New into distilling - From Adelaide

Say Hi and introduce yourself

New into distilling - From Adelaide

Postby Adam G » Fri Jun 22, 2018 10:13 am

Hi to all,

As the subject suggests, i'm new to distilling. I have been reading this forum a lot and even though i think i have learnt a fair bit (from knowing nothing), i know i haven't even scratched the surface of this hobby.

A mate and myself have been doing AG brewing for some years know. We have a pretty good 3 vessel setup, with a heat exchanger, pumps from tank to tank etc. We love drinking our beer, and get just as much enjoyment in sharing it with friends. We started with a fermenter and cans of goo.... Was horrible stuff. So jumped in very quickly to All Grain brewing. We purchased things we didn't end up needing, or was to small after awhile, a lot of money wasted. lol. But we go there in the end.

So seeming we had a big mashtun, we decided we might as well add a still so that we can make whiskey. We both drink just as much scotch as we do beer.
Didn't think we would make the same mistake again........... BUT MY GOD WE DID.

After reading this forum, we are kicking ourselves. After some google searches we found that for whiskey we needed a pot still (didn't want to make scotch flavored vodka).
So we jumped right in and got a 30ltr boiler (thought would be better to have 5 more litres), an alembic dome and the copper condenser that goes on it. Happy days.
After reading this, i wish we had of just gone straight into something from 5star.

So after reading up on this forum, we at least have done everything we can for some quality whiskey. We have substituted the rubber hose to a copper pipe, and have built a voltage controller.

So we will be starting this weekend, we have the wash ready to go (not exactly sure of the recipe, my mate ordered it, but it was distillers grain and some type of peated malt, its saved in his beersmith app).

I have read up about cuts etc, so have a whole bunch of 200ml jars ready to go.

Is there anything else we should be aware of or things we can do to ensure we get a good product?

How do yo work the voltage controller? do you try and get to the hearts temp as quick as possible then cut back power to ensure it stays in that range longer? Or just slowly go through the temps?

Also, the 5star website doesn;t seem to be working. One of the websites says it is under construction, the other one when i go to the store it goes to a wazam? website with random other stuff in it. Am i doing something wrong?

Is the FSW recipe very smokey? like Lapghroig or Lagavulin ? i don't mind that style, but its not my go to. Any recipes that people would recommend?

Cheers

Adam
Adam G
 
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2018 4:34 pm
equipment: Copper Alembic Dome for now

Re: New into distilling - From Adelaide

Postby Adam G » Fri Jun 22, 2018 10:16 am

Oops, just used the search function and just saw that they are closing or closed :-(
Adam G
 
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2018 4:34 pm
equipment: Copper Alembic Dome for now

Re: New into distilling - From Adelaide

Postby woodduck » Fri Jun 22, 2018 12:24 pm

Welcome mate, sounds like your all over it :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Do you realise that with a pot still you'll need to do 2 runs, a strip then a spirit run? I can explain if you need.

With the voltage controller you only need that for the spirit run. You set that so your spirit is just dribbling, drip, dribble and leave it at that for the whole run, adjust if needed but should have to. You don't want to run a spirit run too fast as it will smear heads shit into your good hearts. Hope that helps
woodduck
Lifetime Member
 
Posts: 3497
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 5:54 pm
Location: Good old country SA
equipment: 4 plate 6" copper bubbler, 6 plate 4" glass bubbler with 500mm packed section three way thumper sitting on a 50 ltr keg boiler with 6000watts, 2" pot still and a 2" boka.

Re: New into distilling - From Adelaide

Postby bluc » Fri Jun 22, 2018 1:08 pm

:text-+1: You dont run a pot still by "temp" you run it by the size of the output stream. Strip run as fast as possible and a spirit run a small stream drip, stream,drip or a little faster so the stream is about the size of a pencil lead and is not broken. on the spirit run Collect in small amount250-300mls then blend your cuts. Have a read of a novice guide to cuts..https://aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=2859&p=40598&hilit=novice+guide+to+cuts#p40598 I would say a very important thing to get right if you want to make good spirit :handgestures-thumbupleft:
bluc
Site Donor
 
Posts: 8967
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2015 5:47 pm
Location: sunshine coast
equipment: 2" pot with 2" shotty 400mm long 5x 1/2" on a t500 boiler.
50l keg boiler 4" still mount 4" sight glass 1" drain..
4 plate 4" bubbler, 600mm packed section

Re: New into distilling - From Adelaide

Postby Adam G » Fri Jun 22, 2018 3:07 pm

Thanks for the replies guys.

I have a read a bit, but reading something and actually knowing something are 2 different things. I'm eager to get distilling this Sunday, doing is often a good way to learn.

I did realize 2 runs are needed, but on that... We are doing 2 batches of 25ltrs, is it best to do 2 strip runs and then 1 spirit run, or a strip and spirit then strip and spirit, that way we could re use the tails and heads in the next 25ltr batch?

So for the strip run, just to ensure i have this right, full power until 98deg? what do yo do with the remaining wash in the boiler? use it again or is there no point.

Just realized i don't have an alchometer, might need to go hunting for one in Adelaide. Or is there a conversion chart to use a refactometer?

Cheers

Adam
Adam G
 
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2018 4:34 pm
equipment: Copper Alembic Dome for now

Re: New into distilling - From Adelaide

Postby woodduck » Fri Jun 22, 2018 3:18 pm

I would strip both washes down to 25%abv and don't do cuts on them just take 100ml or so of fores. No point doing cuts even as a trial as you will be running it hard to strip fast so the cuts will be smeared badly. Put the "low wines" of both runs back into your boiler and water down to below 40% before doing the spirit run. Forget temps with a pot they are a waste of time. Heat up flat out until you get output then back off power till you get the desired out put. Once again run till down to 25% then turn it off. Do cuts on the spirit run :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Yes you can use a refractometer but I've got no idea about them sorry.

The stuff left in the boiler is called dundar and you'll want to save some of that for your generations. I'll leave you to research that :handgestures-thumbupleft:
woodduck
Lifetime Member
 
Posts: 3497
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 5:54 pm
Location: Good old country SA
equipment: 4 plate 6" copper bubbler, 6 plate 4" glass bubbler with 500mm packed section three way thumper sitting on a 50 ltr keg boiler with 6000watts, 2" pot still and a 2" boka.

Re: New into distilling - From Adelaide

Postby Professor Green » Fri Jun 22, 2018 3:23 pm

Hi Adam,

Run 2 stripping runs then a nice long single spirit run and save the feints from that for your next double batch.

You'll definitely need an alcometer. Most home brew shops will stock them.

With your strip run, just run it hard (full power) until the ABV drops to somewhere between 10 and 20%. At this point it's not worth continuing. I think there's some good info in the newbies section on stripping runs.

The remaining liquid in the boiler is not really worth keeping unless you're planning on doing generations in which case you put a certain amount to back into a new wash.

Looks like Woodduck beat me to it. Again.

I'll have to learn to type faster.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.
Professor Green
 
Posts: 2483
Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2015 1:10 pm
Location: Victoria
equipment: FSD 100 litre milk can with 2 x 2400W elements
FSD Neutraliser
FSD Carter Head
12 litre double boiler with 2400W element

Re: New into distilling - From Adelaide

Postby woodduck » Fri Jun 22, 2018 4:09 pm

:laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: at least we agree with our replys so it's good confirmation :handgestures-thumbupleft:
woodduck
Lifetime Member
 
Posts: 3497
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 5:54 pm
Location: Good old country SA
equipment: 4 plate 6" copper bubbler, 6 plate 4" glass bubbler with 500mm packed section three way thumper sitting on a 50 ltr keg boiler with 6000watts, 2" pot still and a 2" boka.

Re: New into distilling - From Adelaide

Postby bluc » Fri Jun 22, 2018 6:07 pm

Unless you get a spirits refactometer they are no good once alcohol is present. Better off using refactometer for mashing a hydrometer for testing mash and an alcometer for still :handgestures-thumbupleft:
bluc
Site Donor
 
Posts: 8967
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2015 5:47 pm
Location: sunshine coast
equipment: 2" pot with 2" shotty 400mm long 5x 1/2" on a t500 boiler.
50l keg boiler 4" still mount 4" sight glass 1" drain..
4 plate 4" bubbler, 600mm packed section

Re: New into distilling - From Adelaide

Postby Lowie » Fri Jun 22, 2018 6:32 pm

G'day and Welcome mate. If your any where near the northern suburbs, drop into Beerbelly on Research Rd. They carry alcometers, etc. Refractrometers not much good for alcohol as Bluc said. You can use them for your OG, but you need to do a calculation using Brix to get your FG. BB Also the best place in Adelaide to buy your AG. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Lowie
 
Posts: 712
Joined: Sun May 24, 2015 1:32 pm
Location: Crow eater
equipment: 4", 4 plate "Frankenfurter" copper bubbler and blockhead on a 50L 3000W electric boiler, 10000W controller - don't even know why I need that much, all grain HERMS system through 18G HLT keg and 50L mash tun.

Re: New into distilling - From Adelaide

Postby Adam G » Fri Jun 22, 2018 9:18 pm

I actually had to go that way this arvo, so managed to grab an alchometer from beerbelly before they closed, also grabbed some grain to get rhe next ferment on.
So fingers crossed thats everything.
Thanks for all your help. Will let you know how we go
Adam G
 
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2018 4:34 pm
equipment: Copper Alembic Dome for now

Re: New into distilling - From Adelaide

Postby Adam G » Sun Jun 24, 2018 2:44 pm

So half way through our wash (only 40ltr boiler) and wr have jad lkts of issues with puking through the condensor. Took ages to get the first batch stripping run done.
We wound the temps down, removed some of the wash (we filled to 23 ltr of a 30ltr boiler), gave it a vigorous stir, put even more anti foam in and even put a tablespoon of vegetable oil in.... it seemed to work. So fingers crossed the next few runs go ok. Probs wont have time to do a spirit run, so will have to do that another time.
During our waiting times, we did another wash, so will be pitching the yeast once it cools down.
Adam G
 
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2018 4:34 pm
equipment: Copper Alembic Dome for now


Return to Welcome Centre



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests

x