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BillyBobThai

I am considering, as a hobby, the making of whiskey from corn and rice here in Thailand. I know that is probably not a kosher thing, as far as the BIB are concerned, but will only be doing it as a hobby at home. Having never made whiskey before, but have done a lot of research on the topic, I would like to talk to someone who has done it before. BG, I understand that your bro-in-law was making some at one point, but stopped due to high taxiation. What I am looking for is a recipie for the finished product, after it has been distilled.

Thanks in advance.

Billy Bob

blackgang

after it has been distilled, it is a finished product here, they like it young.
Yea, and even have the whole still for sale if you interested, Bro will show you how it is done and the whole 9 yards.
Fact I think he has the corn mill too, did have unless he has got rid of it.

blackgang

the dogcatcher

Distillation by freezing is great. My old man used to make barley wine, Then i showed him distill by freezing and he spent 10 years pissed.

Happyman

Find an expat who works for Aramco in Saudi and ask him to send a copy of 'the Blue Book'
My copy is so worn out and thumbed that It won't scan - otherwise it would be on its way right now !

Perota

My uncle started making alcohol when he retired and I helped him from time time when my busy schedule as a student permitted (actually I was much more interested in consumption than production). He was making fruit alcohol (pear, prune, ...)

The theory is no rocket science. But even with a boiler / cooling system made by a professional, it took us more than a year to get a "quality" product. From the quality of what you're going to distilled to the "cooking" time, temperature, ... it takes a lot of fine tuning before making something that is actually drinkable. And based on my own experience, I strongly advise you against drinking the hot alcohol straight from the distiller ...

And same as BG, after it has been distilled, it was a finished product that we bottled almost right away. Maybe you should start like that before thinking about aging a product you're not so sure about the quality.

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blackgang

One week on a pack horse bringing it from the still to market in small wooden kegs will age it about 4 years, best way is to use as ballast in kegs abaord a sailing ship.

chitown

That is quite big. I pictured it to look like Hawkeye Pierce's set up in his Mash 4077 tent.

blackgang

It was a commercial operation, he was just fucking around there trying to get a batch of corn to try.

DrAndy

yes, it's an easy and safe way to get drunk

Home Distillation of Alcohol (Homemade Alcohol to Drink)

DrAndy

as has been said above, that is the finished alcohol, but not the finished product

most distilleries the age the alcohol in a variety of ways to add flavour and take off the raw edges

3 years in a nice oak barrel is a minimum, 10 is better!

another way is putting various fruits and objects in the drink, to take off the edges

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Larn

Happyman your excellent book "The Blue Flame" is online at expats.org.uk Do a quick search and you'll find it. (I'd post the link but not sure if it's allowed)

sabang

Theres kits and things to make your own hooch. Theres flavourings and things to copy iconic brands. These would have to be smuggled. In this country you embark at your own risk, because if you are sprung you're anyones bitch.

I knew an old guy that did it in the Adelaide Hills. He did OK- I caught him out when he tried to pass off a hooch as Hennessey (which I happen to know) that turned out nothing like it. It is a worthy hobby, but you carry the risk. Gov't does not smile on that which deprives it of excise.

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jandajoy

We have a couple of local, in house/village illegal distilleries.

40 bht a litre for fresh.

We have 2-3 liter demijohns, fill em with hooch and add stuff.

To date;

Oranges studded with coffee beans, leave it a month, delicious.

Basil, pretty good.

Mint, very good

Pomello, not very good.

Lime, Ok but it was nothing special.

Banana, surprisingly good

Tap tim - No, I don't know what this is - small, white fruity sweet things with a pip. BLOODY LOVELY.

The longer you leave it the better it is.

Happy Christmas.

Happyman

Thanks !
I am not a religeous man BUT THAT BOOK WAS OUR BIBLE

Happyman

Larn

Just downloaded it and printing a new copy - thanks

a couple of additions that we used were-

leave the still running all day while you were at work using a 500W industrial soldering iron as the heat source and the tap dribbling through the condenser

Make magic coconuts !
Get a young coconut from the market
Punch out one of the three soft bits in the shell
Put in a spoonful of sugar and a spoonful of baking yeast
Leave it in a warm place for a week or so
Drain the muck out of it through a coffee filter paper
Run it through the still at least 2 times

MALIBU !!

With orange juice and ice it was a life saver !!

5 coconuts would produce about a litre

fridgemagnet

Why bother with all this (unless a product with flavour is required).
You can buy Ethyl acetate from a chemical supply company (no duty on this). Hydrolise this (split off a water molecule) with Sodium hydroxide (soda fy - drain cleaner), and you get pure Ethyl alcohol.
Still got to distill it off from the excess NaOh, but you get no Methanol, or other crap that is poisonous - fusel oil etc.
Of course I'm not suggesting that anyone should break the laws of this country, just another way to skin a chicken, for your entertainment only.

aging one

grew up in Abqaiq and remember my dads still well. One guy made bourbon, another scotch, and another gin. Those were the days.

Happyman

We had a Somerset lad on our site.
Used to buy all the semi rotten apples from the market
Made really rough 'scrumpy'
2 passes through my soldering iron still

Finest Normandy Calvados

highlander

now calvados sounds good, also appelkorn is worth a go any of you guys know how this kind of stuff is made ?.

scotty

nidhogg

I'd probably worry less about the BiB, and more about the local bootleggers. Very small scale wold probably not bother them, but if they felt you were stepping on their toes, it might get ugly.

...also be aware that you leave yourself open to be dobbed in by any local rat bag with a grudge against you (real or imagined).

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Deris

I don't have any experience making wiskey but I do have some experience drinking it. I have done the pilot beer brew thing though. Hope to see you progress on this and see some pictures of your brew.

SunTzu

just would add some of my favorites :
- lemongrass + citrus leaves + cinnamon
- thyme + laurel (not too much)
- oranges + cloves
- kiwis


Add lots of sugar. If you add agrumes, find them untreated and leave the skin, otherwise tasteless.



Does anyone know where to find rhum ? The real one, from sugarcane... I'm amazed that it's so hard to come by when they grow so much of the stuff.

Matte

Like sang som, you mean?

jandajoy

Disagree on the sugar.

A bit to taste, OK.

Lots and you're looking at major head ache land, IME.