"The Lore of Still Building"

3/27/2006 -- What is the ratio of yeast energizer to an amount of sugar mush, for making rum?

Response From The Home Brew Store Dot Com: A good rule for a basic 5 gallon batch of alcohol base is to use 12 pounds of sugar dissolved in 5-1/4 gallons of water with 2 ounces of nutrients.

While table sugar works fine, for rum use molasses instead, diluted to a SG of 1.06 - 1.07 If you use more than 50/50 molasses/sugar you'll get a heavy rum. "Fancy" (high grade) molasses will give a better flavor, and has more fermentable sugars than... say... blackstrap molasses. You can also use brown sugar instead of molasses.

1/24/2006 -- How much of your yeast nutrient, by weight, should be added to 5 gallons of yeast and sugar solution to obtain optimum results?

Response From The Home Brew Store Dot Com: I measure it out by volume using 1/2-tsp per gallon for wines and 1-tsp per gallon for meads. Since basic sugar water is easier to digest than honey, I would go with the lower of the two. Figuring that 2-oz (about 55-gm) of nutrient makes up between 9 and 10 teaspoons, 2-1/2 teaspoons for a 5-gal batch would weigh out at about 14 grams, or about 6/10-oz.

10/19/2005 -- I purchased a wine making kit from you about 2 years ago. I have a wine recipe I am interested in distilling. I would like to keep it 180 proof. Does aging this spirit help the flavor, or will it always be harsh no matter how long you let it sit?

Response From The Home Brew Store Dot Com: Aging in a wooden cask or barrel with a charred interior will definitely help the flavor mellow out some. This is the secret to older scotches tasting better. Two years would be the absolute minimum I would recommend. However, if you try to age in the bottle, you won't notice much difference in the end.

8/6/2003 -- Could you tell me what it is made of?

Response From The Home Brew Store Dot Com: The extractor assembly is made of stainless steel. There is a glass thermometer and a length of PVC tubing that come with it, as well as ceramic chips for use in the reflux (water purification) mode. The condenser is made of a composite material.

The Z-Carbon filter is made of rigid plastic with Z Carbon Universal as the carbon filtering agent.