I'm ready to start! Need laymans terms...

[Kimbo]

Mac, not that I've started the wash but how much of the fores do you get rid of? I saw something about people would be in shock to see how much get rid of. I like the idea of not getting crook from my grog lol

Hi there, there is a really good thread in the Newbies Corner called " kiwistillers novice guide to cuts and fractions"
It is a really good read and will explain it nicely :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Dominator]

Like Kimbo said, kiwistillers guide to cuts really is a great place to start. For a 30L wash, 50ml is the minimum I would remove for foreshots. I have always dumped the first 150ml. Your never gonna want to drink that crap so no point keeping it. :puke-huge:

[crow]

Hi LoR here is one of the best guides going relating to cuts. The extact amount of fores is subjective but the first 200 ml will take care of it and then you will be able to tell the next cuts by smell and taste. A lot of first timers worry that they will not be able to tell what's what but then find when the time comes it is really quite easy. Fore shots smeel like nail polish remover and in fact that is exactly what' it is although sometimes there is very little (just a few mls) but most guys set aside at least 100 mls to be safe. If you got this wrong it wouldn't be anything to really worry about as it would still be in your head cut (faints) and therefore be set aside for re-running in your next run :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Click here Cuts and fractions guide

[aloveofrunning]

Ok, I made up 50l and I've parked the fementer in the lounge room where it's the warmest. I hope pitching yeast means to just throw it in and do nothing more. I think my mad stirring before pitching yeast aerated it enough. Trying to move 50l of liquid is not an easy feat :wtf: I have no idea how I'm going to manage to get it into the still, siphon I guess? So I'm committed now guys! :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Frothwizard]

Good work!!!

I've tried two different recipes now, and each one you try, you're always apprehensive about its effectiveness. Then you run the bastard and that liquid gold comes out of your still...and at that point...You think you're a king / queen of the world!!

Now you've started...you won't stop.

[Kimbo]

Ok, I made up 50l and I've parked the fementer in the lounge room where it's the warmest. I hope pitching yeast means to just throw it in and do nothing more. I think my mad stirring before pitching yeast aerated it enough. Trying to move 50l of liquid is not an easy feat :wtf: I have no idea how I'm going to manage to get it into the still, siphon I guess? So I'm committed now guys! :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I got myself one of these for my cordless drill. That and a couple of meters of Silicone hose and your laughing :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[db1979]

I got myself one of these for my cordless drill. That and a couple of meters of Silicone hose and your laughing :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Geez they look awesome...at 1300 L/hour they should drain a 50 L keg in less than 3 minutes!

[Kimbo]

I got myself one of these for my cordless drill. That and a couple of meters of Silicone hose and your laughing :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Geez they look awesome...at 1300 L/hour they should drain a 50 L keg in less than 3 minutes!

That will depend on the speed of your drill ( I wouldn't recommend that sort of speed on such a cheap pump) ;-)

[MacStill]

I think I found a new use for my big drill press, it'd be a $900 pump tho :laughing-rolling:

[Dominator]

Damn, iwas in bunnings yesterday. I should have grabbed one of those. I wonder how they would handle hot dunder? :think:

[aloveofrunning]

Fantastic! I'll grab one on payday! Cheers :) I came home from being away overnight, the fermenter is sitting at 22-24c and bubbling, good yeah?

[Dominator]

Yep all good. Anywhere from 24 up to 28oC for a TPW. The warmer your fermenter temp, the faster it will ferment. If you go over 30oC you increase the chance of unwanted flavours and risk killing your yeast.

[Yummyrum]

Hey aloveofrunning

great to here you got your ferment hapening.

I was curious what kind of still you have .You said it was a Keg Still but I don't know what you mean by that .Can you do pictures?

[BackyardBrewer]

I came home from being away overnight, the fermenter is sitting at 22-24c and bubbling, good yeah?

Fine but it's likely to be slow at that temp. If you've got an electric blanket or even just a quilt you can wrap around it bring it up to 28°.

If not you'll need to wait a day or three longer for it to finish up at that temp.

[aloveofrunning]

Yeah I'm trying to work out how long it will take to ferment, hoping not too long. Right now I've parked it in front of my heater and it's at 30. I'll see how to get a pic up of it. It's a copper still from the copper still man on eBay but I've heard here that it may not be the best investment. It's a start for me anyway and I thought copper might be better to buy first than stainless steel. It's on a keg boiler so I suppose you might be able to find a picture faster than I can manage to work out how to upload one here. :)

[Yummyrum]

That 'd be cool if you could get up some pics .

With that wash cracking along around 30 deg ,it should probably finish fermenting in around 3-5 days. Do you have a hydrometer that measures the SG (specific gravity) of the wash ? When it reaches around 0.990 you are done

The next stage is letting it clear. That's when all the yeast settles to the bottom .The temptation is to Run it through the still immediately .The longer you leave it,the clearer it will become .

The clearer the wash,the less chance of yeasty flavours and puking occurring when you distill.

You can add clearing agents available from Home Brew Shops that will clear a wash in about 36 hours .They cause a coagulation of all the yeast particles so they quickly sink to the bottom......or.....you just wait and it happens naturally ......same result but after 36 days .

I generally compromise and Run after about two weeks .Others are not so patient :teasing-neener: b

Also cooler environment will aid quicker clearing

[aloveofrunning]

More waiting!!! This is not good for the most impatient person in the world who for some unknown reason also loves fishing. I do have one of those thingies. So what do I do to make it settle, just leave as is bubbling? This better be worth it! I really would rather all natural. I'll get a pic up perhaps tomorrow :) it doesn't look possible on iPhone.

[crow]

Of logged on from your phone you should be able to select a picture from your gallery and up load it to the site easy

[aloveofrunning]

I guess I didn't look hard enough. Tried uploading, too big :/ will look after I do my ballarat trip tomorrow.

[Yummyrum]

More waiting!!! This is not good for the most impatient person in the world who for some unknown reason also loves fishing.

:laughing-rolling:

Yup just let it bubble away . When it slows to a bubble every hour get excited ,Get out you thingy and have a measure .Get it out the next day and if it hasn't changed .......its done . Turn off the heater and wait .The colour of the wash will be a pinky tinge through the fermenter ,Over the next few days ,you will see it change to a pale yellow colour as all the yeast settles out

Out of interest ,the clearing agents sold by HBS are based on egg shells and crustation bases and have been used in the wine industry for many many years so although the "bought from a Home brew shop " and " Comes in a packet" may be unappealing ,I believe they are probably pretty natural , I used to use them but now the tight arse bug bites and lets me wait :-D