Watermelon Moonshine?!?!

[@BeardedBored]

Get 10%OFF Graphic T-shirts from INTO THE AM - intotheam.com/BEARDED10 Use Coupon Code - *Bearded10*

[@SyBernot]

If you don't mind spending a bunch of money replace the sugar with watermelon jolly ranchers or the old time watermelon discs. The artificial watermelon doesn't wash out in the ferment. I never distilled it but it makes a nice wine.

[@BeardedBored]

@@SyBernot I'll try it out:-)

[@dbomber69]

How about cantaloupe or honeydew shine? Or a "Fruit Salad" shine? Canned fruit cocktail. Plus I'm "Still" waiting for a report on the Popcorn Shine. And what happened with your wood experiment with the different types of wood and char for aging?

[@SyBernot]

@@dbomber69 The problem with watermelon and many other things is the experience is mostly retro nasal. If you hold your nose and dont breathe while eating watermelon it's not particularly sweet, and slightly tart but it isn't much else. 90% of it is aroma compounds and when you ferment it those aromas are either consumed by the yeast or driven off by fermentation so you get this mostly bland slightly tart water that tastes of cucumbers more than watermelon. Same thing happens with pears it just turns into this sour weird tasting stuff that is nothing like the original and the only way to get that experience back is to either back flavor it or use something artificial that is more stable that the yeast won't consume. The crazy thing to me is aromas like citrus, apple, pear, blackberry, banana and apricot are only like a atom or two different and they all behave very differently when you ferment them. Blackberry makes a fine wine, apricot not so much and the only difference is the oxygen group is moved over a bit. Here's a diagram that might make more sense media.cheggcdn.com/media%2F2b8%2F2b81aba6-56a1-40b2-846b-dc60f6df272e%2FphpFv40Wo.png

[@FrugalShave]

I have been rocking 14 of their shirts for the last year and they all look damn near new. I work at a Museum with dinosaurs and space halls so they had a ton that immediately went into the cart. I get constant compliments about my shirts every day.

[@wiseguysoutdoors2954]

I made a strawberry watermelon shine. My friend has several farm stands and had a couple of pallets of strawberries where some were bad, so they couldn't sell them, so they gave them to me and I sorted them. Ended up with 4 1 gallon freezer bags of strawberries. They also had 5 watermelons that were fine, but just had blemishes outside that they wouldn't sell. So, I blended the fruits, added 16 lbs of raw sugar. Fermented with DADY and cut the results with pure filtered watermelon juice instead of water, to 80 proof. Put 4 sliced strawberries in each quart. Strained after a month. Tasted like you had a strawberry jolly rancher in one cheek, and a watermelon jolly rancher in the other. It was so smooth that it would sneak up on you!!

[@BeardedBored]

Dude, that sounds awesome! I didn't even think of mixing other fruit with it. That, and the juice proofing sounds like a real winner. Thanks!

[@wiseguysoutdoors2954]

@@BeardedBored my friends wife and her friends didn't heed my warning. I told them it was 80 proof, so the 3 of them polished off a pint, straight!! My buddy just laughed

[@jacobdeslattes3519]

I picked up 25 giant watermelons last summer. Made a wash without any added sugar. Og of like 1.034. About 30 gallons. Fermented for 3 days. Ran it. Tasted like bleh funkyness up front. But once you swallowed you got that fresh watermelon juice flavor all the way down your throat.

[@nellynelson965]

I dont drink much, but I love watching the moon fairy polishes it till it shines. The stuff thats not used goes into a container and when its full, the moon fairy polishes that till its 90% and mixes it with a lill bit of petrol. My classic car loves it

[@justinleuenberger8011]

Thanks for giving an honest review of the output and not trying to oversell it.

[@garyhelms2977]

Hi! Glad you are back, hope things are good. Used time to review old videos. Also made some really nasty rum. Thanks!

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks Gary. We've all made nasty rum. Sometimes that's the best way to learn;-)

[@jeredrice5594]

Not sure where your at in Texas but we’re I’m at we are covered up with mustang grapes… ran a batch this year and it is the best brandy I’ve made.. food for thought!

[@RobertHamm-u7c]

You probably should have fermented with the pulp to bring out more of the watermelon flavor, and added watermelon to a thumper to bring out more flavor.

[@OwlCreekHS]

I'd be thinking a great base for a Gin !!! Glad to see you back again.

[@BeardedBored]

;-)

[@SamwiseOutdoors]

I've been wondering where you've been. I'm glad that you're still kicking.

[@thelionsdencreations]

Man I was just wondering, where the heck has bearded gone! Nice to see you again buddy!

[@BeardedBored]

Yep, not dead, just busy with life stuff. Finally getting back into it and I have a bunch of videos I'm working on for this month:-)

[@scottclay4253]

@@BeardedBored Excellent!

[@mikeball9900]

i'm glag to see you again!!

[@Jmb-zz1qw]

Glad to see you back brother shine on

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks brother!

[@roytelling6540]

Just starting watching this video but had to put a message NICE to see another video from you, You and Barley and Hops Brewing got me back into moonshine, did my first run when I was 27, stopped when I was about 35 and started again after seeing Barley and Hops Brewing video call "How my PWM is wired" and your video called "Tasting MOONSHINE & RUM AGED for 12 MONTHS!" I am not as good as you guys but I have made some good stuff the fairies would be happy with LoL Just started a strawberry wine for Christmas (should of started it earlier)

[@sheitane]

Man, awesome timing! I've "hypothetically" been wanting to do a watermelon moonshine for almost a year. I've been building my equipment for the last few months (still not done, but close) and your build/brazing/electronics videos have been super useful! Real cozy content right here

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks brother. Glad it was helpful. Best of luck on your build👍

[@happyhillbilly3466]

DUDE!!! good to see ya again! i’ve been tryin to get some watermelon stuff for awhile. always has that flat earthy taste even with quite a bit of sugar. I always taste the melons to make sure they’re good too. hmmm

[@BeardedBored]

Yeah, it is definitely a tricky one. Some other commenters have suggested some tricks to make it better. I might try some next summer.

[@thethirstybookworm]

Thanks for sharing even the ones that aren't successes. Glad to see you back.

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks so much👍

[@jonathanbates4748]

Glad to see you back!! Really enjoy your videos. I always like it when the liquor fairy visits my house.

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks brother!

[@kennyfoster9064]

int nobodies state in the US lets you distill, but great to see you still working with the fairy. My distilling god did cranberry, elderberry with some root beer and it was quite tasty after he was done

[@MultiTut69]

We did the same project last year, only a pickup bed load ok melons. Got the watermelon rind flavor also. It’ll be interesting to see what you do with it as I still have ALOT to experiment with. Good to see you back.

[@BeardedBored]

Hoowee, that's a lot of earthy, rindy hooch! I'll do my best to rework it into something delicious:-)

[@MultiTut69]

Someone just told me it would have tastier if I’d add pectin to the wash. Any thoughts?

[@MultiTut69]

Any follow up thoughts on rid flavor?

[@johnkwesif]

Yea I have only run watermelon once and it did not come out good. I ended up adding it to another run that turned out better, but I had high hopes for watermelon. I mean I could have used watermelon juice to mix it and that turned out okay on my sample, but I wanted to keep it clear and it just was not happening. Interested to see what you do with it.

[@marvinharms1891]

Nice to see my favourite KZbinr posting again. I was thinking you are dead! Or worst, incarcerated.

[@BeardedBored]

Nope, not dead. Totally alive and not locked up. Just under life's boot heel for a bit. Back at it now:-)

[@marvinharms1891]

@@BeardedBored Yep, locked up. Nice to have you back man🍻

[@PoppaLongroach]

Good to see you Bearded! It's close to fall I figured you be putting out some good stuff. Shine On Man!!

[@BeardedBored]

Got a bunch of new videos on the way. Thanks brother!

[@wldtrky38]

Before i got my 1st still, I had been doing homemade wine for several years. The absolute worst I ever made was watermelon wine. Wanted to try it for years, knowing the old Tom T Hall song, lol. Epic fail, so I quit there. Good to see ya back ! Have a good 1 !

[@BeardedBored]

Yeah, it seems like such an obvious good idea, but damn disappointing.

[@scottclay4253]

Good to see you are still alive and kickin’, Brother Bearded. I get concerned when you don’t surface for an extended period, I start thinking about Ol’ George’s sudden and unexplained disappearance. I have always wondered about watermelon, you did the research for us so we don’t have to. Still grinning about your “melons”, you are a guy, how could you resist? Thanks much and please keep up the good work!

[@BeardedBored]

I promise not to pull a George. I wish he'd come back. I'm here to stay as long as I can.

[@scottclay4253]

@@BeardedBored Thanks Bearded, that is good to know. I wish George would come back too.

[@douglasnapier5427]

Not only did Bearded make a reference to his melons, but he admitted to wearing a skirt (that didn't get blown up). I am of Scottish heritage, I would probably say "It didn't blow my kilt up". Bearded, is there something you haven't been telling us? LOL!

[@AndrewMiesem]

Inspired by your original Apple Jack video, I made a strawberry/watermelon moonshine a few years ago, and it was okay, but got much and much better over time. It ended up tasting, after a few months of aging (in a neglected bottle on my kitchen counter) like a really tasty brandy.

[@TigerPat_9180]

Really Enjoyed Your Video , Thanks ! P.S. I've seen people buy Watermelon 🍉 from the Store , sit Em down inside the house , and have Em Blow Up , Bust . Spilled Juice all over the floor . When you buy Em , people don't take into account , picking em , stacking Em , shipping Em , storing em , selling Em . Then they have to wait until someone actually Cuts into one . I grow my own . Pick what I need, by the Calendar , one week early . Cut in 1/4 sections , cut the meat out , put in a Bucket 🪣 and stir with a sheetrock mixer on a Drill until liquid , which was 1.026 . Added Sugar until 1.100 . Added my Yeast . Now , Watermelon 🍉 is something that is Time sensitive , it can Spoil in minutes . Used 3 packs of Yeast . Took the Lid off and Pushed the Fruit Cap down , 3 times a day . Best hours for me was , 7 in the morning , 3 in the afternoon and 11 at night . When it went Dry I Backsweeten , adding 20 points , 15 points and 10 points , each time . Didn't want it too Sweet in the End . Just over a year old . I brought in a gallon of Cucumber 🥒 and a gallon of Watermelon 🍉 this Week . Took some of Each to Game 🎯 Night , Friday . They Thought it was the Best thing since Sliced Bread 🍞🥪 . Especially the Watermelon 🍉 . And I take Samples of my Wine 🍷 and Brews to Game 🎯 Night , every Week . Watermelon 🍉 can be done . But , You have to Think 🤔 about every Single Step . How to get it Fermented , before it Soured or Spoiled . If You get it Right , NOTHING BETTER ! 🐯🤠

[@BeardedBored]

I'll try that next time. Thanks Tiger!

[@woodndrum303]

Hi there I’m an old man looking at this old time blessing and just starting out with pot. Had to stop smoking it cos it screwed with hospital blood test results, so just boozing slowly now. Basically only got to your videos couple of weeks ago. Good stuff, interesting projects keep it up. Been liking the ones I have seen, so thought it time to post comment as well to help the tube number crunching to promote your content. Sometime soon I hop to have some shine news of my own.

[@TheWolfster001]

I've tried many times to make it as well and ran into the same issues, I finally got it to work by adding a bag of Watermelon Jolly Ranchers to the wash and letting each jar age with 1 cup of jolly ranchers.. OH , Ya got to remove them from the plastic wrapper.. Yes I forgot my first time and poured the bag without remembering to remove the wrapper.. My excuse is, I may or may not have been doing an excessive amount of tasting some of my "Collection Of Flavored Spirits" too see what improved and what didn't.. Thank you for sharing.. Go ahead and try it, see if it works for you..

[@bradkinder7718]

You are definitely not the only one. I tried this last year and sounds like we have similar results. I would agree with one of the other comments that adding a simple syrup of watermelon juice to your spirit helps but if I want just a clear spirit, that needs some modification the next time I attempt this.

[@BeardedBored]

Yeah, I was hoping it would make a good brandy as a base for fiddling. One person mentioned strawberries in their mash to boost the flavor. I think that might be a good way to go.

[@stevefranklin2259]

hope you are ok Bearded, good to see you back. Distilling failures, Apples I cannot get a apple taste to come through - a waxy apple peel but not actually the taste of an apple.

[@TheGrainBench]

Welcome back brother.

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks brother. That copper beauty you gave me is working overtime this month:-)

[@TheGrainBench]

I bet. I've got a ton of stuff in the works as well.

[@TheGrainBench]

Olive Nation has an awesome additive. But 4 cups watermelon juice, 2 cups sugar, 1/2 tsp Vanilla, and a little sprinkle of lemon zest. Pour in to 2 cups 120p Shine. Juice your mellon and strain into sauce pan. Add all other ingredients less the shine and simmer for 30-45 min. Cool and strain into 1/2 gal Mason jar. Then add the Shine. Let marry for 1 to 2 weeks.

[@michaelbackhaus7879]

I did a watermelon mix. I used 65 ABV and mixed with watermelon juice to proof it down to about 40 ABV. Mine turned out pretty good. Keep adjusting your recipe, it might get better.

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks for the advice:-)

[@KRowe]

I got some good seed-free watermelon juice using the tomato juicer attachment for my kitchen Aid mixer. Someone at the Beattyville Bourbon and Moonshine Festival made watermelon shine- OMG, it was awesome! Not sure how he made it, but I wanted to drink it all day.

[@bosherba]

well, I was watching that show that starts with tune "bad boys, bad boys..." to see what happened to you. I didn't find you there and glad to see you here. Looking forward to see what you gonna make of this. cheers.

[@BeardedBored]

No laws broken here. I keep it all hypothetical for that reason:-)

[@bosherba]

@@BeardedBored I understand, it's like school science for grown-ups.

[@donaldgilbreath4200]

I recently made a watermelon mint mead that came out very well. I added fennel seeds and ginger as well.

[@SA12String]

Glad to see you back! Can't wait to see what you do to save this.

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks so much!

[@slobberinrocco3247]

So good to see you’re back. Hope everything’s going good. I’ve tried twice for watermelon brandy and both times it tasted like rind.

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks brother. Glad I'm not the only one:-)

[@desertriderukverun1002]

Glad to have you share the mistakes as well as the successes. When experimenting, there are always going to be some oopses Your second tequila with the charred pina leaves (I used agave) and the sweet potatoes (I also charred some pineapples and used a pound of black malted barley) is the real deal

[@theDeeJayCee]

I make watermelon brandy every year and there are a few tricks to get it spot on, you have the basics correct. I normally wait until mid summer and source the big sweet ripe watermelons. The trick is, after your run, put it in your oak barrel, I age mine 3 years, then I cut to 43% and add a little bit of invert sugar syrup, this just enhance that watermelon taste, it comes out very smooth and great tasting on the rocks.

[@iancavnar7496]

Had a huge haul of watermelon from garden, got 6 gallons of juice thats just finished fermenting. I was thinking about trying a seltzer, guess I'm going to use a bunch of watermelon extract lol

[@MorganBrunson]

Watermelon and cucumber are family plants along with pumpkin and squash. ..cucurbits.

[@RunIt615]

Everybody thinks they gonna have watermelon shine and watermelon crawl cranked up drinking stuff like this and come to find out it can be very different than what is hoped for or expected. Glad you pulled a trick and got er to work! Iam wanting to go grab a couple pumpkins tomorrow and do some tinkering i think

[@AaronWilsonAnarchy]

Bearded, watermelon and cucumbers are in the same family, which might explain the flavor. Maybe a watermelon-chili bloody mary? Maybe a watermelon gin? Those are probably the directions I'd head towards, especially if it tastes like cucumber.

[@sambate143]

Refreshing to see a "fail" if you can call it that. I love what you do for the KZbin distilling ecosystem. More power to you

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks, I really appreciate that!

[@the_whiskeyshaman]

You can try dicing the watermelon and put it in a jar and add sugar and make some syrup. Also I have heard that the peel is where the flavor is. I’ve tried watermelon 2 times and haven’t gone back. If that tells you anything. 😢

[@BeardedBored]

Yeah, I may try one more time next year, but this batch is going to get modified for sure.

[@silly6004]

Glad you're back

[@DGKOP72]

This seems like a good candidate for using a thumper to try and get more flavor into the final product

[@BeardedBored]

That's one way to go;-)

[@larrybarker1784]

I have done this several times and have been less than impressed. So I took my brandy and used some flavoring from Olive Nation. Now that is a good straight watermelon flavor. I like it straight out of the freezer. My wife likes it with some strawberries slices and 7-up on ice

[@c.johnston3386]

I tried making a watermelon wine years ago and it was also not so great. 😂

[@CreationsUnlimited-n5q]

Use the pulp cracked corn and raisins in your wash. 4 lbs of sugar wont cut it use 8lb for 6 gallons. Use fresh watermelon and some of your wash in your thumper.

[@d-rail2440]

I've got a watermelon wash going right now but my hopes aren't very high. Three days ago I juiced (9) watermelons and got about (10) gallons of watermelon juice. I added (12) LB's of sugar (I thought watermelons were loaded with natural sugar) and bread yeast. I didn't have any wine yeast or I would have used that. I normally make corn liquor and day three it's kicking C02 off pretty hard still. I just checked the watermelon wash and barely saw a few bubbles. I'd like to try and save it if there is any way. I spent about $125 on ingredients. Any thoughts? Thanks.

[@heymulen1840]

Hey man 💪💪 been missing you. My thoughts have been going to you this summer. I've been picking a lot of plums, and feeling it all the way 😁😂🤣 Cheers to you 🍻

[@BeardedBored]

You going to make some Plum brandy? Have fun!

[@heymulen1840]

@@BeardedBored Aii aii, Slivovitz and Caramba. I'm gona make Plum Brandy, and age some of it on toasted Elder wood and some on sugar and plums for a smooth plum liquor. Cheers.

[@MadJix]

For watermelon I always do the jollyrancher method

[@BeardedBored]

That would have been way better:-)

[@Josh-e2l]

My first thoughts were your rockmelon shine, which i tried to replicate and it nearly destroyed my laundry. I havent ever had a foam over so bad in my fermenter 🤣

[@Josh-e2l]

And great to see you back mate!

[@BeardedBored]

I'm almost out of the rock melonshine. Kinda wish I'd decided to revisit that one. That pulp will really mess up your day. Try a blow off tube or just an open ferment next time.

[@cantites81]

Cucumber flavor goes amazing in Gin...

[@BeardedBored]

So I hear ;-)

[@tomblankendaal3228]

My thoughts exactly!

[@knightmare1015]

You need to use pectic enzymes for fruit brandies to get all of the sugar out of the fruit and a gin basket would make a huge difference for the better.

[@xitwound50cal11]

Good to see you back . Next time slice in rings and cut in half . Then cut abought 1\2 in from the rind and remove any white that may remain .

[@BeardedBored]

Good tip;-)

[@denisdendrinos4538]

This makes me sad that it didn't work out great for you I only made it once with only one watermelon that was overripe, and before going bad, I decided to use it for shine. Same process and all but i got loads of watermelon flavour. Proofed down to 35% with some added sugar and added little pink food coloring. Made a great summer liquor.

[@BenBen31BPD7]

Definitely going to have to try this!

[@joshwilliams8765]

I would of put orange blossom honey in it when it was fermenting ❤

[@whattheflux2733]

Tried to make watermelon wine once, came out like pickled rhinds, was not pleasant at all. So, I gave the batch to a leprachuan and he stilled it twice, and turned the spirit into something more neutral and then made a sort of schnaaps out of it with extracts and sugar and glycerin, which made it at least drinkable.

[@cicibradley2809]

Try using homegrown vine ripened ones.

[@orbitalbreaky]

Just a thought but maybe try starting with 3-4 times this much watermelon then boil it to reduce it down to SG you're aiming for instead of using sugar.

[@BeardedBored]

The base flavor was just so strange that adding sugar or not wouldn't have made much difference. But, cooking the juice down could change the flavor in a good way. Interesting thought.

[@chadbevin9877]

G'day Bearded from Qld Australia I'm new to hobby using the Vevor 5gal Love ya videos been more than helpful

[@BeardedBored]

Cheers brother:-)

[@jeffreymcdonald9924]

Maybe try using double the watermelon and boil it down to concentrate the flavor then send it off to the Liquor Fairy

[@Watson606]

I did one with frozen concentrate that had a similar result, and by chance, when I went to dump the backset, it smelled fantastic, so I tasted it, it was like the lightbulb moment. Did about a 40(spirit)/50(backset) split and the remaining 10 being some simple syrup from the fruit. It's still one of the best I've done, was it the result I initially wanted? No, but it also was able to be salvaged and turned to something that I'm gonna have to revisit.

[@BeardedBored]

Interesting. My backset smelled like bandaids.

[@Watson606]

@@BeardedBored ah, then I would avoid it. I was using like 7 cans of concentrate, but yeah, I was super surprised as well with it.

[@lsh3rd]

My worst brewing experiment was trying to make watermelon wine… it went rancid during fermentation. I was hoping you’d have better luck.

[@BeardedBored]

It wasn't rancid, but it was not palatable. Tangy and cucumbery. Hopefully I can turn it into something good.

[@TedDaudel-zi9ct]

Ever use monin syrups to ferment

[@Welcometothecivilianlife]

I recommend 16 pieces of jolly ranchers watermelon candy to 16 oz jar of hooch

[@fincarosa6767]

Welcome back,sir

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks!

[@robertfontaine3650]

A lot of the time it's just easier to make liquers and flavoured spirits from nice clean vodka.

[@BeardedBored]

Yeah, this is definitely one of those times:-)

[@ironmck9826]

Yes you did! Melons are my favourite!

[@rickylaflour9294]

My state won't let me be a cool moonshiner but Burnetts watermelon vodka will work for me

[@thelionsdencreations]

I hate both cucumber and watermelon, but I have heard that if you dip your cucumber in sugar and eat it, it will taste like watermelon. So maybe a little sugar in it will do the trick?

[@BeardedBored]

Hmmm, I'll try it:-)

[@JohnFerrerAkaEric]

​@@BeardedBoredalso for what it's worth, I had a watermelon fall off a trellised vine a couple weeks ago. The inside was white and tasted like cucumber.

[@JeffHoman-eu2zb]

What about the watermelon in a thumper?

[@johnyu1750]

At least you’re honest. I made a few beer batches that just didn’t come out good, and I couldn’t serve them to anybody because I wasn’t proud of them. I will watch her next video.

[@BeardedBored]

I happy to fail in public. Makes us all smarter;-)

[@ubza1234]

My biggest distilling fail was distilling monstera fruit wine. It makes a beautiful complex liquor bit the distillate tastes a lot like bin juice. Like the smell of what drips from the bottom of a dumpster. It's still in jars. I'm hoping it might magically become drinkable. I know full well this isn't going to happen 😂

[@itsprobablyonyoutube]

Great to see you (and the liquor fairy) are back at it.

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks!

[@Sherryrice4149]

Hey can you tell me where you got those buckets at. 🤔

[@Leo-go4nf]

I'm surprised you didn't sweeten it to try and get the watermelon flavour back as i vaguely remember a trend about sugering cucumbers to get them to taste like watermelon or something but I know when making dry wines with strong fruit flavours the lack of sweetness can turn sertain fruits savoury or perfumey. I also wonder if placing brown sugar, molasses, oak shavings or honey in the thumper would make a rum, whisky or mead flavoured spirit? PS, I'm new to your channel and loving it so far keep up the great work.

[@coreydougherty4315]

What about proofing down with watermelon water? That with some aging could be what it needs.

[@Ansis99]

Hi! Let me say something about it. At first - yeast eats flesh of the fruit etc. When we use only juice - all (whatever) is taste like shit. It is. How to correct it? Always leave fruit flesh inside bag. After yeast will eats up what he can there is no much left, but we have taste. Now I am in process of beets+apples+pears+rhubarb wine. There is this simple technique in motion. +100C water and 3 bags - drowning inside for about 10 hours. Than add sugar+yeast in fermenter - all bags inside. Results are excellent for this lazy style of brewing. Cheers! 🥂

[@EpicValleysStill]

Like some of the other people have mentioned, maybe infuse it with the fruit? What I do is more of a mixed drink. 40% shine with 60% Simply watermelon juice. Sweeten to taste. If you lock down a watermelon mash let us know! 🔥🔥❤

[@BeardedBored]

I did infuse it with watermelon and mint at the end of the video, but it really didn't help unfortunately. I think your mixed drink is the best way to go.

[@EpicValleysStill]

@@BeardedBored or maybe put some fresh watermelon in a thumper? It’s super tasty and surprisingly refreshing.

[@BradMore]

You got the 'like' at 'I think I need to talk to a therapist' :-) ... love your content.

[@BeardedBored]

Hahahaha, a man of culture, I see:-)

[@tylertapp131]

Good stuff, I have a quick and random question for ya bud. So do you have any idea how much Honeysuckles you would need to infuse with say a quart jar if liquor? And how long do you think I should let it go before straining it into a new container?

[@BeardedBored]

A good handful to start with, a day or two, then taste it to see if it's ready.

[@tylertapp131]

@@BeardedBored I collected a good amount and filled the jar quite almost all the way lol but it seems to still fit 95 percent of a quart jar of liquid. I'll check it in a few days, thanks for the info. Do you think it would do too much to let it go a week or 2?

[@cnote001]

Well...thanks for doing that for those of us that have been thinking of doing it. Think I'll just proof down some of my UJSSM with some leftover watermelon juice that I get after my wife cuts watermelon for the kids and call that my watermelon shine. Cheers bud

[@Fire_And_Iron]

What still is that? Size and maker?

[@JasonBelliveau]

I tried that years ago and found the same.

[@TheInfinityzeN]

A few things that might help. First when you are picking your watermelons to use, make sure you taste them first. You want ones that have a rich "watermelon" flavor rather than just a "meh" one. This is a common issue since lots of watermelons don't actually taste that good, especially if you are getting them off season. When separating out the flesh, you want to make sure you don't get any rind. Better to lose a little bit of the red. Throw all the flesh into a pot and heat it low to medium on your stove, stirring and mashing it. Almost all the flesh should turn to liquid, with only a little stringy solids remaining. Watermelon has basically no nutrients in it so always requires yeast nutrients. I know he added nutrients but you have to work hard to balance them for watermelon. Treat it the same as you would a straight sugar wash. Looking at the ratios used for wines is helpful here. For your yeast, bread yeast will actually produce the best flavor and at the ABV possible should be fine. Lots of commercial distillers actually use bread yeast because of how good it taste and how well it carries over flavors of what you are distilling. Finally and most importantly, back sweeten the final product. Without sweetness it will never taste like watermelon. I would recommend starting with a small sample and slowly adding simple to it a little at a time until the flavor shows up. The flavor will seem to just suddenly appear once you hit the right level. From there you can calculate how much simple you need and any additional water to hit your target ABV.

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks for the advice!

[@abrad3061]

Thanks for being honest. Most people just say it's great no matter what

[@ThinkFaster66]

Very interesting. Fun fact, take a slice of cucumber and coat it in super. The result tastes somewhat like watermelon. So it kind of makes sense that the inverse would happen what the watermelon fermented dry. ….how’s the tequila doing?

[@kevin_ninja_jones2363]

Are the cherries ripe yet im patiently waiting for the cherry bounce recipe

[@BeardedBored]

I have a cherry brandy working right now. I may use some of it for bounce.

[@DrAppalling]

You can try rerunning it through a reflux still. Also, I wonder if using seedless watermelon is part the problem. To me they don’t taste great to begin with.

[@BeardedBored]

I had a mix of seeded and seedless. They all tasted great, nice and sweet, flavorful. From what I'm hearing from other commenters, watermelon is usually not a good candidate for this sort of thing.

[@devinodonnell]

I know it's weird, but what about making a cucumber brandy directly? I know that it's a pretty rare option, but I *do* have a cocktail recipe that is literally *made* as a flavor construct *because* of it.

[@BeardedBored]

I don't know if I'm brave enough. Might need to put some distance between this one and another cucumber batch.

[@billb89]

Moonshiners made green lizard, no sugar and they used the rind.

[@douglasnapier5427]

Failures? I made a corn mash one time. It sat for too many days before I could run it. Sour mash is an understatement, tasted like sweat socks after running a marathon.

[@manatoa1]

Mediocre results are still results. Thanks to you, we all learned something.

[@BeardedBored]

Just glad I can add to the community data set:-)

[@zberteoc]

You basically took some recipe for watermelon wine. Few things, why strain the solids? Those are good as nutrients and for flavor! As a general rule, when making fruits brandy using the solids in both fermentation and distillation is a recommended thing! With watermelon especially, never tried it myself yet, the solids are pretty loose so it should not present any problem with fermenting and especially distilling. Sugar content in watermelon should be pretty consistent if picked the right fruits, like fully ripened, however the flavor is pretty mellow so I would not expect much going through the fermenting and distilling process. I would try watermelon as well, though. Try apricots, peaches, pears. But use the solids! ☺

[@SpiritOfTheHeretic]

Maybe a little juniper, orange peel, coriander... 😉

[@BeardedBored]

;-)

[@Bugout72]

Mabey throw in a little oranges or lemon in the mash. not alot but it might bring out the watermelon flavor.