what can i do better?? help please

[paulschuit81]

hi guys I am just gonna run through how I do my distilling and please let me know what I can change straight away to get better results
i run a reflux still that was imported from NZ about 10 years ago and am pretty sure it is a 20 or 25l s

I make my wash in a 20l bucket with a water breather on top, i add 8 kg of white sugar( was using raw sugar but as i mainly do vodka i was told to swith to white sugar)and am currently using aloctec 48 turbo yeast.
i add all the sugar with hot tap water to dissolve it (10l roughly) when sugar is dissolved top up rest of bucket with cold tap water and add turbo yeast , seal bucket and leave for 2 weeks

after 2 weeks i pour into the still trying not to add the shit in the bottom to the wash in still

i heat still till it gets to 50 degrees then start running water , that drops temp back to 35-40 then it will rise back up and sit at about 75-80 where it basically stays foe the 4 to 5 hrs while i cook it

i remove the first 150 ml that come out of still and discard

when the alcohol slows to a drip a second i turn off still and have about 5-7 l of 70-80%

i then water it down to 40% with tap water , add 1 heaped tablespoon of fine carbon per L of spirit and leave to sit for 2 weeks before i filter it


i have a 600mm filter made from garden irrigation pipe ( 1 inch round) wich it filled with coarse carbon and have fitted a tap to bottom so it only drips out


once it is filtered i add essence still spirits originals vodka essence or the same brand dark rum essence, with the vodka i add 12.5ml per L instead of the 10ml recommened

then drink it!!

how can this be improved cause i know it can be a lot better than it , feel free to correct me :text-thankyoublue:

[noname4670]

may i suggest that you ditch the turbo yeast and carbon and give this a try instead viewtopic.php?f=32&t=8

it is far cheaper and in the same amount of time you leave your turbos to ferment this will produce a far better end product and because it is much cheaper you can put down a lot more of it and best of all there is no need to filter it


Tim

[paulschuit81]

may i suggest that you ditch the turbo yeast and carbon and give this a try instead viewtopic.php?f=32&t=8

it is far cheaper and in the same amount of time you leave your turbos to ferment this will produce a far better end product and because it is much cheaper you can put down alot more of it

Tim

ok mate this is to be first change , where do u get bakers yeast ? and what type of sugar should i use when making vodka? and is it the same sugar i should use when making rum?

[punchy21]

Hi Paul,

You can't go past the recipes in the tried and proven section. There is the tomato paste wash and Macstills rum wash that are fool proof. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Muppet]

Hi bud, I'm relatively new here as well but I think you could benefit spending some quality time going through the newbies corner threads. A lot of good basic learning contained there. Firstly cut down on the sugar (less yield but happier yeast) learn cuts, a lot of guys don't like turbo yeasts but I'm not very experienced with them myself. You could try the TPW tried and proven recipe, I've been very happy with the product from that one.
Hope this helps ;)

[punchy21]

Regular white sugar for the TPW and raw sugar for a rum, Lowans yeast, all available at a Coles or woollies near you :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Kimbo]

Hi Paul,
see my comments below mate :handgestures-thumbupleft:

hi guys I am just gonna run through how I do my distilling and please let me know what I can change straight away to get better results
i run a reflux still that was imported from NZ about 10 years ago and am pretty sure it is a 20 or 25l s

I make my wash in a 20l bucket with a water breather on top, i add 8 kg of white sugar( was using raw sugar but as i mainly do vodka i was told to swith to white sugar)and am currently using aloctec 48 turbo yeast.
i add all the sugar with hot tap water to dissolve it (10l roughly) when sugar is dissolved top up rest of bucket with cold tap water and add turbo yeast , seal bucket and leave for 2 weeks

after 2 weeks i pour into the still trying not to add the shit in the bottom to the wash in still

i heat still till it gets to 50 degrees then start running water , that drops temp back to 35-40 then it will rise back up and sit at about 75-80 where it basically stays foe the 4 to 5 hrs while i cook it

i remove the first 150 ml that come out of still and discard

when the alcohol slows to a drip a second i turn off still and have about 5-7 l of 70-80%

i then water it down to 40% with tap water , add 1 heaped tablespoon of fine carbon per L of spirit and leave to sit for 2 weeks before i filter it


i have a 600mm filter made from garden irrigation pipe ( 1 inch round) wich it filled with coarse carbon and have fitted a tap to bottom so it only drips out


once it is filtered i add essence still spirits originals vodka essence or the same brand dark rum essence, with the vodka i add 12.5ml per L instead of the 10ml recommened

then drink it!!

how can this be improved cause i know it can be a lot better than it , feel free to correct me :text-thankyoublue:

1. ditch the turbo and use Lowan's bakers yeast from Coles/Woolies
2. for a 20L wash I would use 4kg of sugar ( white for vodka)
3. Ditch the carbon, you wont need it
4. Try the TPW recipe
5.DONT USE PLASTIC FOR YOUR SPIRIT, ( I am referring to your filter)
6. Dont bother with "Vodka Essence"
7. just read up on cuts mate Here

Good luck and enjoy :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[paulschuit81]

well looks like i need to get rid of a lot of plastic , i was soaking the spirit in plastic bucket with the carbon then when filtered it would go into more plastic till i mixed it with essence, :crying-blue:
when u say there is no need for vodka essence is that because the end product will have little taste so no need to try and cover it up with essence?

[Sam.]

when u say there is no need for vodka essence is that because the end product will have little taste so no need to try and cover it up with essence?

Pretty much mate if you follow the TPW recipe and do good cuts you will have "nuetrel" done through a reflux at around 95%.

Some people say this isn't vodka but I do :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Zak Griffin]

A TPW neutral, done properly, will have very very little flavour... No need to carbon filter (although plenty do. It's not a bad thing, but most deem it unnecessary.)

Step 1 is definitely lose the plastic though... Glass, stainless or copper only :)

[paulschuit81]

Hi Paul,
see my comments below mate :handgestures-thumbupleft:

hi guys I am just gonna run through how I do my distilling and please let me know what I can change straight away to get better results
i run a reflux still that was imported from NZ about 10 years ago and am pretty sure it is a 20 or 25l s

I make my wash in a 20l bucket with a water breather on top, i add 8 kg of white sugar( was using raw sugar but as i mainly do vodka i was told to swith to white sugar)and am currently using aloctec 48 turbo yeast.
i add all the sugar with hot tap water to dissolve it (10l roughly) when sugar is dissolved top up rest of bucket with cold tap water and add turbo yeast , seal bucket and leave for 2 weeks

after 2 weeks i pour into the still trying not to add the shit in the bottom to the wash in still

i heat still till it gets to 50 degrees then start running water , that drops temp back to 35-40 then it will rise back up and sit at about 75-80 where it basically stays foe the 4 to 5 hrs while i cook it

i remove the first 150 ml that come out of still and discard

when the alcohol slows to a drip a second i turn off still and have about 5-7 l of 70-80%

i then water it down to 40% with tap water , add 1 heaped tablespoon of fine carbon per L of spirit and leave to sit for 2 weeks before i filter it


i have a 600mm filter made from garden irrigation pipe ( 1 inch round) wich it filled with coarse carbon and have fitted a tap to bottom so it only drips out


once it is filtered i add essence still spirits originals vodka essence or the same brand dark rum essence, with the vodka i add 12.5ml per L instead of the 10ml recommened

then drink it!!

how can this be improved cause i know it can be a lot better than it , feel free to correct me :text-thankyoublue:

1. ditch the turbo and use Lowan's bakers yeast from Coles/Woolies
2. for a 20L wash I would use 4kg of sugar ( white for vodka)
3. Ditch the carbon, you wont need it
4. Try the TPW recipe
5.DONT USE PLASTIC FOR YOUR SPIRIT, ( I am referring to your filter)
6. Dont bother with "Vodka Essence"
7. just read up on cuts mate Here

Good luck and enjoy :handgestures-thumbupleft:

how many glass jars should I use to separate distillate to get my cuts?

[Zak Griffin]

for a 20-25L wash, try 200-300ml jars...

[paulschuit81]

for a 20-25L wash, try 200-300ml jars...

how many jars of that size??

[Muppet]

for a 20-25L wash, try 200-300ml jars...

how many jars of that size??

I have 12 and end up using 10-12 depending on the wash :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[paulschuit81]

I am gutted that I started 2 25l washes yesterday with turbo yeast , I will separate distillate into jars when I cook them and have a go at using the hearts instead of the whole lot of distillate , if that makes sense , all very new to me as u can all tell. wish me luck , I think I have a very basic understanding after reading the section on cuts . will go over it a few more times and be back with more novice questions , thanks for your responses and patience . :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[kiwikeg]

Any chance of a photo of your still? May be able to suggest some mods if we know what type it is.

[MacStill]

well looks like i need to get rid of a lot of plastic , i was soaking the spirit in plastic bucket with the carbon then when filtered it would go into more plastic till i mixed it with essence, :crying-blue:
when u say there is no need for vodka essence is that because the end product will have little taste so no need to try and cover it up with essence?

Plastic = bad :naughty:

Now let's have a think about what exactly a vodka essence is :think: and how it could possibly improve vodka 8-}

[paulschuit81]

IMG_0532.JPG

this is the still I am using

[kiwikeg]

Okay, my buddy has one of those stills.
Replace the stainless steel mesh with copper mesh for a start.
Macstill or a hbs can sell you copper mesh.
There is a fair number of plastic components in that still.
If your chasing rum a simple pot still head will fit nicely on that boiler and a molasses based wash should bring all the flavor you like.

[paulschuit81]

Okay, my buddy has one of those stills.
Replace the stainless steel mesh with copper mesh for a start.
Macstill or a hbs can sell you copper mesh.
There is a fair number of plastic components in that still.
If your chasing rum a simple pot still head will fit nicely on that boiler and a molasses based wash should bring all the flavor you like.

ok cheers
how do I go about replacing the stainless steel mesh? is there a thread on it? and when u say that there are plastic components in the still are u referring to the plastic piping? I would like to make mainly vodka but rum aswell is it possible to do both with the same still and still get reasonable results or is it a case of different stills for different alcohol?