Best neutral with a T500

[Pist n broke]

Ok... I am about to start doing my second run with my T500... I am after a process that is proven to obtain the best neutral tasting alcohol.
I will be using turbo wash... please don’t snag me with TPW etc... I have this as a sample and want to use it up... let’s here peoples process that they use.

Thanks
Newbie

[AussieAndy]

viewtopic.php?f=57&t=10483

Have a look here :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[hillzabilly]

Try using a strategy like in viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6177 its an air still but the strategy is solid ,don't use more than 6kg sugar per 25-30lt batch .cheers hillzabilly :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Pist n broke]

Question.... When he tails come out does everyone store them and after a few runs and collecting them , do u pour them into the still and do the process again ?..?
Do u tip it into the next wash...? Is it worth it...? I mean it's a small amount and your tipping into 25L of wash..?

Am I missing something.... Yeah I know I'm a newbie and learning.

[Sam.]

Ok... I am about to start doing my second run with my T500... I am after a process that is proven to obtain the best neutral tasting alcohol.
I will be using turbo wash... please don’t snag me with TPW etc... I have this as a sample and want to use it up... let’s here peoples process that they use.

Thanks
Newbie

Mate, turbo yeast is great if you want to run your ethanol remote control car on.

You will never make a great nuetrel with it.

Why be anti TPW? It’s a fraction of the price and a thousand times better.

[bluc]

There is no "best" spirit otherwise there would be only one brand in the bottle shop. Not sure what you mean by using turbo dont snag me with tpw. But I dont think best and turbo yeast are used in the same sentence ever... :-B

[hillzabilly]

Heads and tails from my spirit run always go into the next wash after its finished fermenting,ifn its whiskey or rum they can be gathered up and when you have a full boilers worth of feints at no more than 40%ABV as they are also called ,you do an all feints run and the hearts from these can be very good with a lot of flavor,but as ya going for neutral this is not the best strategy in my opinion as it would give you a low yield of hearts and cost a lot of time,as a compromise with the yeast try the still spirits vodka yeast (smaller square pack)and 6kg sugar,less yield than 8kg turdbo but much nicer smell and flavour and no need for carbon filtering after double distilling,and clean out ya packing befor each spirit run ,I like to taste the wash and found the spirit always reflected these tastes after distilling,so be brave and try,straight advice in this hobby is what we offer,and most of us found out the long hard way,your choice.cheers hillzabilly ;-)

[Pist n broke]

My first run I just threw out the first 150ml and kept the rest... I did run it through a carbon filter but can taste a little strange taste,.. still good but looking for it to be better. The reason why I said don’t slam me with tpw is better is because I will use that on my next run but want to use the turbo up first so want info on turbo.

So let me get this straight.. u do your run then after u collect maybe 3L at something like 93% you water it down to 40% and then clean out boiler and tip what you collected into boiler and do it again..? Do you top the boiler up to the 25L with straight water...? Is that what you do when you double distill?

[Teddysad]

I will be using turbo wash... please don’t snag me with TPW etc...

There's a sayin "There are none so blind as those who wont see"

[Pist n broke]

Teddysad.... you did not read my last post above about TPW... I asked everyone not to slag off on turbo and have a post war on what is better... I am going to use TPW in the future but want to use this turbo stuff as it came with the kit. So I am asking people what is the best method people have used to get the “best” out of turbo.

So to answer your question.. yes I will use TPW and yes it is better from what I have read.. I’m happy to use turbo just for the experience of using the still... so has anyone else have any information that will help me... other than what has already been posted.

[bluc]

Harsh cuts then maybe carbon filtering. I tripple pot stilled some turbo when i first started and it stunk I really dont have anything nice to say about the experience. But maybe with a t500 reflux still and good cuts followed by charcoal filtering you may have something worthwile.

If you dont have filtering gear I wouldnt buy any. Personally would do ya run with the turbo then one each of the other vodkas on here. tpw /teddysad ffv/wbab then get a mate to setup a blind taste test . If you happen to like turbo best then buy some filtering gear. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
We dont pick on turbo just to annoy new distillers there really is much better option to be had a lot cheaper..

[Pist n broke]

Thanks for the info..... I want to try as much as I can... I want to get a pot still but don’t know how to drive one yet... from what I have read you have to keep an eye on it all the time.... not saying I leave a still unattended but seems more things to do with a lot....
Dunno as I am a newbie....
Going to do up a TPW soon.... there is a recipe on here for a TPW.. so will try it.

[Andyj986]

Thanks for the info..... I want to try as much as I can... I want to get a pot still but don’t know how to drive one yet... from what I have read you have to keep an eye on it all the time.... not saying I leave a still unattended but seems more things to do with a lot....
Dunno as I am a newbie....
Going to do up a TPW soon.... there is a recipe on here for a TPW.. so will try it.

Here ya go mate :) Enjoy, got my first one going now :handgestures-thumbupleft:
http://aussiedistiller.com.au/viewforum.php?f=32

Opps, bit delusional today and dyslexic, you already found it. Thought you said Is there a recipe haha

[Pist n broke]

:handgestures-thumbupleft:

[hillzabilly]

My first run I just threw out the first 150ml and kept the rest... I did run it through a carbon filter but can taste a little strange taste,.. still good but looking for it to be better. The reason why I said don’t slam me with tpw is better is because I will use that on my next run but want to use the turbo up first so want info on turbo.

So let me get this straight.. u do your run then after u collect maybe 3L at something like 93% you water it down to 40% and then clean out boiler and tip what you collected into boiler and do it again..? Do you top the boiler up to the 25L with straight water...? Is that what you do when you double distill?

Yes throw out the first 150ml this is forshots,do your run and collect into your cuts containers,put aside the heads and tails,and put the hearts in a separate container,after say three batchs like that you will have enough hearts to dilute ta 40%ABV and fill the boiler,then clean out the still well and do a slow spirit run,again collecting into your cuts containers,air overnight and select your cuts,you should end up with some very nice product that way,then the feints from your first three runs and the feints from your spirit run go into your next ferment,so its my opinion your fermenter should hold about three times the volume of the still to make this method easier.cheers hillzabilly ;-)

[The Stig]

Best way to get good neutral is to do a stripping run then a spirit run.
Turbo's wont give as clean a spirit as TPW or Wheetbix, but they will give more spirit: What do you want? Quality or Quantity?
It really is that simple.
During the spirit run ditch the first 200ml, keep the next 1 or so litres as heads then collect hearts till it starts to stink then collect tails.
Next run, tip the heads and tails into the boiler with the second spirit run.

[Pist n broke]

I want quality... but don’t want to spend days and days if stilling to get it.... does the TPW come out cleaner...? Still do cuts..?? Still through away 200ml?

[Plumby]

When I ran my super reflux I did TPW, discard the first 150ml then collect the rest in 200ml jars. Make cuts the next day, the heads and tails went into a separate (feints) container and the hearts I watered down to 40% abv. When I had enough feints to fill my boiler at 40% abv I did a spirit run, once again discarding the first 150 ml and making 200ml cuts, the hearts I kept and the rest I used as window cleaner. I always got a higher yield and cleaner neutral from a feints run but a well cut single reflux run tpw is still very nice, with no need to carbon filter. Hope that helps :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[The Stig]

I want quality... but don’t want to spend days and days if stilling to get it

Great, you want quality, sit back relax and take your time.
You cant have both, fast and quality
This hobby takes patients and you will be rewarded.
Make your choice

[bluc]

If you dont want to spend hours driving a reflux still. Consider a bubbler with packed section.2-2.5l/h output at 95%