Recipe Discussion

[SBB]

Question 3:
I read that you do not need to carbon filter TPW, do I have to re-distill it through the still a 2nd time if it tastes bad or has colours in it.

You might find the following link worth reading concerning cuts.....the ins and outs and whys of them so to speak. It is written for pot stills but is also relevant to your reflux in many ways http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=13261
I know it helped me to understand more when I first started out. Be sure to click on the diagrams to enlarge them as I found them and the written stuff very helpfull.
SBB

[maheel]

nice find SSB GREAT link

[R-sole]

Johnboy,

I have never done any stripping runs, I just run the TPW through my reflux still at 95% if you are getting 94-95 % you dont need to filter it, (just linning the HBS pockets). In saying that majority of the guys on this site do strip all their washs, which has been explained to me in a time management system, which does end up saving you time, which is what I am going to doing with my mollasses washes (pot still them) when they are ready and I can see the benefit of running them twice (cleans them up). With stripping the aim is run thewash as quick as possible dont reflux at all.
If you are mixing your neutral with essence one run will be fine. I dont take cuts of my neutrals, because unfortunately I am still using HBS rum essence and I dont need the hearts etc., but those days are nearly up (come on mollasses washs) and real rum will be consumed.

I found when sometimes I asked heaps of question, I only understood 80 % of what the guys meant, so you just keep asking, I hadnt read a post yet, that didnt keep helping explaining to someone that is starting new things.

Stripping doesn't only save you time, it also saves you energy (and there isn't to many of us around getting free energy) and it produces a better product.
Picture this;
You have 96% ethanol (for a short explanation) and 4% shit

In a stripped low wines charge that 4% consists of double distilled water. In a wash that 4% consists of...well wash and all the crap that's in it distilled once.

Not much in the scheme of things, but it's saying that you get half as much again impurities if you strip the wash first.

As for cuts, if you don't cut the heads and tails out you have to drink them. It doesn't matter whether you are flavouring with cordial or oak, the result is you are drinking garbage that you don't have to. Practising and learning cuts will be the single greatest thing you can do to improve your spirits, cordial or not. 8-)

[Johnboy1234]

Hey guys THANK YOU for all the good advice, though I am still a wee bit confused.

Maheel wrote:
strip means something like using a pot still head to distill it quick and then you run it again through your reflux slow to get a very clean spirit
I reply:
I do not have a pot still, I only have my euro 30-2 reflux still. Can I do a stripping run in the reflux still? If yes, do I just fast still out whatever alcohol comes out, save that and add some water and empty out the crap left in my still and then pour in the stuff I just fast stilled and do a slow stilling then?

To SSB
Thank you for the link but I have read it before and did learn a lot from it, but heres a point I have been meaning to ask about going to all the trouble of having all those jars.

What I do and is much easier and produces pretty similar results I THINK is.....
I taste the alcohol as it comes out of the still and divide it into 800ml bottles roughly.
I dont taste the 1st 100mls as I hear thats poisonous and toss it, though after that I have found there are 3 distinct flavours or tastes during the run.

1st 800mls or so taste sweet, and I assume these are the heads
after that the taste becomes very alcoholly and very smooth, which I am assumming is the Hearts, then the final lots progressively gets more bitter and more bitter, which I assume must be the tails.

So out of a 25L wash I get 3 bottles of 92%.
Out of that I keep most the hearts for myself, and mix up all the rest for guests or when Im desperate, its still very drinkable, but nowhere near as smooth as the hearts, I also found out that it is just about impossible to get a hangover if you just drink hearts.

This method saves me doing it with all those jars. Or is there something really wrong with doing it this way that I am not aware of.

And thank you other guys for your suggestions and info, it is much appreciated.

[R-sole]

You are doing cuts, just extremely rough ones. Best things to do with those other 2 jars is to put them in the still with your next wash and redistill them, giving you a wider hearts cut.

Don'tDrinkThatShitPunkin

[Johnboy1234]

AH!!!
Great idea!

I need more fermenters, I only have the one, I can't produce enough for my partners and my consumption levels. I must go and buy some more today.

[rumby]

Mcstill was selling 30l fermentor cheap, check in the forum.

If you in Brisbane there is place called Tilkeys which sells recycled $80 plastic drums for about $12 (i have 6, they are good).

[rumby]

Sorry!

Macstill has 5 or 6.

80l drums not $80 drums

[MacStill]

Mcstill was selling 30l fermentor cheap, check in the forum.

If you in Brisbane there is place called Tilkeys which sells recycled $80 plastic drums for about $12 (i have 6, they are good).

I think the freight to NZ might kill him tho ;)

it's 6 x 30L :)

[rumby]

Ooops.

Sorry Johnboy (didnt know you from over the ditch)

[Johnboy1234]

Ssshhhhhhhh dont mention Im from NZ they might think Im a Kiwi :-), I am actually a Sydney boy that has lived here in NZ for the past 25 years.

Bugger thats really cheap, over here they are $45-55 for a 25L Oh well thats the price I pay for being in this lovely part of the world.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

[wld trky]

forgive my ignorance :oops: but will this wash work for a T500. I read a lot about heads and tails and hearts but I'm still unsure what it all means. I have always kept the first 100 mls for the misses to use when cleaning and the rest is for me :lol: .

What would be the best to do for my application?

Cheers in advance.

[MacStill]

Yes this wash is perfect for your still, and about 1/4 the price of a turbo wash ;)

[wld trky]

Awesome Cheers for the speedy reply. One more thing before I head out to coles, is it normal white sugar or caster sugar as when I have used Turbo's in the past the sugar looks a very fine grain.

[MacStill]

Just buy normal white sugar mate, the cheaper the better.

Aldi was having a big special on sugar a little while ago, it was going for about 89c a kilo ;)

[wld trky]

No Aldi in Adelaide, not to worry I'll shop around. Thanks for your help.

[MacStill]

Thanks for your help.

No problems dude 8-)

[torry73]

Hi wld trky, finally someone else from S.A.
The best/cheapest place I have found in Adelaide for sugar is Coles $2.25/2kgs every where else is more expensive. Woolworths had 3kgs for $2.69 now it is about $3.50. But still in the big picture of life it is still cheap.

[wld trky]

Hey Torry, yeah i got mine from Coles but I'm looking around for cheaper after all its only sugar. We have been to Gaganis bros on South road and they have bulk sugar so next time I'm there I will look to see the price. They should have bakers yeast too. Will post prices later this week.

[QLD.Andy]

Try going to your local cake shop/bakery and ask what they can do a 25kg bag for