Hooch ~

[MountainGirl]

Do any of you create your own alcoholic imbibers delights?

I'm still reading MT's Hard Cider Thread - and I saw Hawg's Black garlic Vodka adventure...yum!

It's our latest prep idea, lol.
I'm working my way up the learning curve - and -
We're not so much into making beer or wine... more like brandy, liqueurs, shine, mash...
Eventually there will be a still here. :bounce:

[hawgrider]

A still for Distillation of water is on my short list.

My Grandfathers both made their own wine and brandy for medicinal purposes of course.

[Slippy]

Do any of you create your own alcoholic imbibers delights?

I'm still reading MT's Hard Cider Thread - and I saw Hawg's Black garlic Vodka adventure...yum!

It's our latest prep idea, lol.
I'm working my way up the learning curve - and -
We're not so much into making beer or wine... more like brandy, liqueurs, shine, mash...
Eventually there will be a still here. :bounce:


A still for Distillation of water is on my short list.

My Grandfathers both made their own wine and brandy for medicinal purposes of course.

A buddy of mine bought a kit from Mile Hi Distilling a number of years ago and home cooks some pretty decent stuff. He went all out and converted an old Silo into a distillery and outdoor gathering place at his ranch in Texas.

Funny story, one of his ranch neighbors was a Biker Clubhouse and he brought them some home cooked sour mash in return for them to keep an eye on his place.

One of the old bikers died and the MC asked my buddy to cook up some moonshine for the funeral. The liked it a lot.

I thought about one of their small kits but have yet to pull the trigger on one;

https://milehidistilling.com/product/table-top-still-kit/

[Mad Trapper]

My friend makes fine wines and distills it to make grappa ~150 proof. No pictures or details on the still.

I do cider as it's pretty simple and with added sugar and correct yeast you can get 18-20% alcohol.

I'd like to add a still to my tools.

22102

[Slippy]

My friend makes fine wines and distills it to make grappa ~150 proof. No pictures or details on the still.

I do cider as it's pretty simple and with added sugar and correct yeast you can get 18-20% alcohol.

I'd like to add a still to my tools.

22102

C'mon! Give up the cider recipe Mad Chemistry Scientist Trapper Man! :callme:

[hawgrider]

A buddy of mine bought a kit from Mile Hi Distilling a number of years ago and home cooks some pretty decent stuff. He went all out and converted an old Silo into a distillery and outdoor gathering place at his ranch in Texas.

Funny story, one of his ranch neighbors was a Biker Clubhouse and he brought them some home cooked sour mash in return for them to keep an eye on his place.

One of the old bikers died and the MC asked my buddy to cook up some moonshine for the funeral. The liked it a lot.

I thought about one of their small kits but have yet to pull the trigger on one;

https://milehidistilling.com/product/table-top-still-kit/


I'm kinda liking this kit.

https://www.stillzstore.com/stillz.html#!/6-Gallon-Traditional/p/455821168/category=130705521

[hawgrider]

Here are some recipes from the stillz site.

https://www.stillzstore.com/recipes.html

[SOCOM42]

Do any of you create your own alcoholic imbibers delights?

I'm still reading MT's Hard Cider Thread - and I saw Hawg's Black garlic Vodka adventure...yum!

It's our latest prep idea, lol.
I'm working my way up the learning curve - and -
We're not so much into making beer or wine... more like brandy, liqueurs, shine, mash...
Eventually there will be a still here. :bounce:

Be careful with one, my father and grandfather blew the roof off of the house with one during prohibition.

They had the mash pots in the attic or third floor, you could call it.

They gravity fed the stuff into the cellar where the still pot was, this was a big operation, I think it was around 500 gallon cap.

Grandfather used the chimney to burn off the odor coming out of it all,

they took and bypassed the gas meter to run the cooker, chimney and most of the house the house.

Someone forgot to light the chimney right after turning the gas on, BOOM!

There was no fire but the top 3/4s of the chimney and a little more than a third of the roof were gone.

No one came to investigate, most around got shine from them.

They use to use the product in the restaurant/night club, and sold a lot to others.

It was made with corn, sugar and yeast, all supplied from the restaurant kitchen stores.

My father and two uncles had to haul the corn sacks up to the attic on their backs.


I forgot to add that they had an electric cracker they used up there, then right into the pots.

[1skrewsloose]

I knew someone who lived in Kentucky who knew about this, said the hardest part was getting consistent temps.

BTW, in case anyone wants to try on the cheap, fyi

https://www.wayfair.com/kitchen-tabletop/pdp/vevor-96-gallon-38l-water-wine-alcohol-distiller-moonshine-still-boiler-home-diy-fxnu1268.html?piid=

[hawgrider]

I knew someone who lived in Kentucky who knew about this, said the hardest part was getting consistent temps.

BTW, in case anyone wants to try on the cheap, fyi

https://www.wayfair.com/kitchen-tabletop/pdp/vevor-96-gallon-38l-water-wine-alcohol-distiller-moonshine-still-boiler-home-diy-fxnu1268.html?piid=

That's a nice stove top set up.

[Prepared One]

I am thinking making your own alcohol will be a valuable trading commodity when it goes bad. History has proven, no matter how poor or desperate, the people will always figure out how to buy booze, women, and gamble. :bounce:

[Mad Trapper]

C'mon! Give up the cider recipe Mad Chemistry Scientist Trapper Man! :callme:

Slippy, I started a thread back fall 2021 where I showed a batch starting and the "recipe". I didn't finish the thread as I lost the pictures when I was bottling it. I left off with a picture of the cider working in the carboy. I'll finish it up next time I brew a batch. Maybe before the warm weather gets here.

https://theoutdoortradingpost.com/showthread.php?19089-Hard-cider&highlight=cider

After the batch stops working as shown by the air lock not bubbling you let it sit to let the yeast settle, takes a while (days or weeks), longer you wait to bottle the clearer the cider will be. Clean your bottles with warm soapy bleach water, rinse well and let dry upside down. I put the carboy on a chair or table so I can siphon into the bottles on the floor. Make sure I have enough clean bottles for the whole batch.

If you want a sparkling cider add a little sugar or honey to each bottle. This only works if you didn't add too much sugar to the initial ferment and the yeast can tolerate more alcohol.

You can tell by tasting the cider, if it's "dry" it can ferment some more, if it's sweet you added enough sugar to stop the yeast from working more as they produced all the alcohol they could tolerate and there is still sugars left. That's one of the reasons I use alcohol tolerant yeasts, so I can get a good strong cider by adding a quantity of sugar (see the thread).

Be careful adding sugar before bottling, you can blow the bottles up if they can't take the pressure. A teaspoon is plenty.

Anyway after bottling let the bottles sit a while and the cider will clear more, and if you added more sugar they will carbonate themselves. Usually a small amount of yeast sediment settles on the bottom of the bottles. The longer it sits the clearer it gets.

It's OK to drink as soon as the ferment is done right from the carboy, but it will be yeasty, and will "loosen up" the bowels a bit for some people. If you decide to do this try a little at a time. I can tolerate it pretty good and have a few glasses from the last of the siphon which are often cloudy from the lees (settled yeast) getting disturbed.

[Slippy]

Thanks Mad! I think I will try it this fall.


Slippy, I started a thread back fall 2021 where I showed a batch starting and the "recipe". I didn't finish the thread as I lost the pictures when I was bottling it. I left off with a picture of the cider working in the carboy. I'll finish it up next time I brew a batch. Maybe before the warm weather gets here.

https://theoutdoortradingpost.com/showthread.php?19089-Hard-cider&highlight=cider

After the batch stops working as shown by the air lock not bubbling you let it sit to let the yeast settle, takes a while (days or weeks), longer you wait to bottle the clearer the cider will be. Clean your bottles with warm soapy bleach water, rinse well and let dry upside down. I put the carboy on a chair or table so I can siphon into the bottles on the floor. Make sure I have enough clean bottles for the whole batch.

If you want a sparkling cider add a little sugar or honey to each bottle. This only works if you didn't add too much sugar to the initial ferment and the yeast can tolerate more alcohol.

You can tell by tasting the cider, if it's "dry" it can ferment some more, if it's sweet you added enough sugar to stop the yeast from working more as they produced all the alcohol they could tolerate and there is still sugars left. That's one of the reasons I use alcohol tolerant yeasts, so I can get a good strong cider by adding a quantity of sugar (see the thread).

Be careful adding sugar before bottling, you can blow the bottles up if they can't take the pressure. A teaspoon is plenty.

Anyway after bottling let the bottles sit a while and the cider will clear more, and if you added more sugar they will carbonate themselves. Usually a small amount of yeast sediment settles on the bottom of the bottles. The longer it sits the clearer it gets.

It's OK to drink as soon as the ferment is done right from the carboy, but it will be yeasty, and will "loosen up" the bowels a bit for some people. If you decide to do this try a little at a time. I can tolerate it pretty good and have a few glasses from the last of the siphon which are often cloudy from the lees (settled yeast) getting disturbed.

[bigwheel]

I've tried various aspects of the hobby. Currently only making super healthy home made Ginger Champagne. Its really just sweetened and carbonated Ginger Tea. I use Champagne or White wine yeast to carbonate. Gives a much cleaner flavor than bread yeast. Can reach 18-20% ABV if left alone for a long time. I like to sip on it over ice mixed with Chillable Red Franzia wine in the cardboard box and sometimes a splash of Calypso 151 Rum. I usually make 4 jugs of 1.75 liter at a time. Will give up the recipe if any body wants it.

[Mad Trapper]

Slippy, use fresh pressed cider, or only cider without preservatives. They use the additive potassium sorbate. You won't be able to get a batch started if it has additives.

The stuff without preservatives is usually UV treated to kill pathogens, but also effects naturals yeasts on apples, most will still ferment after a while though. You can ferment with fresh cider without using a brewers yeast, but most natural yeasts can't tolerate too much alcohol.

[RubberDuck]

In the next year or two I am adding bees then I would like to play with some mead recipes

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[hawgrider]

In the next year or two I am adding bees then I would like to play with some mead recipes

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You have the patience for mead. That stuff takes months if I remember correctly.

I dont think I could wait that long.

[RubberDuck]

You have the patience for mead. That stuff takes months if I remember correctly.

I dont think I could wait that long.In the words of Ron Popeil
Set it and forget it.

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[Slippy]

yes! recipe please


I've tried various aspects of the hobby. Currently only making super healthy home made Ginger Champagne. Its really just sweetened and carbonated Ginger Tea. I use Champagne or White wine yeast to carbonate. Gives a much cleaner flavor than bread yeast. Can reach 18-20% ABV if left alone for a long time. I like to sip on it over ice mixed with Chillable Red Franzia wine in the cardboard box and sometimes a splash of Calypso 151 Rum. I usually make 4 jugs of 1.75 liter at a time. Will give up the recipe if any body wants it.

[Mad Trapper]

In the next year or two I am adding bees then I would like to play with some mead recipes

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

I've done a few batches of hard cider using honey instead of sugar, it was delicious. A lot more expensive though if you have to buy the honey and are not tending your own bees/hives.

[MountainGirl]

LOL - I'm gonna be all day in the links y'all provided. Thanks!

[hawgrider]

LOL - I'm gonna be all day in the links y'all provided. Thanks!

It's a deep rabbit hole.

[Piratesailor]

Here are some recipes from the stillz site.

https://www.stillzstore.com/recipes.html

Ok. Peaked my interest especially with the rum… of course

[bigwheel]

Ok..I starts out with four empty plastic 1.75 liter vodka bottles which the nice neighbor throws in her recycle bin..washed..sterilized etc. Then in big 2 quart glass fruit jar..I stick half a hand of washed and chopped fresh ginger (3 ozs maybe) in it. Adding two cups sugar 4 Tablespoons Malto Dextrine (optional and about 8 tablespoons liime juice. Bottled works just fine or zest and fresh juice if wanted.) I then pour about half a jar of boiling water over it and hit it with the wifes immersion blender and pulverize it. Give in a few stirs with a long handled knife and fill it on up with more boiling water. Put a lid on it and let it sit till all cools down. Then strain it out in a suitiable container through a lady or girly mans nylon stocking. Divide he liquid equally between the four jugs and top with water. Add a small pinch of Champane or white wine yeast and cap it with the screw on lid and let it set at room temp for a day or so. When the bottles get hard as a rock its carbonized. The bottles will leak once pressured unless kept sitting up right. Then it goes in the frig and waits for me to drink it. The wife nags cause she thinks it thins my blood out too much for an old guy with A Fib and takes blood thinners. Getting it cold slows down the yeast and getting it warm makes it come back to life. lol. Holler if any more details are needed. The longer it sits the more ABV of the contents. I usually drink it about the stage of near beer. lol.

[bigwheel]

Thanks for the honey tip. I squirted a small amount in my Ginger Champage recently prior to ferment and the stuff seemed to act like a claifiyer. Made all the cloudy stuff sink to the bottom. I normally used straight white sugar only. Have clowned around with Brown sugar but it made it too dark.