Hey all!
I'd like to introduce myself. I just started making some oat whiskey after a long absence due to a move. I use a propane fired 35 gallon still and have a 15 gallon keg that use as a thumper too. I'd like to make anther T-spear to link another keg as a second thumper one day. In the past I filled 5 and 6 gallon barrels and had my own little rickhouse! I use 55 gallon Rubbermaid tubs for fermentors. My favorite to drink is high ester rum, but molasses is crazy expensive. I even did a huge batch of HIGH HIGH ester rum using the full Cousins method with sulfuric acid and lime, it was bonkers!!!! Due to the cost of molasses I usually make a whiskey of sorts since it's so cheap and easy to do using Angel yeast where I don't need to gelatinize or mash grains. I have also made brandies using my small 8 gallon still, I hope to do that more often. I haven't made a peaty Scotch due to cost, but I'm going to start soon to see what processes will work best for me.
My main goal is to start a little solera system in my garage using a 3 used 25 gallon barrels --> 6 used 10 gallon barrels --> 6 5 gallon barrels, new and used. 3 sets of a 25, 2 10's, 2 5's. 1 set of each: rum, bourbon and peaty Scotch. Year 1 fill the 25 gallon barrels. It might take me most of the year. Year 2 or even 3, fill the 10's. Wait until the 25's are nearing ready and fill the 5's for what's ready, wait at least 6 months to a year. Drain 10 gallons for the ready 25 and bottle, refill from the 10's, refill the 10's with the 5's. It'll take a while, but I have time. ...I'm retiring next year! I might even just leave the rums white, I like white overproof rum better than anything. My 3rd set might be a wheat whiskey.
I'd love to switch from expensive propane to cheap electricity.
Edited by RescueU, 20 August 2022 - 07:02 PM.
