Hi from Braveheart

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Hi from Braveheart

Postby Braveheart » Wed Mar 07, 2018 1:00 pm

Hi everyone,

I've been reading posts on here for quite some time and thought I better go official.

I've been brewing for over 30 years and started distilling about 25 years ago with a one gallon CM still from NZ. After a few Turbo batches with this still and messing around re-distilling and filtering with the kit z-filter over a period of a few years, I built my first upgrade.

I thought I needed to improve the refluxing so I introduced a column extension using 900mm long section of 32mm copper pipe filled with stainless steel pot scrubbers. This improved the end product massively and I used this configuration for about 15 years but there is a lot of skill required to manage the CM process. In that time I added a cooling water storage tank and a small pond pump to recirculate the cooling water and try maintain stability during the product run. Blocks of 1litre ice frozen in milk cartons being dropped into the tank to keep the temperature fairly constant.

My last upgrade last year was to start from scratch and build my own complete VM still. Using a 30 litre boiler with 1250w element, 1m of 50mm copper pipe as the fractionating column filled with copper pot scrubbers, a 300mm x 50mm copper open graham condenser with scrubbers for the refluxing head and a 600mm x 13mm copper pipe inside a 19mm copper sleeve liebitz condenser for the product. VM using a 25mm brass gate valve at the tee. I have a digital thermometer probe at the top of the fractionating column.

Now I can get 96% first run! I still do a stripping run. I'm doing my last Turbo batch before moving to the tomato past rescipe but I must say that my family on consumers is pretty happy with the latest quality. I bring the still up to equilibrium for about 2 hrs before opening the product valve a small amount to begin taking cuts. Then I use the nose to pick the cuts but I notice the thermometer confirms what the nose has always told me pretty well! Whole run takes about 8 hrs.

My aim has always been to produce the best neutral spirit that I could so I can blend using the big range of flavours available. My Scotch made using the still spirits whiskey kit is probably my favourite end product.
Braveheart
 
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2018 4:24 pm
Location: Adelaide
equipment: custom design 50mm x 1m all copper VM reflux compound with graham reflux head and liebig product condenser.

Re: Hi from Braveheart

Postby Braveheart » Wed Mar 07, 2018 1:25 pm

Picture attached (I hope)
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Braveheart
 
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2018 4:24 pm
Location: Adelaide
equipment: custom design 50mm x 1m all copper VM reflux compound with graham reflux head and liebig product condenser.

Re: Hi from Braveheart

Postby bluc » Wed Mar 07, 2018 1:42 pm

Welcome bud lots to read here. I will eventually get round to a reflux still just ro learn how to use them :handgestures-thumbupleft:
bluc
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Re: Hi from Braveheart

Postby ThePaterPiper » Wed Mar 07, 2018 1:46 pm

Nice looking still. Welcome to the forum :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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equipment: 50L Pot Still with two inch column into a 700mm Liebig. Also have a 19l thumper interchangeable into the setup.

Re: Hi from Braveheart

Postby PeterC » Wed Mar 07, 2018 6:13 pm

Hi Braveheart,
I have played with the whisky kit. Don't mind the lowlands recipe with half the glycerine. What recipe do you like?
Regards,
Peter C.
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Posts: 221
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equipment: An 18gall. (80L) keg boiler. A 50L Keg boiler. A 4 plate, 4 inch glass column, 500mm packed section Carter head. A 1.8L all copper micro still for small batches of Gin. Plus other bits.

Re: Hi from Braveheart

Postby woodduck » Wed Mar 07, 2018 8:25 pm

G'day mate and welcome :greetings-waveyellow:

Sounds like your all over it :handgestures-thumbupleft: You'll never look back now your off the turbos.

Enjoy
woodduck
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Re: Hi from Braveheart

Postby Braveheart » Fri Mar 09, 2018 1:07 pm

PeterC wrote:Hi Braveheart,
I have played with the whisky kit. Don't mind the lowlands recipe with half the glycerine. What recipe do you like?
Regards,
Peter C.


I actually like the generic Bourbon recipe but the drinkers in the family all like the JW Black recipe the best. I tried cutting back the glycerine as recommended by my local brew shop guru but the family all ganged up on me to change it back to the original amount! So IDK...

I actually like Wild Turkey so I've made a few batches of SCRUB TURKEY by Edwards Essences which is not too bad...
Braveheart
 
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2018 4:24 pm
Location: Adelaide
equipment: custom design 50mm x 1m all copper VM reflux compound with graham reflux head and liebig product condenser.

Re: Hi from Braveheart

Postby Braveheart » Fri Mar 09, 2018 1:14 pm

woodduck wrote:G'day mate and welcome :greetings-waveyellow:

You'll never look back now your off the turbos.

Enjoy


Thanks Woodduck, I'm really looking forward to trying the TPW brew..! After a lot of years playing with this hobby, all I've learned is how much I still have to learn..!
Braveheart
 
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2018 4:24 pm
Location: Adelaide
equipment: custom design 50mm x 1m all copper VM reflux compound with graham reflux head and liebig product condenser.

Re: Hi from Braveheart

Postby db1979 » Fri Mar 09, 2018 6:53 pm

Welcome mate :greetings-waveyellow:
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Currently having a makeover: 2" x 4 plate solid state bubbler (1" bubble caps, no sight glasses...maybe not for much longer!) on a bain-marie boiler.

Re: Hi from Braveheart

Postby PeterC » Fri Mar 09, 2018 7:51 pm

Braveheart wrote:I actually like the generic Bourbon recipe but the drinkers in the family all like the JW Black recipe the best. I tried cutting back the glycerine as recommended by my local brew shop guru but the family all ganged up on me to change it back to the original amount! So IDK...

I actually like Wild Turkey so I've made a few batches of SCRUB TURKEY by Edwards Essences which is not too bad...


Try the Still Spirits Classic range in the pouches, American Bourbon, Calypso Dark Rum, Reserve Whisky and Irish Whiskey are all not too bad. My wife loves the Coconut rum in the Top Shelf range, much better than Malibu. I use sugar not the base which is just dextrose anyway. Better than that though, I put my neutral on to oak chips and staves. The chips do the job (Gobblers) just soak at 65% for 1 month but medium toasted american oak staves are just magic. The flavour is light but very nice sippin' This is all while you are building up you stocks for long term ageing of things like CFW then all grain or go another way and start playing with gins. Phew! so much to learn and to drink!
Peter C.
PeterC
 
Posts: 221
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2017 12:20 am
Location: Perth WA
equipment: An 18gall. (80L) keg boiler. A 50L Keg boiler. A 4 plate, 4 inch glass column, 500mm packed section Carter head. A 1.8L all copper micro still for small batches of Gin. Plus other bits.


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