I was shocked how good of a job it did. Especially for the short cost 115 vs something like a t500 or building something. Not a bad piece of kit at all.
Just a tip for these stills, if you let them sit for awhile, like 4 months, before you run your still, run vinegar through it. The copper tubing has a tendency to corrode, especially in warmer, more humid climates. My liquor ferry figured that out the hard way.
A friend presented me with two five gallon buckets of muscadines to make wine with a few years ago. I had made cider for years out of apple juice but never from whole apples and I had made wine from grape juice but never whole grapes. I wasn't quite sure how to handle processing the muscadines until I remembered my sausage grinder that we use for processing deer sausage. It took about 15 minutes to run through both buckets and the end product (post fermentation) was outstanding. The liquor fairies could have had a field-day......
I put the fruit in a pressure cooker, add water as needed, then cook it at 15 lbs for 20 minutes. It breaks down the cell walls & in high seed density fruits, like bitter oranges or muscadines, I end up extracting more juice, since seeds get in the way of presses, & grinding up the seeds, could release more bad stuff contained inside the seeds, than the pressure cooker. Also, pressure cooking kills any microbes, leaving no competition or other interference for the yeast, instead turning the microbes carcasses into a "yeast feast". I strain it through a filter bag, funnel it into a carboy or 5 gallon bucket, add sugar as needed, bloom some yeast, pour it in, & cap it with an airlock & carry on from there.
One year in the 80's after picking wild blackberries I decided to make homemade wine. After following a recipe from Mother Earth News I got a high alcohol thick Brandywine. Knock your socks off stuff. Of course it's because of mistakes. But one shot was yummy, silky and knock you out.
One year back in the 90s I had no idea what I was doing. I tried making wine directly in the bottle. Used a balloon over the bottle until fermentation was done. When I thought it was done I capped it. It was a Friday night about 2 in the morning and I was sitting in my underwear in the living room lights out playing PlayStation. I heard what sounded like a shotgun going off in the kitchen. I guess it wasn't through fermenting lol. It was inside my kitchen cabinet. It blew so hard it embedded glass into the wood.
@@BeardedBored I don't remember all of it. Here you go from memory from 1990. Picked wild blackberries for several days. After typical cleaning regiment removing debris and tiny bugs proceeded to separate and process jarred Jams, jarred presserves and syrup for pancakes. Ended up with left over intact and partially used berries. Humm🤔 So pulled out an old Mother Earth News story on wine. Took a 1 gallon glass milk jug, added must and other fresh berries, sugar, 1 packet of bread yeast and muddled it. Then added some water to muddle again. Filled jug about half full. Left it on brick fireplace hearth uncovered for several weeks. No fire in fireplace. Once bubbles started to go over top I inserted plastic hose into vessel and placed it into a lower glass gallon jug. Then waited for gravity. Couple weeks liquid began to flow from the main vessel into the lower one. Once it looked complete. Removed hose, added a little water to must and muddled again. Let it ferment couple days and repeated the siphon step. The end product was blackberry forward and sweet thick, similar to liquor but thicker. The end product was very high. In alcohol. Even a shot would give a buzz. It was so concentrated the amount made was just above 1 quart. If my memory is in tact. But it's not anymore. Too many years and too many experiments. Tasted delicious. Gave all of it away as gifts. Now I know open direct air fermentation is dangerous and would not do it again. However, it was tasty strong liqueur.
I just did a big run of muscadine and scuppernong brandy. We have a small "vineyard" in western NC and we've been making wine and brandy for months now. My entire family gets either wine or brandy for Christmas presents.
I watched a few of your videos years ago and learned plenty. Found Good Old George and learned more. Now seeing your newer videos you should be complemented on how the look and sound have evolved for the better. Subscribed
we have frost grapes in my area and they are so small and don't produce much and are hard to pick the grapes are 20-50ft in the trees but they make such great grappa if you get enough "hypothetically"
Great video, as always! I started watching you, Jesse and George a while back....decided I really wanted to start "chasing the craft." Bought this exact Vevor a couple of months ago, made that same mod for the thumper too! Had a couple of great runs, then decided it was time to up my game a bit. Scowered the internet and pieced together a pretty nice setup for $350. Been really happy with the way things are turning out.
I have this exact one but without the thumper and I felt the condenser flow and temp were hard to control, so I made a condenser with a 5 gallon pail and used all the fittings to connect it to the boiler pot and to the pond pump, it makes it a lot easier to run. This set up is totally worth the expense and I'm going to make a thumper from one of your previous video. Cheers man good review, and the brandy sounds great!
Yeah, the condenser flow rate is definitely fiddly. Took a few minutes to get it flowing high enough to hit the top coil and not so high that it overflowed. But I've had practice with my mini still condenser. I'm not a big fan of the worm condensers in general. Liebigs are so much easier to run.
Awesome timing! I just got the 9.6 gallon unit in last week. The main pot was almost worth the full price! I'm glad you made this video because I was a bit nervous about putting it together. I am excited to put it to use (hypothetically), but honestly I decided to get it as an emergency water distiller too. It can clean up contaminated water quickly with any heat source. Viva Vevor! Their stuff is amazing! They make a killer air still too. Thanks again!
I brought the same kit but I used the conical silicon piece to attach the down tube, same result different solution. I’ve also found the condenser is not big enough, small investment in a copper coil and 5gal bucket plus using the fitting from the original condenser and that problem was solved as well.
Oh, the little stopper looking piece? Nice. I had the same thought about the condenser that it may not keep up, but after some fiddling I was able to balance the water flow just right to keep the water luke warm temp the whole time....hypothetically of course.
On my 3 gallon Velor, i hypothetically change the fitting on the slosh box to a compression fitting along with a length copper tubing. I removed the top ball valve and replaced it with a brass nipple. During the run, I pack the thumper with 100% copper Chore Boy scratch pad to give more copper for the sulfur removal. I also take the thumper out of the mix when doing a stripping run. I hypothetically get between 170 to 178 proof from a sprint run with the thumper.
We had Muscadine and Concord grapes growing in the back pasture when I was a kid. My mom would make jam from a mix of the two. What I'd give to have those in the backyard here to brew with 😂
Find a good hiking trail in early summer to see if you can find some grapes growing in your area. Take some cuttings and start a backyard vineyard. That's my plan;-)
Great video! I have this Vevor too, is very versatile. Something I will add to the pot is that the bottom is very thin. I suggest to put a plate of iron or alluminium between the flame and the pot. I also made a bigger output from the ceiling to increase the steam output doubling the copper tube size. All home depo stuff that cost few bucks. Btw as you say, for the price and for the easyness of use is a very nice still ready to use out of the box.
Growing up in Grapevine Texas where muscadine grapes grow wild my stepmom made some Muscadine Champagne (sparkling wine) that was tasty. Was by mistake but good.
When I was a kid and in Bremond Tx. Not to far away. The Old Timers use to make the Best Grape wine but That Stuff was AtLeast 20% Alcohol man it was Srong but it was Delicious! I Wish i could get my hands on their Old Recipe of that wine! Best wine i Ever Tasted!🍇😇🥰
Not recommended. With (most) inductions, they'll heat up to the programmed temp, then shut off, then back on.....not great when you want a constant energy in the boiler. I have this setup and was thinking about installing a heating element.
Muscadine and scuppernongs….love em. Reminds me of my childhood living in North Carolina. Randomly found a batch at a grocery store here in Chicago. Only regret was not buying all they had because they never restocked em.
great info!!! i bought a vevor just because the money to try the craft was reasonable, I tell you it's an awesome little still for someone just wanting to get their feet wet. Enjoying your videos.
Your gonna get that warm buttery flavor on every brandy you run, does for my copper still anyways, take some of the sweet tail ends and cut down the proof, then age it in a little barrel for about 30 to 40 days. I put mine in at around 100 proof due to the water I use to seal the barrel, itll soak up and mix inside the barrel dropping down the proof. Its heavenly on the finished product. Great video man, I just got some muskydynes so I'm gonna try it!
Muscadine makes a great drink. I got lucky this year and ended up with 15 gallons of finished wine with only muscadine for fruits. I use the left over skins for jam.
I have one vevor still just like that only the over flow condenser i have a problem with on you teach me something about the thumper key i was planning well copper tub
Also my 8 gal Vevor thump has a jump to a 3.5 gal Stainless bucket with clamps for an extra flavor basket Then to the condenser but it’s a attachments and doesn’t have to be used
My 5 gallon just arrived, I'm thinking I made a mistake and should've gotten the 8, but all of that is moot until I get off my chair and run something!! Thanks for the slobber box/Thumper clarification and very simple suggestion!
My grandfather always said the mustang grapes as they called them in Tennessee back woods were so peppery that the old timers would boil them down with baking soda to clean it up. I guess what they were doing without really knowing was to use baking soda to de-acidify them.
Wow, never heard of doing that. I'll look it up for next year. Might be an interesting side project. Also, we have 2 distinct species around here. Mustang (fuzzy leaf) and muscadine(smooth leaf). The seasons overlap by a week or two but I couldn't find any fruiting mustang vines. I always thought they were the same until I started picking this summer.
@@BeardedBored I was just guessing when he said old timers and Tennessee that it was an old trial and error thing they figured out back in the day. :) I mean these are the same old timer family members from the Cumberland Gap area who bathed in lye soap made from their left over fry grease. Lol.
Hi thanks for your video ! Two quick related questions : 1) Are the gaskets silicone ? 2) Aren't you worried of putting silicone in contact of the alcohol vapor ? (hoses + gaskets?)
Yes, the gaskets are silicone. No I'm not worried about it, but I understand your concerns. Silicone is rated as "good" for chemical resistance to ethanol, but not "excellent" like ptfe and epdm. I am toying with the idea of doing an "upgrade your vevor" video to swap out the silicone with epdm or ptfe for folks that want to make the change.
:) In Latvia we have Muscadine grapes. They are adopted to our climate. We are in the North Europe. 2 month ago we where in grape yard and we drink Muscadine wine. Tasty, spicy, acidic. In our countryside we where Muscadines, but we destroy them, because of "wrong place"... Cheers! 🥂
@@BeardedBored Yes, they were planted 50? years ago at the front side of the house - the bush was so big and it gave a big shadow on the windows and this is it. No grapes. :)
After reading through the comments I guess my Vevor is the only one that came with the tube for the thumper. It just screws on to the bottom of the lid.
The wine got oxidized due to a bucket failure, but I was able to save it. Hypothetically...it makes good brandy. Video will be up in a few more weeks. Tepache Rum is next:-)
Stupid question but what if you had added wine instead of grapejuice? (If you'd really want to avoid the "Welchness" ??) BTW, great video and really nice to see you again!!
I've looked around here for muscadine grapes, never found enough to make anything. I DID stumble on some Paw Paws tho, made some tasty wine ! Not enough to distill, but maybe next year.
Yeah, I had trouble finding fruiting vines this year. The neighborhood was dirty with vines, but only about 1 in 50 had fruit. Hoping to catch it earlier next year. I'm jealous of your paw paws. I don't think we have them down here. Good luck next season:-)
Yep, definitely muscadines. Leaves are smooth on both sides. Mustangs are fuzzy. Both do grow around here and I found a few mustang vines, but none were fruiting this year.
I'm going to start transplanting some vines in more areas around here while they're dormant to see if I can get some better production over the next few years.
I find them when I'm driving. During the season you'll see them scattered in the road under trees that overhang, or along fence rows. Google best times and locations for your specific area to see if anybody has put together the info. Usually universities have some info.
When you have a thumper in line in your distilling rig, temperature in the boiler is no longer relevant because of the redistillation in the thumper. Go by the flow rate, not the temperature.
My grandmother here in Central Texas used to make a few cases of awesome Muscedine jelly, while grandpa made a couple of cases of wine instead. Bummer I lost track of their recipes.
Nice video I always like the way you attack projects. That Stil looks well worth it…. I don’t have a mile hi separator….. my only thought is the stuff in the thumper contains yeast and could give off some off notes when they burst under the heat… But some yeast could give it some soul… But with your way of doing it do you think if you added some spend grains from a wash 🧼 in the thumper it could give a sour mash flavor…. Ive Never used a thumper did. the fairy 🧚 talk about it being loud …ALSO LAST question do you think the Stil will work on a magnetic 🧲 burner thing I forget the name of it but like a heatless burner. Most cheap stainless will work and then you can really dial in the temp you want………..
Question, I have heard that these stainless stills produce a different .. almost off.. taste as compared to copper. Couldnt one use copper pipe and tubing along with some copper wool to clean that up?
If the fermentation is clean, then the spirit will be fine in a stainless still. But yes, you can absolutely use copper scrubbies or tubing somewhere in the vapor path to clean up sulfur compounds.
when i did down tube for thumper the copper line fit really loose so i used part of the piece you tossed and used part of that pushed into the other size tube you used to make a tighter fit any comments on this would be nice and thanks for the video
I've been looking for a long time. Looking to move past apple cider and wine. Best video I've seen on a review. I went ahead and bought this same one tonight. Used your code and hope it helps you. Great video and thanks for all that you do.
I just got the same unit from Vevor recently. Mine has a down tube that attaches in the thumper... they must have just missed putting one in your unit.
Could you proof it down with the original ~8% wine? Would that affect/ruin the distilled flavor? I've been "hypothetically" considering getting into this and your video are great for answering the stray thoughts that sometimes pop up
Better idea, proof up your wine. That's what they do with port. Make the wine, then add enough brandy to get it up to 25-ish% I think. Have not researched it, but now I have to or it'll drive me nuts. Thanks for the idea👍👍👍
I've heard that muscadine grape juice is so acidic it will strip paint off a car! But the flavor is unlike anything else. Kind of like sand hill plums. Small, powerfully acidic and sour, but a flavor more delicious than any other in jelly, jam or wine. Gonna have to get some together and send them to you, and see what you can make from them! Thanks again for another great vid. brother. God bless. Rev. D.
If you're distilling you want it as clean as possible to prevent scorching in the boiler. You don't need do a true long term aging for wine destined for the still.
Ok awesome I just hear people say distill as soon as primary is done so I was curious on the difference if any thank you for always answers my questions
Good shit my brotha. Yeah it all started with the Vevor. Then I seen it didn’t have the down tube for the thump and the condenser was WAY TOO SMALL. So I ended up spending a shot ton of money and converting it to be a 8 gal thump for my 16 gal boiler and a 5 gal bucket with 10ft of copper coil for the condenser. I use the same hose and in/outlets for the water in my bucket and I pump from a 15 gal Home Depot bucket full of water and ice… lot of money and lot of time because I can’t afford all this at once. Also I re engineered my drawing 4 times so yeah but it’s bad ass and you and Jesse from Still it and George all inspired me bro. I never would have taken this road but im glad I found this community because I love projects and in Oregon you can build and own a still legally. Since I have no intention of using it for anything but water im safe 😜
i cannot recall the proper name of it off the top of my head, but french grape farmers would make a low abv (we're talking about 6%) "session" (for lack of a better term) wine from the leftover pomace. might be fun to try. also, have to say, I tried Vevor's air still and it was absolute shite
Piquette! Yeah I didn't know about it until a few days ago and had already dumped my pomace in the compost bin. Next year though:-) I haven't tried an air still. Built my own 1 gallon mini still instead.
@@BeardedBored yep, that's it - thanks for reminding me of the name. if you live near any wineries, they might be willing to give you some for free, or low cost since they typically just use it for compost as well. Jesse seems to be ok with his air still, but I just can't seem to manage to get it to work properly. and with the most of materials now, building a still will cost as much if not more as a commercial introductory still. so to clarify, you only got 600 mLs final product from a 5 gal wash? eeesh
Awesome video about to try my first time. Question tho when the liquor ferry begins its work what temperature should the pot be maintained at on the stove top? Thanks
Interesting Question since I'm the kind of guy that likes experimenting: Can you, in theory, use JUST the Thumper and the Condenser to distill 1/2 or 1/3 of a gallon of alcohol? So you put the boiler away and you get a simple stopper screw for the inlet of the Tumper and you just use the outlet+tube+condenser as they are normally hooked up. I'm just thinking of simple Gin-like experiments where I do just a single bottle + some herbals to see what I get. Then if I'm happy I can scale up. What do you think?
I like the look of that little still! Nice video and use of foraged fruit. I definitely would have saved that pomace (yeast, skins, and pits) for a hypothetical brandy though.
Putting the condenser on top of the boiler not only adds heat to the condenser, it cools down the boiler. The only reason to put your condenser on top of your boiler is if you want to use more energy to do the same amount of work.
Would constant stirring harm the yeast action? Oh and I saw another review of this set and it did come with a down tube. Yours may have been left out by mistake or they started adding them in later shipments.
I put the fruit in a pressure cooker, add water as needed, then cook it at 15 lbs for 20 minutes. It breaks down the cell walls & in high seed density fruits, like bitter oranges or muscadines, I end up extracting more juice, since seeds get in the way of presses, & grinding up the seeds, could release more bad stuff contained inside the seeds, than the pressure cooker. Also, pressure cooking kills any microbes, leaving no competition or other interference for the yeast, instead turning the microbes carcasses into a "yeast feast". I strain it through a filter bag, funnel it into a carboy or 5 gallon bucket, add sugar as needed, bloom some yeast, pour it in, & cap it with an airlock & carry on from there.
You get a better bump in abv with a larger thumper, but after several runs, the liquor fairy has not had any problems with it. It's not over filling, but the abv boost is only about 5-8 percent, instead of 10-15.
Check out the VEVOR Pot Still here - bit.ly/3eXFRLy Use Coupon Code *VVKIT5OFF* for 5% off all products on the VEVOR website!
thumbs down. All the US made still companies and youre pushing one made in China . . .
I was shocked how good of a job it did. Especially for the short cost 115 vs something like a t500 or building something. Not a bad piece of kit at all.
My vevor still arrived today here in Aus , can't wait to give it a run.
I got started on a Vevor still some years ago. Yes, it works just fine. Not fancy but the price is right.
How about making a sourdough spelt whiskey? Or buckwheat, or kamut, or einkorn, or teff and emmer?
Just a tip for these stills, if you let them sit for awhile, like 4 months, before you run your still, run vinegar through it. The copper tubing has a tendency to corrode, especially in warmer, more humid climates. My liquor ferry figured that out the hard way.
Thankyou
You packed a lot of really good info into this. Not just a review of the vevor but how to get better use than as packaged. Very nice
I appreciate that! Thanks!
A friend presented me with two five gallon buckets of muscadines to make wine with a few years ago. I had made cider for years out of apple juice but never from whole apples and I had made wine from grape juice but never whole grapes. I wasn't quite sure how to handle processing the muscadines until I remembered my sausage grinder that we use for processing deer sausage. It took about 15 minutes to run through both buckets and the end product (post fermentation) was outstanding. The liquor fairies could have had a field-day......
A sausage grinder 🤔 Gotta dig through my cabinets before the next season.
I put the fruit in a pressure cooker, add water as needed, then cook it at 15 lbs for 20 minutes. It breaks down the cell walls & in high seed density fruits, like bitter oranges or muscadines, I end up extracting more juice, since seeds get in the way of presses, & grinding up the seeds, could release more bad stuff contained inside the seeds, than the pressure cooker. Also, pressure cooking kills any microbes, leaving no competition or other interference for the yeast, instead turning the microbes carcasses into a "yeast feast".
I strain it through a filter bag, funnel it into a carboy or 5 gallon bucket, add sugar as needed, bloom some yeast, pour it in, & cap it with an airlock & carry on from there.
One year in the 80's after picking wild blackberries I decided to make homemade wine. After following a recipe from Mother Earth News I got a high alcohol thick Brandywine. Knock your socks off stuff. Of course it's because of mistakes. But one shot was yummy, silky and knock you out.
Sounds awesome!
Turned some of into a spread and the rest into wine or syrup for desserts syrup worked. Then wine. Great experience.
One year back in the 90s I had no idea what I was doing. I tried making wine directly in the bottle. Used a balloon over the bottle until fermentation was done. When I thought it was done I capped it. It was a Friday night about 2 in the morning and I was sitting in my underwear in the living room lights out playing PlayStation. I heard what sounded like a shotgun going off in the kitchen. I guess it wasn't through fermenting lol. It was inside my kitchen cabinet. It blew so hard it embedded glass into the wood.
Woowee, that's a fun lesson in fermentation. Shrapnel flying through the wall makes for a memorable experience!
@@BeardedBored I don't remember all of it. Here you go from memory from 1990. Picked wild blackberries for several days. After typical cleaning regiment removing debris and tiny bugs proceeded to separate and process jarred Jams, jarred presserves and syrup for pancakes. Ended up with left over intact and partially used berries. Humm🤔 So pulled out an old Mother Earth News story on wine. Took a 1 gallon glass milk jug, added must and other fresh berries, sugar, 1 packet of bread yeast and muddled it. Then added some water to muddle again. Filled jug about half full. Left it on brick fireplace hearth uncovered for several weeks. No fire in fireplace. Once bubbles started to go over top I inserted plastic hose into vessel and placed it into a lower glass gallon jug. Then waited for gravity. Couple weeks liquid began to flow from the main vessel into the lower one. Once it looked complete. Removed hose, added a little water to must and muddled again. Let it ferment couple days and repeated the siphon step. The end product was blackberry forward and sweet thick, similar to liquor but thicker. The end product was very high. In alcohol. Even a shot would give a buzz. It was so concentrated the amount made was just above 1 quart. If my memory is in tact. But it's not anymore. Too many years and too many experiments. Tasted delicious. Gave all of it away as gifts.
Now I know open direct air fermentation is dangerous and would not do it again. However, it was tasty strong liqueur.
For the Thumper you can use a 8mm compression coupling and a small 8mm copper pipe instead of the suggested quick hack - I have tried and it works.
Good tip!
12:55 mine came with the down tube
Lucky.
I just did a big run of muscadine and scuppernong brandy. We have a small "vineyard" in western NC and we've been making wine and brandy for months now. My entire family gets either wine or brandy for Christmas presents.
You lucky dog!
I watched a few of your videos years ago and learned plenty. Found Good Old George and learned more. Now seeing your newer videos you should be complemented on how the look and sound have evolved for the better. Subscribed
we have frost grapes in my area and they are so small and don't produce much and are hard to pick the grapes are 20-50ft in the trees but they make such great grappa if you get enough "hypothetically"
The grapes here grow crazy high too. I'm going to try to get some cuttings to propagate them in my yard and train them onto smooth wire fencing.
Great video, as always! I started watching you, Jesse and George a while back....decided I really wanted to start "chasing the craft." Bought this exact Vevor a couple of months ago, made that same mod for the thumper too! Had a couple of great runs, then decided it was time to up my game a bit. Scowered the internet and pieced together a pretty nice setup for $350. Been really happy with the way things are turning out.
That's the upgrade dance that we who stick to the hobby all go through:-) To me, half the fun is coming up with new build ideas and trying them out.
Wow, living on the edge -- so glad.
😉
I have this exact one but without the thumper and I felt the condenser flow and temp were hard to control, so I made a condenser with a 5 gallon pail and used all the fittings to connect it to the boiler pot and to the pond pump, it makes it a lot easier to run. This set up is totally worth the expense and I'm going to make a thumper from one of your previous video. Cheers man good review, and the brandy sounds great!
Yeah, the condenser flow rate is definitely fiddly. Took a few minutes to get it flowing high enough to hit the top coil and not so high that it overflowed. But I've had practice with my mini still condenser. I'm not a big fan of the worm condensers in general. Liebigs are so much easier to run.
Awesome timing! I just got the 9.6 gallon unit in last week. The main pot was almost worth the full price! I'm glad you made this video because I was a bit nervous about putting it together.
I am excited to put it to use (hypothetically), but honestly I decided to get it as an emergency water distiller too. It can clean up contaminated water quickly with any heat source.
Viva Vevor! Their stuff is amazing! They make a killer air still too.
Thanks again!
It's like I'm psychic😁
@@BeardedBored or... are you watching me?.....
Well, I didn't want to let on, but now that you mention it...you should get more ketchup. You're almost out;-)
I brought the same kit but I used the conical silicon piece to attach the down tube, same result different solution. I’ve also found the condenser is not big enough, small investment in a copper coil and 5gal bucket plus using the fitting from the original condenser and that problem was solved as well.
Oh, the little stopper looking piece? Nice. I had the same thought about the condenser that it may not keep up, but after some fiddling I was able to balance the water flow just right to keep the water luke warm temp the whole time....hypothetically of course.
On my 3 gallon Velor, i hypothetically change the fitting on the slosh box to a compression fitting along with a length copper tubing. I removed the top ball valve and replaced it with a brass nipple. During the run, I pack the thumper with 100% copper Chore Boy scratch pad to give more copper for the sulfur removal. I also take the thumper out of the mix when doing a stripping run. I hypothetically get between 170 to 178 proof from a sprint run with the thumper.
Nice hypothetical modifications!
That looked "hypothetically" really good!
We had Muscadine and Concord grapes growing in the back pasture when I was a kid. My mom would make jam from a mix of the two.
What I'd give to have those in the backyard here to brew with 😂
Find a good hiking trail in early summer to see if you can find some grapes growing in your area. Take some cuttings and start a backyard vineyard. That's my plan;-)
Thanks Bearded!!
Any time!
Thanks mate, awesome
Great video! I have this Vevor too, is very versatile. Something I will add to the pot is that the bottom is very thin. I suggest to put a plate of iron or alluminium between the flame and the pot.
I also made a bigger output from the ceiling to increase the steam output doubling the copper tube size. All home depo stuff that cost few bucks. Btw as you say, for the price and for the easyness of use is a very nice still ready to use out of the box.
Two great ideas, thanks!
Growing up in Grapevine Texas where muscadine grapes grow wild my stepmom made some Muscadine Champagne (sparkling wine) that was tasty. Was by mistake but good.
Ok now I have to try that:-)
When I was a kid and in Bremond Tx. Not to far away. The Old Timers use to make the Best Grape wine but That Stuff was AtLeast 20% Alcohol man it was Srong but it was Delicious! I Wish i could get my hands on their Old Recipe of that wine! Best wine i Ever Tasted!🍇😇🥰
I make muscadine cider from muscadines and muscadine cider from Lane. It needs to sit for a good six months before its drinkable
Thanks for the tip.
Can you test to see if a magnet sticks to the bottom? I'd like to use it with an induction hot plate.
Not recommended. With (most) inductions, they'll heat up to the programmed temp, then shut off, then back on.....not great when you want a constant energy in the boiler. I have this setup and was thinking about installing a heating element.
It's stainless and not magnetic.
My Vevor still worked fine with an induction hotplate. Some stainless steel does work
Muscadine and scuppernongs….love em. Reminds me of my childhood living in North Carolina. Randomly found a batch at a grocery store here in Chicago. Only regret was not buying all they had because they never restocked em.
I have one love it first run was a banana rum with a bit of Carolina reaper pepper
great info!!! i bought a vevor just because the money to try the craft was reasonable, I tell you it's an awesome little still for someone just wanting to get their feet wet. Enjoying your videos.
I totally agree!
I've just got this exact still here in 🇦🇺 , can't wait for my sugar wash to be done. Thx to your video I did it as an inverted wash 👍
watch for merlot wine kits to go on sale and use those for brandy.
Great idea!
I make it - Muscadine & Scuppernong Brandy every year - grow my own - good raisins too
Did the Fairies leave similar sized jars of both starters and ends with the middle keepers 🤔
👍🏼🇦🇺
200mls in pint jars all the way down the line;-) A few tablespoons of heads for flavor.
If you get the 13.3 gallon it comes with the down spout for the thumper
Your gonna get that warm buttery flavor on every brandy you run, does for my copper still anyways, take some of the sweet tail ends and cut down the proof, then age it in a little barrel for about 30 to 40 days. I put mine in at around 100 proof due to the water I use to seal the barrel, itll soak up and mix inside the barrel dropping down the proof. Its heavenly on the finished product. Great video man, I just got some muskydynes so I'm gonna try it!
Awesome video!! That sounds really good!!
Thanks!
Awesome video brother, never heard of those grapes wonder if they are are in South Africa
They are a native grape to the southern part of North America
If not, I can send you some seeds next year when I start picking them. Do you have other wild grapes?
@@BeardedBored We have a small vine with Glipertjie, will check if I can get my hands on some seeds.
@@copewy22 Sweet, thanks hopefully will be able to get some seeds locally as the flavours sound crazy
Awesome!
Muscadine makes a great drink. I got lucky this year and ended up with 15 gallons of finished wine with only muscadine for fruits. I use the left over skins for jam.
Can you use feed corn for making Whiskey?
Yes.
Great video! Very informative and I can’t wait to try . Question? Do you still have to discard the first bit that comes out like you do the whiskey?
Thanks for the video just purchased same one and wasn’t sure how it was all put together and used etc… brand new to the hobby
I have one vevor still just like that only the over flow condenser i have a problem with on you teach me something about the thumper key i was planning well copper tub
Also my 8 gal Vevor thump has a jump to a 3.5 gal Stainless bucket with clamps for an extra flavor basket Then to the condenser but it’s a attachments and doesn’t have to be used
Dandelion wine run through a still?
Good idea 👍👍👍
My 5 gallon just arrived, I'm thinking I made a mistake and should've gotten the 8, but all of that is moot until I get off my chair and run something!! Thanks for the slobber box/Thumper clarification and very simple suggestion!
No worries, just run 3.5 gallons at a time. You'll get more practice running the still this way...hypothetically:-)
My grandfather always said the mustang grapes as they called them in Tennessee back woods were so peppery that the old timers would boil them down with baking soda to clean it up. I guess what they were doing without really knowing was to use baking soda to de-acidify them.
Wow, never heard of doing that. I'll look it up for next year. Might be an interesting side project. Also, we have 2 distinct species around here. Mustang (fuzzy leaf) and muscadine(smooth leaf). The seasons overlap by a week or two but I couldn't find any fruiting mustang vines. I always thought they were the same until I started picking this summer.
@@BeardedBored I was just guessing when he said old timers and Tennessee that it was an old trial and error thing they figured out back in the day. :) I mean these are the same old timer family members from the Cumberland Gap area who bathed in lye soap made from their left over fry grease. Lol.
Hey don't knock that old lye soap, LoL. Now that stuff will get you _squeaky_ clean😂
Baking soda is an alkaline substance?
Hi thanks for your video ! Two quick related questions :
1) Are the gaskets silicone ?
2) Aren't you worried of putting silicone in contact of the alcohol vapor ? (hoses + gaskets?)
Yes, the gaskets are silicone. No I'm not worried about it, but I understand your concerns. Silicone is rated as "good" for chemical resistance to ethanol, but not "excellent" like ptfe and epdm. I am toying with the idea of doing an "upgrade your vevor" video to swap out the silicone with epdm or ptfe for folks that want to make the change.
I just got the vevor..... Thanks for the code... Cant wait for it to get here
just saw this video like the way you explain everything thanks
Thanks brother!
Thanks for this video. It’s the most helpful one I have found for the vevor yet. I will be doing the thumper mod.
Glad I could help:-)
I may get one and try to make my own Rum. Never done this before. Thnx for good tips. Hands up from a happy Swedish
:) In Latvia we have Muscadine grapes. They are adopted to our climate. We are in the North Europe. 2 month ago we where in grape yard and we drink Muscadine wine. Tasty, spicy, acidic. In our countryside we where Muscadines, but we destroy them, because of "wrong place"... Cheers! 🥂
The grow like weeds😉
@@BeardedBored Yes, they were planted 50? years ago at the front side of the house - the bush was so big and it gave a big shadow on the windows and this is it. No grapes. :)
That's how they can be here too. Huge vines and no grapes.
@@BeardedBored Yes. :)
Great video! I’ve been playing with persimmon wine today.
Yum!
After reading through the comments I guess my Vevor is the only one that came with the tube for the thumper. It just screws on to the bottom of the lid.
Hmm, maybe I got an older model before the upgrade. Good to know they have a fix.
Also how's the blackberry brandy or wine coming along
The wine got oxidized due to a bucket failure, but I was able to save it. Hypothetically...it makes good brandy. Video will be up in a few more weeks. Tepache Rum is next:-)
Sorry it oxidized but I'm sure the brandy is top shelf
Stupid question but what if you had added wine instead of grapejuice? (If you'd really want to avoid the "Welchness" ??) BTW, great video and really nice to see you again!!
Wine would hamper the fermentation of the grapes. Better to ferment the grapes all the way separately, then mix that with the wine.
I've looked around here for muscadine grapes, never found enough to make anything. I DID stumble on some Paw Paws tho, made some tasty wine ! Not enough to distill, but maybe next year.
Yeah, I had trouble finding fruiting vines this year. The neighborhood was dirty with vines, but only about 1 in 50 had fruit. Hoping to catch it earlier next year. I'm jealous of your paw paws. I don't think we have them down here. Good luck next season:-)
i love mine i have a 3 gallon and just got me a 13 1/2 gallon
Haven't tried it, but I bet one of those plastic tools for getting a bike tire on and off the wheel would work great for that grommet.
Thanks for your time explaining Sir. Good stuff in your channel :)
Are you sure they are muskadine and not mustang grapes?
Yep, definitely muscadines. Leaves are smooth on both sides. Mustangs are fuzzy. Both do grow around here and I found a few mustang vines, but none were fruiting this year.
@@BeardedBored yeah was a bad year for mustangs...I didn't get any this year for my usual juice and jelly crop.
Now I want some seeds to put in the wooded area next to my house.
I'm going to start transplanting some vines in more areas around here while they're dormant to see if I can get some better production over the next few years.
Hey B&B. Would there be any benefit to packing copper mesh in the tube right where it connects to the boiler pot? Thank you and the fairy! 😁
Best way to find muscadine grapes? They are here in GA and I love them. Would be fun to do
I find them when I'm driving. During the season you'll see them scattered in the road under trees that overhang, or along fence rows. Google best times and locations for your specific area to see if anybody has put together the info. Usually universities have some info.
Thanks for the info, Good Video.... However I'd like to know what temperature was set on the pot on the stove ?
When you have a thumper in line in your distilling rig, temperature in the boiler is no longer relevant because of the redistillation in the thumper. Go by the flow rate, not the temperature.
@@BeardedBored Thanks
My grandmother here in Central Texas used to make a few cases of awesome Muscedine jelly, while grandpa made a couple of cases of wine instead. Bummer I lost track of their recipes.
Great video!! Thank you . I learned something this day and that's always good.
ships to ca hypotheyically , i got the football style, tip put your worm in the sink so flow ok if let her rip
Bro i make a destiler whit presure pot from goodwiill and copper tube and a plástic buket
Nice video I always like the way you attack projects. That Stil looks well worth it…. I don’t have a mile hi separator….. my only thought is the stuff in the thumper contains yeast and could give off some off notes when they burst under the heat… But some yeast could give it some soul… But with your way of doing it do you think if you added some spend grains from a wash 🧼 in the thumper it could give a sour mash flavor…. Ive Never used a thumper did. the fairy 🧚 talk about it being loud …ALSO LAST question do you think the Stil will work on a magnetic 🧲 burner thing I forget the name of it but like a heatless burner. Most cheap stainless will work and then you can really dial in the temp you want………..
Question, I have heard that these stainless stills produce a different .. almost off.. taste as compared to copper. Couldnt one use copper pipe and tubing along with some copper wool to clean that up?
If the fermentation is clean, then the spirit will be fine in a stainless still. But yes, you can absolutely use copper scrubbies or tubing somewhere in the vapor path to clean up sulfur compounds.
Great content. Thank you for the information
Glad it was helpful!
great video
Thanks 👍
when i did down tube for thumper the copper line fit really loose so i used part of the piece you tossed and used part of that pushed into the other size tube you used to make a tighter fit any comments on this would be nice and thanks for the video
Have you tried Chitosan and Kieselsol for clearing up your wash/must? It is amazing stuff!
Yes I have. Love it! Makes washes clear as water in a day.
That short pipe in the package converts the slobber box into a thumper, that is the point of it.
Just a thought. Would it be better to use cheese cloth to really squeeze everything out? Strainer just your preference?
Excellent video. New to this do i need to release pressure after finishing a run and if yes how can i do it? Please
I've been looking for a long time. Looking to move past apple cider and wine. Best video I've seen on a review. I went ahead and bought this same one tonight. Used your code and hope it helps you. Great video and thanks for all that you do.
I just got the same unit from Vevor recently. Mine has a down tube that attaches in the thumper... they must have just missed putting one in your unit.
it makes great whiskey.
Could you proof it down with the original ~8% wine? Would that affect/ruin the distilled flavor?
I've been "hypothetically" considering getting into this and your video are great for answering the stray thoughts that sometimes pop up
Better idea, proof up your wine. That's what they do with port. Make the wine, then add enough brandy to get it up to 25-ish% I think. Have not researched it, but now I have to or it'll drive me nuts. Thanks for the idea👍👍👍
Great video! How long did it take to do the run? Thank you!
I've heard that muscadine grape juice is so acidic it will strip paint off a car! But the flavor is unlike anything else. Kind of like sand hill plums. Small, powerfully acidic and sour, but a flavor more delicious than any other in jelly, jam or wine. Gonna have to get some together and send them to you, and see what you can make from them! Thanks again for another great vid. brother. God bless. Rev. D.
Sounds interesting. I'll have to look them up. Thanks Preacher!
I have a question whats the difference in running your wine as soon as it's done with primary and letting it sit and age of clear then running it?
If you're distilling you want it as clean as possible to prevent scorching in the boiler. You don't need do a true long term aging for wine destined for the still.
Ok awesome I just hear people say distill as soon as primary is done so I was curious on the difference if any thank you for always answers my questions
Great vid Sir Bearded...
Good shit my brotha. Yeah it all started with the Vevor. Then I seen it didn’t have the down tube for the thump and the condenser was WAY TOO SMALL. So I ended up spending a shot ton of money and converting it to be a 8 gal thump for my 16 gal boiler and a 5 gal bucket with 10ft of copper coil for the condenser. I use the same hose and in/outlets for the water in my bucket and I pump from a 15 gal Home Depot bucket full of water and ice… lot of money and lot of time because I can’t afford all this at once. Also I re engineered my drawing 4 times so yeah but it’s bad ass and you and Jesse from Still it and George all inspired me bro. I never would have taken this road but im glad I found this community because I love projects and in Oregon you can build and own a still legally. Since I have no intention of using it for anything but water im safe 😜
i cannot recall the proper name of it off the top of my head, but french grape farmers would make a low abv (we're talking about 6%) "session" (for lack of a better term) wine from the leftover pomace. might be fun to try.
also, have to say, I tried Vevor's air still and it was absolute shite
Piquette! Yeah I didn't know about it until a few days ago and had already dumped my pomace in the compost bin. Next year though:-) I haven't tried an air still. Built my own 1 gallon mini still instead.
@@BeardedBored yep, that's it - thanks for reminding me of the name.
if you live near any wineries, they might be willing to give you some for free, or low cost since they typically just use it for compost as well.
Jesse seems to be ok with his air still, but I just can't seem to manage to get it to work properly.
and with the most of materials now, building a still will cost as much if not more as a commercial introductory still.
so to clarify, you only got 600 mLs final product from a 5 gal wash? eeesh
Yeah, but I only got about 3 gallons back out of the must (no squeezing) and the initial abv was only 8.5%, so I didn't expect a good yield.
Can we make essential oil with this machine? Thank you
Excellent video. I'm too poor to get a good still, but I'm really wanting to start distilling.
Awesome video about to try my first time. Question tho when the liquor ferry begins its work what temperature should the pot be maintained at on the stove top? Thanks
one thing i noticed in your video not sure if it matters but the seal on thumper goes on pot not the lid
Interesting Question since I'm the kind of guy that likes experimenting: Can you, in theory, use JUST the Thumper and the Condenser to distill 1/2 or 1/3 of a gallon of alcohol? So you put the boiler away and you get a simple stopper screw for the inlet of the Tumper and you just use the outlet+tube+condenser as they are normally hooked up. I'm just thinking of simple Gin-like experiments where I do just a single bottle + some herbals to see what I get. Then if I'm happy I can scale up. What do you think?
I like the look of that little still! Nice video and use of foraged fruit. I definitely would have saved that pomace (yeast, skins, and pits) for a hypothetical brandy though.
Definitely going to save the pomace next year;-) Piquette and Cider Piquette are two things I learned about this last week.
I retrofitted my still by swapping out the flat lid to a 12" SS salad bowl.
Nice!
Putting the condenser on top of the boiler not only adds heat to the condenser, it cools down the boiler. The only reason to put your condenser on top of your boiler is if you want to use more energy to do the same amount of work.
Does it come with anything to cover the airlock hole when distilling?
Would constant stirring harm the yeast action? Oh and I saw another review of this set and it did come with a down tube. Yours may have been left out by mistake or they started adding them in later shipments.
The stirring doesn't hurt the yeast, and in fact helps it by releasing the CO2 trapped under the fruit cap.
I put the fruit in a pressure cooker, add water as needed, then cook it at 15 lbs for 20 minutes. It breaks down the cell walls & in high seed density fruits, like bitter oranges or muscadines, I end up extracting more juice, since seeds get in the way of presses, & grinding up the seeds, could release more bad stuff contained inside the seeds, than the pressure cooker. Also, pressure cooking kills any microbes, leaving no competition or other interference for the yeast, instead turning the microbes carcasses into a "yeast feast".
I strain it through a filter bag, funnel it into a carboy or 5 gallon bucket, add sugar as needed, bloom some yeast, pour it in, & cap it with an airlock & carry on from there.
Isn't the "Thumper" also too small for an 8 gal pot? Shouldn't it be at least 2 1/2 gallons to 3 gallons?
You get a better bump in abv with a larger thumper, but after several runs, the liquor fairy has not had any problems with it. It's not over filling, but the abv boost is only about 5-8 percent, instead of 10-15.
these the grapes used to make muscatel wine?
Might have missed it....rationale for the two yeasts?
I've read a few articles on co-pitching yeasts to bring out different flavors. I need to test it more to see if it's worth the effort.