dont pick on the new guy

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dont pick on the new guy

Postby autospark » Mon Mar 10, 2014 10:01 am

hey everyone

im new here and ive just started distilling
i got a second hand super reflux still 25L

had some fun times with the wurt(water, sugar and yeast. i think thats what you call it)
since this package was given to me no instructions or guidence.
i put 10L hot tap water in a bucket and 6kg of homebrand white sugar
disolved it. then added 10L of tap water to get it around the 25deg mark.
then added the express turbo yeast. to my wisdom i put the lid on, its not a tight fit.
24hrs later i open it and it has a vacuum holding the lid down.
as soon as i open it the wurt goes crazy and starts to foam.
so i stir it and put it in the still.

i started at 6.30pm and didnt stop till 10pm
and i only got to 85deg and about 2L 82%
i restarted it on sunday at 5.30pm and stopped at 8.30pm at 92deg and got another 1L
seems to me its alittle long, but what do i know

also it has a funny smell to it and no taste.

any advice will help greatly
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Re: dont pick on the new guy

Postby Urrazeb » Mon Mar 10, 2014 11:08 am

Hi mate :wave:

Couple of things to get you started;

Read this if you haven't already.. http://www.aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=2859

Turbo yeast probably not your best option for yeast.

Have a read of http://www.aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=3541

Remove all plastic from the vapour path, take off tubes ect

If you product is neutral (no taste/smell) then your still is doing it's job
Have fun and stay safe.
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Re: dont pick on the new guy

Postby crow » Mon Mar 10, 2014 1:20 pm

Hi bud, i would say that you wash had not fully fermented out as 24 hrs is a bit quick and if it was foaming ind looking active then it likely was active. A finished was is generally devoid of activity and begins to clear. that wash had no nutrients except what was with the turbo yeast so in your case its lucky you used it but there are much better and cheaper options. May I suggest you take a look in our tried and proven section at the tomato past wash as it is an ideal wash for making a neutral/vodka spirit and a very simple easy wash for beginners to start off with :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: dont pick on the new guy

Postby autospark » Thu Oct 19, 2017 9:52 pm

Wow looking at what I said back then.

Well ive upgraded my setup and moved onto using the TPW and now trying ujssm
Now the issue ive got is its still got a odd flavour.
Doesn't matter if I use my old reflux still or the new still spirits reflux or copper top. Tryed using dextrose instead of sugar. Am I over thinking it.

Old still: stillspirits reflex (ceramic one)
New still: stillspirits t500 and a copper top
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equipment: Old setup: Still spirits Super reflux still (ceramic type)
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With a 30l boiler

Re: dont pick on the new guy

Postby crow » Thu Oct 19, 2017 10:02 pm

I'm thinking yes over thinking it. If the flavour is consistent over different stills and recipes then you need to look at what is consistent in your methods. Is it your cuts? Is it aging? Water? What ever it is it is something consistently present, my first guess is going to be your method of determining fractions :-B
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Re: dont pick on the new guy

Postby Stonemaker1 » Thu Oct 19, 2017 10:55 pm

Are you saying the odd flavour is in the neutral and the uncle Jessie's? I'm finding it hard to visualise ODD taste as neutral is flavourless and bourbon is flavourful :think: sounds like tails as a guess to me in regards to your cuts...
Are you collecting product in 300ml increments? That makes it much easier to distinguish fractions when learning I found. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: dont pick on the new guy

Postby autospark » Fri Oct 20, 2017 7:07 am

Yes the odd taste is in the neutral, tpw and ujssm
I take 500ml cuts. I even brought a fridge to try and keep the wash at the same temp.
I havent charcoal filter it before but it did come with the new setup. Ill give it a go.
Also do u guys uses bottled water when proofing
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With a 30l boiler

Re: dont pick on the new guy

Postby bluc » Fri Oct 20, 2017 8:14 am

Dirty packing in your still?
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Re: dont pick on the new guy

Postby Minpac » Fri Oct 20, 2017 10:31 am

Sounds like you're on the right path with the recipes, but if everything you make is tasting funny, I'd say it's time to do a vinegar run on the still. 50/50 vinegar and water, and run it through as you would a distilling run.

What are you storing the product in? Make sure it's glass or stainless, not plastic.
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Re: dont pick on the new guy

Postby crow » Fri Oct 20, 2017 10:51 am

The guys here can sort your issues out no worries but some more information might be required. I see some one asked if you stored in plastic, if so bingo that's it but further from that synthetics on your still like a plastic hose on the dick spout is also a common cause as is a dirty still.
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Re: dont pick on the new guy

Postby Wobblyboot » Fri Oct 20, 2017 12:11 pm

Minpac wrote:Sounds like you're on the right path with the recipes, but if everything you make is tasting funny, I'd say it's time to do a vinegar run on the still. 50/50 vinegar and water, and run it through as you would a distilling run.

What are you storing the product in? Make sure it's glass or stainless, not plastic.

Don’t do a vinegar run on a t500 or u might melt the top part :handgestures-thumbdown:
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Re: dont pick on the new guy

Postby autospark » Fri Oct 20, 2017 12:59 pm

Storing in 1L mason jars or a 30l glass demijohn.
The odd taste is on the back end. Store brought when drinking I get a warm back end but with the home made I have a cold feeling on the back end
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New setup: Still spirits copper T500 and Alembic top
With a 30l boiler

Re: dont pick on the new guy

Postby Zak Griffin » Fri Oct 20, 2017 2:35 pm

Are you making proper cuts?
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Re: dont pick on the new guy

Postby Minpac » Fri Oct 20, 2017 2:46 pm

Wobblyboot wrote:Don’t do a vinegar run on a t500 or u might melt the top part :handgestures-thumbdown:


Didnt' know that....can the saddles/packing be cleaned then?
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Re: dont pick on the new guy

Postby Wobblyboot » Fri Oct 20, 2017 4:45 pm

Minpac wrote:
Wobblyboot wrote:Don’t do a vinegar run on a t500 or u might melt the top part :handgestures-thumbdown:


Didnt' know that....can the saddles/packing be cleaned then?

I used to unpack my t500 and soak packing in citric acid solution for day or 2, rinse and ready to go again. The column got same treatment but had to lay it down as mine leaked at top while cold from day 1. The top expanded with heat which sealed it.
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Re: dont pick on the new guy

Postby crow » Fri Oct 20, 2017 5:21 pm

:text-+1: ya can't run a t500 in pot mode without modifications which means you can't do a steam or vinegar run either but a good soak in citric followed by a flush with bi-carb and then water should clean it up nice, still leaning towards bad cuts but I don't have eyes on ya still.
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Re: dont pick on the new guy

Postby db1979 » Fri Oct 20, 2017 5:42 pm

autospark wrote:I take 500ml cuts.


Try taking smaller cuts. Maybe each time you've blended all your cuts jars for your product you've dipped into the tails a bit, maybe not enough to detect at off the still abv but once watered down it has become more noticeable. If you take smaller cuts you'll be able to take one less jar from each end of hearts and avoid tails and heads completely. If you use say 100 ml cuts then you may even increase your hearts cut. Any jars that don't make it into hearts go into the feints and can be run again with the next run.
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Re: dont pick on the new guy

Postby Zak Griffin » Fri Oct 20, 2017 5:47 pm

I make 200ml cuts on a 50L bubbler run... 500ml cuts on a 25L run only gives you 5 cuts jars...
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Re: dont pick on the new guy

Postby Stonemaker1 » Fri Oct 20, 2017 10:13 pm

Something not sounding quite right, recipes look fine and even if you mucked up cuts a bit and we have all done that learning I would not think you would get an ODD taste. If i have gone a bit far into tails it might not be really good but it was never ODD taste if that makes any sense, and it is pretty hard to blend to deep into tails as even the novice nose can smell and taste that coming. For me it is a lot harder to distinguish late heads just before hearts.
If you do blend a couple at the front late heads with your hearts i find an oak barrel can sought that out over 6 months. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: dont pick on the new guy

Postby Sam. » Fri Oct 20, 2017 10:18 pm

autospark wrote:Storing in 1L mason jars or a 30l glass demijohn.
The odd taste is on the back end. Store brought when drinking I get a warm back end but with the home made I have a cold feeling on the back end


Are you saying you get a cold feeling on the end of the pallete or in the back of your throat? :think:
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