What I Did Today

[vino-tinto]

I have just finished diluting and carbon filtering 15 litres of spirit to make the family liqueurs for xmas and after 5 hours in a confined room I feel on top of the world, until later perhaps .

[RumJohn]

Will get a cachaca recipe out in a few days when things slow down a bit. as most of you are not likely to have access to fresh sugar cane juice, I will send the recipe I use out of season. Sugar cane is only around for a couple of months. It takes 9 months to grow.

Few people realize that cachaca is the third largest selling alcohol in the world and the second largest seller in Germany. They like a caipirinha there. And as in the US and a few other countries, the marketing for cachaca has gone big.

[vino-tinto]

Today I made a heat box 50cm wide x 50cm deep x 80cm tall, from the heavy cardboard box my freezer came in, lined it with radiator foil purchased from Toolstation @ a price of £5.27. In the base I placed my 40W heat tray, turned it on and went back to check it a while ago.
It was like opening an oven door, so I put in a fermenter filled with water @ 25C, I'll check that in the morning to see what the temp is. I hope this will solve my heating problems in the colder weather, if it does I can get another TPW on the go.

EDIT: Just checked, overnight the air temp in the garage dropped to 6C, inside the box the temp of the water in the fermenter is 26C, looks very promising.

[RumJohn]

Was begining to think I had been excommunicated. Not that I have had much to say of late. But I enjoy seeing what everybody else is up to.

Am on my eighth straight day of distilling. Need to get about 500L of final product ageing. This will keep me off the streets for a while.

[Phantom]

Was begining to think I had been excommunicated. Not that I have had much to say of late. But I enjoy seeing what everybody else is up to.

Am on my eighth straight day of distilling. Need to get about 500L of final product ageing. This will keep me off the streets for a while.

Bloody hell ! To have enough space to make enough base wash. I get what ? 15% of the intial wash after distilling. Thats working from 25 litres of fermented wash and getting 3.6 litres of 94% spirit.

So to end up with 500 litres of finished brew, that's what ? 2.5 to 3k litres of base wash ?.....

[Easydrinker]

So to end up with 500 litres of finished brew, that's what ? 2.5 to 3k litres of base wash ?.....

You have to remember Phantom,that RumJohn seems to supply his whole province.

But yes,with the opportunity to make on such a scale,I think I could improve,pretty damn quick!

Robert.

[RumJohn]

Didn't mean to mislead but do the wash at 90L each. It takes me some work and time.

[Easydrinker]

RumJohn,the pics just worsen the brewing envy!
Salute to you sir.
May you live long and prosper.
Robert.

[RumJohn]

Peotle just love "Apple Pie". But there is a little work involved in making it. Up until yesterday I have made it at half a dozen bottles at a time. So yesterday dug out a 30L milk can I have used before as a boiler on small runs.

Ran 24 bottles but the can will take more next time. Didn't have enough apple juice to do more yesterday.

If you have not made Apple Pie, then get onto some for Xmas. It will go over well.

[Almanac]

Made some Strawberry Shortcake, Orange Liqueur and now I have to go back, find the recipe and make Apple Pie too! Do you not think I have enough to do as it is

Christmas sure is a busy time I'm glad I'm not trying to make enough to sell, I'd never keep up with demand due to too much sampling

AM

[Phantom]

Seen mention of the apple pie flavour brew else where. Has a recipe been posted here ? If so, where or do I need to start hitting google ?

Plus RJ's stainless cans pictured look bloody marvellous. Wish I could get a couple cheap to convert.......

[Almanac]

YHB and Capt C posted their variants in the Recipes thread. As far as I know their the only ones posted.

AM

[Phantom]

Cheers Aidan, I'll have a look there......

[RumJohn]

Hi Aidan: I responded to your PM - I think. Not sure if I did it right.

Anyway, as a few others have queried Apple Pie I am taking the liberty of including here what I sent to you.


Preview: Re: Apple pie
My pleasure: This is what I use which I took off the TV show moonshiners. They use moonshine (probably a corn whiskey) whereas I use rum because that is what I have sitting around.

1 part 40% ABV white rum. Lets say 750ml.
1 part apple juice. I use DOLE which is reconstituted from ....
45g brown sugar.
A stick of cinnamon. Quite big sticks here. Can send a photo if you want.
Bring to the boil.
Simmer 30 mins.
I remove the cinnamon and let cool.
When cool, add 1 part 50%ABV rum. I use an aged rum but when it has gone I will use white as the sugar and cinnamon overpower the wood.
Let settle for a few days. There is some sediment. Siphon and bottle without siphon tube reaching the bottom. Sediment is very light and fine and will get sucked up easily.

Overall comes out at 30%ABV. Thats what I do and people love it. Any more questions don't hesitate to ask. Enjoy and Merry Xmas.

[RumJohn]

Attn: Phantom

Yes to answer you froma few days back. Two and half to rhree thousand liters is about right. But I can't do that all at once. No where near that capacity.