Hiya from old north Wales

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Hiya from old north Wales

Postby TBird61 » Sun Dec 23, 2018 9:41 pm

Yup, that bit attached to Englandshire, cold wet and miserable :laughing-rolling:

My name is Christine and I'm brand new to distilling but have been making wine for many years now. We've just bought a T500 and an Alembic pot head, we didn't feel like making one ourselves. So far we have a sugar wash brewing to try out hand at some Gin but in the meantime I cleaned out both the heads with a vinegar wash and some methylated spirits which served as a good test run. I also had a couple of gallons of Damson wine that had been sat in the garage for some years refusing to clear a pectin haze (read that as mud) so I put that through the pot head a couple of times on a stripping and spirit run by way as a practice.

So far so good I think, the foreshots were unmistakeable with a bad smell, the heads I split up into two cuts, they too were distinct but the hearts were really smooth and fruity. The tails however were very indistinct, I was expecting a clear smell and taste change when we got to them but it was only at the very end that I really noticed the wet dog taste and smell (Not that I make a habit of tasting wet dogs!!). Anyway I cut the tails into two jars and mixed the first in with the heads as I could hardly tell the difference and used half of the second heads in with the mix before putting them in a demijohn with some oak. Initially the smell and taste were comparable with some cheap brandy we have for cooking but four days on the smell and taste have improved no end. More by luck than judgement but I'm very pleased with our first efforts

That is my sum total of experience with this new hobby but I'm reading as much as I can fit in and after Christmas is done I'm going to have a crack at making something that with luck will resemble gin. Maybe have a few more goes with the same and then try my hand at some of the recipes here.

Merry Christmas to you all
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Re: Hiya from old north Wales

Postby Doubleuj » Mon Dec 24, 2018 6:27 am

Welcome to the forum Christine :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Hiya from old north Wales

Postby Sam. » Mon Dec 24, 2018 7:32 am

Welcome here, sounds like you are on the right track :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Hiya from old north Wales

Postby Professor Green » Mon Dec 24, 2018 8:21 am

Welcome to AD Christine.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.
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Re: Hiya from old north Wales

Postby Arismac » Mon Dec 24, 2018 12:18 pm

Welcome, Christine from someone who has just tamed the T500 and made it my friend at long last. Christmas Day tomorrow and 32C degrees tomorrow. I do not envy your weather at this time of year but have a great festive season.
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Re: Hiya from old north Wales

Postby TBird61 » Mon Dec 24, 2018 5:21 pm

Thanks guys :) I'm really looking forward to being able to produce something of a good quality. I know it will take time to learn how but time I have hopefully. We're not big drinkers so quantity isn't the goal but living so close to Ireland we see some of their home made Poteen here occasionally and that even though it's a lethal brew is so much smoother than the spirits you can buy in shops

It's funny, I can't imagine anything worse than 32 degrees at Christmas, it should be freezing, Santa must hate delivering to Oz with that fur lined outfit of his :laughing-rolling: Any other day of the year and 32 degrees would be heaven, me jealous? YES!!! :ymsick:
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Re: Hiya from old north Wales

Postby Arismac » Mon Dec 24, 2018 5:40 pm

TBird61 wrote:It's funny, I can't imagine anything worse than 32 degrees at Christmas, it should be freezing, Santa must hate delivering to Oz with that fur lined outfit of his :laughing-rolling: Any other day of the year and 32 degrees would be heaven, me jealous? YES!!! :ymsick:


OK I fess I will fess up. It is actually Miss Claus that does the Aussie run and she is always suitably dressed, but please don't tell the folks of Englandshire as we are already overrun with them :laughing-rolling: ... Most of them have adapted quite well though, I must say ... :handgestures-thumbupleft:

PS: I was born in Dunfirmlin.
Last edited by Arismac on Mon Dec 24, 2018 5:43 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Hiya from old north Wales

Postby TBird61 » Mon Dec 24, 2018 5:51 pm

Arismac wrote:
TBird61 wrote:It's funny, I can't imagine anything worse than 32 degrees at Christmas, it should be freezing, Santa must hate delivering to Oz with that fur lined outfit of his :laughing-rolling: Any other day of the year and 32 degrees would be heaven, me jealous? YES!!! :ymsick:


OK I fess I will fess up. It is actually Miss Claus that does the Aussie run and she is always suitably dressed, but please don't tell the folks of Englandshire as we are already overrun with them :laughing-rolling: ... Most of them have adapted quite well though, I must say ... :handgestures-thumbupleft:

PS: I was born in Dunfermlin.

A fellow Celt :D Tell me about it, I come from a little fishing village that has become uber trendy with the folks from Englandshire too; population in the summer 10,000, population in the winter, 500. Sadly we've had to adapt to them and it's now possible to buy a Pimms in the pub :laughing-rolling:
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Re: Hiya from old north Wales

Postby Arismac » Tue Dec 25, 2018 5:11 pm

It only got to 28C but you should have seen the outfit. I went to at least 42C. Happy New Year.
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Re: Hiya from old north Wales

Postby TBird61 » Wed Dec 26, 2018 9:27 pm

Arismac wrote:It only got to 28C but you should have seen the outfit. I went to at least 42C. Happy New Year.

Are you sure it was Mrs Santa wearing the outfit? :o

We has a sunny and balmy 7-8C Roll on summer and G&T!
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Re: Hiya from old north Wales

Postby woodduck » Thu Dec 27, 2018 4:50 pm

Hi there :greetings-waveyellow: welcome aboard.

32? I wish it was only 32 here today... 43 outside at the moment.

All the best in the new hobby :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Hiya from old north Wales

Postby TBird61 » Thu Dec 27, 2018 6:22 pm

Thanks and wow that's hot, does it cool off at night?
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Re: Hiya from old north Wales

Postby woodduck » Thu Dec 27, 2018 8:32 pm

Yeah not too bad lately, around 17-21 at night.
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Re: Hiya from old north Wales

Postby bluc » Thu Dec 27, 2018 8:34 pm

23 inside in the aircon today :D
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Re: Hiya from old north Wales

Postby The Stig » Thu Dec 27, 2018 9:07 pm

We tend to keep the air con around 22
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Re: Hiya from old north Wales

Postby TBird61 » Thu Dec 27, 2018 10:11 pm

We have the heating on at 22C :laughing-rolling:
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Re: Hiya from old north Wales

Postby The Stig » Thu Dec 27, 2018 10:14 pm

That’s good :laughing-rolling:
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Re: Hiya from old north Wales

Postby Yurugaboy » Sat Dec 29, 2018 3:26 pm

Welcome- enjoy the first run. I use The Drs version of TPW using Ec1118 champagne yeast and it makes a great neutral base.
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Re: Hiya from old north Wales

Postby TBird61 » Sun Dec 30, 2018 2:06 am

Yurugaboy wrote:Welcome- enjoy the first run. I use The Drs version of TPW using Ec1118 champagne yeast and it makes a great neutral base.

The sugar wash I used was just with the pure yeast, carbon and finings that came with the still, the blurb said that it would be good to go using all the distillate as the methanol content would be below safe levels. Thankfully I'd read elsewhere that that was to be taken with a pinch of salt. I did a stripping run yesterday and the first 50mls out were smelling very strongly of acetone and today on the spirit run I got more out again. Well a first and a last time for that one but at least I know for sure now.

I think next time I will try the TPW, there's a reason why people do I suppose. I'm hoping to get a wash going again this week sometime, probably once the new year hangover has gone :laughing-rolling:
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