Distilling beer

[corkybstewart]

I spent yesterday afternoon with a couple of guys who do their own distilling. One of them has been distilling for years taught himself French so he can study old French distilling manuscripts from the 17th and 18th centuries. He has even spent a year in France learning to distill absinthe, a small bottle of which I find myself in possession of. Anyway, these guys ferment and distill everything-yesterday it was fermented wheat germ, and after I left they were going to do 5 gallons of wine.
The weakness in their(at least the new guy) procedure IMHO is in the fermentation-the new guy didn't seem to understand that while yeast may "work" from 60F-90F, it has an optimal temp. So in a couple of weeks the 3 of us are going to brew 10 gallons of 6% ABV un-hopped beer for them to distill. I'll let you know how it turns out.
BTW this guy has his reflux still set up in his garage in a very pricey neighborhood. He waves to the neighbors as they walk by, nobody seems to care.

[HarkJohnny]

that's AWESOME!

I had a distilled beer before and it was very interesting. you could still pick out the hops as it had been from 45 gallons of Pale Ale.

[Mad Scientist]

Titos hand made vodka--the only liscensed distiller in TX distills from cheap beer.

[MichaelM]

LOL if it wasnt for the legalities of it I would have already built a reflux setup for the giggles...... that being said.... I still debate :)

[corkybstewart]

LOL if it wasnt for the legalities of it I would have already built a reflux setup for the giggles...... that being said.... I still debate :)
Your children deserve fresh distilled water on a daily basis:D

[chazwicke]

Titos hand made vodka--the only liscensed distiller in TX distills from cheap beer.

I just saw an ad for that stuff. Is it any good?

[Mad Scientist]

Well, it has won several awards, but I am not--and never have been--a vodka drinker, so I do not know

[corkybstewart]

I sampled a few of their products but unfortunately I was having a killer day with allergies so it was hard to appreciate the flavors-it pretty much all tasted like vodka to me.
He's working on a system to add botanicals to his product, so he can make things like gin or citrus vodka.

[HogieWan]

If you're making whiskey, a pot still can have good results. I've been wanting to try making my own whiskey, but SWMBO disapproves due to the legal questions

[Cosmic Charlie]

It is my understanding that most flavor compounds get left behind - but not all. Therefore, some hop flavor might come through perhaps? Might a double IPA be an interesting beer to distill?

[MichaelM]

If you're making whiskey, a pot still can have good results. I've been wanting to try making my own whiskey, but SWMBO disapproves due to the legal questions


thats the cool thing about a lot of reflux still designs..... pull the tower packing and dont run it in reflux mode and there you have it, a pot still......

[beerking]

If you're making whiskey, a pot still can have good results. I've been wanting to try making my own whiskey, but SWMBO disapproves due to the legal questions

There are no questions. It is illegal, period.

[beerking]

It is my understanding that most flavor compounds get left behind - but not all. Therefore, some hop flavor might come through perhaps? Might a double IPA be an interesting beer to distill?

Whisky is actually made from "wash," not wort. There is no addition of hops to wash.

The great majority of flavors in most whiskys comes from the barrel it is stored in, as does the color. Straight, un-aged whisky is crystal clear, with no color at all. It also tends to taste more or less like vodka, although stronger flavors, like smoke from peat do come through.

[HogieWan]

There is no addition of hops to wash.


don't tell the Beam family (or many other whisky/bourbon makers)

also, you do get some flavors depending on the grain bill unless you distill as pure as possible, which even leaves traces of the ferment.

[Mad Scientist]

If you're making whiskey, a pot still can have good results. I've been wanting to try making my own whiskey, but SWMBO disapproves due to the legal questions

I thought that sort of activity was sort of a tradition in those parts and further east....after all, we wouldn't have NASCAR without it.

[HarkJohnny]

I thought that sort of activity was sort of a tradition in those parts and further east....after all, we wouldn't have NASCAR without it.

not sure if that's a good or bad thing?! lol :D

I'm a Formula 1 fan so "I keeed, I keeed!"

[Mad Scientist]

A good thing actually....those are valuable skills to have....espicially after the revolution and all of the lawyers are put to the firing squad, brewers, vinters, and distillers will be everyones favortie person

[beerking]

A good thing actually....those are valuable skills to have....espicially after the revolution and all of the lawyers are put to the firing squad, brewers, vinters, and distillers will be everyones favortie person

Reminds me of a homebrew shop ad I saw once, which basically said: "In case of worldwide disaster, you will be the most popular guy in the neighborhood!"

[corkybstewart]

Reminds me of a homebrew shop ad I saw once, which basically said: "In case of worldwide disaster, you will be the most popular guy in the neighborhood!"
I have a couple of employees who have sworn to move their families out to my "compound" when the shit hits the fan. Between them they have enough firepower and military experience to keep the thirsty hordes at bay. Plus, my new neighbor is a homebrewer so between us we'd be in great shape.

[HogieWan]

I've gotten pretty good and making beer and bread and cooking meat over real fire. I think I'm all set.

[cul8rv8]

not sure if that's a good or bad thing?! lol :D

I'm a Formula 1 fan so "I keeed, I keeed!"


Agreed. :) I was disappointed that the Long Beach race this year is IRL (or as I call it, open wheel NASCAR). I was hoping that Bernie would send an F1 race there... Oh well, I'll keep going so I have my prime seats for whenever they get good racing again.

[wild]

Titos hand made vodka--the only liscensed distiller in TX distills from cheap beer.
I've got a couple bottles of that lying around but I'm not much of a vodka man myself.

[HogieWan]

I've considered filtering some everclear through charcoal, diluting it to 55% abv and putting it in some wood chips for a while and diluting down to 40% and seeing how good of a "whisky" I could get.

[PsychoBrew]

I have an acquaintance that has his own distilling set up. He purchased all the stuff through the local brew shop I think. I have not tried any of his stuff, but will the next time I see him. From what he has told me - the stuff comes out pretty good.
I think I will just stick with the brewing process for now - that keeps me busy enough :D

[beerking]

I've considered filtering some everclear through charcoal, diluting it to 55% abv and putting it in some wood chips for a while and diluting down to 40% and seeing how good of a "whisky" I could get.

Check out 1000 Oaks Barrel Co. They sell "bootlegger kits" which include a flavor agent to allow you to take grain alcohol and do just that. they are on the web.

[HogieWan]

Check out 1000 Oaks Barrel Co. They sell "bootlegger kits" which include a flavor agent to allow you to take grain alcohol and do just that. they are on the web.

but the LHBS/wine shop has oak chips pretty cheap. Plus I want a LITTLE bit of the process

[texasliam]

I have a couple of employees who have sworn to move their families out to my "compound" when the shit hits the fan. Between them they have enough firepower and military experience to keep the thirsty hordes at bay. Plus, my new neighbor is a homebrewer so between us we'd be in great shape.

During the Island lockdown after huricane Ike I rented a shotgun for a 6pack of homebrew. My house got pretty poplular and I ran through 2 kegs that week. I'll be set when the revolution comes. I just need to learn how to malt barley. Can you ferment flour or cooked rice if it's steeped with malted barley?

[beerking]

In case of a major disaster, we will all be much more popular than some guy who collects stamps!

[Mad Scientist]

When the revolution comes down, the lawyers will be the first against the wall, brewers, vinters and distillers will be last.

[Beer Martin]

When the revolution comes down, the lawyers will be the first against the wall, brewers, vinters and distillers will be last.


Depends which revolution comes first. Some of those lawyers are better at smooth talk than a lot of us beer geeks.
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[Mad Scientist]

Umm...you're not a lawyer, are you >(

[Beer Martin]

Umm...you're not a lawyer, are you >(

:eek:

No way. I'm just a home brewer with an engineering problem.


Corky, any results from the great distillation experiment?

My uncle wants to make vodka and I told him I'd give him a hand. I was thinking more along the lines of just mashing a bunch of corn with 6 row barely (for enzyme content) and fermenting it up to 15% with an attenuative champaign yeast. Then distilling the result to 40% or so. I have also been kicking around the idea of ice distillation. I have a buddy down here that has done ice mead and got about 40% alcohol out of it.
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[corkybstewart]

:eek:

No way. I'm just a home brewer with an engineering problem.


Corky, any results from the great distillation experiment?

My uncle wants to make vodka and I told him I'd give him a hand. I was thinking more along the lines of just mashing a bunch of corn with 6 row barely (for enzyme content) and fermenting it up to 15% with an attenuative champaign yeast. Then distilling the result to 40% or so. I have also been kicking around the idea of ice distillation. I have a buddy down here that has done ice mead and got about 40% alcohol out of it.
We're going to brew the beer this weekend, probably something with an OG of around 1.070-he wants to start with something that I would consider drinkable as beer and go from there.
Next winter I'm definitely going to brew an eisbock and get it to around 25% ABV. I'm shooting for something like the beer liquor I brought back from the Hotel Lowenbrau in Bad Worishofen last summer. Sweet and thick but brimming with alcohol. Other places we stayed distilled their beers, but they were more like spirits. What I'd like to do is brew a good malty doppelbock, say around 8-10% ABV, freeze the keg to remove the water, rack to a new keg and repeat until I get it where I want it.

[HogieWan]

My uncle wants to make vodka and I told him I'd give him a hand. I was thinking more along the lines of just mashing a bunch of corn with 6 row barely (for enzyme content) and fermenting it up to 15% with an attenuative champaign yeast. Then distilling the result to 40% or so.

for vodka, you need to distill to 90-95% then add water to bring it down to 40%.

This site is not easy to get around, but it has a LOT of great info:
http://www.homedistiller.org/static_menu.htm

[Beer Martin]

for vodka, you need to distill to 90-95% then add water to bring it down to 40%.

This site is not easy to get around, but it has a LOT of great info:
http://www.homedistiller.org/static_menu.htm


Well, distilling by boiling flashes off the alcohol. Boiling off the alcohol will result in a high 80-90% alcohol range. Then you add water back to it.

Ice distillation removes water, not alcohol. So, you could distill that without adding water back to get 40%.

But now that I think about it, I should boil it because ice distillation will leave a lot of flavor in the drink, which may not make for a good spirit.


Thanks for the reference. I'll check it out.
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[corkybstewart]

But now that I think about it, I should boil it because ice distillation will leave a lot of flavor in the drink, which may not make for a good spirit.
That's exactly why I would freeze distill a dopplebock

[Beer Martin]

That's exactly why I would freeze distill a dopplebock

And why ice distilled mead is a beautiful thing.
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[corkybstewart]

It's great talking about doing these hypothetical ideas, but since it's illegal I guess we can't do it.

[beerking]

Corky's right. Noboby I know does it!
Although, the only 49 point score I have given as a judge was for an Eisbock that went on to make BOS. Since he obviously did not distill it in anyway, I wonder how he did it.
OBTW, I told him on the score sheet that I deducted one point because I did not have enough of the beer! :D

[vance71975]

There are no questions. It is illegal, period.

I beg to differ, it is completely legal to Own,and run a still. It only becomes Illegal if you DRINK or SELL the distilled product, as a matter of fact, you can, if you fill out the proper paper work, get a TAX CREDIT for distilling your own alternative fuel. Also, Moonshine, IE 98 to 100% ABV Will with the right adaptions run a car very efficiently!

Ad on an Ohio Based HBS/HWS Site:

One Gallon Air Still $199.95 / EACH (works kinda like a coffee pot)

One gallon air cooled still. Requires no water for cooling the distillate. For distilling water and essential oils. Alcohol for bio fuel can also be produced (please check with your state regarding the legalities of producing bio fuel). Includes one pack of ceramic boil enhancers (these are used to reduce the risk of surge boiling which can happen occasionally).

* It is currently illegal in the USA to distill alcohol for consumption. We are not allow to discuss the use of this still for alcohol production.

If they were illegal to own, and use no store online or locally could carry them.Gotta Love the laws in the USA and Laws there is ALWAYS a loophole!

http://www.thegrape.net/browse.cfm/4,10044.html