Making cuts as a beginner can be quite intimidating. With the potential of collecting methanol in your jars, it can be frustrating to try to understand when to make cuts, considering every home distiller has its own technique for making cuts. To make cuts, it’s best to use labeled collecting jars and blend afterward. Use{…}
Category Archives: Distilling 101
You’ve probably heard of freezing alcohol and want to find out why that happens. Or, you’ve just had this phenomenon happen to you and want to find out why your alcohol froze. Alcohol freezer due to the low alcohol content (ABV) of your drink, and the temperature of your freezer. Alcohol is made of ethanol{…}
Sometimes you just want a good glass of your favorite alcohol after a long day or week. And the last thing you need is to be told you need special equipment to brew your drink. Luckily for you, there are various kinds of alcohol you can make with a few store-bought ingredients and equipment you{…}
When you’re new to the hobby of distilling there’s a lot of decisions to make and not much information out there that’s easy to find. I know for myself, that even this decision of when to stop running my still was baffling and I second guessed myself a lot. In this article we’re going to{…}
So, you’re finally done with your spirit run and can’t wait to get your hands (and mouth) on your homemade hooch. Did your distillate came out of the condenser with a funny-looking color? Or did you dilute with water only for it to take on a milky complexion? Don’t be disheartened. This is a common{…}
Most distillers will tell you that nothing screams satisfaction like a flavorful drink. But these aroma-filled oils can take a different turn and give you a cloudy distillate – an effect that arises from louching. Although this is a fascinating phenomenon to look at, not every distiller is fond of haze in their drinks. Louching{…}
When it comes to the distilling industry, there are various ways of achieving the desired level of alcohol content in your gin and vodka. One way of attaining this is through the addition of a neutral spirit. Neutral spirit is odorless and flavorless alcohol. It adds a lot of convenience for spirit producers wanting to{…}
Whether or not sour mashing creates a better-tasting drink is a controversial topic. While some distillers opt for the regular mash route because they believe it produces a cleaner and smoother final product, some still enjoy using a sour mash because it balances the pH of the wash and creates consistent flavors for every bottle{…}
Alcohol by volume (ABV) and proof are the main indicators of alcohol in a beverage, but the two metrics often get confused. Proof is a term that was commonly used during the 16th century before advanced methods of measuring alcohol content were developed. Today, however, some countries (like the US) still use proof to refer{…}
Gin is a distilled spirit where botanicals are added to a neutral base sprit (think vodka) and then redistilled to create the final drink. Most of us are familiar with the taste, but aren’t as well versed in the manufacturing process, so how long is gin normally aged for? Unlike whiskey, rum, and tequila, gin{…}