a video to going over the basics of all grain. A beginners guide to mashing that gives definitions for a few key words and overviews the process of how to make an all grain mash yourself! So lets talk mashing, enzymes, diastatic power, Gelatinization, maltose, starch and of course malted grains!
Ever wondered how to make homemade extracts? Today we are making three infusions with my home distilled rum. The goal is to get a fruity rum, a spiced rum and a coffee flavoured rum!
The holidays are approaching fast, and this aged eggnog is a special and decadent holiday cocktail. But you need to make sure to make it SOON so it has enough time to age. The recipe: 600ml whole milk 400ml cream 1/2 tsp salt 1 & 1/2 cup of sugar (this is right, wrong in video) 3 cups of 40% abv + alcohol. This is what I am using: 1/2 cup of makers mark 1/2 cup of spiced rum 1 cup UJSSM "bourbon" 1 cup of stout barrel aged rum
A lot of new distillers ask the questions "how do I clean my still?" and "when should I clean my still?" So today we are going to cover exactly how I do this and what my thoughts are on the topic.
Wow, FINALLY. It seems like it took FOREVER for the peated Irish whisky all grain mash to ferment out. But its done. I have a problem though, I need to separate the grain from the liquid so I can distil it without scorching.
It's time to try and squeeze a little more life ( and flavour )out of the spent grain from the peated "Irish" whisky. So I am making a gumball head. Basically, that means I will add the spent grains to a little more fresh grain, sugar, some backset and ferment it again to create another wash to pot distil later on. Cheap, easy, and it should be rather interesting! Also, welcome to the MB's from the whisk(e)y vault. Good to see you here.
Wow, I am feeling lucky! Daniel and Rex from the whiskey vault uploaded a video this morning testing MY WHISKY! I thought it would be interesting for a few of you to capture my thoughts on the video as I saw them for the first time.
Why is there cloudy distillate coming off my still? Why is my spirit hazy when I am distilling? These are common questions for new distillers that often come along with "HELP" and "Did I screw up my whiskey/whisky/vodka/rum/etc". I'm here to tell you not to stress about it. It's not a huge problem! Let's talk about how to fix the issue and also how to make sure it does not happen again! Oh, Also I am summing up what happened this week with the Whiskey Vaults review of Still it products!
I'm fired up for this one team! Fermentation is done, the stripping runs are finished. It's time to distil the Peated "Irish" Whiskey! I'm so excited I think I will even stick around to blend it as well!
A little while ago we made an all grain peated Irish whisky. This whiskey was made by adding some more corn and sugar to the spent grains. Now its time to distil and blend it to see how it turned out. Lots of heads (mostly from the feints, not the gumball head) but that's understandable, all in all I'm pretty happy!
It's time to reflect on everything we have home distilled on still it. Basically, I wanted an excuse to taste everything and I thought you may like to come along for the ride! FFV vodka UJSSM - Uncle Jesse's Simple Sour Mash (not me) Bastard Whisky Rum Infusions The good the bad and the ugly!
can you age spirits with other woods? Why only use American white oak to age with? Today I decided to get stuck in and just try a few other types of wood. So lets test these woods: New Zealand oak Pear Cherry Manuka Maple And let's throw a 6th control in there, US white oak. I'm doing that just to use as a reference and make sure nothing goes too crazy. Before we run the test we need to prepare the wood though! This one was shaping up to be a super long episode, so I split it into two videos. The tasting will be up 2 days after this is released.
A few days ago I released a video setting up an experiment to test the effects of woods (other than US white oak) on aging spirits. This video is all about assessing and testing the results of that test. Basicly I am taste testing a gumball head whisky aged on Cherrywood, pear wood, maple wood, Manuku, NZ oak and US white oak.
The family is pretty crook right now, so I admit this is basically me refusing to miss a video haha. Keep on chasing the craft team!
Lets face it chasers of craft beverages can be a little hard to buy for (unless you know their favourite drink). So here are 12 gift sugestions for great gifts.
Christmas is going to be here in no time and I want to be able to bottle up a few of my spirits so I have something to enjoy! Today I am going to go through a few of the things I plan on bottling and see if they are ready.
I thought it would be nice to bottle up my holiday stash a little nicer than normal. I will be honest I just love the look of waxed bottles. . . . Wax: Check Corks: Check Homemade spirits, of course! Oh yeah, I am FINALLY getting around to putting some labels on my bottles too!
I have been looking forward to this for a long time. I have wanted to know . . . . . Are home distilling essences any good? Is a whisky flavouring bottle worth using? Can they stand up to a "real" drink? Well, today I am going to find out I am taste testing these four drinks: Woodford Reserve Duck Distillings Tenesy Bourbon Essence My UJSSM UJSSM + the bourbon essence
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.
A small part of episode #003 of the Chase The Craft podcast. George from Barley & Hops and Bearded & Bored were kind enough to hang out with me to discuss many things related to home distilling. Specificly the use of PID's for heating stills. Are PID's a good idea? Do PID's work for distilling? Jesse and George disagree!
How to make an all-grain wash/wort for beer or spirits. All grain brewing can be very VERY daunting to those wanting to begin the craft. There is NO WAY one video can teach you everything you need to know. So today Matt and I are giving you the 101 course. We will walk through the basics of the main steps needed to make an all grain beer or spirit. Including recipe, mashing, sparging, boiling & into fermenting. Matt has a seriously pimped out home brewing setup. Don't let that distract you from the basics though. You can make beer that is just as good using a much cheaper setup.
While in Austin Texas I had the pleasure of hanging out with Kyle & Erin from Bourbon Blind. They were kind enough to pour a classic bourbon, the kicker is Kyle and I were not allowed to know what it was! So is Jesse from Still It full of it?
A small part of episode #003 of the Chase The Craft podcast. When I run the still I line up a lot of separate cuts jars and fill them separately. Then I go back later and evaluate them individually. But should you? Should you take multiple cuts off the still to evaluate later on? George, Bearded and I hung out to "talk" distilling. This was one of the things that came up in discussion.
Blueberry liqueur is a subtle and delicious drink great for sipping by itself or adding to cocktails. The best news is it's easy and fast to make at home! You can use frozen berries, which actually have some benefit. Freezing breaks the berries up a little allowing the alcohol easier access during maceration. But I like to pick our own fresh berries, in fact its turned into a bit of a tradition for me. I prefer to work with a higher ABV/Proof spirit. But this will work with a store-bought vodka as well (adjust the ratios accordingly) My final ratios: 5 parts strained maceration 1 part liquid honey 1.5 parts simple syrup (proof down to your prefered ABV/proof. I prefer around 30-35% abv)
I was lucky enough to join the Texas Whiskey Trails event at Balcones in Waco Texas. A small group of us got a behind the scenes tour and more importantly got to blend out own whiskey under the guidance of Balcones master distiller and blender Jared Himstedt. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to attend a blending class so I wanted to take you along for the ride!
I visited Derelict Air Ship Distillery with a couple of good friends to get an Absinth 101. How is absinthe made? How do you drink absinthe? Do you love absinthe? Let me know in the comments if its something you think I should make at home. If you already make it let me know your recipe!
What happens when you distil hoppy beer? Can it be distilled into a tasty whiskey? Does the bitterness carry over? Will the hop oils get stuck in the still. These are all questions I have asked myself and seen other people ask in the forums. I decided the best way to find out for sure would be to distil some myself and find out!
If you chase the craft of home distillation you are going to be proofing or cutting spirits down a lot. At first glance this seems really simple, mix the spirit with water to get to 40% before putting it in the bottle right? Its not always that simple.
Matt Drew (a professional maltster) walks us through the process of malting barley. Steeping, germination and kilning. Matt Drew has an interesting a varied history in music, advertising, marketing and coffee. Now he brings all of that to bear in the world of American whiskey as a maltster and the host of a kick-ass new podcast called Single Malt Matters. In this episode, we talk about the process of malting and how to get stuck in your self at home with minimal equipment. We also get into the state of single malt in the USA and many other things.
Yes, soap will kill this virus really well. But there is actually a good reason to make a reliable and effective hand sanitizer. unfortunately, a lot of people have great intentions but are not well informed. The World Health Organization released a document describing how to make a cheap and easy hand sanitizer that actually works. Please remember that these chemicals can be dangerous. Please treat them with respect and wear the right safety equipment when handling them.
Where do you get unmalted barley if you want to malt your own? What sort of barley should you look for? Luckily I was able to talk to Matt Drew, a professional maltster who had a few suggestions! Matt Drew has an interesting a varied history in music, advertising, marketing and coffee. Now he brings all of that to bear in the world of American whiskey as a maltster and the host of a kick-ass new podcast called Single Malt Matters. In this episode, we talk about the process of malting and how to get stuck in your self at home with minimal equipment. We also get into the state of single malt in the USA and many other things.
I wanted to make a quick video to give everyone an update on how things are for the family and I here in New Zealand. And also let you know what the plans are in terms of content schedule.
Yeast is in short supply right now. The last time I was at the brew shop they were almost sold out because people were buying it make bread! So any technique that makes yeast go further is worth trying at the moment. Even when its not hard to get your hands on yeast making your brew a little cheaper is a good thing. This technique using our understanding of yeasts life cycle to seriously under pitch and still get an awesome result. Shout out to Gladfield for hooking me up with this amazing NZ peat malt.
Matt Drew is a professional maltster and student of the craft of Single Malt. In other words, the perfect person to get advice on how to malt barley for distilling. What equipment do you need to malt barley at home? How do you go about malting your own barley for distilling? We have you covered! In this video, we talk about the equipment and process you can use at home to malt your own barley. Matt Drew has an interesting a varied history in music, advertising, marketing and coffee. Now he brings all of that to bear in the world of American whiskey as a maltster and the host of a kick-ass new podcast called Single Malt Matters. In this episode, we talk about the process of malting and how to get stuck in your self at home with minimal equipment. We also get into the state of single malt in the USA and many other things.
It turns out home distilling is a great way to be a little more self-sufficient. Current events have made me think a lot more about how we would provide for our family and keep them safe if things really went wrong. The more I think about it, the more I realise that home distilling is an essential skill for preppers.
The New Zealand vintage is basicly on top of us. I am really hoping to be able to distil some grape-based products this year. Top of my list is GRAPPA! I have no experience making the spirit, so I wanted to get some advice from a professional distiller. Ilias owns and operates Mastrogiannis Distillery out of Lakewood, WA, that focuses on traditional Greek spirits. Understandably this means a whole lot of grapes for brandy and grappa. In this episode, Ilias gives us advice on finding grapes, selecting grasp, yeast and fermentation and of course distilling.
Most people need a hobby. Something they can work at and ultimately find satisfaction and fulfilment from. Something that is theirs. Home distilling will provide you with ALL of that. I need to blend some random aging things together to bottle something drinkable. It's going to take a while, so if you have any questions for me this will be the time!
There are a lot of different still options available to buy and build as a home distiller. But which should you use to distil whiskey? What about a lighter more refined whisky or a heavier, grungy single malt? Today I am FINALLY distilling a New Zealand Peated Whiskey. I wanted to walk you through my thought process when it comes to deciding which still I am going to use. A few of the things I cover: - Still Size - Packed Reflux Columns (like a T500 or CCVM) - Plated REflux columns - Pot stills - Stripping runs - Single run spirit runs
I'm guessing that those of us in this hobby have all run into someone at some point who used tasting notes and/or discussion to be a prick. Unfortunately, it happens. But I'm here to tell you that there is definitely a place for them, actually a NEED for them if you are chasing the craft. I would also love your help blending some finished product together. The live stream is coming up fast.
In this excerpt of the Chase The Craft podcast Roy and I talk about how COMMUNITY can be used to market a distilled spirit. Roy hosts @Aqvavitae, if you are into enjoying whiskey you probably already know his work. If not Roy has created an amazing community based on the love of whiskey. He has a regular live "V Pub" make sure to send him some love and take a gander at his channel.
Today I am going to show you how I made a heavily peated whisky at home. I love peaty, smokey, briny, ashy whiskeys (no surprise I am a fan of Isley). So I jumped at the chance to make a whiskey with Gladfields New Zealand Peated Malt. I'm taking you from grain to glass. Including mashing, fermentation, distillation and cuts. I even force age a couple of samples to see what I think will work well for long term ageing in the "cask/barrel".
Ryan had an off flavour in his whiskey and was not sure how to fix it. We can't be sure if I helped solve it until he makes the same recipe again. But it did bring up two interesting problems that new distillers should be aware of! It also highlighted a few ways that new distillers and experienced distillers can better work together to help transfer knowledge.
Are you finding it hard to find yeast to brew with at the moment? Perhaps you just want to experiment and find out what flavour contributions your local Terroir? Have you ever thought about catching wild yeast? Jason is here to teach us how to get it done!
This may be my most important video yet. Not because of the video itself, but because of what I hope this will lead too! I want to collaborate with you, with the whole community. I am hoping we can all come together to build a flavour library for base malts. Wouldnt it be awesome if you had one resource that would give you an idea of all the flavours that are likely to carry through distillation from a base malt? I do! But I need your help to make sure this is actually a viable idea. So PLEASE: - Like this video, give it a thumbs up! - Leave a comment stating 3 base malts you would like for us to experiment with (we can't do them all) If you really think this is a project that needs to happen: make sure to share it around with anyone else you think maybe into it. Give it some love on your social media etc. The more people we have involved in this the better the data will be!
Jason is an accomplished professional brewer Brew Union. But he also loves to mess around with crazy things that he just can't do commercially. Here he quickly explains how he fermented a beer with a culture taken from Silage. We then get onto the topic of the fickle unpredictable nature of wild yeast cultures.
Youtube is great, I will always love youtube. But podcasts have a few distinct advantages over shorter videos. If you have never listened to a podcast I think you are missing out! Here are 4 reasons I think you should give podcasts a go!
We are going to make moonshine by pot distillation and freezer jacking. The same method used to make APPLE JACK! Today we are making 4 different alcoholic beverages at home by raiding the pantry. One is going to be an "easy" sugar wash with a bit of a twist. The other will use malted barley to convert random starch sources (from your pantry) into sugar. The process really is not difficult. You will be able to follow along at home easily. Even if you do not have a pot still you will be able to make the freezer jack version. 2 pot stilled spirits and 2 freezer jacked "spirits".
Scott from @brandcreators joined me to record a podcast. In this excerpt, we talk about a few ways that you can exchange your time and a little hard work for something even more valuable, KNOWLEDGE! If you are looking at getting into the craft beverage industry getting some hands-on experience with the local distillery may be a great way to get started!
I asked you answered. We are doing this thing! We are going to turn sheds and kitchens all over the world into laboratories! The Great Base Malt Co-Lab is on. If you have ever wondered exactly what base malt to use in your next whiskey recipe this (not so) little project is going to provide the answers for you! To have your say on what Base Malts we should be focusing on you need to go vote here: https://chasethecraft.com/basemaltcolab If you want to receive updates on this project and stay in the loop - Make sure you are subscribed to this channel - Make sure you have the notification bell on - Sign up for the mailing list here (scroll down): https://chasethecraft.com/basemaltcolab
Corn is often thought of as a commodity product in the brewing, homebrewing, distilling and home distilling communities. Why don't we make our own specialty corn to help create more flavour in whiskey or bourbon (homebrewers I'm sure you can use it too!) This video will show you 4 different types of specialty corn that will bring out more sweetcorn like flavour. Or add toast, roast or even coffee-like flavours. Its up to you to decide what ratios you would like to use in whiskey to add some flavour. Or perhaps you want to max out the roast in a home brew?
When you start a whiskey distillery there is a big lag between first producing whiskey and being able to sell it. During this time most distilleries choose to either source whiskey or produce white spirits. There are a few traps you can fall into. Daniel Whittington from The Whisk(e)y Tribe, Whiskey Vault and The Crowded Barrel give us some tips on how to do this the right way.
This is a short clip from the Chase The Craft Podcast with Daniel Whittington from the Whiskey Tribe, The Whiskey Vault & The Crowded Barrel. Daniel talks about 3 things you REALLY need to do before opening a distillery.
Today we are home distilling Gateway gin. If you want to learn how to make your own gin that dials back the pine and resin a little you have come to the right place! This is a gin for "people that don't like gin". A gateway gin to get people started. We are going to dial back the juniper pine and resin by adding less juniper. Then bring back some of the earthy and berry notes with other ingredients. In some ways I guess this is more like a Geneva Gateway Gin: 2L White Whisky at 40% / 90 Proof (made from malted barley not corn) 18 g Juniper ( 0.63 oz) 10 g Frozen Blueberrys ( 0.35 oz) 5 g Corriander Seeds, whole! (0.17 0z) 2 Small Lime Peels (no pith/white stuff) 2 small Lemon Peels (no pith/white stuff) 1 g Angelica Seeds (0.035 oz) Macerate the botanicals for 5-10 hrs. If you have an electric still with exposed elements you will need to macerate for a week then strain the botanicals out. Add to the still, run a low slow steady drip on a pot still.
Neven started distilling Rakia at 8 or 9 years old with his father on his family farm. Now he is opening a commercial distillery, Kapela Distilling Company. Not one to take these things lightly Neven has learned from and/or apprenticed with distilleries in England, Scotland and the USA. In this episode, Neven helps us understand the process of making Rakia or Fruit Brandy.
Home distilling is a very safe hobby, the community has proven it to be so. But just like cooking, surfing, sports or driving if you dont pay attention to what you are doing things can go wrong! I screwed up today, nothing big (but it could have been bad). It showed me that familiarity breeds contempt. I thought I would share this with you as a reminder to stay vigilant!
Teddy Sads Fast Fermenting Vodka is a popular home distiller recipe for very good reason. It's fast, easy and reliable. But can we improve on it by adding more sugar and changing out the flavouring ingredients? What is the best homemade vodka recipe? How do you get more alcohol? The Recipe for 180 L total wash: This yielded 13L at 95 % ABV : 3.4 gal at 190 proof 1.8 kg / 3.9 lb Wheat Bran 2.2 kg / 4.8 lb Kibbled Wheat 2.2 kg / 4.8 lb Kibbled Rye 50 kg / 110 lb sugar (1.100 starting gravity) (I would strongly suggest dropping that to more like 1.070 - 1.080) I realised after recording this that the genio is likely calculating the % abv left in the wash using the temp of the boiling liquid and the pressure of the boiler. Unfortunately, to do so it would need to assume that there is only water and alcohol in solution. Because I had unfermented sugar left in the wash this would have been thrown out. This is likely when the product seemed so clean so "deep into the run".
Sam is the head distilling and head of distilling operations at Starward Distilling in Melbourne Australia. Starward is making waves internationally with their approachable yet interesting whiskey. They are doing so by making the most of what they have locally. Great malt, amazing ex wine barrels and the crazy Melbourne climate. Their whiskey is available internationally so keep an eye out and pick up a bottle for yourself.
How long should you ferment your wash before distilling it? I think that is the wrong questions. Fermentation is done when its done. Instead ask, How do I know when fermentation is finished? There is really only one way to know. A hydrometer!
Have you ever wondered what base malt to use for a whiskey? Or what flavours specific malted barley will add to a whisky? The Great Base Malt Co-Lab is here to turn kitchens, sheds, laundries, garages and distilleries int science labs. We are all going to pool our data to build a meaningful flavour library documenting flavour contribution of base malts to spirits. We need you, and its time to start! To get started go to this address and download the PDF. It has the base malts you can choose from, other ingredients and the process to follow: https://chasethecraft.com/basemaltcolab If you have any questions or are unsure about one of the steps drop a question down in the comments. I will do my best to keep replies up to date for a while. There are plenty of other people around that will help out too.
Cedar Ridge won ADI's 2017 distillery of the year and are well known for their approachable yet complex bourbon. As the director of operations, Murphy has an abundance of knowledge to share. Growing a mostly self-funded family business in a rural area (which operates both a distillery and a winery) presents a unique set of opportunities and risks. Murphy Talks us through his perspective on these issues as well as discussing the process and ingredients involved in making their world-class whiskey.
Distillers malt is made for distillers so it must be the best option to use in a all-grain whiskey right? Well, its not really that simple. There are two types of distillers malt you may come across. The type used by the Scott's to make single malt, which is high in extract potential. Then there is the type used in the USA to make bourbon. It has a high diastatic power (lots of enzymes). The high enzyme USA style distillers malt allows the use of less malted barley (to supply enzymes) compared to the other adjuncts, primarily CORN. This means that the barley gets out of the way and allows for more flavour contribution from the adjuncts (corn, rye, wheat etc). This is really the only useful situation I can see for distillers malt. The high extract potential Scottish style distillers malt is used in single malt for a higher yield. But it does so at the cost of flavour. I would rather lose a small percentage on yield to gain a better or just even different flavour profile
People are always asking for whiskey recipes. I thought it was about time to start a mini-series showing you how to do come up with your own recipe. This is the first video in the series that starts at the concept level. What flavours do you want to put into your whisky or whiskey? First, you are going to need to find inspiration have a look at the different malts and/or grains that you think you may want to use. You can look at the local homebrew store or jump on over to the malt Co-Lab as it develops for more information: https://chasethecraft.com/basemaltcolab Next, use this little trick to do a SIMPLE and FAST test to see what ratios of those malts/grains/etc are going to come together to give you the flavour profile you want. This method is not going to translate directly to what comes off the still. But its going to get you in the ballpark much faster than a long series of mash, ferment, distil, taste.
1919 is a craft gin distillery based in Auckland New Zealand. In this episode, Soren (owner/founder) explains the interesting way he started the distillery and shares information about how some of their products were developed including the (world famous in New Zealand) Pineapple Bits Gin.
All grain whiskey can be a little intimidating. Today we are breaking it down into a simple to follow process to help you make the transition from sugar washes to all-grain. Let's get stuck in with an easy all grain whiskey wash. If you are getting started keep it simple with the grains or grist. Pick one base malt and go with that. I would suggest an ale malt to start with. Recipe (makes around 23l or 6 gal of wash at 1.070 - 1.080 gravity) 23 l / 6 gal of strike water 8 kg / 18.3 lb of base malt Mash at 65 c ./ 149 f for 60 min (90 if doing the Co-Lab) You will need your strike water to be hotter than your mash temp. I used 72 c / 161 f. But its best for you to calculate your own based on volumes and temps.
Jeff Bradford is the host and creator of @drinkdestinations A channel dedicated to travelling the world and learning about the world of beer wine and spirits. Jeff has a long history with the military. When he retired he found a passion for craft beverages and how they are made. So he sold all his stuff and set out to learn everything he could about them. Soon he realised that other people were interested and wanted to learn along with him giving rise to his youtube channel!
I have had this little pot still for a year or so now. Every time it shows up in a video people get in touch asking for a full review of it. So here we go! A little mini pot still, what is it good for? Is it worth buying? These are the questions I am answering today. I had a really good hunt around for this same model, I cant find it any more. It seems to show up and then disappear again every now and then. This looks like the currently available option: https://amzn.to/30OhxlJ This version is quite different than my pot still but could still serve the same function. Here are my thoughts on the differences. Pros: - Copper condenser, with (I am guessing) more length. Better knockdown power I think. - Extended off-take (may need to be soldered though?) - Comes in different volumes - More modular - Clamp lid Cons: - A bit more expensive - Check that gasket . . . .
Kveik has taken the beer world by storm. But does kveik work for whiskey? Can you make whisky with Kveik? I decided to give it a go so I can report back to you. Kveik has gained a reputation for ripping through ferments super quickly at crazy temperatures. It makes clean beers with interesting esters. But do those esters carry over into a distilled beverage? Spoilers. YES they do!
Bearded and bored has his runs a youtube channel but used to work as a Chef in a range of different establishments. We sat down to have a talk about how food can fit into a distillery to create a full experience for your customers.
I have been using the Clawhammer 10 gal starter brewing kit for a long time now. Now that I am used to its ins and outs I thought I would record an overview with my thoughts. The pros and cons and how it relates Vs something like a Grain father.
In this video, I use "waste" from a commercial winery to make grappa. Although "high quality" grappa can be made from the whole grape its also often made from the by-products of wine. Seeing as this stuff was literally going to be thrown out I wanted to see if we could turn it into a tasty beverage.
It can be very difficult to put your finger on what you are tasting in a whiskey. It is often even harder to then describe what you are tasting to someone else. So how do you get better at the tasting and describing distiller of beverages? Flavour wheels can be a great tool! They give you inspiration and suggestions on what it is that you may be experiencing and give you the common vocabulary to share with someone else. Thats why we are going to use them as a starting point for our submission process for the great base malt Co-Lab. BUT, I NEED YOUR HELP! I think its important for us to at least be open to the idea of expanding on these flavour wheels for our use. So this is what you need to do to help out.
Should you use a PID to control your still? A lot of distillers end up asking this question at some point or another. The idea is to use a PID to track the temperature at the top of your still and use it to alter the amount of energy going into the boiler. To control the elements. This video gives my thoughts on the topic.
Rex Williams is the Media Mastermind behind @WhiskeyVault and @WhiskeyTribe. Rex has been in the media production for over 20 years and has built up a wealth of skill and experience when it comes to using video production to promote a business. This podcast focuses on how to use video and media production to promote a business, specifically a distillery.
I have been using the CCVM still for around 3 years now. If I had my time again would I change the design of my first still? Would I build a different still to start with? The TLDR is no, I love this thing. It's still my favourite still and I am very glad I built it! But there are a few minor changes I would make in the way I built it.
Calculating how much grain you need for an all-grain mash can be a bit daunting. But with a little information on the grain you are using it can actually be fairly simple. This video will let you answer questions like this yourself: "How much grain do I need to hit a certain gravity?" "What will my gravity be if I use this much grain?"
What on earth is Botanical Rum? Before this episode, I had no idea what to expect. Turns out Lunatic And Lovers expression is amazing! Tune in to hear what it is and how its made with Matt from Lunatic And Lover!
Are you struggling to get a variety of flavours in different distilled products? Why does everything just taste the same? If you are new to distilling this is a pretty common problem to run into. IT could be that your spirits actually do taste fairly different, you just need to give them a little more attention to find the differences. It could be that you need to play with a few more of the variables/factors that we can experiment with as distillers.
Do specialty malt flavours carry over through distillation into the final whiskey? Can you influence the flavour profile or a spirit using chocolate, biscuit or crystal malt? This is something I have been wanting to test for myself for a long time! Luckily I made 4 batches of "specialty corn" a while ago. Time to test this out with them!
Being able to taste and assess your spirits is an essential part of chasing the craft. If you can't articulate exactly what is going on in your glass how can you improve it? Tasting and assessing a spirit is a skill that you need to develop and nurture. Here are a few tips on how to hone your skill.
One of the patreons sent a recipe over from South Africa. Im super glad I gave it a try, it turns out that Melktert/Milk Tart shooters or liqueur is really good! Here is the Recipe: 750 ml 50%abv neutral spirits (26.4 FL oz of 100 proof) (can substitute vodka or ever clear, adjust for proof though) 1 can of evaporated milk (375ml or 12.5 FL oz) 1 can of condensed milk ( 395 g or 13.9 oz) 1/4 tsp of cinnamon Enjoy :)
Murky distillate or spirits can happen from time to time. They may look cloudy or hazy or even bubbly and foamy. It may still be transparent or opaque. There may even be some colour to it, usually a brownish colour, the same as the wash. These problems can be pretty perplexing and worrying for the new distiller. Let's go through them one at a time!
ITs no secret that Ironroot is one of my favourite distilleries. I love their product and the way they go about things. So I invited Robbert back to talk again. This time we cover growing heirloom corn, blending and their barrel program.
I attempted to make Mango Vodka. It did not go to plan. Turns out I made Fish/Mango vodka! How this happened I have no idea! I blame the frozen mango. That being said I think this was an ingredients issue, not a method problem. This "test" gave me enough information to hypothesise that a clear distilled mango vodka could be quite nice.
People have been asking why they don't get tails when cutting off the still. It's not that your not getting tails, it's just that not all tails taste the same. I think I have led a few people astray by talking specifically about whiskey/grain tails more often than not.
Boil overs or pukes can happen fairly frequently in distilling if you do not take action to stop them. So how do you stop your still from puking? What can you do to stop a boilover? Thats what we are talking about today.
What are the advantages of sugar washes? Are They Worth it? I wont to talk through my thoughts on sugar washes.
Do I think filtering is worth it? Here are my thoughts. Tennessee whiskey is famous for its charcoal filtering. Rumour has it that filtering can help smooth a rough spirit. So why do I NOT do it? I'm happy to do a little test in the name of science though. Let me know what you think I should do in the comments.
Yes, but how much? It's kinda complicated. How much do you need to clear your wash based on your still? Different stills are going to get away with different things. If you want the "easy" answer. Follow these guidelines. They will work for almost all stills: 1 - Make sure fermentation is finished then wait a few more days 2 - Rack/syphon off the top of the fermenter avoiding the yeast cake 3 - Don't let any bits of grain into the pot 4 - Don't stress if the wash is a little murky 5 - Don't let the wash sit in the pot for a long period of time before distilling
Underfilling your boiler/pot can be a big problem when distilling. So can overfilling. But how do you know how little liquid you can get away with before running your still?
Packing = higher abv or proof when distilling right? Well yes, but it's a negligible effect unless you also have a reflux condenser.
Thanks to the people that put sweet comments in the tails video. What I was trying to say was good info, what I actually communicated didn't work so well!
Its a trap! There is no general ABV to age spirits at. Its just another one of those spectrums that we have control over to push flavours in a certain direction. Generally, the goldilocks zone is between 50% and 60% ABV (100 and 120 proof). Aiming for the 50% side of things will give more sweet, caramel and vanilla flavours. 60% more spice, pepper and tannin. Have a think about the kinds of spirits you enjoy drinking. What flavour profiles do they have? Use those preferences to pick a ABV that may be best for you. Give it a shot, assess it and then change your approach next time based on these results.
Adding sugar to an all-grain or fruit was is an attractive way to boost the starting gravity and ABV. But what are the advantages and disadvantages?
Can we make vodka with real berry flavour using a neutral spirit, frozen berries and a little pot still? Let's get stuck in and find out!
Lindsay is a sensory scientist and a founding partner of Sample Ox and Draught Lab. We talk about the software and about the art/science and geekery of sensory evaluation in general. Live stream incoming! The live stream is coming up soon. Expect to see more on this topic on the channel. 11:30 am Saturday the 19th (NZ time).
Trying to decide if your wash is safe to distil? Worried that it has sat too long? What if it turned to vinegar? Should you worry about botulism? The answer is nearly always "Yes its safe" let's talk about why.
A wine is fortified by adding a spirit to it. I have a little feijoa wine, so let's distil some of it to fortify the rest! Like port or sherry. But no grapes, just FEIJOA!
Want to join the tasting event? You can taste your samples on the day, or do it ahead and just chill. Don't forget that Lindsay is a legit sensory scientist. So have your questions ready for her. The That We Will Be Tasting: Starward Nova Cedar Ridge Iowa Bourbon Johnnie Walker Black Monkey Shoulder REMEMBER: The samples/bottles will be added to the tasting as our experts get the tasting notes in. Don't worry if the bottle you have is not there when you first log in. You can submit your tasting notes anytime between now and the end of the live stream. If you are having trouble, Lindsay and I will be able to help out on the day. Or drop a question in the comments.
Is your spirit too astringent, spicey, tannic or oaky? Do you think you used too much oak for too long? Don't give up on it yet! We have a few easily accessible techniques that can fix it almost all of the time!
Gregg over @howtodrink recently released a cool video showing how to make Bath Tub Gin. A bunch of people in the home distilling community reached out asking me to comment on it.
The upcoming live stream just got even better. Roy from @Aqvavitae will be joining us as well! Hope to see you there team. 10:30 AM Wednesday the 23rd Bottles you can play along with: Monkey shoulder Jonnie Walker Black Starward Nova Cedar Ridge Iowa Bourdon
How do I clean my still after a run? What if it has something like peat, rum or hops in it that needs extra cleaning? How about blue or green discolouration? We are going to talk through all of that today and answer the question: "How do I clean my still?"
How do you operate a still with bubble plates? First I think its a good idea to understand how bubble plates work. Then we can talk about how to drive them.
Use the Iodine test to see if your mash worked. Its Cheap and very easy. Its not something I would use in every mash. But if you are doing something a little different or using ingredients that you have not used before its a great way to get peace of mind! Purple/Black = Fail (starch is present) Red/Orange = Pass (no starch left)
Have you ever distilled a wash as 2.5% abv? I had not until this run. I had no idea what my still would be able to do with this. So I thought it would be interesting to share.
The Air still is one of the most widely available stills. But is it as good as a mini pot still? This video is an Air still review, Mini Pot Still review and fight night (piss-take) all rolled into one. Who is going to win this fight? I will give you my opinion but also point out the advantages for both so you can make up your own mind. What still is best for you in your situation?
Feints are just a part of distilling. Making a quality product means that you need to be picky with what you choose to make the cut. That does not mean that we cant use feints at all though! You can use your feints in a few different ways: - Add them back to the next run (and keep doing so) - Save them up until you have enough feints to do an all feints run (all the same recipe) - Save them up for a Chimera run
This simple souring technique can help to add flavour to your distilled products. There are different ways to go about it. But this is definitely the easiest. All it takes is a little bit of patience! Sour your mash to add more flavour to your distilled product.
I have wanted to make potato vodka for a long time. Why I'm not entirely sure, I guess I just like to try different things. It turns out potatoes vodka tastes great. A little different, but interesting and unique.
I would argue that unless you are reaching azeotrope then the ABV of the wash in your pot totally matters. Of course the still maters too, but both will affect the output ABV. Apologies for the inconsistency between numbers on the graph shown and the numbers I am talking about. When talking I was using a slightly different graph using fat fingers to "draw lines". The exact numbers do not matter, its just an illustration of the concept. If you are interested in using this graph I would very much suggest you spend some time reading these threads!
Do you need a thermometer on your still? Or SHOULD you have a thermometer on your still? Thermometers are a useful tool on a still. Unfortunately, some new distillers tend to overvalue them and fall into some common traps that hold their development back. This video discusses how and where thermometers are useful in a distillery. But also warns of the mistakes they can lead too.
Last week I made potato vodka which had an interesting creamy mouthfeel and an earthy potato skin flavour. I decided to make a savoury gin to accentuate these characteristics. Recipe: 1L of potato Vodka at 91% (33 fl oz at 182 proof) ( If you are using a different proof scale the volume accordingly) 5 g of coriander seeds ( 0.176 oz) 3 g of rosemary (leaves only) (0.105 oz) 3 g of Sage (0.105 oz) 2 grams of angelica seeds (0.071 oz) 5 g of dried shiitake mushrooms ( 0.176 oz)
This earthy savoury gin deserved to be even more savoury. That means MEAT! More specifically, Bacon and Roast Lamb. What sort of cocktail would bacon or Roast Lamb gin go well in? For me, it has to be a Bloody Mary, or more specifically a Red Snapper!
Spencer Whelan is the CEO of the Texas Whiskey Trail and the Executive Director of the Texas Whiskey Association. It's an exciting time for Texas Whiskey, we are witnessing the birth of a new whiskey region that punches well above its weight. Spencer talks about how having a "team of rivals" is advantageous to distillers, distilleries, consumers and the progress of whiskey as a whole.
I'm sorry it's taken me this long to get this section of the Great Base Malt Co-Lab live. But it's here now! You can now submit the recipe and process data from your sample to the great base malt Co-Lab!
For me, Liquorice Allsorts are the pinnacle of nostalgic Kiwi / New Zealand lollies (candy for you Americans). So lets see if we can make a boozy version to enjoy as adults. Licorice Allsorts Liquor! Thanks to James for showing me this, cheers mate! This is what I did (although I think you should be flexible and do everything to your taste instead): 150g (5.3 oz) orange allsorts cut 300 ml (10 fl oz) 60% abv vodka Orange peel . .. . . or not . . . Let macerate for 24 hrs. Strain / filter Proof down and sweeten to taste. I proofed to 35% abv and added 17.5 ml (0.6 fl oz) simple syrup
Is Spiral Prismatic Packing (SPP) worth the investment? Does it really give any advantage over something like copper scrubbies or rasher rings? SPP is an alternative packing medium that gets rave reviews from those that use it. In this video, I run through a quick test to see if SPP lives up to the hype.
Understanding how low wines fit into the art of distillation can be pretty difficult for the new distiller. It's a topic that often gets overlooked. So lets get stuck in and make things a little less confusing for the new distillers.
Froth technologies are supplying vibrant liquid yeast cultures to New Zealand's craft beer industry. Ryan and Simon hang out to talk about yeast, cross over between beer and spirits and the industry in general.
If you want to ferment an alcoholic beverage you need yeast! But how do professional yeast producers create the yeast that breweries and distilleries use? Froth tech (from New Zealand) create liquid yeast cultures for award-winning craft brewers. Hopefully, one day they will do the same for professional distillers!
Do you know someone that chases the craft of home distilling? Are you looking to buy them a distilling related gift? Or perhaps you just want to get yourself something nice! This is the video for you. The top 11 gifts for distillers as voted by our community. . . . . and a few extra personal suggestions.
Turbo Yeast, I have always stayed away from it. In three years of distilling, I have not used it once! Because its BAD. . . right? I thought it was time to test that out for my self!
The last video I put out "How Bad Is Turbo Yeast . . . . .Really?" had a lot of interesting comments I thought deserved a follow up video. Here we go . . . .
Diastatic power doesn't get talked about that often, yet its a really important concept to learn if you want to make your own all-grain mashes! The long and short of it is you need to average the diastatic power out over the whole first and make sure that is higher than 40.
57,214 views Dec 10, 2020 #distilling #still #BubblePlate The T500 still comes out of the box with the product & reflux condensers in line. This is fine for basic operation. But separating them will give you much more flexibility!
I have wanted to distill rice wine (baiju or soju) for a long time. But the traditional methods always seemed like just a little too much work. Thankfully I came across angel yeasts yellow label product. It promises to allow you to ferment starch WITHOUT mashing OR boiling! How crazy is that?!? I decided to put it to the test to make my own distilled rice wine. Its similar to a traditional baiju or soju, more importantly its EASY to make. After the testing in the video this is the recipe I would make again. You can split it into multiple fermenters like I did, or ferment in one larger fermenter
Selecting the size of equipment you want to work with is one of the first and most important decisions to make while getting into the hobby. In short its a trade-off between: Cuts Fidelity (bigger is better) Cost To Buy/Make (small is cheaper) Time To Run / Make (smaller is fast, just) Amount of product to make (Bigger makes . . . . more. . . ) Logistics, moving, cleaning etc (smaller is better)
I hope you enjoy making these drinks as much as I have. You should consider, in fact, I encourage you to alter them and adulterate them to your own tastes. Have fun and keep chasing!
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Today I wanted to showcase 4 drinks (and a couple of runner ups) that I hope will get you excited to distill in 2021. These are not on the board because they are the most tasty or have the best recipes. They are on the board because something about the process or concept of them inspired me. I hope it can do the same for you! Sorry, I said TPW (tomatoes paste wash). I meant TSFFV (teddy sad's fast fermenting vodka):
I like ramen, I like distilling. Why not make alcohol from ramen and distill it! Turns out it works! It may be an "acquired taste" though.
People often ask me how I deal with cuts when double distilling or triple distilling. For me its pretty simple . . .
Inverted sugar claims to help "remove the table sugar" flavour from our distilled drinks. I decided to test it out and see how it worked for me! Table sugar vs invert sugar. . . . . . . .with another little test thrown in for good measure.
Justen Wren led Joe Rogan through a single barrel pick of Buffalo Trace on a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience (JRE). This seemed like a great opportunity to talk about what Justin and Joe got right/wrong in the process. But also to use it as a great example of how whiskey nerds and casual drinkers can come together.
This is the ultimate step by step guide to taking the next step in home whiskey making. This recipe will take you past using sugar only washes and teach you how to make an all-grain whiskey.
Sometimes things that should be obvious slip by us, sometimes things we know intellectually don't save practically. I hade a mistake like that recently. I wanted you to be able to learn from my mistake :)
Mamajuana is a popular drink from the Dominican republic made with a mix of rum, red wine and honey. And of course a special mix of wood, herbs and spices. Before this I had never heard of it before. But I have to say I am very pleased I know now how to make this at home! Its DELICIOUS!
How much does it cost to make a bottle of homemade spirits? Seems like a simple question. But it can be a little more tricky than you may think. Even worse things kinda change based on how you look at the hobby. Obviously, you could go even deeper. What about the amount of space you dedicate in your house etc? But I think the examples given make the point! At the end of the day, for me, I do this because I love the process. Its my hobby, so I am happy to invest money into it, not "save money". But that's just me. You may see things totally different, and that's cool!
One of the local home-distillers decided to buy a very nice still direct from China. But was it worth it? Did it turn up in one piece? Was it a quality still?
Up until this little experiment, I have never tried vapour infusing a gin. So, lets make two gins. Same basic recipe for both. One is made by maceration added to the pot (including the botanicals) the other has the botanicals in the vapour path for some good old fashioned vapour infusion. The whole point is to see if there is even a difference. If there is do I have a gut reaction to one vs the other in terms of preference? In other words, this is a super basic test that almost has no point other than to give me inspiration. Inspiration to get me moving forward on my gin quest!
1 month ago I made a whiskey in the T500 still. Since then its been ageing on wood, now its time to taste it!
It's been a little while since the last QnA style video here on the channel. So let's give it another go and see if you guys like it. If not, no problem! If you do drop your questions down below for the next one.
Sometimes it's nice to just shoot from the hip and make a lazy attempt at something. In this video, I make an all-grain vodka the lazy way! No planning, no recipe development, no-boil and no mash! Just 50% wheat and 50% oats + a little bit of yellow label angel yeast! Recipe: (or as close to one as I had) Roughly 19kg rolled wheat (42 lb) Roughly 19kg rolled oats (42 lb) Yellow label angel yeast Will the fermenter up to around 200 l total volume (53 gal) Let it ferment until it's done
Im really glad to continue the tradition of the CHIMERA run. Im growing to really love doing these. Its a great way for me to reflect on everything I have made and done since the last chimera. What the hell is a chimera run? Think of it like infinity bottle meets all feints run. I save up the feints from almost everything I make, add a few other things to it and distil it all together. I totally suggest you giving it a go as well!
To be honest "I don't care" is a little bit of an overstatement. I really do care about making great cuts. Its more that I think the idea of being very particular about the foreshots themselves is a bit of a moot point. If you make an effort to make really great cuts based on what tastes good you are going to be leaving so many "heads" behind that the foreshots are somewhat irrelevant.
This channel is long overdue for some barrel action! Let's condition this barrel up so we can fill it up with the love child (watch this space)! So how do you stop a barrel leaking? Barrel Conditioning! Its important to understand that many barrels will not be ready to put spirits into right away. They will leak all over the place. We need to condition the barrel first. By hydrating the wood staves we cause them to expand and create a tighter fit, hopefully, a watertight one. If after 10-14 days of refining the barrel doesn't stop the leaking you have a few options. 1- Beeswax, rub it in or melt it and pour it on 2 - More aggressive hydration 3 - Tighten the hoops
I'm really proud of how this South Island Peat Single Malt is tasting after 1 year. Let's taste it to get you up to speed on how it's tasting. Then we can throw around some ideas on how to improve it for next time!
Brewbird has been making "behind the scenes" youtube videos from commercial distilleries since she went pro around 2 years ago. In that time she has worked at 4 distilleries making a range of different products.
Deciding if you should build or buy a still is one of the first decisions you will need to make in this hobby. There are pros and cons to both building and buying. I cant tell you what you should do. But I can give you a few things to think about to help make up your mind!
Improving your cuts game is one of the fastest ways to improve the quality of your distilled product. This video will walk you through 19 tips and tricks to improving your cuts, resulting in more effective and reliable results when making homemade spirits. Enjoy Jesse's Ultimate guide to kick-ass cuts for distillation! Nail your heads hearts and tails when making whiskey, whisky, gin vodka or rum.
I got my hands on 44 pounds of peaches so its time to make peach brandy or peach rakia! If you want to make your own you can follow this recipe: Use whatever amount of peaches you want. I used 20 kg / 44lb and it ended up making around 4 l at 45%.
The T501 Next Step whiskey is now roughly 6 weeks old (when I recorded this anyway). So its time to taste it again. Spoiler alert, one of the variants is ready to bottle! The other . . .. well it still needs some time!
This week we have Marine and Deon from hang 10 distilling who are using unsold bread to make gin!
I have always wanted to make mead and distil it. Today I FINALLY got to give it a try. But will the taste and smell of honey make it through into the finally spirit? Recipe: 15 gallons / 56 l of water 39 lb / 17.7 kg 2.1 oz / 60 g Fermaid K (I had to use O ) 4 packets of Lalvin 71B Narbonne yeast Dissolve the Honey in the yeast, make sure to mix it vigorously to get as much oxygen into it as possible (right before pitching the yeast). Let it ferment until dry (close to 1.00 on a hydrometer). Distill, your option of full stripping run and spirit run (double pot stilled). I did a "one and a half run" with 1 plate. Make solid cuts. If you want to follow along with me age at 54% abv / 108 proof with second use US white oak.
Did you know Scotland has ANOTHER national drink? IRN Bru! Its so popular with the scots that it actually outsells Coke! So I decided to distil it. Why? Well, why not. But also there seemed to be something poetic to distilling Scotlands other, non-alcoholic, drink! Will the flavours carry over? Will it even be drinkable? Make sure to come and hang out at Roys "virtual pub" / live stream the day after this video is released! I will be live with Roy discussing a few things:
A while ago I made video talking about Turbo Yeast. There were a LOT of you that wanted me to go back and just make it again as per the instructions. So here we are! First up I made a Turbo "vodka" as per the instructions on the packets/box. To be honest its a little unfair to judge this as "vodka" as its intended to be mixed with flavourings etc. Then, with the help of Nick from Still Spirits, I made another version using 9 tips and tricks. Then I brought in the Final Boss to help evaluate these products. In summary: The still spirits products make it easy for beginners to get a solid start in the hobby right out of the box. But with a little extra time and effort (and switching around to a few other still spirits products), you can definitly improve things.
There was a bunch of extra information I really wanted to put into last weeks video but it was getting REALLY long. Mostly I wanted to explain my thoughts on the 9 tips and tricks a little more. But I also thought I would take some time to react to some of the comments.
It seems there are a lot of people moving from beer brewing over to distilling. This question pops up more than I assumed it would. Do you need to sanitize everything for distilling? No . . . . .but kinda!
Matt Pietrek helps unpack the interesting history of Royal Navy Rum. From its beginnings in the 1600's through to a point in time where the British navy had nuclear weapons and dolled out rum regularly to its sailors!
Pirates and rum. Rum and pirates. They just go together . . . . . right? This video sets out to decide if that was actually a real thing. Perhaps it's just a Hollywood trope? If it IS real, what would a real pirate rum have tasted like? What would it have been made from? How would a pirate rum have been distilled? Let's make a historic pirate rum!
After making the pirate rum (link below), I wondered if I could essentially squeeze out some more rum for free using the dunder left in the pot and some feints I had been collecting. But is "free" any good?
Thanks to Still Spirits for sending me this challenge and a challenge it was! Adding hops to a distilled beverage seems like a great idea. But it can go horribly wrong. Often tasting like a slightly strange, oily, flat version of the hop, rather than being bright and fresh. So I tested a bunch of different ways to incorporate hops into a distilled beverage. Then made two different distilled hop gins. The air still was a great little tool to rock all of these experements!
You guys asked for it, an update on how the distilled mead is tasting. I mean what do we call it? Honey shine? Honey brandy? I don't really know, but it's starting to get interesting!
I'm a little shocked I didn't make this video earlier! I really enjoy the topic of yeast and what yeast selection can bring to the table. So here are 7 yeast suggestions for different home distilling scenarios.
This whiskey has been sitting for a while now. . . .in fact possibly too long! Dah dah . . . ... dahhhhhhhhhhhhh :( I made the Irish Peated whiskey over 2 years ago its time to taste it and blend it!
This spirit was so bad I completely discounted it when blending my Peated Irish Whiskey. But can we reuse it by distilling it again? What's going to happen? Will it taste like fresh newmake again? Still just a bad just concentrated? Let's find out together.
Eric runs a farm distillery in upstate New York. He is also fascinated with very old still designs. Could they be viable in the modern world of distilling?
Its time to taste the unaged, white peach brandy next to the oak-aged version (which is now ready to bottle). There are a few really interesting differences between the two that suggests I may need to up my game next time. This is what 44lb of peaches tastes like after being turned into brandy.
Fermentation chambers give you a whole lot more control over the temp of your wash, beer or wine as it ferments. While not necessary they are very helpful, especially if you have hard-swinging seasons.
In my mind, there are 5 categories of products that we can ferment to create alcohol for distilling (or beer, wine, cider, etc etc). If you understand these 5 different types of sugar sources you have the power to ferment all sorts of things. The supermarket will become a mind-blowing source of distilling inspiration! Dissolvable Sugars Mashable Malts Mashable Adjuncts Base Malts Cookable Adjuncts
Jamerson's, Redbreast, Green Spot, Tullamore D.E.W, Bushmills and yes even proper 12. IRISH Whiskey! This is a popular and generally approachable, easy-drinking part of the whiskey world. It makes sense that a lot of people want to learn how to make Irish Whiskey at home. Ideally, if you wanted to make this kind of whiskey at home you would make a full all-grain mash (no table sugar). But I get it, that can be a little intimidating for the newer distiller. So we are going to take the next step past a sugar wash using a REAL all-grain mash. It's really not that tricky. However, for peace of mind, we have a big old table sugar safety net. Even if you mess the all-grain mash-up this will still ferment and create a tasty product.
Preloaded ageing is something that I have been thinking about and experimenting with for a long time. It seemed like it was helping me to force more flavour into my whiskey's (whisky) and rums. But up until now, I had never tried a more formal test to see if it was really doing anything. So here is the first test. The results are . . . . .intereseting!
Often the pH of a fermentation doesn't need to be interfered with, especially if it's grain or molasses-based. Sometimes things do go sideways and an adjustment is needed. Other recipes like sugar washes and generational based spirits tend to be a little bit more of a problem. Either way, it turns out seashells can be a HUGE help in buffering the pH of our fermentations. Happy yeast, happy distiller! Pretty much any shell is going to work. Even eggshells!
Wouldnt it be great to make your favourite commercial whiskey, whisky and rums at home? To clone your favourite bottle of spirits? The beer guys talk about this all the time. But its not much of a thing in the home distilling world. Why? Because its REALLY tricky to do it. There is still an element of luck, some may even say "magic" to aging a spirit in a barrel. This is a problem I have been thinking about for a long time. Today I want to share my thoughts on how we can work towards cloning commercial spirits at home.
Wild turkey is a popular bourbon. In this episode, I take the standard wild turkey ( American whiskey) at 43% abv or 85 proof and re distill it. I will be distilling with the Still Spirits Air Still instead of using any of my larger pot stills. The distilled Wild Turkey is added back into more wild turkey to make WILDER TURKEY! I specifically used enough home-distilled wild turkey bourbon to proof it back up to 101 proof or 50.5% abv. The same proof as the cask strength Wild Turkey 101. The fun begins when we compare the two to each other. Is the re home distilled version better than wild turkey 101?
The idea is pretty simple. Running a pot still slower will allow you to slightly raise the ABV/proof of the spirit you are producing. Resulting in a slightly "cleaner" overall whiskey or rum. But does that actually work in practice? If it does why should we actually care as distillers?
First of all, this Banana Brandy is insanely tasty. In fact, I think it's one of the best things I have made so far. Wifey certainly thinks so! You can call it different things. Banana Vodka, Banana Rakjia etc. But at the end of the day, this is something I would completely recommend trying. The recipe is written out below in both metric and imperial and 20 and 40L batches.
Tobias and Johan from ETOH in Denmark explain the technical process of using their Whiskey Reactor to accelerate the ageing process of whisky and rum. They also share the ehtos, convictions and creative flair behind the technique.
Forced aging, can an ultrasonic cleaner and sous vide machine help make "old" whiskey at home in a matter of days?
This is a simple case of you asked for it . . . . I recently released a video making Banana Brandy (linked below). In the end, I was left with two different versions (made with two different yeasts). A BUNCH of you asked why on earth I didn't try blending them. . . . . .so here we are!
Ok, I know I know. Another "pumpkin spiced" . . . thing. But here is the thing. All of the flavours in pumpkin spice (cinnamon, clove, ginger and nutmeg) already pop up as tasting notes in whisk(e)y. I actually really like all of those flavours when they show up. So lets make a whiskey and then give it gentle nudge towards the pumpkin spice flavours. The nudge is there to make sure we get those specific spice notes, but we don't want it to be overwhelming. Ideally it sits right on the edge of not really being able to tell if the spice is a happy accident, or "wait, is this is spiced whiskey or not?". We will also be using REAL ACTUAL pumpkin. Shocking, I know!
Is distilling at home legal for you? Great! If however it's illegal you may be looking for a way to scratch the itch of creating alcoholic beverages at home without breaking the law.
These flashy shots taste amazing and look even better. Time to show off at your next party and bring the bling!
The Irish Safety Net Whiskey is now 2 months old (don't they grow up fast!). So its time to taste it for a little progress report. Hows it tasting now? Whats the future look like?
Normally a whiskey is made peaty through the use of peated malt (Normally barley). Today we are going to do something a little bit different. Time to break out the cold smoke generator!
Coffe, WHISKEY and vanilla. Three awesome things to be sure. But what happens if you blend all of those flavours together? Do they become more than the sum of their parts? This time I had the opportunity to try making a Coffee Vanilla Whiskey. I didn't want to just macerate the "flavourings" in whiskey. So everything went through the process of distillation. The outcome is AWESOME with one flaw I think you could fix pretty easily!
3 months ago I set up a little experiment to see if "preloading" wood into a whiskey before aging it would give it the best start to life (they don't really grow up that fast). Here is the original video if you would like to check it out:
A little over a month ago I made a pumpkin spice whiskey. Unfortunately, things have not gone 100% according to plan with the aging of this whiskey. I'm hoping you have a few ideas to help out. . . . . I got an idea about halfway through the video and got distracted. Sorry about that! haha
I have been curious for a while, what happens if you distil peated malt and corn? Basically a peated bourbon? Sounds pretty tasty in theory right? Turns out it's rather tasty in practice as well! This is exactly how I made it . . .
Today I am distilling M&M's. Spoiler alert, this worked way better than I thought it would! All right team, I have too much alcohol sitting around that I am never going to drink. I could just throw it all into the feints jar, or I could try something crazy first.
Corn for bourbon and molasses for rum. What happens if they have an illegitimate love child though? I decided to find out by distilling a corn and molasses wash and putting it into a french oak barrel. Long time viewers will know that this barrel has been sitting around since the channel hit 100L. im FINALLY filling it! Thanks to the patrons for helping with the ideation and decision making of what should go into this barrel!
It turns out that YES, Hot Tamales CAN fix average vodka. This turned out way better than I could have hoped for! Its Meme Spirits time. The kind of video where I take some spirits that should really go into the feints jar (cause they are just not that great) and see if we can meme them into being awesome. If it works AWESOME! If not . . . they were going into the feints jar anyway, right?
Time to talk about the new Rolling Cuts technique that I am using. I have been an advocate for collecting all cuts into jars for a long time. But I don't often do that anymore. I still think it's a great way to get into the hobby and really learn about what's coming off your still. But once you have done that for a while you may want to try this instead.
I've tried a handful of vodkas that are just plain better than what I have made so far. So I wanted to start a mission to change that. Enter the Barley and Wheat vodka! MOSTLY all-grain (there is a little sugar in there too) and distilled on 8 plates.
Pink Gin doesn't need to be liquid candy. Let's make a Pink gin with real botanicals and berries!
Its been 7 months since I made this distilled mead or honey wine. It was a popular video. But if you missed it you can catch it here: I have two versions of the exact spirit I distilled that day. One white, the other has been ageing on oak. What can I learn from this and what should I do with them?
The possible flavours in gin are almost infinite. This video is going to show a way to dial in your perfect gin without needing to buy or make a vast amount of gin styles. Your perfect gin will probably be different to mine, that's the beauty of this hobby we can make what tastes best to us!
The Irish Safety Net Whiskey is now 4 months old. It's time for another progress tasting!
It's time to make an Islay Scotch with a SAFETY NET! This is the third recipe in the Safety Net series. This time il be showing you how to make an Islay style scotch with 1 part all-grain mash and 2 parts sugar. The grain brings the flavour and the sugar gives you a safety net. If you are new to all-grain brewing for distilled spirits this recipe is the perfect way to jump in. Even if you COMPLETELY screw up the mash you will still get a solid result . . . . and honestly you won't. It's pretty easy so get stuck in. If you are comfortable with the brewing side of things feel free to triple the mash and ditch the sugar altogether.
Nothing distilling related for this one. Just wanted to say a huge thank you for an awesome year. Have a kick-ass Holiday and I will see you mid January.
I set myself the challenge of home brewing and distilling a bourbon whiskey with ingredients from the supermarket. It turned out a whole lot better than expected!
Corona . . .. . the beer, comes to meme spirits. What happens when you distil corona? Can it make a tasty whiskey? What about adding the distilled corona back into a fresh beer? Fortified corona!
Today I am tasting 2 different versions of the very first safety net whiskey. The one that utilized Munich malt and a few specialty malts to bump up the flavour. The first version was "aged" for 6 weeks. At the time I was pretty happy with it! But I saved a bottle, unopened, to be tasted next to another version that has been sitting for 12 months!
Im distilling Dr pepper along with a specially selected spirit just to see what happens. Will the flavours carry over and make a Dr Pepper bomb . . . . .spoinler alert no! But its interesting anyway.
Lovechild is a mixed bourbon and rum wash distilled and put into a 20L Toasted French oak barrel. It's 1-month-old now so how is it going? Is it being a good boy?
I made this grappa well over a year ago. I have been a little worried about it ever since. Did I take too many heads looking for fruit flavour when making the cuts? Let's find out!
I have used this Air Still quite a lot now, I finally feel comfortable doing a full review on it. So is the Still Spirits Air Still worth buying? let's find out!
Where do I get wood to age whiskey? How do I treat oak for whisky? What char or toast do I use for rum? These are all questions I get all the time! So its high time I made an overview or 101 videos about the process of obtaining, treating and storing wood for distilled spirits. This really is an overview, so if you have a request for more details on any of the specifics let me know.
I cold smoked this whiskey 3 months ago its time to see if the technique worked!
Feints, all the stuff that does not make the cut. Don't throw them out, save them up and redistill them all in one go like me. Or, if your making the same recipe (or similar ones) over and over again add the feints back into the low wines of the next run. Please note that home-distillers have taken to breaking the cuts into 4 sections. Fore shots, heads, hearts tails. They then call heads + tails Feints. Many commercial distillers will talk about only, foreshots, hearts and tails. In some cases, just the tails will be referred to as "feints". But often they still add the "fore shots" and "tails/feints" back into the still along with the low wines for the spirit run. In other words, both ways of describing cuts are doing much the same thing, just with different terminology.
Rye Whiskey has a reputation for being a sticky, slimy mess to work with. Especially on a home distilling scale. I decided to make a 60% rye whiskey to find out for myself just how bad it is.
George hasn't uploaded in 8 months and bearded has been AWOL for a while whats going on?
The love child (rum and bourbon cross over) has been aging in a medium toast french oak barrel for 3 months. Its time to give it another taste and see how it's doing! Is acidity the answer to the strange murky, muddy stock like flavour?
I made this whiskey (link bellow) 3 months ago. I used a few different techniques to crowbar in some extra coffee and vanilla flavours. The hope was to augment the whiskey not take it over. But did I succeed?
All right chasers today we are fermenting and distilling kool-Aid. Why? Because this is meme spirits! The main spirit I am making is based a fermented Cherry Kool-Aid wine that is then distilled sweetened with some more kool-aid added. But I also experiment by just adding kool-aid flavouring to vodka. Both cherry and grape. Which one was worth the effort?
Ok let's make applejack, apple port or fortified apple wine . . .whatever you want to call it! Why? Because I think this may be the best way for a home distiller to utilise supermarket fruit juice. You get the distilled flavour, fermentation flavour, a decent ABV AND some decent volume without having to turn it into a sweet liquor or add a whole lot of sugar to the wash.
These two distillers are super popular and widespread. Now that I have used both the T500 Turbo Reflux Still and the Alembic Dome by Still Spirits a bunch I think it's time to do a full review on them. Long story short These are both solid little stills with a few quirks and a few downfalls. Most of which can be fixed with fairly easy modifications. For some, they will be a perfect purchase. For others, they are just not going to be an option. So regardless if you want to make rum, whiskey, gin, vodka or brandy lets find out if these stills are right for you!
Happy St Patrick's day and welcome back to another episode of meme spirits. This time I mixed Lucky Charms with Irish Whiskey and redistilled it. A Silly idea? Yes! Blame Erin (Wifey), it's all her fault.
Distilling on grain is thought to help improve flavour and its intensity, reduce the amount of labour required and . . . . it's just kinda cool. Unfortunately, most home distilling setups mean you can't do it. Unless.....
Now that I actually have product in a couple of barrels aging away I feel like I am starting to develop a bit of a view on this. I do think there is a difference. There are advantages to both staves and Barrels. But I need to work/study/think on this more. Can you help out?
It's time to make a 100% corn bourbon. No wheat or rye and no barley. Just a spirit made from corn and only corn. I have mashed corn a bunch of times now and I have always been a little disappointed with the conversion. So this time I decided to go overboard with the cooking/mashing process.
Can oak staves soaked in sherry or port give the same flavours as we expect from a cask finished single malt? I thought I would give it a nudge to find out!
Ohhhh boy this is a test I have been excited to do for a LONG time and guess what? I snuck it into the last big video. Lets touch on the theory and then see if I can really taste a difference.
I scoured the internet and asked the international home distilling community for the BEST apple pie moonshine recipes. Turns out I found 3 trends. So I reduced 36 recipes down to 3. Making sure to represent different trends, ingredients and techniques I found.
In this episode of meme spirits Im going for a world first. Surely no one has ever used timtam liquor to make a Irish coffee for a timtam slam? If not they should! It may well be the most intensely delicious thing I have ever put in my mouth. What's a Timtam? It's the world's greatest BISCUIT. What's a Tim tam slam? If you don't know you in for a treat!
This whiskey has been maturating for about 4 months now. It's nice, but I think I can improve it a little bit. It's almost like there is a really tasty whiskey hiding behind a little too much specialty sweetness. Let's fix it up by . . . .. distilling some more!
We already made Apple Brandy from supermarket juice. Naturally, I wanted to try it again with "real" apples. Is it better? I hope so! Is it worth the extra effort though?
I guess I have been a little naive about the breadth of the audience that are watching these videos. I really shouldn't just assume that people are in a position to understand where I am coming from. So, its time to re-visit my position on cuts. Do you REALLY need to do them based only on flavour and smell? Spoiler, no! But . . . also yes!
Pouring 10L of 9% stout down the drain would be a giant waste right? Let's see if we can save It with distillation instead!
I am almost certainly going to be in Texas in September(ish). So I thought we should work out who would be keen to meet up for an event.
The 100% Corn whiskey is now almost 2 months old. Time to check in on all the different variations to see how its coming along . . . . and to see what I can learn from it all.
Have you ever heard of botanical rum? Its really just a spiced rum using a distinctly different technique to impart the spice and/or herb flavours. I would suggest you likely want to target a different flavour profile . . . but that's up to you!
Last week I made "Botanical Rum", I asked for comments and advice on different flavour directions. Boy did I get them! So this week I had another crack.
The viewers voted, these are the best spirit essences!
The Safety Net recipes are a compromise between a host of different factors and quality. At the end of the day if you want a really good whiskey you make it with grain, not white/table sugar. But there are a bunch of other reasons that using sugar makes sense. So in this video, I take a look at a question that comes up a lot. Should/can you use more grain instead of sugar in a Safety Net recipe?
Today the Cap'n is going up against some weird creepy little apple when I distil Apple Jacks and Capn'n Crunch! Which is going to win, you may actually need to weigh in on that yourself!
This is a step-by-step guide to make your own bourbon. I think this is my best recipe yet. So if you want to learn how to make your own whiskey this is the place to start! Of course, the "best" way to make bourbon is with 100% grain and corn. Unfortunately, that's no small feat, especially when you are new and don't have lots of equipment. There is nothing particularly tricky or complicated about it. But there is a HUGE learning curve for a new distiller! This recipe is built to make that first step into all-grain distilling welcoming and foolproof. You CAN make this and you DO NOT need all sorts of fancy stuff to do it.
Black Liquorice, black jelly beans and sambuca/ouzo. Now there are a set of flavours that are going to polarize people! Today I am making a Star Anise liquor . This is so insanely simple and the results really are stunning!
Im really happy with the Angel Red Label Yeast. Looking forward to playing with it some more. Kale wash! I have been intrigued by this for some time now. The Tomato paste wash worked out well so I decided its probably a good idea to try this as well. . . . . . it didn't go quite to plan!
Ginny cointreau . . . . or cointreauy gin. I'm not sure what to call it but it's halfway between the two and its tasty!
I have been using bad motivator barrels for a while now, while none of mine have been filled for that long I have very high hopes for them. Today I got to talk to the man behind the barrel!
What happens when you mash a Betty Crocker's strawberry cake into a bourbon? Turns out it's not a complete gimmick. I have high hopes for this!
What happens if you take a waste stream from yeast cultivation and distil it? Can you make a quality whiskey? I think it may just work! Today I'm teaming up with the team from Froth Technologies in an attempt to take a waste stream and give it a higher purpose!
I have noticed a few commercial distillers talk about crushing (or not) juniper berries. I thought I would up my gin game by doing a side-by-side test to see if it makes a big difference!
I think this is one of the better whiskies I have made. Its four months old. . .. time for a progress report!
Ouzo has been on the list for a while now. Time to finally make it! It turned out better than expected. But there is a little room for improvement here. I wonder if I used some sub-par aniseed. Or perhaps I will just use a tiny bit more next time. Either way, it's still really tasty and 100% worth giving this a go at home!
Time to clear out all the grain bins, it's mongrel whiskey time! What is that? It's not really a thing (I don't think) I just made it up. But basically, I'm just going through all the grain that needs to be used up for one reason or another and throwing it into mash tuns. Fermented with Angel AM-1 yeast
This has been a long time coming. I'm very glad to say that we finally have a professional cooper on the show. Mitch does an amazing job of answering all the questions I throw at him.
The bourbon safety net is one of my more popular and successful safety net recipes and it's now 1-month-old. So, time to give it a taste! Have you tried this one yet? If so make sure to drop a comment and let me know how it went!
Cointreau or Tripple sec has been on the list for a long time now. I'm pretty excited to finally give it a go! The first attempt didn't go quite according to plan. But I think I got it almost dilled in for the second.
After moving from Canada to New Zealand Tom found a passion for home distilling. Eventually vowing to go pro or leave the hobby behind. He now operates a small distillery named after a legend that ties New Zealand and Canada together.
I screwed up! I got all excited and busy getting ready to go to the USA I totally forgot about some equipment that needed cleaning. It sat for about a month . . .. . its nasty! Time to clean it up.
I recently returned from a work trip to the USA. The amount of insanely cool, kind and talented people I got to meet was staggering. Hanging out with people like that you cant help but learn a few awesome things. So here are 13 tips I learnt from professional distillers in the USA.
Mashing a bourbon wash can be a total pain in the but . . . . unless you have the cheat code! This recipe lets you skip the tough parts and just get stuck into fermenting corn to make bourbon.
This turned out really well. Smooth, easy to drink with an interesting herbaceous sweet potato flavor that actually reminds me of Tequila.
Badmotivator Barrels are an innovative new way to age "smaller" amounts of spirits at home for long periods of time. I was lucky enough to go hang out with Ben at the Badmo workshop. Ben was kind enough to share all of his knowledge and experience with us. It's pretty cool to meet "internet friends" and realize they are even cooler in person. If you end up making your own barrel make sure to share it on bens barrel thread on the HD forum (link below) or share it on Instagram (@chasethecraft and #badmo).
Alan Bishop is a distiller, podcaster, YouTuber, and historian. In this podcast, we get into the nitty gritty of whiskey and absinth history and production.
Let's remake my first safety net recipe and make it better!
I'm excited to make Absinthe. But not just any old absinthe. This recipe is 250 years old! Today I'm making historic absinthe from the 1700s.
Time to make the gin from peaky blinders. We know it has potato, sugar, water, and junipers. But is it too sweet, or not sweet enough?
An in-depth, step-by-step guide to double pot distilling a bourbon wash.
Time to make an Irish-style Pot Still Whiskey. Triple distilled of course.
Jonathan from Ironroot Republic helps me make a tiny 1-gallon batch of whiskey. Let's see what we can learn from a world-class bourbon distillery.
Uncle Rodger may feint if he sees this one. What if we distill fried rice? Will the distillate taste like fried rice . . . . . if it does can we use it to make fried rice even better?
My recommendations for gifts to give for distillers . . . . or for distillers to buy themselves.
4 samples, what's the difference? Kyle and Emmet from @ClawhammerSupply and CH from @HOMEBREW4LIFE did an awesome job. Make sure to check their channels out.
Let's make a Super drinkable somewhat untraditional gin. I'm going to forget about tradition and focus purely on the "yum" this time around. A refreshing clean gin that's super sessionable.
Distilling recipes are awesome! But haven't you ever just wanted to pick up an ingredient and know how to get it ready for fermentation so you can distill it? After watching this video you won't need a recipe anymore. You will know exactly when you need to boil, mash and add enzymes.
I can't belive I have yet to actually distill a box of cheap wine! Can we make a tasty brandy from it? Perhaps something else, and what about the sulfites? Obviously, keep in mind you will likely get widely varying results based on the exact wine you distill. Thats actually the fun of it I guess!
It's time to make an apricot vodka! But I wasn't sure what technique to use to get the apricot flavor into the vodka. So I decided to try using a bunch of them. Perhaps we can learn a little about the techniques and end up with a tasty beverage.
What temp is it best to run your still at? This is a pretty common question for new distillers. It turns out its kind of complex. In fact, it's probably not the question you should be asking yourself. If you are new to distilling this is definitely a video worth watching from start to finish. I hope it helps!
Do you want to make tasty gin at home? Are you excited to be able to play around with different gin recipes? This video is going to give you all the knowledge you need to get started!
It turns out distilled mouthwash is nasty. But I did learn something about distillation along the way.
The new Air Still Pro is creating a bit of a stir in some groups. Now that I have put 8 or so runs through it Im ready to review it.
Its time to distill a Tennessee-style whiskey at home! This means I am finally going to give charcoal filtering a solid try. It had to happen one of these days.
Alcoholic easter eggs? Yes, please! Finally, I found a way to get Erin into distilling.
This worked so well I had to change the plan. Wheetbix give a serious amount of flavor to a distilled spirit and the milk cocktail . . . .liqour . . . .whatever you want to call it was downright awesome! The final recipe I bottled: Spirit Blend: 1:1 Pot Stilled to Reflux 450ml Milk 270ml Spirit (55% ABV) 25ml Maple Syrup 1 OR 5.2 fl oz Milk 9.1 fl oz Spirit (55% ABV) 0.84 fl oz Maple Syrup
These are some of the more common questions I get. Let's knock them down one by one.
Spirit Recipe: Macerate 2L (0.53 gal) of spirit (aim for 55% abv) with the following botanicals for 3 hours at 55c (131 f): 7g Dried Tarragon 15g Wormwood 10g Fennel 15g Anise 20g uncrushed Juniper 10 crushed juniper 15g Coriander 10g Lemon 1.4g Angelica Root Proof to 40% then pot distill. Take a small amount of heads. Around 30ml (1 oz) Then collect until the botanicals start to lose their flavor or things get a bit weird. Likely around the 55% mark. Separate half the resulting spirit and heat it back to 50 c (120f) then macerate with the following botanicals for 5-25 min based on flavour: 4g Tarragon 6g Spinach 6g Beans 1.5g hyssup Sieve the maceration, add it back to the reserved spirit and proof it down to 55% ABV. Cocktail Recipe: 2 parts Coronation absinthe/gin 1.5 parts Honey syrup 1.5 parts lemon juice white of one egg Dry shake Add ice and shake again. Strain into a glass, top up with soda water, garnish with angostura and a cheese crisp
If oats help to add body to a sugar wash vodka will 100% oats be even smoother?
Feijoa is notoriously. . .weird when it comes to distillation. Let's give it a nudge anyway! Can we make vodka from it?
Meme spirits time, today I'm playing with red and black liquorice. I have a fairly strong opinion about the red stuff . . . . . perhaps I am wrong!
It's time to taste through 6 whiskey barrels to see how they are doing. Are they trending well, or do they need a little discipline?
Ironroot Republic normally makes world-class whiskey. But not today, I'm forcing them to make something . . . . . .WEIRD!
Nope Im not back in the USA again, Randal (AKA the Whiskey Shaman) and I shot this after the last bastard's ball. Enjoying and analysing commercial spirits can help you find inspiration and direction as a home distiller.
You were right, essences do actually improve average whiskey!
It's finally time to bottle the New Zealand Peat Whiskey that's been aging for over 3 years. I don't often actually bottle an aging spirit so this is kinda special for me!
Time to make a fruity, full-bodied, smooth single malt. I have 20 tips and 7 steps to help you make your own!
Thanks for everything you did Ben, your lust for life and passion for curiosity will be dearly missed.
I made a seaweed gin on a whim a little while ago. Let's see if one of these two test subjects will make it better!
This vodka turned out great! A subtle brandy-like sweetness, big voluptuous body with a little cereal-like flavour on the back end.
It's not every day that 100kg of kiwifruit falls into your lap. I feel pretty lucky to be able to turn it into a tasty and unique brandy.
This may be the straight-up tastiest meme spirits creation yet. And to think I almost didn't do this because I thought Cracker-Jacks were . . . crackers!
I felt pretty bad almost wasting a bunch of great fruit. But it turned out well in the end. There is something to this whole fortified sour wine thing I think!
Toasted &/or charred oak does magical things to a spirit. It's even more satisfying watching your own spirits slowly turn into something more magical than the sum of all the parts. In this video, I show you how to find, season, toast, char, and use your own oak.
The last time I distilled seaweed it ended up smelling and tasting like a seal colony. Not ideal! But viewers suggested I try toasting the seaweed and/or steeping it in hot water first. Will this save my dreams for a gin with New Zealand seaweed?
Lets ferment a wine kit from the homebrew store and distill it into brandy. This is going to be a whole lot cheaper than buying wine!
No joke this is super tasty. Its probably not the type of spirit I would drink by itself but it's amazing in cocktails. This one is worth giving a go yourself if only to fill out the bar for mixology experiments. Distill your own Old Bay Vodka and experiment to see how you like it best.
I have way to many jars and barrels of random spirits lying around. It's time to taste all the whiskey, rum, and single malt lying around. What should I keep and what just needs to be thrown out?
I think I may end up using Tootsie Rolls as a real ingredient in a future mash. This was an interesting one!
George from Barley and Hops is thinking of making videos again!
It's a tragedy that we lost Ben, But I'm glad to say that his legacy is in good hands.
Ben was an amazing member of the distilling community and will be dearly missed. Panela Rum was one of his favorite recipes. Let's make a batch (with my own little spin) to remember him. I encourage you to do the same, it's super tasty, but put your own spin on it!
Lets brew a Belgian dark strong and see what happens when I distill it. Spoiler alert, it turns into a pretty tasty whiskey.
I love a good tequila or mezcal. Unfortunately, I can't get my hands on agave. So let's make a tequila-inspired spirit using Kumera/sweet potato and agave syrup. Mash: 8kg / 17.5 lb Slow-roasted Kumara / Sweet potato 6 L / 1.6 gal Agave Syrup 3 kg 6.6lb Sugar Water to make up to 45L / 12 gal About 1 tsp of high temp alpha-amylase (HTAA) Your choice of yeast (I used Pinnacle "S" rum yeast) Slow roast the sweet potato, ideally with a fire if you want some smoky impact. Dice it up and add to a small portion of the water. Bring to a boil and add 1/2 tsp high temp alpha-amylase. Boilf for 5 min then reduce the temp to just under boiling. Add an additional 1/2stp of the HTAA let sit for 45 - 60 min. Pour the above mash into the fermenter along with the sugar and agave syrup. Stir till dissolved. Top the fermenter off to 45L / 12 gal. Pitch your yeast and ferment.
Ever wanted to know how to distill a corn moonshine on a plated still? This is the video for you. I was lucky enough to hang out with the crew from @ClawhammerSupply and make a cracked corn moonshine mash. I replicated it here in New Zealand, today I am distilling it to make white whiskey or moonshine.
I have way to many spirits sitting around maturating or aging on oak and in barrels. Its time to taste another 10 in an attempt to get through my whole collection before xmas.
I know I CAN distil peanuts, but should I? Will they be tasty? Or terrible? I have a hunch their oily nature may make things a little strange. Let's find out!
Time to taste another 9 spirits. Some need to be bottled NOW some are a waste and few of them just need more time.
My favourite still setup does it all . . . almost. I can't really use it to make vodka. Today I'm going to change that! The takeaway is that when it comes to reflux stills, more packing height or more plates equals higher abv. So lets add 60cm of packed spool.
Its that time of year. Pick something up for yourself, someone you love . . . . or send this video onto someone else to drop that hint.
This was so easy to make. But so dam tasty. This definitely goes into the "must try at home" category. 1L of vodka at around 65% (1.05 quarts) 26 g of dried mint
Let's make potato vodka without the hassle of cooking the potato! This makes an interesting, crisp, clean vodka with a subtle steamed potato flavour. Yum! ---------------------------------- Mash Recipe: 30L / 7.9 gal of strike water 4 kg / 8.8 lb Ale malt 1kg / 2.2lb Oats 3kg / 6.6 lb Potato flakes Mash at 65c (149f) for 1.5 hours. Check temp and stir at the 45min mark. Sparge twice with around 10L (2.6 gal) of hot water (20L / 5.2 gal total) Add 9kg ( 19.8 lb) of sugar and top up to 90L (23 gal) in total Add 3 tsp of yeast nutrient Temp control to 38c and pitch 90g of Angel Red Label
I had no idea Terry's Chocolate Orange were actually a Christmas thing. I thought it was just our family. Apparently, there are plenty of you out there that share the tradition! So lets distill one!
I have the peanut cheat code! Peanuts are a bit of a problem when it comes to distilling and moonshine. I have tried it before and they never quite work out right. But Nick Calo gave me the secret to getting great peanut flavour! It only seems right to try it out with a recipe heavily based on one of his. The original (by Nick Calo) is called Hunka Hunka Burning Love. I'm calling my version The Kings Envy. You guessed it, its Elvis themed and based on his favourite sandwich. The fried peanut butter and banana! Mash Recipe: 35L strike water 5 kg malted barley 1 kg rolled oats 1 kg rolled wheat 8 kg malted corn 3.5 kg honey 300 g peanut flour Mash at 65c for 1.5 hours. Distill half the wash with a stripping run. Return low wines and the rest of the wash into the still. Add 400g of peanut flour and 2.5 kg bananas (cook until browning) Distill with 3 plates. Make solid cuts, this is drunk white not aged.
Today we have Big Nick Calo to talk about the moonshiners: master distiller recipe on @discovery and @DiscoveryAustralia. Nick gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the show and gives details on his winning recipe: Hunka Hunka Burning Love.
A HUGE thank you to everyone who has supported, viewed and engaged with the channel over the last year. You are the people that make this possible I hope you have an amazing holidays and kick ass Xmas! Here is the recipe (I doubled everything this time): Base Gin Recipe (1sh Bottle): 700ml vodka at 60ish %abv 15g crushed juniper 15g uncrushed juniper 8g coriander seed 8g lemon peel 0.7g angelica root
I have a very specific drink I want to make so I need to make beetroot vodka. Will it taste any different to any other vodka? Recipe 6kg (13.2 lb) whole, raw beetroot 12kg (26.4lb) sugar Yeast ( I used angel red label) 70L (18.5 gal) water
Time for a little challenge. Can I make a smoked white whiskey smooth? Here is the recipe: 10.5 kg NZ peated malt 0.7 kg manuka smoked malt 1.4 kg oats 1.4 kg Shepard's delight PLEASE NOTE! If you can't find manuka malt try playing with any other wood-smoked malt If you cant find shepherds delight you can substitute it for Extra Special Malt
We all suck at distilling. Hear me out . . . it's totally normal!
This is about as romantic as Valentine's Day gets around here. Erin and I distilled rose petals and guess what? Its AMAZING
We distilled rose vodka. It's AMAZING!
It turns out distilled Hibiscus is dam tasty! Its more on the subtle side when compared to distilled rose. But I guess it will be a great ingredient to pair with other botanicals!
I have a love-hate relationship with essences. Will this new range change that?
What happens if you treat grain like a botanical? Can we quickly add grain flavour to vodka by macerating it and re-distilling it? Let's find out together!
We fermented and distilled Mountain Dew! Will Mountain Dew ferment? Can you turn it into a wine and then distil it? What dose distilled Mountain Dew taste like? Find out in this special collaboration with @ClawhammerSupply.
This is NOT a gimmick its super tasty. This coming from a guy who generally does not like gins that don't taste like gin. You can make this hot cross gin in a few hours and be sipping it with ginger beer or cola the same day. The recipe I made here: 700ml of Potato Vodka ( link below) 22g uncrushed juniper 8g Coriander seeds 3g Fresh Lemon Peel 1.4g Liquorice Root 2g Sweet Orange Peel Powder 8g Raisins 2.5g Cassia cinnamon 1.2g Nutmeg 6g Fresh Ginger 2.5g allspice The slight tweaks I would make: 700ml of "silky vodka" (Link Below) 22g uncrushed juniper 8g Coriander seeds 3g Fresh Lemon Peel 1.4g Liquorice Root 2g Sweet Orange Peel Powder 8g Raisins 2.2g Cassia cinnamon 1g Nutmeg 6g Fresh Ginger 2.5g allspice
Time for a distilling competition between Erin and I. This time we are battling it out in a draft-style peeps competition. Really I'm just doing this to sneakily trick Erin into learning more about distilling. Shhhh don't tell her! Youtube doesn't let us put polls up anymore. So you will need to leave your votes in the comments section, have at it.
Thanks to Garret from @ManMadeMead for sending a special mead all the way to NZ to play with. Super tasty! Lets see if I can make a craft spirit to pair with it. The Gin I Made In This Video: 100m vodka 6g Lemon Peel 6g Coriander Seeds 1g Angelica root 25g uncrushed juniper 5 small hibiscus flowers (petals only) 2 medium bay leaves 4g Thyme
Its time to check in on a few of the barrels I have aging, including the Love Child.
At 138 proof / 69% this is the world's strongest beer! Granted we did cheat with the distilling/fortification. But this turned out pretty dang good all things considered. At the very least its a solid concept that could be explored at much more reasonable alcohol levels.
Home distillation is a deeply fulfilling hobby. Sure, you're going to have access to great quality spirits. But its much more than that. Here are my top 11 reasons to make your own moonshine.
Allan Bishop is a professional distiller, YouTuber, podcaster and historian. In this episode, he shares the secrets of French Absinthe from the 1800's (Belle Epoque absinthe) as well as dispelling some Absinthe myths.
I made a belle epoque Absinthe, A historic French absinthe popular between the mid-1800s and the early 1900s. There is a very interesting story behind its rise to popularity and its demonification. In a lot of ways its the time period that created the modern feelings of romance and mystique around absinthe. But that's probably not why you are here. You want to know if A historically accurate absinthe will make you hallucinate. So I will make it, drink a decent amount and see if I trip balls. 1L Recipe 1L of Beetroot vodka @ 85% 27g Wormwood 93g Anise 79g Fennel 3.4 Mint 1.9g Liqurice root 10g Corriander seed 0.5g Lemon Peel 1L Recipe colouration Colour half of your hearts with 2.6g Petite Wormwood 1.3g Hyssop 1.9g Lemon Balm
Special Barrel + Corn, Oats, Barley and Wheat? Time to lay down another barrel of bourbon! This one has been on my mind for a while. I'm glad I finally got to it.
How long can you keep yeast for after its opened? How should you store your yeast? How can you tell if your yeast is dead? If you're asking these questions this video has the answers!
How quickly can you make a batch of gin? I'm going to find out today! I have never actually timed myself while making gin, I know it can be pretty quick, but how quick? The recipe I made today: 1L Vodka (Potatoe vodka 50%) 35g Juniper (2/3 crushed 1/3 whole) 8.5g Coriander seeds crushed 8.5g Lemon Peel 1g Angelica root 5g Fennel 1g Liquorice root 2 Cardamom pods
Why is your spirit cloudy and how do you fix it? It's actually pretty easy! This is a common issue, especially with gin.
I distilled a Big Mac and it was not as horrible as you may think.
How do you know when to bottle an aged whiskey, rum or tequila?
I distilled a pop tart to see what it tasted like.
It's easy to lose flavour to heads when distilling fruit. This is a super simple way to make the most of your ingredients.
Distilling the darkest beer in the world to see what I can learn from it. Perhaps there is a secret here for standard whiskey or moonshine?
You CAN use beer yeast to make spirits, but should you?
Its great having a bunch of instruments to give data while distilling. But sometimes they can lead you astray. Make sure you check calibration if rely on them!
This apple brandy has a few additions. I have high hopes for this spirit but its going to take some time to age in the badmotivator barrel.
This vodka is smooth and silky but has a lot more fruit and grain flavours than normal. It even boasts a subtle but firm wisp of smoke! Its different and delicious. Grist for the mash: 4kg / 8.2lb peated malt 5kg / 11lb distillers malt 2kg / 2.2lb gelatinised oats 10kg / 22lb sugar Ferment with Angel AM-1
Cocktails are great, but what happens if we distil them? Turns out redistilled cocktails are pretty tasty!
I love absinthe, but I want more! More flavour, more effect! This absinthe dials up the flavour and adds a few ingredients you may not expect. Recipe: Macerate the following at 60c for 24 hours. 2L / 0.52 gal of smokey "vodka" • How To Make A DIFFERENT Vodka At Home 90 g wormwood 120g Anise 120g Fennel 12g dried mint 35g lemon balm 20g coriander seeds 5g angelica seeds Proof down to 40% abv and pot distill. Take a small amount from the top of the run and look to cut to tails at around 60% abv. Split the distilled spirit in half. Macerate one half at 60c with the following for 1 hour: 2g hyssop 4g petite wormwood or mugwort 1.5g lemon balm 8g yerba mate (add this in with around 40 min to go) Combine the two halves back together and proof down to your desired ABV (I went with 60%). Use water or yerba mate brewed at 80c for a hour.
Today I found out that cheesecake gin is delicious! Especially when its turned into a cheesecake gin float! Recipe: 1.4L (0.37 gal) of 50% vodak 30g bruised juniper 30g whole juniper 16g split coriander 8g lemon peel 8g lime peel 1.4g Angelica seed Cheesecake Gin Float: 15ml or 3/4 part cream 15ml or 3/4 part milk 15ml or 3/4 part honey syrup 40ml or 2 parts Cheesecake gin Fill the glass 3/4 of the way gently with tonic water Add a scoop of icecream (Vanilla) Top up with tonic Garnish with mint
Turns out Ginsinthe is TASTY! All the good parts of gin and absinthe put together and WAY cheaper to make than Absinthe. Recipe: 1.4 L (0.37 gal) 50% ABV vodka 35g wormwood 26g fennel 26 anise 35 g juniper 2g mint 12g coriander 1.5 liquorice root 4g lemon peel 4g lime peel 4g orange peel
I have a new series of videos and a few tests planned so I need a giant wash!
A stripping run is probably the most basic distilling technique, but it forms the foundation for double pot distillation, plate distillation and even reflux distillation. If you have any doubts or questions about how to perform a stripping run this tutorial has you covered. If I messed up and forgot something make sure to check the comments section as well.
I thought we should give this live streaming thing ago. Seeing as I have a meeting planned with Rick from the HDA I thought this would be a good opportunity. Live streaming may just be a good way to get some input from the community! Before we get into that I will give a quick update and preview of whats to come for Still It. Basically stalling to see if anyone will turn up ;)
Ok, second time! Hope this is a little smoother than last time ;) Quick look "behind the scenes", Channel update, and I wonder if you would be interested in a wee comp??
Quick impromptu video to say cheers and give an update on the channel. Long story short I need to get my a into g and just start doing stuff. Rather than waiting untill _______.
Today I found a few things in my mailbox. Let's OPEN THEM! Also running through how live videos will probably work in the future. And outlining a few things I want to get done in the near future.
Distilling lingo and keywords can be pretty tricky for new distillers to get the hang of. So today we are freestyling a bit of a distillers glossary. A few things that new distillers may find helpfull when getting started.
Tasting and smelling what is in a spirit is a skill that needs to be learnt. I have to say I really am not that great at it. But there are ways to get better.
Wow, 1 whole year! Thats kind of nuts. So I thought we whould hang out on a live stream for a while. The plan is too: - Have a chat about the last year - Have a chat about the NEXT year - Attempt to get my mini still working - Do a few other distillery related things
This seems like a good time to find an excuse to get the community together. I plan on tasting whatever you are interested in (and I can get my hands on) and drawing the winner from last weeks merch comp.
Its time for another live stream. I have a lot of random jars of product sitting around the workshop that are still "ageing". Its time to blend up a few finished products so I can bottle them.
I think it's about time we tested a live stream. It seems like people need a place to hang out, a place where we can get together and chill. This week I'm inviting Matt Drew back again. We can talk American Single Malt, we can talk malting grains. . . . or we can just hang out and have a drink.
Things didn't go according to plan for this weeks video. So surprise live stream it is!
Its time to get amongst it team! Roy from Aquavitae will be joining us first. We will be talking about ways you can really improve your ability to assess whiskey. Then Lindsay from Sample Ox will be joining us to talk about sensory science and walk us through the app (if needed). We should have time for plenty of QnA hope to see you soon :)
Ayyyeeeee, You made it to the bonus video! Hope you like it. Its not exactly "good youtube" but perhaps this could be something that gets pushed to live streams?
I teamed up with @ClawhammerSupply to make corn moonshine.
@ClawhammerSupply Came all the way from the USA to help me out with a few BEER-related distilling videos. . . . . we didn't do a whole lotta planning though.
Ah yes, we just recently imported a finely-aged cask of Monsieur Pepper. Waco's finest. Distilled into its purest form: pepper water. This is what will finally put HQ on the map as a 3 star Michelin restaurant!
We Distilled Mountain Dew
Trains & Rain - Muppet Moments
A HUGE Thank You For Your Contribution!
Patreon platform update
Update for patreon from Mum and Dad's
Update on whiskey vault samples
Let's Review another YouTube Channel's Whiskey: (Still It) - Today we taste several samples from a friend of the show Jesse over on the Still It Channel. Check it out!
3 Boston tea party gins idea
Facebook Group Update
Muppet!
Copper coil
Distillers questions
Text on flask
Competition for 3kg of Manuka smoked malt
Austin Texas October
Genio "pot still" run vs my normal pot still run
Patreon Only Gin Tasting
Flasks update for patreon
Patreon Only: Full discussion with Roy
New CTC swag lapel pins - patreon video
Coin and live stream update - patreon only
Full Patreon Video - Podcast #4 With Matt Drew
Brandy & Grapes With Ilias Mastrogiannis
The Importance Of Community - Roy From Aqvavitae
Patreons Contact priority
Podcast #008 Scott. Full Patreon Video
009 Daniel W Crowded Barrel Including PATREON QnA
Neven Patreon Full Version (Including QnA)
Sam From Starward Full Patreon Version
Murphy Cedar Ridge Including Patreon QnA
Soren From 1919 Distilling (Full Patreon Version)
Nasty Yeast
Patreon Questions Bearded
Matt From Lunatic And Lover
Patreon Update
Lindsay
QnA for live stream
Pssssttt, Patreons. Did You Know You ROCK!??!!?
Ahhhhhh . . . . . . .
Froth Tech Patreon QnA
shipping issues "fixed" update
Patreon Challenge
corn or love child
Merch Rewards Update! Have Your Say
Welcome To Craft Talk
Catch Up And Shirts
Next Rum Podcast Topic
Erin Tasting Preloaded Test Whiskey (Patreon Only)
Wifey Tastes Wilder Turkey (patreon)
Whiskey Kit Experiment
Erin Tasting Banana Brandy Patreon
Patreon Merch Vote
into the am shirts . . . .
Bad News & Why I'm Slacking
Help and house keeping
What Yeast? Patreon Only
Give Away & "Private" Video
Contributors and insiders Into The Am Vouchers
Texas, September! . . . you keen?
looks like it's going to happen!
HELP
Texas Distillery Takeover Tickets Available
Patreon QnA videos. Do you want them?
The Ultimate Home Distilled Gin TUT . . . . This week
what should we make?
Seaweed and Cucumber/Kawa Kawa Gin Tasting With Erin
New Coin Design
Coins, Pins And Vouchers
QnA 16 Video
QnA Video 17
coins are live
QnA Video 18
QnA 19 Video
QnA Video 20
QnA video 21
Good Bones Sneak Peak
Patreon QnA 22
A Rum Masterclass event?!
QnA 23 Video
QnA 24 Video
QnA 25 Video
QNA 26 Video
QnA 27 Video
QnA's 28 are back!
QnA 29 Patreon Video
QnA 30 Video
Youtube, Clawhammer and Out Of Stock
QnA 31
QnA 32 Video For Patreon
QnA 33
QnA 34
I sit down with Jesse Willson @StillIt from the hugely popular home distilling channel, Still It: Chase the Craft, to talk about how he got into home distilling and his YouTube journey thus far. So grab a drink, get comfy, and let's learn more about Jesse. I'm Miss Brewbird, a Canadian girl training to be a distiller in England. I'm also tickled pink that you've found your way here. If you are interested in learning more about the drinks industry this is the channel for you. Hit that subscribe button for more videos about distilling, spirits, and distillery life. Cheers!
Join Crafty, Luke & The Todd as they Shoot the Shit with Jesse from Chase the Craft
On this episode we talk to Jesse Willson from the @StillIt channel. I can't wait for y'all to see it. We get into the new projects he is working on. And take a peak behind the curtain of what it's like to Chase the Craft.
In this video series, we show you how to make and distill Bourbon mash. This particular Bourbon recipe was crafted by our very special guest, Jesse from @StillIt, who is perhaps one of the top spirits experimenters in the world. Jesse tells us that this particular Bourbon recipe is similar to what is used for spirits like Pappy Van Winkle and Heaven Hill Bourbon. To make the recipe we add corn, barley and wheat to a brew in a bag (BIAB) mash system, convert the starch into sugar, cool, pitch yeast, then let it ferment. In part 2, Jesse goes back to New Zealand and distills the same exact recipe.
In this video we show you how to make whiskey with a bit of help from our friend, and master distiller, Jesse Wilson at @StillIt. Of course, it's illegal to distill whiskey at home in the United States and we don't have an actual commercial distillery. To solve this problem, Jesse came all the way to the United States, made a whiskey mash with us, then traveled back to New Zealand (where he lives) to recreate the mash and distill it. Specifically we made Tennessee style whiskey, which is charcoal filtered using the Lincoln County process.
We're making moonshine mash with Jesse, the master distiller behind @StillIt . A lot of people think they're making "real" mash with cracked corn, which is feed corn that has been lightly milled. But if it isn't done right, then it isn't real corn whiskey moonshine mash.
Distill high proof alcohol by using bubble plates and a dephlegmator. This setup is called a fractionating column still and separates higher proof alcohol from lower proof alcohol within the column by causing reflux.
We flew all the way to New Zealand to turn Mountain Dew in to "Mountain Dew" with our friend Jesse from @StillIt! We fermented then distilled Mountain Dew in a bubble plate distiller, making white whiskey (also known as moonshine). Home distilling is illegal in the USA, but has been legal in NZ for years.
QnA 35
QnA 36 Video
QnA 37 Video
Muppet Distilled
Taking Some Time @SunloverReefCruises
Maturation Sticks Are Back
QnA 38
QnA 39 Video
QnA 40
Brandy Discussion With Christopher Of Badmo Barrels
QnA 41
QnA 42
3D printing for distillers?
QnA 43 (Part 1)
QnA 43 (Part 2)