New still! Whatever shall we make?

[Borneogoat]

I'm just returning to distilling after a long break away. I've got a shiny new 5 Star Neutralizer on the way, but no experience with a bubbler system. Previously I have run a few dozen batches on cheap reflux system from a homebrew store. And I do have plenty of all-grain homebrewing experience. I'm hoping for a little advice on hard-to-stuff-up recipes that will help me learn how to use my new baby. Got the 5x plates, some copper packing, and gin caddy.

I'm a whiskey guy who also enjoys gin and rum. Not much interested in Vodka (booooring). Looking for a couple recipes that are simple'ish to make-up, ferment, and run on a bubble plate still .... and mature to drinkability quick! Don't wanna wait 3-12 months to taste my first product, those recipes can wait till later. Maybe a gin?

Thanks in advance, as I know this is a pretty open question that may have been asked before.

[Doubleuj]

recipes

If you like whiskey try a WBAB or CFW or NGW.
Cant stuff these up (well i do have a stalled CFW at the moment)

[copperhead road]

BWKO tried and true recipe :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Borneogoat]

I've checked out a bunch of the recipes in the Tried & Proven section and reckon I'll have a crack at several over time. MacWhiskey got my attention in particular. I'm sure you remember your first runs ... and the desire to have something drinkable as fast as possible! Are there any particular recipes or types of recipes/spirit that work well for impatience?

[Zak Griffin]

I can vouch for CFW being pretty tasty straight off the still!

Get a few whiskey runs under the belt, rerun all of the feints through 5 plates and a packed section for neutral, then turn the neutral into gin :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[hillzabilly]

Doing vodka or neutral with the TPW may be boreing but its the fastest easiest way ta get some stock in the bar,patience is a part of stilling that helps give you the best and safest product espeshially when you will be running a new still with little experience,its also cheap and easy so if ya have any probs it will not be such a big loss.cheers hillzabilly ;-)

[Borneogoat]

Doing vodka or neutral with the TPW may be boreing but its the fastest easiest way ta get some stock in the bar,patience is a part of stilling that helps give you the best and safest product espeshially when you will be running a new still with little experience,its also cheap and easy so if ya have any probs it will not be such a big loss.cheers hillzabilly ;-)

I reckon your right with that advice. From my limited knowledge: boring neutral vodka + gin caddy full of tasty botanical goodies = everybody loves gin. So maybe I should look through gin botanical recipes and add that to a TPW. That is based on the assumption that gin doesn't need long maturation, because it's not on wood. Is that a assumption a good one or am I missing a finer point of gin-making?

[hillzabilly]

That's it no maturation required,MacRum would be my second choice as well ta give some experience with 4plates or less 3months on oak may sound like a long time but the sooner ya get it on the sooner ya will be slurpin,its also a pretty easy wash ta get going and will give ya a bit of oaking experience ta boot.cheers hillzabilly ;-)

[coffe addict]

I'd say as your down with ag beer just make real whiskey.
Mash at 63c aiming for 1065 sg don't stress about sterilising or boiling after mash. Make 2.5% of grain bill caramalt and 2.5% a roasted grain like a biscuit and it'll be delicious straight off the still. Then do a dozen more runs so you have aging stock lol

[Dig Brinker]

Run a few tomato paste washes and use this with the great Gin recipe in tried & proven. Order your botanicals now!! :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Can guarantee it makes an awesome gin.

[Borneogoat]

I'd say as your down with ag beer just make real whiskey.
Mash at 63c aiming for 1065 sg don't stress about sterilising or boiling after mash. Make 2.5% of grain bill caramalt and 2.5% a roasted grain like a biscuit and it'll be delicious straight off the still. Then do a dozen more runs so you have aging stock lol

That is in the future plans for sure. However, there are some limitations to my AG brewing system that would make it a little complicated at this early stage. My capacity is about 50L of 1.050 wort. Not a hard limit, but my boiler is 100L and I'd like to run 80L batches at first to build stock. Also, I would need to transport the 50L (in a sanitary fashion) down a flight stairs, through the house, up the backyard stairs, and a bit further to the moonshine shed. My back aches at this thought.... I'll figure it out, but later on.

Side question: As a beer brewer, I always use a pinch of metabisulphate to kill the chlorine/chloramine in our tap water. I haven't seen it mentioned on this forum. Is chlorinated water not an issue in stilling? Maybe the still leaves the chlorine behind in the boiler or something...

[coffe addict]

Not heard of anyone using meta, some people swear by vitamin c tablets for chlorinated water. Myself I've never bothered and still get a good strong ferment.

[PeterC]

The chlorine in tap water will be long gone before distilling. As mentioned it is in the wash that there could be an issue. Any reducing agent will remove chlorine so vitamin C or sodium metabisulphite as used in wine preserving but there is so much yeast in there it does not seem to be a problem for most people.

[Kenster]

The chloramine is harder to remove, chlorine, no probs. I have used Vit C before and it is 'supposed' to work but i have no method of measuring it. I have read the POTASSIUM Met works better than Sodium for our needs as there is no sodium residue as a byproduct. Apparently the Potassium Met and the sulphides it produces are utilised to a great extent and have negligible impact on flavour as they break down under heat.(assuming there is any residue left over in the original water) One Campden tab should clear 75 lit of water.

[wynnum1]

"transport the 50L (in a sanitary fashion) down a flight stairs, through the house, up the backyard stairs, and a bit further to the moonshine shed. "
Have you looked at pouring into small plastic containers and transporting that way may be slow but no heavy lifting have used 2 L drink bottles and 3L fruit juice and 5 L containers.

[coffe addict]

Or moving the mash tun into the shed would work?

[Sam.]

If it's downstairs how about a long hose and gravity?

Even if it's slow it's better than wrecking your back :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Borneogoat]

I'm working on ideas for a mashing system in the shed, but they will take a while. Not that it is difficult in a technical sense, but my wallet needs to recover a bit after buying the still and other get-started things. And it would be bloody long siphon from upstairs to the shed! For now I can easily do sugar washes with a big pot and gas burner right next to the shed. Sugar washes sound like an easy way to start anyhow....