G'day from Darwin!

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G'day from Darwin!

Postby welly2 » Tue Jun 30, 2015 2:02 pm

Hello all,

Just joined up to the forum as I'm keen to start distilling. I've been home brewing beer for a little while with a bit of success, but ready for the hard stuff now!

I'm mainly interested in distilling gin, brandy and whisky (bourbon and single malt). I'm going to assume that there isn't a "do it all" still that'll work for all those from what I've read?

I'm not really interested in using the flavourings/essences.. if I'm going to make a gin/brandy/whisky I'd like to do it properly :) I'd like to start with gin and then go from there.

Anyway, would welcome any suggestions but in the mean time I'll have a nosy around the forum.

Cheers!

welly
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Re: G'day from Darwin!

Postby Zak Griffin » Tue Jun 30, 2015 2:21 pm

Welcome mate :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Sounds like you want a bubbler ;-)
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Re: G'day from Darwin!

Postby Rowey » Tue Jun 30, 2015 2:24 pm

Good to see another member from the NT!! :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Plenty of good info and helpful members here
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Re: G'day from Darwin!

Postby WTDist » Tue Jun 30, 2015 3:10 pm

Welcome
welly2 wrote: I'm going to assume that there isn't a "do it all" still that'll work for all those from what I've read?


Certainly is, :text-+1: with Zac. Sounds like you want a bubbler
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Re: G'day from Darwin!

Postby Sam. » Tue Jun 30, 2015 5:15 pm

Welcome mate, good luck on your venture into distilling :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: G'day from Darwin!

Postby Andy » Tue Jun 30, 2015 6:53 pm

welcome mate.
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Re: G'day from Darwin!

Postby Whiskyaugogo » Tue Jun 30, 2015 7:46 pm

Welcome mate, can you send some warmth down south? :greetings-waveyellow:
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Re: G'day from Darwin!

Postby welly2 » Tue Jun 30, 2015 8:29 pm

Cheers for the welcome! And there's not a lot of warmth to spare at the moment. We're suffering it a bit here with only high 20s!

I shall have to investigate this bubbler you guys speak of! I should probably concentrate on one spirit to start with (gin) and see what happens! Not sure I could deal with the 8 year wait to make whisky only to find it's crap :)
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Re: G'day from Darwin!

Postby Sam. » Tue Jun 30, 2015 8:49 pm

welly2 wrote: Not sure I could deal with the 8 year wait to make whisky only to find it's crap :)


Unless your planning on using a 300L barrel you won't have to wait that long ;-)

12 months will see you producing a decent scotch, less for bourbon :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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.

Re: G'day from Darwin!

Postby welly2 » Tue Jun 30, 2015 10:48 pm

Sam. wrote:
welly2 wrote: Not sure I could deal with the 8 year wait to make whisky only to find it's crap :)


Unless your planning on using a 300L barrel you won't have to wait that long ;-)

12 months will see you producing a decent scotch, less for bourbon :handgestures-thumbupleft:


That has me thinking. Given I'm already making beer, perhaps I should just get started with making whisky (and brandy). I wondered if anyone has any thoughts/opinions on the alembic still add on for the Grainfather? I have, or will have in a week, a Grainfather. Would the alembic add on be suitable for making whisky? What else (if it is suitable) would it work for making?

Cheers!
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Re: G'day from Darwin!

Postby Professor Green » Wed Jul 01, 2015 8:21 am

The alembic dome and condenser are OK but they are overpriced. Does the job but there are better tools out there for the money.

Cheers,
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Re: G'day from Darwin!

Postby welly2 » Wed Jul 01, 2015 2:24 pm

Professor Green wrote:The alembic dome and condenser are OK but they are overpriced. Does the job but there are better tools out there for the money.

Cheers,
Prof. Green


Any other suggestions? I was looking online and found something and while the price is basically similar it looks the part! :) I'm keen on a still of around 5L to produce 750ml - 1L. Not really planning to be making bottles and bottles of the stuff. This is mainly just experimental! A bottle at a time would be plenty!
Last edited by Zak Griffin on Wed Jul 01, 2015 3:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Removed Link
welly2
 
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Re: G'day from Darwin!

Postby Zak Griffin » Wed Jul 01, 2015 3:44 pm

Check the rules re: commercial links mate.

If you've got a 5L pot still you will be distilling 4L @ 10% ABV per run, giving you about 800ml of low wines at 40% per strip run.

5 strip runs later you'll have 4L of low wines at 40%, which will net you about 1.5L of hearts to age at 65%, for about 2L of whiskey after ageing. That's a LOT of effort for not much reward and I think you'll find yourself disheartened and with a still gathering dust.

There's a reason most of us use 50L kegs for boilers :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: G'day from Darwin!

Postby Heef71 » Sun Aug 02, 2015 7:15 pm

Hey Welcome Welly,

And Giday from the top end. It's a great temp for rums up here and as long as your not using turbos you make a decent drinkable product, no matter what still you use. But I do agree with Zak on boiler size.

Mate, I'm in Darwin too. Send me a PM and we'll see what we can work out..

Cheers H.
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Re: G'day from Darwin!

Postby Darwin award » Mon Aug 03, 2015 8:42 pm

Lotsa darwiners! Good Time to bemalting barley up here....and I'll third ( or fourth?) the advice on a keg boiler....it's the way to go. Bigger isnt nessicarily about volume, for me it means I can be heaps more picky with the cuts.
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