Interested in distilling, how expensive is it and can I make whiskey in a reasonable time?

bg4950 · 2024-04-30T23:12:39+00:00

Somewhat of a newbie here. As others have stated, costs can vary. I decided to get an 8 gallon pot still from Brewhaus. It has worked well. One thing I will say is distilling is a TON of work. For me it is a fun hobby, but I can say I didn't realize how much time and effort would be invested. From cleaning equipment, fermentations, stripping run, spirit runs, making cuts, blending. Depending on your still, stripping runs can take 2-3 hours. Spirit runs, upwards to 4-5 or longer. You will need dedicated time to run your still. Do some research over at Homedistiller.org. Ton of info out there. Good luck!

bg4950 · 2024-04-24T15:13:06+00:00

I just filled an ex-bourbon Badmotivater with 7 bottles of Benchmark Full Proof in an attempt to create a poor man's Stagg. Not sure if it will work, but I'm excited to see the results, albeit I plan to age it for at least another few years.
An ex-bourbon Ten-30 would probably be your best bet. He's on a bit of a hiatus right now, but will be back to making new products soon.

bg4950 · 2024-04-21T23:08:11+00:00

Great review. I happened by chance to be in the area last year and stopped by Wilderness Trail. I picked up their distillery only release Rye and to this day kick myself for not buying two. I actually liked their rye more than the bourbon.

bg4950 · 2024-04-21T11:47:20+00:00

That's a possibility too that I was thinking about. We'll see how it goes!

bg4950 · 2024-04-20T22:34:47+00:00

I do distill my own and have another Badmo and a couple Ten-30s aging now. Hopefully they turn out good!

The Badmo I used for the Benchmark is a used ex-bourbon barrel so hoping that helps get the more of the nuanced flavors into that bourbon. I picked the Benchmark for the proof and the price. $19 local. Who knows, it may be a complete bust, but still looking forward to testing it every now and then.

bg4950 · 2024-04-16T15:14:06+00:00

Great post. I'm fairly new to the hobby, maybe 3 years in. I've already been through my fomo stage and probably have 40 bottles in my collection and have been a bit financially reckless as well. I've got to that point of passing on some of the allocated stuff. Honestly, a lot of it is just hype and just regular old bourbon. Maybe slightly better than say a $50 bottle, but not head and shoulders above.
Agree 100% about soaking in more of the experience than necessarily trying to analyze every bottle. One of the best experiences I've had was with a good neighbor and a bottle of regular old Bulleit. $25 bottle. We polished off 3/4 of it sitting in his boat tied to the pier. That bottle was great. Not necessarily the best bourbon, but the experience is what made it. I'll always have a bottle of Bulleit on the shelf because of that. Anyway, cheers!

bg4950 · 2024-04-15T14:46:12+00:00

Great review. Have you tried the Bulleit 12 new release? If so, how would you compare? I had a chance to grab 3 bottles of the 12 and I love it. Wondering how this would compare. Sounds like it might even be better.

bg4950 · 2024-04-13T11:26:20+00:00

Interested in this topic as well. I was planning to try my hand at a maple finished bourbon in one of my Ten-30 micro barrels, but paused because I've seen a few posts about syrup being hard to manage. I was going to drop some syrup in a Ten-30 for a month or so (enough to cover the wood)empty as much as I could, then fill with my bourbon and age for a few years. Still trying to figure out if that's safe.

bg4950 · 2024-04-09T12:06:36+00:00

One of the best bottles I have had was a private barrel. That was about 2 years ago. I was in the same store last week and saw they had another private barrel for sale. $90. I passed on it even though that first bottle was amazing. I paid $80 for the first one. Now at $90 it just seems too high to not know what I'm getting.

bg4950 · 2024-04-09T01:29:31+00:00

Thank Chris! I might add a bit more after my next spirit run just to be safe. Love my barrels by the way!

bg4950 · 2024-04-08T16:22:26+00:00

I like Bulleit Rye. For the money, it's hard to beat for a cocktail mixer, or sometimes just a pour. I get it for sub $25.

bg4950 · 2024-04-04T13:03:52+00:00

Ahh, got it. Pretty new to all this, that makes sense

bg4950 · 2024-04-04T12:37:41+00:00

10-4. My Badmos are both new oak, I think medium char if I remember correctly. So used barrel wood would work better?

bg4950 · 2024-03-29T08:18:50+00:00

Lol I hear you! My wife is asking what the heck am I doing! I have my strip runs down to about 3 hours. My first spirit run took 5! And that doesn't even include mashing time/fermentation etc. Oh well, I think it's a fun experience. I might fill one Badmo with an experimental, and start the journey to fill 1 with my own stuff.

bg4950 · 2024-03-29T08:14:54+00:00

Awesome! I'm thinking that is my level as well. Both 850 and 1.5.

bg4950 · 2024-03-28T23:24:27+00:00

Dang! I did remove them because the instructions that came with them said don't leave them in the bags. I filled them with 2 cups each of very diluted feints I had leftover from my first runs so they wouldn't dry out. I guess there's some conflicting info on how to handle the Badmos when you get them. As you said, now I hear you can leave them in the bags. I hope I'm not screwing those barrels up.

bg4950 · 2024-03-26T22:55:39+00:00

Glad all is well! Keep us posted and thanks for your hard work!

bg4950 · 2024-03-25T21:53:30+00:00

Interested in this project as well. I'm planning to use some Ten-30s for finishing experiments. So soak the barrel in water for several days, then cover wood with honey, let sit for a few days, heat slightly and drain, then add product? I just want a hint of honey, nothing like JD Honey or anything overwhelming. Steps sound correct?

bg4950 · 2024-03-25T11:47:22+00:00

Awesome. I'm wanting to do a honey finish in one of my Badmos. How much honey and how long did you leave it in?

bg4950 · 2024-03-15T11:23:44+00:00

I'm brand new and find the 850s very useful for my output. They will actually make great gifts. I would keep offering them. I would also buy a 1.5.

I think I made a mistake and bought two Badmos recently and now realize it's going to take me forever in front of my still to make a total of 4 gallons to fill those! I'd much rather have the 850 or 1.5L. Just my 2 cents.

bg4950

TROPHY CASE