https://distilcalc.com/guides/ In-depth guides on distilling, brewing, mead and cider. Every number computed from primary sources. en Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/activated-carbon-filtering/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/activated-carbon-filtering/ How activated carbon filtering works for spirits. What it removes, column vs contact methods, carbon types and the Lincoln County Process. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/agave-washes-and-inulin/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/agave-washes-and-inulin/ Why agave cannot be fermented like sugar or grain, how inulin-type fructans are hydrolysed by heat or enzymes, and how to make a tequila-style wash at home. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/barrel-entry-proof/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/barrel-entry-proof/ Why the ABV you fill a barrel at changes what the oak gives you, what higher and lower entry proofs each extract, and how to choose a fill strength at home. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/batch-size-and-spirit-quality/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/batch-size-and-spirit-quality/ Working in smaller volumes changes heat-up rate, cut precision and reflux behavior. Here is what actually changes with batch size, and what does not. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/blending-spirits-guide/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/blending-spirits-guide/ How to blend batches of spirit consistently, use the Pearson Square, dilute to bottling strength, and maintain character across runs. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/calculator-accuracy-study/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/calculator-accuracy-study/ We tested popular distilling calculators against NIST, OIML and protocol sources. Backwards temperature tables and 4x nutrient overdoses, quantified. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/choosing-a-distilling-yeast/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/choosing-a-distilling-yeast/ How yeast strain choice changes your spirit: alcohol tolerance, fermentation speed, ester and fusel production, nutrient demand, and when turbo yeast makes sense. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/copper-vs-stainless-steel-still/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/copper-vs-stainless-steel-still/ Copper reacts with sulfur compounds during distillation, stainless does not. What that actually changes in your spirit, and how to decide between them. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/corn-mash-recipe/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/corn-mash-recipe/ How to make a corn mash for distilling. Covers corn types, gelatinization, enzyme conversion, sour mash technique and fermentation start to finish. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/ec1118-vs-turbo-yeast/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/ec1118-vs-turbo-yeast/ EC-1118 champagne yeast against turbo yeast for sugar washes: speed, congeners, cost, nutrient handling and which produces cleaner spirit, compared honestly. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/esters-in-spirits/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/esters-in-spirits/ What esters are, how they form during fermentation and aging, why rum and whisky smell fruity, and the practical levers that raise or lower ester character. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/feints-in-distilling/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/feints-in-distilling/ What feints are, how they differ from heads and tails, why distillers collect them, and how to recycle feints into your next run without ruining it. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/fermentation-troubleshooting/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/fermentation-troubleshooting/ Fermentation not bubbling? Airlock silent? The most common fermentation problems home distillers face and exactly how to fix them. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/gin-botanicals-guide/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/gin-botanicals-guide/ Build a gin botanical bill from scratch: ratios by style, maceration vs vapour infusion, and how to scale and repeat your recipe. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/home-distilling-equipment-checklist/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/home-distilling-equipment-checklist/ The complete home distilling equipment checklist for fermentation, distillation and bottling, with honest picks at every budget. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/home-distilling-myths/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/home-distilling-myths/ The most repeated home distilling myths checked against primary sources: methanol and blindness, foreshots, copper, carbon filtering, cloudy spirit and more. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/how-to-dilute-spirits/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/how-to-dilute-spirits/ Step-by-step guide to proofing down spirits with water. Why volume contraction matters, how OIML correction works, and how to verify your final ABV before bottling. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/how-to-make-cuts/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/how-to-make-cuts/ How to identify and separate foreshots, heads, hearts and tails. Temperature, ABV and sensory markers for each fraction explained. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/how-to-make-neutral-spirit/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/how-to-make-neutral-spirit/ How to make a clean neutral spirit or vodka base at home. Wash, reflux distilling, cuts, carbon filtering and dilution to bottling strength, step by step. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/how-to-read-a-hydrometer/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/how-to-read-a-hydrometer/ How to take accurate hydrometer readings for SG, Brix and Plato. Temperature correction, meniscus reading and common mistakes covered. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/how-to-test-alcohol-proof/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/how-to-test-alcohol-proof/ Four ways to test alcohol proof at home: alcoholmeter, hydrometer, refractometer and pycnometer, with temperature correction and when to use each. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/hydrometer-temperature-correction/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/hydrometer-temperature-correction/ How to correct hydrometer readings taken above or below 20°C. The correction formula, a reference table, and when it matters most. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/mash-temperature-guide/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/mash-temperature-guide/ Mash temperature ranges for beer, whiskey and grain mashing, with the enzyme chart, strike water numbers and the trade-off between body and ABV. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/measuring-still-efficiency/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/measuring-still-efficiency/ A repeatable protocol for measuring how much of the alcohol in your wash reaches the jars, with the calculation and a worked example. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/moonshine-off-flavours/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/moonshine-off-flavours/ Why your moonshine tastes or smells bad and how to fix it. Solvent, sulphur, cloudy, plastic and harsh off-flavours, their causes and the steps to correct them. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/oak-aging-spirits/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/oak-aging-spirits/ How to age spirits at home with oak. Extraction, oxidation, charring vs toasting, oak species, small barrels vs staves and avoiding over-extraction. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/ph-in-fermentation-and-distilling/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/ph-in-fermentation-and-distilling/ Why pH matters at every stage of making spirits: mash conversion, yeast health, infection control and off-flavours, with target ranges. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/pot-vs-reflux-still/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/pot-vs-reflux-still/ An honest comparison of pot and reflux stills for a first purchase: what each does to flavour and purity, cost, learning curve, and which suits which spirit. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/proof-to-abv-conversion/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/proof-to-abv-conversion/ How the proof system works, why US and UK proof differ, and the formula to convert any value. History, worked examples and a full reference chart from 5–200 proof. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/reflux-vs-pot-still/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/reflux-vs-pot-still/ Pot still vs reflux still explained. How each works, what ABV each produces, which spirits suit each, and how to choose for home distilling. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/rum-wash-recipe/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/rum-wash-recipe/ A practical rum wash recipe from molasses or sugar. Ratios, yeast, nutrients, dunder, target gravity, and fermentation steps for distilling rum at home. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/safe-distilling-practices/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/safe-distilling-practices/ Home distilling safety: fire risk, pressure hazards, foreshots disposal, vapour safety and legal compliance before your first run. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/sanitation-for-distillers/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/sanitation-for-distillers/ Which parts of the distilling process need brewery-grade sanitation and which do not, what distillation does and does not fix, and a practical cleaning routine. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/sour-mash-and-backset/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/sour-mash-and-backset/ What sour mashing is, what backset actually does to mash pH and contamination risk, how much to use, and when setting back helps or hurts your wash. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/specific-gravity-to-abv/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/specific-gravity-to-abv/ How to calculate ABV from OG and FG. Simple formula, Balling formula, potential ABV reference table, and Brix and Plato conversions explained. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/sugar-vs-grain-first-wash/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/sugar-vs-grain-first-wash/ Sugar wash or grain mash for a first fermentation: cost, difficulty, equipment, flavour outcomes and failure modes compared honestly for beginners. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/sugar-wash-guide/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/sugar-wash-guide/ Sugar wash ratios, yeast selection, nutrient additions, fermentation management and troubleshooting for a clean high-yielding wash. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/tosna-yan-guide/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/tosna-yan-guide/ The TOSNA staggered nutrient protocol and YAN explained for distillers: when to add DAP and Fermaid-O, target levels, and why doses so often go wrong. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/understanding-abv-and-proof/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/understanding-abv-and-proof/ What ABV means, how proof is defined in the US and UK, the Tralle scale, and how alcohol content is measured in practice. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/what-is-fusel-alcohol/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/what-is-fusel-alcohol/ Why your spirit tastes harsh or hot — fusel alcohols are the likely cause. What creates them during fermentation, how to spot them by taste, and how to cut them out. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/whiskey-mash-recipe/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/whiskey-mash-recipe/ Step-by-step whiskey mash recipe: grain bill ratios, strike water temperature, conversion, yeast choice and fermentation from start to finish. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://distilcalc.com/guides/why-spirits-go-cloudy/ https://distilcalc.com/guides/why-spirits-go-cloudy/ Why spirit turns cloudy when diluted or chilled, the chemistry of louching and chill haze, the 46% ABV threshold, and how to prevent or fix a hazy spirit. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000