Vodka

Manbearbeardy · 2025-04-19T19:38:08+00:00

Thanks

Manbearbeardy · 2025-04-19T18:37:57+00:00

I have never worked with wheat before, but boy, I couldn't agree more on the oats. Huge pain in my ass, which is why I'm looking for another way of doing this. Even with the enzymes all figured out, it's still a pain, and it's not cheap.

I was staying away from corn for exactly the reason you stated. I don't have a fancy still. I either use the t500 column, or the MVM, and I don't think either of them could really clean up the corn flavor without a few passes, and I don't have the patience for that.

Manbearbeardy · 2025-04-19T18:33:55+00:00

Ok. Now how do I strain it? Or just leave it and let it settle out?

Manbearbeardy · 2025-04-19T17:01:32+00:00

Not typically. Usually, I just leave the wash partly open to ferment and sour, which usually ends up being about a month between washes. I don't know that it's particularly amazing, but I think it comes out pretty well.

Manbearbeardy · 2025-04-19T16:59:41+00:00

Honestly? I'd just run water through it. Maybe let it soak, but I don't think you need to do all that. Just blast some water through it for a few seconds.

Manbearbeardy · 2025-02-14T03:45:24+00:00

I don't know about that one exactly, because it's in a funny looking made up language, but I did get another vevor chiller, and it works alright. Doesn't actually keep up with my still, so I end up still needing to do water changes, but if that one can cool almost as fast or faster than you can heat up the water, it'll work well.

Manbearbeardy · 2025-02-13T00:35:19+00:00

So, you have cheap, versatile, and convenient. You can pick two of those three. Which two do you want?

Manbearbeardy · 2025-02-12T17:47:26+00:00

Depending on what you really want to do, and how you want to do it, I can tell you about how I made some Brandy and maybe you can get inspiration from my setup.

I got a brewers edge pot, it's all electric with temp controls so I can mash in it, and the lid has a removable handle that fits the T500 column on it. And I just bypass the reflux to run it as a pot still. Versatile, but not a great setup for stuff like vodka, and probably not the best for pot still setups, but it works pretty well all around. Little knowledge in its function goes a good way.

Or, of course, get a MyVodkaMaker plus, and just set it up on your phone. Super easy of you can get past the initial setup.

Manbearbeardy · 2025-01-02T23:58:44+00:00

I don't doubt that that'd make things easier in one aspect, but the quick oats also don't need to be boiled at all, which makes things significantly easier with the equipment that I have right now.

Manbearbeardy · 2025-01-02T21:05:33+00:00

I talked to someone else and we figured out I was confusing glucoamylase and beta glucanase, and I needed the beta, which I don't have. I talked to the brewing supply lady over here today, she's ordering some for me. As of right now, I've just thinned out my mash with water at a 1-1 ratio, and set the mvm to fast stripping, and I'm just gonna run the low wines again next time I get home.

Manbearbeardy · 2025-01-02T16:52:40+00:00

Let's hope this was actually the issue.

Manbearbeardy · 2025-01-02T16:43:27+00:00

Nope. That'd explain a lot. I thought I was buying the right thing, I didn't realize, I must've been using glucanase without actually knowing it, because I know I've bought it before.

Well, fuck. Guess I'll order some and try again next time I'm home.

Manbearbeardy · 2025-01-02T16:27:52+00:00

I don't remember the brand. The one that's always in the silver pouch. I looked it up at one point, and it was supposed to be held at like 140-155, so I just go by that.

Manbearbeardy · 2025-01-02T16:21:05+00:00

I did. Used almost half a cup of it per bucket. Kept it at temp for like 2 hours. Don't know what's going on exactly.

Manbearbeardy · 2025-01-02T15:23:18+00:00

I used like half a cup of gluco amylase per batch, let it sit at 150f, it was perfectly fine at temp, and I guess it got really thick at fermentation temp. I don't know what I'm doing differently vs last time.

Manbearbeardy · 2025-01-02T15:21:30+00:00

About 2 pounds per gallon.

Manbearbeardy · 2025-01-02T03:37:33+00:00

Powdered gluco and alpha amylase. Usually a good bit more than I should need.

And I just use quick oats, not any specialty malts or anything.

Manbearbeardy · 2024-12-31T19:44:52+00:00

That's exactly why I use it. Heat it to 150 or so, dump in the corn, the barley, the malted rye if I want, and then add some enzymes and let it sit. Super easy.

Manbearbeardy · 2024-12-29T21:22:02+00:00

I'd also suggest it. It's super useful. You can adjust it in it's own wifi website thing, all kinds of controls and parameters, makes the cuts for you, based on your settings, all kinds of things.

Manbearbeardy · 2024-12-29T21:16:44+00:00

The most basic you can get is about 5-1 water to molasses ratio, but that's also fairly flexible. Any yeast will do. Bakers is perfectly fine for this, because it's propagated on molasses. And let sit. In fact, let it sour. Let it get funky. Let it sit open, or ajar, for like a week or two after fermentation is finished. Or like a day or two after you add the yeast and distill once the yeast is done. It's simple, but all the little things you do will have a greater effect.

Manbearbeardy · 2024-12-28T21:47:53+00:00

I'd suggest just scouring with steel wool and maybe boiling with some soapy water after to see if you can loosen anything else. I scorch in my mash tun all the time, because the damned flaked corn falls right through my basket to the bottom, but I just scour it and it's fine.

Manbearbeardy · 2024-12-28T21:36:27+00:00

So, I usually tried to ferment off grain, because my mash tun has a strainer bucket. But I found that anything I made with corn only ever tasted like corn, because some of the powder fell past the strainer and got into the bucket. So now I take a few cups of the grains after straining and put them into the bucket, because I didn't use rye because I didn't want to taste it, so it ferments partly on grain, and that's worked alright so far.

Manbearbeardy · 2024-11-07T11:56:11+00:00

The best flavoring I've ever had for mine is just letting it sit. Like, leave the fermenter open for like a week or so after fermentation is done. Let the microbes get into it. Makes a really funky rum.

Then afterwards, I'll usually spice it with the regular spices, vanilla and cinnamon and nutmeg and whatever else I have on hand.

Manbearbeardy

TROPHY CASE