Howza

[Liquor_Down_Under]

Hey, I'm Dave, been distilling for... about a year? I think? I moved on to add distilling after only brewing beer for some time. My setup is pretty simple- I bought a basic reflux attachment to go onto my electric brewery (Grainfather). It was a simple way to get into distilling and make a spirit I can then use for various things. I still brew of course (I've got a keg of brown ale carbonating right now), it's just I've added something new to experiment and have fun with.

For the most part I make various liqueurs with the spirit. I make the usual, straw/blue/black/raspberry, mint, amaretto, chocolate, and so forth. I get my recipes off various websites, though typically I halve the sugar, following the recipes as written gives alcoholic sugar water rather than something nice (at least to my tastebuds).

I also make skittle vodka. It's pretty simple- I get a heap of skittles, separate the flavours, and soak one colour in spirit for about an hour or so. Basically until the colour gets stripped from the skittles. I mix the resulting drink with lemonade, it's quite refreshing. I recommend getting the berry skittles, the flavours I've tried from that version have all been great.

I'm also sitting the spirit on wood and making a... rum? It's a sugar wash so I think it's technically rum I'm making? Anyway it first sits on wood chips, then gets moved into a small barrel. I used to use the barrel to mature port, now it's spirit. I have an unusued empty barrel and when I've built up enough spirit to fill it I'll use that one too. It makes a drink that's somewhat simple but quite nice. I usually have it with coke.

Hello all!

[Wellsy]

Welcome Dave
We have a few beer brewers here as well as distillers. Lots of good info in the newbie section and heaps of recipes in the tried and true section.

[The Stig]

G’Day Dave.
I remember making redskin, banana, musk stick vodkas , basically any lolly that would dissolve was fair game .
Back in the early 2000’s
Wait till you make rum from molasses if you think neutral on oak is good :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:
Have fun heading down this rabbit hole you’ve just stepped into

[Liquor_Down_Under]

G’Day Dave.
I remember making redskin, banana, musk stick vodkas , basically any lolly that would dissolve was fair game .
Back in the early 2000’s
Wait till you make rum from molasses if you think neutral on oak is good :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:
Have fun heading down this rabbit hole you’ve just stepped into

I have been considering getting molasses, are there any places that sell it bulk in SA you know of?

[RobMichelle]

Hi Dave , I not long did a molasses run, I just went to the local feed store or ag place, purchased 2.8 ltr bucket or thy had 20ltr pail, really stinks the house out, well I thought it was nice wife didn’t , I brew stout so i love the smell anyway. Enjoy and welcome

[harold01]

Gawler fodder, I got an IBC of it a couple of months back, there prices are good

[Bamboo]

Geez Harold......an IBC that's a serious amount of rum! :))

[harold01]

its the only way to make sure some of it reaches a respectable age

[Wellsy]

Then Harold can use the IBC as a fermenting vessel lol