Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

SBB wrote:When I first started in this hobby I had my doubts about that part of the deal. Its a good feeling when you can get up after a big night without a hang over that's for sure.

Yeah me too SBB.. But it's great! :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Bad thing is I forgot how it feels.. I had two strong whiskeys (homemade) and then proceeded to down 4 beers (coopers) at dinner.. bed by 9.30 and woke up feeling like shit!! I know it aint the whiskey cos I have had sessions on that same batch and it's clean.

I like beer but will have to lay off it if this is what it does to me now! :teasing-blah:

Nothing.....3 weeks down two to go then going home to this....oh and the missus and kids

free carton of Budweisers :happy-partydance: nice to see someone appreciates what I do here :D

Some crappy generic beer I made a very long time ago ... Gotta clear this keg so doing my duty :)

wedwards wrote:Some crappy generic beer I made a very long time ago ... Gotta clear this keg so doing my duty :)

Just like distilling mate, there are no bad brews..... some is just better than others :))

MacStill wrote:free carton of Budweisers :happy-partydance: nice to see someone appreciates what I do here :D

Budweiser eh? Lucky its free

Not a fan of the beer.

But love the ads....... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73PEHI5R8Cg :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Buds is one of my fav's, but I drink SFA beer really....... it's nice to have a couple at knock off, but doesnt take long to swing across to the rums :drool:

Less calories in spirits than beer!! :shifty:

Drinking a Macwhisky slight variant been on oak 10 months, damn fine :D

Double pot stilled WBAB that's been on oak for 3 weeks... Definitely drinkable!

Bwko (corn,pale malt, pale wheat, dextrose) stripped in an potstill then rerun in a FSD bubbler on 1 bubble cap and 3 perforated plates, aged on suber lefort dominos then finished in a medium toast oak barrel...
Its really good :dance:

kiwikeg wrote:Bwko (corn,pale malt, pale wheat, dextrose) stripped in an potstill then rerun in a FSD bubbler on 1 bubble cap and 3 perforated plates, aged on suber lefort dominos then finished in a medium toast oak barrel...
Its really good :dance:

Nice new avatar :banana-stoner:

How did you find the bubble caps compared to perforated plates ?

I found mixing perf plates with bubble caps mixed up the balance of the fluid depths on the upper plates just a bit
I suspect it was due to my poor attempt at constructing a downcomer. Binned that one and am going to try it using the FSD downcomer out of one of the perf plates.
When I run all perf plates the still almost runs itself particularly with the flowmeter mods Greenguy did before I bought the FSD SSG still second hand off him.
I love the still its absolutely amazing its ability to pull full flavored spirits at 94% is a dream com true.
Now I dream of a 6' FSD bubbler on one of those fancy 100l boilers.

What's everyone drinking.... good question....

I recently go to the doctor about what I thought was really a non-event matter, and the doctor says lets get some blood tests done while you are here. The blood tests come back showing very high iron levels. Further, the tests indicate major problems with my liver and kidneys. Turns out I have an hereditary condition (gene) that predisposes me to high iron levels (Haemochromatosis), and high iron in your blood can and will result in damage to some body organs. This hereditary condition is evidently not uncommon.

The solution to high iron is to regularly give blood and your iron levels will go down. If not too badly damaged, your liver can evidently rebuild it's self if you are lucky. Note, my liver damage doesn't necessarily have anything to do with too much alcohol, although alcohol definitely helps the problem along. I have not at all been a heavy drinker.

So, what am I drinking?? Well, mainly water these days!! (although I still do have a bit of bourbon with a mixer from time to time). I am being told by medical practitioners to not touch any alcohol at all. Hummmmm!!!

Make sure your own iron levels are not too high as it can have a few nasty repercussions and alcohol evidently doesn't help at all. I wonder if blokes who have had cirrhosis of the liver have had the same sort of predisposition to liver damage I have had because of high iron, and the alcohol has just topped it off.

Based upon my experience, I have to recommend that you blokes who regularly have a drink have blood testing done, if you haven't done so already, to ensure you don't also have high iron levels in your blood that could accelerate liver damage.

Haemochromatosis is easily picked up in any standard blood test, so if you have been to a doc any time in past couple years and had one it should have been identified. My father in law has it and is able to have a few drinks on a fairly regular basis, so it affect people differently.

After drinking some crappy white wine last night while I was smoking a couple pork shoulders, it will be copious amount of coffee for the foreseeable future for me

it aint much fun having stuffed kidneys, even less fun when they go putting a zipper in to fix them :crying-blue:

Ouch

wedwards wrote:Haemochromatosis is easily picked up in any standard blood test, so if you have been to a doc any time in past couple years and had one it should have been identified.

True. I had not had blood testing done for a fair few years, and I expect I am not the only bloke who has avoided going to doctors unless absolutely necessary. Evidently my liver is not at all good, however, as far as my kidneys are concerned it appears I am only getting too much protein in my urine. The way I had been drinking since I started making my own spirits, I am surprised they didn't find alcohol in my pee.

MacStill wrote:it aint much fun having stuffed kidneys, even less fun when they go putting a zipper in to fix them :crying-blue:

You can say that again Mac. It's enough to make a bloke think again and re-evaluate his invincibility. :cry:

wedwards wrote:My father in law has it and is able to have a few drinks on a fairly regular basis, so it affect people differently.

The recommendation that I do not drink alcohol is not because of Haemochromatosis, it is because of the damage to my liver I have from having high iron levels (Haemochromatosis) for so long. If I had picked up on the high iron levels and done something about if before liver damage occurred I would not have the same level of constraint on drinking alcohol.

I just wanted to put this out there to make anyone who has not had blood testing for iron done aware of the issue so they don't fall into the trap I have fallen into.

Yeah definately - good idea to get checked out on some kind of regular basis. My FIL got it picked up early so he was lucky