Ok elighten me o wise ones, what is this bastard?

[JayD]

lol's information overload...bring it up to temp..slow boil...discard the first 150 mm...(4snheads) then slowly collect in small lots (hearts)... until you smell wet cardboard,wet dog(tails). all done basically by smell and taste...then let it air for 24 hrs add a drop of water and taste smell again starting from the centre of your cuts (run/hearts) the jar in the very middle of your run should be the best. Dont forget to turn your water on first slower boil=higher%...fast boil = lower%

J

[crow]

Looks like the same brand as my first still but mine was a small reflux . . should hold 4L with a 700 w element from a Company in MacKay that no longer in business

Its a still spirits 5 ltr pot still. A New Zealand distributor for essences and distillation stuff including stills. I saw the reflux still your talking about just last weekend so they still sell them :-B (nofuckingideahow)

[Linny]

Also forgot to mention that the seal around the element Can perish and crack . l used a silicon cistern Seal from bunnings

[Sam.]

One of these was the first still I ever owned, still have it sitting under the bar :D

If you are going to keep it and you want to make bourbon, try the Bourbon Knock Off recipe or if your real keen Mtn Moonshiners Whiskey.

If you are wanting to make nuetrel using TPW you will be running it a lot of times through to get the quality you are after :handgestures-thumbupleft:

From memory I think it used to take 2 hours per 5L using turbo washes :puke-huge:

Painfully long time, building a bigger pot still on a keg would be much better when funds/time allow :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[crow]

The plastic lines are just for water cooling the condensation tube? The spirit condensation exits via metal tube from the pot lid. Does that make any difference?Thanks

Umm hang on don't it come out that metal pipe into the plastic hose with the bit of copper 1/2 whacked up its butt?
If so then no that is not really ok

[numbnuts]

Wow....thanks for all the replies and advice! Taking everything everyone is saying onboard, much appreciated. After this next lot has finished I will be starting again and experimenting with what has been suggested here :handgestures-thumbupleft:

This is just a stepping stone as I said previously so I will be researching on making something a lot better in the near future, but want to utilise this in the time being :D

[SBB]

Mate that little still will teach you a whole heap, if you can learn to make a reasonable drop using it, you will easily make a great product once you move onto something bigger and better.

[numbnuts]

The plastic lines are just for water cooling the condensation tube? The spirit condensation exits via metal tube from the pot lid. Does that make any difference?Thanks

Umm hang on don't it come out that metal pipe into the plastic hose with the bit of copper 1/2 whacked up its butt?
If so then no that is not really ok

Both those lines are water in/water out. The alcohol does not touch any plastic at any time, it just drips down the inside of the metal tube. Close up pic may show better, thanks

[Distillnation]

Yeah, it's an interesting little design. As numbnuts has said, the two plastic pipes are for the condenser which seems to run through an open pipe. Like an open ended liebig.

Here is the how to guide which shows where it condenses from:
http://spiritsunlimited.co.nz/upload/Ed ... /MK5E2.PDF

[numbnuts]

Yeah, it's an interesting little design. As numbnuts has said, the two plastic pipes are for the condenser which seems to run through an open pipe. Like an open ended liebig.

Here is the how to guide which shows where it condenses from:
http://spiritsunlimited.co.nz/upload/Ed ... /MK5E2.PDF

Thanks for that link, least its the proper manual for this still, not the one that came with it cheers

[SBB]

Just dont pay to much attention to what it says in there, it contains a lot of bad advise.
Quote: "Pour spirit into a clean 1.5 litre cordial bottle" just to name one

[Distillnation]

Just dont pay to much attention to what it says in there, it contains a lot of bad advise.
Quote: "Pour spirit into a clean 1.5 litre cordial bottle" just to name one

It's spirits unlimited. They've got to include plastic somewhere along the way :laughing-rolling:

Thanks for that link, least its the proper manual for this still, not the one that came with it cheers

No worries mate. I'm sure you'll find yourself having a lot of fun with this still, and will enjoy drinking whatever it is you decide to make with it. There is a much greater sense of satisfaction if you make it yourself :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[numbnuts]

Haha yeah I know, its mostly dodgy info but it gives me a better idea of the best operating temps etc and a basic run down of the unit. I will be playing with it again on the weekend

[Distillnation]

If you take that information with a grain of salt, and mix in a bit of the tried and true recipes, a pinch of the newbies corner, and a handful of the cuts and fractions guide, you'll be on your way.

All of this information will transfer with stills. The only thing that changes is how the still works, which most of the time will only take a run or two to learn.

Looking forward to hearing how it goes on the weekend!

[invisigoth]

i have a little 5l pot still too. different design, but same scale. i was lucky that i could get a lit that fit it that could be used on a 25l boiler. you are going to have to do several runs to get through a wash as big as the one you are doing. rather than doing cuts for all these, you are probably better off using these as strip runs, then pooling the distillate (low wines), dilute to 40% abv and then do a spirit run on the low wines with small careful cuts. :D

[Cane Toad]

Hiya Numbnuts,a lot of experience here mate :handgestures-thumbupleft: Hook in and have fun,you like a bourbon or 10? You're in the right place mate,hook in and you won't look back :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Ps bit don't go blaming us when the bug bites you good and hard :teasing-tease:

[numbnuts]

Cheers for the replies fellas, still here reading... My brain hurts :D , but looking forward to trying new things with the wash after this second lot of turbo stuff is done. Am going to play around with the distillation method on this lot though now I have a lot more advice to follow. I like making/doing things myself so this is definatly the way to go, why I havent done this years ago is beyond me :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I have seen the light :mrgreen:

[JayD]

Above all do not forget to be safe, have a fire extinguisher near your still incase of fire. Riggers gloves give you leeway for holding hot things and make sure you have a vent to keep the fume level low. Remember steam out of the outlet is a potential explosion waiting to happen and a leak could ignite leading to explosion so keep checking for leaks. Babysit the Still all the way through the run... by using these simple guidelines for safety you will be enjoying this hobby for many years to come. :handgestures-thumbupleft: christ knows I learnt the hardway...
J

[numbnuts]

Above all do not forget to be safe, have a fire extinguisher near your still incase of fire. Riggers gloves give you leeway for holding hot things and make sure you have a vent to keep the fume level low. Remember steam out of the outlet is a potential explosion waiting to happen and a leak could ignite leading to explosion so keep checking for leaks. Babysit the Still all the way through the run... by using these simple guidelines for safety you will be enjoying this hobby for many years to come. :handgestures-thumbupleft: christ knows I learnt the hardway...
J

Thanks for the heads up mate, cheers :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[numbnuts]

Hi again,

Well I finished the last lot of turbo wash I had brewing a couple of days ago and have ended up with about 3.5 lts of about 65%. Took 5 lots through the still to get it done though, so yes a time consuming process, but well not a bad way to spend a couple of cool winters nights with the fire going :mrgreen: I probably cut more than I should of at the start and finish of each batch, but it certainly smells and tastes a lot better than the first lot I did. Its sitting in carbon now, and virtually no smell whatsoever now.

Anyway yes I am taking the advice many of you gave me, I'm going to try a TPW next. After reading many threads on it I still have a couple of questions :angry-banghead: After it has fermented, do I treat the distilling process the same as before with the turbo crap? Can I expect many variables in regards to temps etc? What I mean is does it react a lot differently? This old thing seems to be producing the best spirit at between 89 and 90* with the turbo shit...

:text-thankyoublue:

PS This place is awesome, I am already looking at how soon I can get a half "decent" setup up and running. An addictive hobby for sure, thanks for helping out a complete noob :D