"hello all, I am new here, but not really new to shining, we did it back in the 80's right out of high school, then we had a still made out of a beer keg.

now I got a all copper onion top 10 gal still. here's what we used to do and I got a mash going now to cook sunday.

35lbs sugar
13 lbs cracked corn
16 gal water
yeast (back in the 80's we used 3 packs Flieshmanns - this time I used prestige distillers with AG per the pack directioins for pitching.

so we put 35 lbs sugar and the corn in a brute food grade garbage can, added 4 gal hot water and dissolved the the sugar

we ran the cracked corn thru the ninja food processor just to break it up more.

then added the rest of the water to equal 16 gals

then pitched the yeast wait 10 min and stir like crazy

then we covered the can with a screen and bungy cord and put the lid laying on top (the mash can breath)

I stir it once a day and cover it back, it been doing it's thing for a week 9 days now. still rolling. we will stir it and strain out the solid/sediment and cook in batches on sunday. I recall we used to get close to 140 proof to start with then it would start dropping, this will be my first run since the 80's.

no air lock, never heard of it before - what do ya'll think??"

Hey Heeler, I been reading your post, you Da Man, thanks for your input, what I didn't mention is that this past sunday I used your Gold label turbo yeast 1 pack with 19 lbs of sugar and 7 gal water and it's rolling along too and I stir it once a day also, no air lock, we have 2 exact stills 1 5 gal and 1 10 gal so sunday we running 2 recipes, I ll keep ya'll posted.

Cajun, I was wondering are you gonna do stripping runs then spirit runs? Or are you gonna just run it slow and easy right form the start??

"I'm still giggling at the first member name ---- Honky, I know he will laugh too. ( do you see it now????)

Here/Here, slow and easy, IMHO is exactly what this calls for

Dont collect in one or two big jugs, do yourself a favor and use lots and lots of smaller ones - you'll see why when you start your cutting process."

I never stir mine after the initial start up and have an air lock on it. When it stops bubbling it's done

hey Thanks Heeler, I am in louisiana and it's still cold here, in the summer I will move to the open air back patio, I've got a shady place back there.

I agree RCRED I'll have to shut it down in july cause thats when the 97 degree weather starts. can I airlock a brute garbage can? whats a air lock look like? also after reading today, I just checked both my cans and they are a fizzing, -I am NOT going to stir them today - well see on sunday

Well, you could get a lid and tape it shut, and then make a 13/16' hole - insert a bung with hole fer an airlock...and then airlock it, but as Diesel has said it prolly won't ever seal enough to matter - plastic's too soft. I actually went to the feed store and got some plastic 55 gal food grade drums that are ok for sugar washes and they do seal up good.

Or, you could do smaller ferments in Home creepo buckets which can be easily moved inside A/C'd environs for temp control during ferments... We have a 2nd master bdroom here on the opposite side of the house for the inlaws when they come for a short stay (3-4 months) When they aren't here (generally in the winter), it becomes the ferment room So I can get the benefit of temp control on ferments pretty much year round.. And my Husker Tomboy Wife loves the grain scents too...

Here is an example of a working airlock:
http://www.distillitrak....ure_library/IMG_1543.MOV

NahSah...It does not .. Sorry :) I have used the bathroom shower fan in the past to evac the smell until I was told that it smelled better than the cigars I smoke so leave it..

OMG, LOL no airlocks for me!! :-)