Hi from Hoddo

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Hi from Hoddo

Postby hoddo59 » Fri May 25, 2018 11:55 pm

Hi Guys New to the group but keen to get started. Done a lot of reading now just have to buy a still and away I go. Lots of info on the site but struggling to know what still to start with. Happy to buy a T500 to make a neutral spirit but was wondering if I'm better off spending a few $s more. Couldn't find posts with many suggestions of stills to buy. Just wondered if I'm not looking in the right places. If someone could point me in the right direction or give some advice it would be much appreciated. cheers Hoddo
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Re: Hi from Hoddo

Postby Doubleuj » Sat May 26, 2018 7:23 am

Hi Hoddo, welcome here mate. I moved your post to your very own welcome thread so fire away with any more questions you have here :handgestures-thumbupleft:
As for stills, it’ll come down to your budget and what you want to make.
The t500 is a good starter still but if you enjoy the hobby and/or want to make brown spirits you’ll out grow it pretty quickly
A boka would be the next step up from this imo as you can make neutral and then de tune it (remove the packing) and make brown spirits
A pot still is a great still for making brown spirits but can’t make neutral
But, the grand finale is a 4” bubbler :happy-partydance: this type of still is the best. It’ll let you make anything you want and is a LOT faster than any other still.
Where are you roughly located? There are a few good buys in the for sale section at the moment, maybe a second hand still would suit you too?
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Re: Hi from Hoddo

Postby woodduck » Sat May 26, 2018 7:47 am

G'day and welcome :greetings-waveyellow:

:text-+1: with what WJ said above. Work out what you want to make then go from there, there's a few options out there.

Enjoy the forum :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Hi from Hoddo

Postby Professor Green » Sat May 26, 2018 10:46 am

Welcome to AD Hoddo.

Also +1 on what WJ said.

Decide what spirits you really want to make first as that will determine the type of still you require. If you want to make neutral/vodka only then you'll need a reflux still. If you only want to make flavoured spirits then a basic pot still would be a very good starting point. If you want to make neutral/vodka AND brown spirits, then something modular may be more suitable. Also have a think about how much room you have to run your still in as some options may not fit into your available space.

Cheers,
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Re: Hi from Hoddo

Postby hoddo59 » Sat May 26, 2018 2:02 pm

Thanks for the feedback and advice so far. I'm on beautiful Bribie Island in Queensland. Happy to purchase 2nd hand if anyone has something suitable in the area. Cheers hoddo
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Re: Hi from Hoddo

Postby hoddo59 » Wed May 30, 2018 9:18 am

So after some more reading I'm :-D still :D unsure how to kick off. I've mainly been a rum drinker over the years with white rum my preference. Also don't mind a spiced rum but never ventured too far as the cost of the commercial product limited what one would try. I'm tossing up whether to kick off and play around with the turbo 500 to make some neutrals and learn the basics or outlaying more to buy the 4" neutralizer and go for broke. Don't want to waste $500 to $600 on a turbo to find out I want to upgrade not too far along the way. Suppose I'd like some advice on whether the turbo500 will produce a quality product that will get me excited or should I bite the bullet and spend the extra money at the start? Will the product from the 4" neutralizer be significantly better than the turbo produces? cheers Hoddo
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Re: Hi from Hoddo

Postby woodduck » Wed May 30, 2018 10:02 am

The T500 won't make you rum, it will only ever give you a neutral.

My suggestion is if you don't want to spend too much until you know this hobby is for you then buy the 5star 4" modular pot still. It will do all the rum you could want. You can then as funds are available buy the plate sections and rc and add them to build a bubbler then if you wanted, buy a packed section and you have the neutralizer, best of both worlds :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Hi from Hoddo

Postby hoddo59 » Wed May 30, 2018 11:22 am

woodduck wrote:The T500 won't make you rum, it will only ever give you a neutral.

My suggestion is if you don't want to spend too much until you know this hobby is for you then buy the 5star 4" modular pot still. It will do all the rum you could want. You can then as funds are available buy the plate sections and rc and add them to build a bubbler then if you wanted, buy a packed section and you have the neutralizer, best of both worlds :handgestures-thumbupleft:


Thanks wooduck. All that makes a lot of sense. Do you know if it will cost much more in the long run to buy the parts parts separately to add to the modular pot still and end up with the neutraliser? Or if I have the funds now just start with the neutralizer to begin with. If price ends up the same it makes sense to build my way up but if buying complete saves money in the long run I would be tempted to go that way. Also as I'm new to all this is it easy to make a white rum in the modular pot still? cheers Hoddo
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Re: Hi from Hoddo

Postby woodduck » Wed May 30, 2018 11:27 am

Not sure on pricing mate check their site out http://5stardistilling.com.au/
All their items have out of stock written on them but don't worry about that, just give them a call and they'll sort you out. If you can afford to buy it straight up go for it.

White rum is aged rum put through a carbon filter to take the colour out and lighten the flavor so a pot will do that no probs :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Hi from Hoddo

Postby Astro » Wed May 30, 2018 12:01 pm

hoddo59 wrote: Do you know if it will cost much more in the long run to buy the parts parts separately to add to the modular pot still and end up with the neutraliser?


I've been making rum for years out of a 2" pot mate, and ill be going down the modular route soon. Been doing the sums on macs 4" eliminator vs buying piece by piece and comes out to bugger all difference. Just easier to hide a few hundred at a time from the wife :laughing-rolling:

If i were you and wanted a rum without the big $$$ to start, buy his 4" modular pot and get yourself a voltage controller and you'll get a decent rum while learning the ropes
Last edited by Astro on Wed May 30, 2018 12:04 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Hi from Hoddo

Postby hoddo59 » Wed May 30, 2018 12:54 pm

Astro wrote:
hoddo59 wrote: Do you know if it will cost much more in the long run to buy the parts parts separately to add to the modular pot still and end up with the neutraliser?


I've been making rum for years out of a 2" pot mate, and ill be going down the modular route soon. Been doing the sums on macs 4" eliminator vs buying piece by piece and comes out to bugger all difference. Just easier to hide a few hundred at a time from the wife :laughing-rolling:

If i were you and wanted a rum without the big $$$ to start, buy his 4" modular pot and get yourself a voltage controller and you'll get a decent rum while learning the ropes


Thanks Astro. Again pardon my lack of knowledge, but what am I using a voltage controller for? :smile:
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Re: Hi from Hoddo

Postby woodduck » Wed May 30, 2018 1:01 pm

I don't want to sound like an asshole here mate but you probably need to spend a bit more time reading so you can understand the whole process better. Spend some time reading the pot still section and rum threads and maybe just search the topics you don't understand. Being told something will never make as much sence as reading and processing it in your mind.
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Re: Hi from Hoddo

Postby Astro » Wed May 30, 2018 2:33 pm

Sorry mate, pot still are great for flavored hooch but are bad for smearing through your cuts. All good for stripping runs where you just let her rip.
With the use of a voltage controller on your element during your spirit run you can crank down the power (which in turn is the heat) and you slow down
the boil which gives you cleaner more precise definition of the fractions

Reading it back it probably doesnt make sense but does to me lol, have a read of kiwis guide to cuts and it will make sense hopefully
Last edited by Astro on Wed May 30, 2018 2:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Hi from Hoddo

Postby Professor Green » Wed May 30, 2018 2:40 pm

hoddo59 wrote:
woodduck wrote:The T500 won't make you rum, it will only ever give you a neutral.

My suggestion is if you don't want to spend too much until you know this hobby is for you then buy the 5star 4" modular pot still. It will do all the rum you could want. You can then as funds are available buy the plate sections and rc and add them to build a bubbler then if you wanted, buy a packed section and you have the neutralizer, best of both worlds :handgestures-thumbupleft:


Thanks wooduck. All that makes a lot of sense. Do you know if it will cost much more in the long run to buy the parts parts separately to add to the modular pot still and end up with the neutraliser? Or if I have the funds now just start with the neutralizer to begin with. If price ends up the same it makes sense to build my way up but if buying complete saves money in the long run I would be tempted to go that way. Also as I'm new to all this is it easy to make a white rum in the modular pot still? cheers Hoddo


It will cost a little bit more to build a neutraliser bit by bit as you will pay postage for every order you make.

One other option open to you is to go for the 2” pot. It is cheaper than the 4” and most of the parts can be re-used if you want to go down the bubbler route later.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.
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Re: Hi from Hoddo

Postby hoddo59 » Wed May 30, 2018 9:33 pm

woodduck wrote:I don't want to sound like an asshole here mate but you probably need to spend a bit more time reading so you can understand the whole process better. Spend some time reading the pot still section and rum threads and maybe just search the topics you don't understand. Being told something will never make as much sence as reading and processing it in your mind.


Before I joined the forum I went to a mates with a turbo 500 and watched the distilling process for a TPW. He made cuts, explained the process and seemed happy with the product he was producing. WOW I thought, cheap rum for me, buy a turbo 500, some essences and I'll have all the rum I can drink. He suggested joining this forum and doing some research before jumping in. After a couple of weeks lurking in the background I joined the forum. I'm still finding it a little difficult to find the relevant information that I require but have read a lot and am getting better at tracking down that information. That said just because you read something doesn't necessarily mean you can understand what is said. I regularly go to the glossary of terms to look up words or acronyms that I don't understand. My apologies to all if I have been asking questions that I should know the answers to but I thought that was the intention of the forum to help other interested in distilling. Have read parts of the Pot Still section and Rum threads but didn't get all the answers. I assume we never know all the answers. Wooduck if you could just point me in the right direction or just ignore my posts altogether or remove me from the forum if you think I am wasting peoples time that would be much appreciated. cheers Hoddo
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Re: Hi from Hoddo

Postby hoddo59 » Wed May 30, 2018 9:36 pm

Astro wrote:Sorry mate, pot still are great for flavored hooch but are bad for smearing through your cuts. All good for stripping runs where you just let her rip.
With the use of a voltage controller on your element during your spirit run you can crank down the power (which in turn is the heat) and you slow down
the boil which gives you cleaner more precise definition of the fractions

Reading it back it probably doesnt make sense but does to me lol, have a read of kiwis guide to cuts and it will make sense hopefully


Cheers mate. thanks for clarifying that. hoddo
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Re: Hi from Hoddo

Postby Astro » Wed May 30, 2018 10:09 pm

hoddo59 wrote:
Astro wrote:Sorry mate, pot still are great for flavored hooch but are bad for smearing through your cuts. All good for stripping runs where you just let her rip.
With the use of a voltage controller on your element during your spirit run you can crank down the power (which in turn is the heat) and you slow down
the boil which gives you cleaner more precise definition of the fractions

Reading it back it probably doesnt make sense but does to me lol, have a read of kiwis guide to cuts and it will make sense hopefully


Cheers mate. thanks for clarifying that. hoddo


Here to help if i can mate, what its about. im still learning all the time.
Just my 2 cents if you think youll stick at it id avoid the turbo 500, never had one and im glad i got talked out of it. sure they work ok i guess but most outgrow them, then you have to sell to upgrade or have a $500 toy sitting there n ot getting used.
make a keg boiler and you can use it for what ever still you want to use and if you upgrade from a pot to whatever you can still use it
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Re: Hi from Hoddo

Postby Sam. » Wed May 30, 2018 10:49 pm

Your all good mate.

But the search function is highly useful sometimes :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Hi from Hoddo

Postby woodduck » Wed May 30, 2018 11:24 pm

Nah you've taken me the wrong way mate that's why I said I don't want to sound like an asshole because I don't want to sound like one cause I'm not one. I was trying to say that knowing something doesn't mean you understand it. I could give you a list of parts to build a car, does that mean you can build a car? I want you to understand the art and science of distilling not just the how to. I wanted you to do some more reading so you could expand your knowledge so you would be a far better distiller in the long run. I won't go into it any further as I don't want to upset you any more than I already have.

A voltage controller will allow you to slow down a spirit run on a still so you don't smear the different fractions and give you a shit tasting drink.

Just a couple threads from the newbies corner

viewtopic.php?f=57&t=11077

viewtopic.php?f=57&t=3541

My apologies for any offence I may have caused, was not my intention.
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Re: Hi from Hoddo

Postby woodduck » Wed May 30, 2018 11:43 pm

These might help as well?
So you can find them later they were in the pot still section

https://aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopi ... =7&t=11559

https://aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopi ... 45#p150245
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