StillSmart

Nope, there's no 'inner circle' on this forum don't worry! I guess people just have lives to be getting on with, I know that's what has been keeping me away from stilling (and not for the first time as regulars will know) - I have been training up my other half though as she only works part time so is around more than I am, and once I have cleared some of the other things I have to do I will be getting back to it!

I got a new job last year. It's an awesome job and I love it but I'm just knackered when I get home. I'm waiting for the evenings to stretch out again and I can get back in my shed and finishing off the VMs.

When I was in the shed the other morning getting my bike out for the pedal to work I spotted the water in my quenching trough was frozen..

Well in my case, it's just not having so much time.......

If I have to stop for a break I just have a look through the bookmarks on my phone, but even if I do spot a thread I want to read, it can take too long to post an answer or comment, and many part typed answes get binned as I have to go and do something work related.......

etc etc.......

Plus it does seem that when you get settled and steady at this, you don't have so much regular input. There's always the initial surge of interest when you're new to this.

Personally, if the great finger came out of the sky and I could give up working, I'd experiment more and have the time to be looking for and locating parts and kit for my home build......

Then it'd probably be hard to shut me up.........

I like this little.site, nice friendly people, when I first came here it was so quiet!!, but I've learnt that time differences play a big part.

All very valid points and I have to say I do tend to forget that not everyone has the time on their hands that I have.

Having said that there does seem to be more traffic here these days.

AM

Still about

Lots of family changes earlier this year and work hectic ....

Plus I live in a farm house and it' too cold to brew lol ... but still reading regularly ....

Even just made some 8% blueberry essence...thing ... up with spare from last year ...arse up to the elbows springs to mind ... need to work out how much sugar to add i think lol ...it kicks like a mule on your sour taste buds

Iain

Good to hear from you again Iain, if you are adding sugar to your tart drink, go easy on it. I found with raspberrys that if you mixed it "just right" it would continue to smooth out and appear sweeter or less tart a few months down the line, which for me was slightly dissapointing as I felt it had lost something.

If you aim to leave it slightly too tart, it might smooth out on its own, or you could always add more sugar later on if you think it needs it.

I think we're all a bit too busy these days . . . . I retired and thought I'd have plenty of spare time, but I've never been so busy :0) I have at least had time to run the new still and was not too happy with the outcome (or output). From the advice on this terrific site, I discovered that I was doing a few things wrong - including misreading the instructions and having the water connections wrong for the reflux column (Duh . . . ) I've got another TPW just about finished so will have another go with the correct water connections and a valve in the water flow to assist in controlling this CM still. By all accounts, not the easiest type of still to run but it should teach me a lot about the distiller's art!! Once I have some reserves of neutral for the missus's drinks, from the reflux set-up, I'll fit the pot head and try for some malt whisky. Peated malt crushed and ready to go :0) I now know why they call it the "hard stuff" - making it is petty difficult but well worth the learning and effort they tell me.
This is by far the most friendly and helpful bunch of enthusiasts out there so I hope the site will continue to grow and assist newbies like me to develop the craft. Cheers, SW