Help a newby

[Legrandfromage]

Hi
I have now spent hours cruisin this forum and im a bit wiser. Im keen to get some gear and get started. So heres a couple of (probably stupid) questions.
Im into whisky,rum and bourbon so i want the appropriate gear. A pot still you say !!! ..Sure, but im confused ..With a basic pot still, i believe there remains more impurities...and ..these equal flavour.. yes/no ??
So, why do many members go to great lengths to filter these out with complicated reflux etc condensers. And then, when you have the very pure spirit then how do you then introduce the flavours, or do they remain. ?? Does this produce a better product ???
Im loath to buy a basic pot still only to be disappointed with the result.

If using a keg and gas ring as a boiler, how do you know when to stop before boiling dry.
How hard is it to fit a heating element to a keg or can you buy complete. ( Im in SE qld) It would appear to be a better heating system than a gas ring as there is no heat loss and you wont run out during the process? Again how to know when to stop before boiling dry.??

Can someone give me a ballpark on some overall costings to get started...rough will do?

Finally.. are all the rums and whiskeys members produce generally suited to long maturation in casks, or are some suited to immediate drinking and why ??

Learning...learning

Cheers
legrandfromage

[Brendan]

Hi
I have now spent hours cruisin this forum and im a bit wiser. Im keen to get some gear and get started. So heres a couple of (probably stupid) questions.
Im into whisky,rum and bourbon so i want the appropriate gear. A pot still you say !!! ..Sure, but im confused ..With a basic pot still, i believe there remains more impurities...and ..these equal flavour.. yes/no ?? Yes...when some of the impurities are kept, they really smooth out to a nice flavour when aged...these are only the impurities in the early tails though usually...
So, why do many members go to great lengths to filter these out with complicated reflux etc condensers. If you are talking about a reflux still like a VM or a Boka, then they are trying to only collect pure ethanol to use as a neutral or a vodka. If you are referring to the bubblers, they are very effective at carrying over flavours.And then, when you have the very pure spirit then how do you then introduce the flavours, or do they remain. ?? The flavour remains if using a bubbler, yes. If using a pot still, it is usually run quite slow and the flavours will carry over in the right areas (hearts and early tails). Does this produce a better product ??? By all reports a bubbler will do it quickly, but with good heat control, a pot still should produce some good product :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Im loath to buy a basic pot still only to be disappointed with the result. You won't be disappointed with the pot still, you will only be disappointed with your own processes if you cut corners...

If using a keg and gas ring as a boiler, how do you know when to stop before boiling dry. Some of us have sight glass windows in the boiler so you can see...otherwise it's pure maths...how much did you put in the boiler? How much have you collected? And how much vapour is in the column (be overly generous in your approximation and you'll be fine)
How hard is it to fit a heating element to a keg or can you buy complete.All you need is someone to weld a 1" BSP socket into your keg for each element you want, then they just screw in. Mac also has weldless elements now, so all you need is to drill a 32mm hole and you can feed it through and do the nut up...but you can also talk to the commercial builders here for one as well... ( Im in SE qld) It would appear to be a better heating system than a gas ring as there is no heat loss and you wont run out during the process? Again how to know when to stop before boiling dry.??

Can someone give me a ballpark on some overall costings to get started...rough will do? Pot Still = $250, Boiler = $100 (for the elements if you have a keg already), & $50 for fermenter and some ingredients...that's a rough and minimum figure to get started...

Finally.. are all the rums and whiskeys members produce generally suited to long maturation in casks, or are some suited to immediate drinking and why ?? Generally suited to short maturation on oak, either by using oak sticks or in a cask...off the still does not have the oak colour or flavours which contribute considerably to the final product

Learning...learning

Cheers
legrandfromage

[dogbreath vodka]

:text-+1:
Ya beat me Brendan.... glad you did, I learnt some things too ;-) :D

Hi
I have now spent hours cruisin this forum and im a bit wiser. Im keen to get some gear and get started. So heres a couple of (probably stupid) questions.
Im into whisky,rum and bourbon so i want the appropriate gear. A pot still you say !!! ..Sure, but im confused ..With a basic pot still, i believe there remains more impurities...and ..these equal flavour.. yes/no ??
So, why do many members go to great lengths to filter these out with complicated reflux etc condensers. And then, when you have the very pure spirit then how do you then introduce the flavours, or do they remain. ?? Does this produce a better product ???
Im loath to buy a basic pot still only to be disappointed with the result.

If using a keg and gas ring as a boiler, how do you know when to stop before boiling dry.
You won't boil dry if using a pot still. They are a great starting place.... so much so that some of us haven't yet gotten into the reflux side of things.... Yet

How hard is it to fit a heating element to a keg or can you buy complete. ( Im in SE qld) It would appear to be a better heating system than a gas ring as there is no heat loss and you wont run out during the process? Again how to know when to stop before boiling dry.??

Can someone give me a ballpark on some overall costings to get started...rough will do?

Finally.. are all the rums and whiskeys members produce generally suited to long maturation in casks, or are some suited to immediate drinking and why ??

Learning...learning

Cheers
legrandfromage

Pot stills are a great start and you should give them a go.
Why not build one yourself?
A 2" is a good start.... a 3" would be better.
See your local scrap yard bloke and a quick visit to Bunnings... might just have a still up for under $200
If you build one I can g/tee it won't be the last. :smile:
Welcome and hope you enjoy the art of distilling


DBV

[Dominator]

If you want to make rum/wisky your best options are either a pot still or a Plated column ie. a bubbler. A pot still is a great way to start and the cheapest set up. Everyone aspires to owning a bubbler but they are a lot more expensive.

Just going through the setup at the moment it would be smart to sit down and work out your budget. I just finished my boiler. The easy option is to go FSD weld less elements. Then all you need is a 32mm holesaw and a sparky to wire it up for you. Just to give you an idea on price.
SS Keg $60
2x FSD weld less elements $105
32mm holesaw $22 (I had my own arbor so it may cost you a bit more if you don't already have a kit)
Fittings for a drain $50. (Funds are tight so I only used brass for my drain, I will be upgrading to stainless in the future)

So the boiler cost $237. You could make it cheaper by only having one element and no drain. I need a drain because I have a crook back and can't lift/tip the keg to drain it. You would also need to include the cost of a electrician to wire it up for you, I am in the trade so no cost for me.

As said above, you could build yourself a still for a couple of hundred bucks. There is heaps of info around on how to go about it. Or maybe talk to one of the suppliers on this forum about supplying you one.

If you keep your eyes out on eBay/gumtree you can find some good bargains. Keep your eye out for fermenters or home brew kits. Otherwise you can get fermenters from homebrew shops for around $30 for 30L ones. You may also want to get your self a hydrometer. alcohometer and a thermometer. Hope this helps.

[MacStill]

Man that's a pretty cheap boiler hey, lets have a look at the price of a HBS paint tin style as a comparison ;-)

[Linny]

I use bunnings 30L jerry cans for $19 with glad wrap and rubber band for the lid. And aquarium eBay special stick on thermometer to make it look legit Lol for $1.50

[poompy]

Yeh bunnings for fermenters. I use a few of these myself. Recent convert to the glad wrap instead of using the lid. Love it and won't be going back to the lid anytime soon

Sent from my HTC Incredible S using Tapatalk 2

[Brendan]

I've got my eye on those tall green HDPE irrigation tanks from Bunnings...think they're about 100L.

I reckon they'd make a beaut fermenter :D

Here's the LINK

[poompy]

dam!!! :handgestures-thumbupleft:
thats awesome value, will keep these in mind cheers!!

[baldoss]

I've got my eye on those tall green HDPE irrigation tanks from Bunnings...think they're about 100L.

I reckon they'd make a beaut fermenter :D

Here's the LINK

Hahaha I know I've got the bug because I thought the exact same thing as I walked past those in Bunnings the other day :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Legrandfromage]

Thanks all
Its slowly coming together in the old brain. Not as hard as i thought. Just have to get my head varound the abbreviations and the jargon.
Cheers
legrandfromage

[BackyardBrewer]

Thanks all
Its slowly coming together in the old brain. Not as hard as i thought. Just have to get my head varound the abbreviations and the jargon.
Cheers
legrandfromage

Jargon you say? Seen the handy Glossary of Terms link? Really useful for getting used to the terminology.