Semi Retiring

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Semi Retiring

Postby MickW » Thu May 14, 2020 11:00 am

G'day all,
I'm Mick from NSW. I've started my semi-retirement and have a bit more time up my sleeve. I'm not one to sit around so thought I'd put this spare time to good use. I am still in the research stage, doing a lot of reading but I think I am going to go for a plated column still to give me the flexibility. Looking forward to learning the craft.
MickW
 
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equipment: 4" Plated column with 110 L Boiler

Re: Semi Retiring

Postby Sam. » Thu May 14, 2020 12:02 pm

Welcome mate, great idea to research before parting with your hard earned.

First question is what spirits do you want to make?
Sam.
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Re: Semi Retiring

Postby MickW » Thu May 14, 2020 12:31 pm

Hello Sam,
My first preference would be Bourbon, however my wife is a vodka / gin fan. I guess I was thinking the plated column could do all the neutrals with all the gear in it and take out some plates to run as a pot still ? Does that sound about right ?
MickW
 
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:35 pm
equipment: 4" Plated column with 110 L Boiler

Re: Semi Retiring

Postby bluc » Thu May 14, 2020 12:40 pm

Just add remove packed section from plates to switch from brown spirit to neutral..or as you say remove packing and plates and rc and you have a pot still...some prefer pot stilled spirit. Moving from a pot to plated still i prefer plated still spirits.
bluc
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Re: Semi Retiring

Postby Professor Green » Thu May 14, 2020 9:58 pm

Welcome MickW.

:text-+1: on the above. Plates and packed section for neutral, just the plates for single run brown spirits or no plates and strip/spirit run for pot stilled brown spirits.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.
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Re: Semi Retiring

Postby MickW » Wed May 20, 2020 12:13 pm

Thanks for the info gents, one more question on that subject. I ended up buying a plated column still and it had a dephlegmator at the top of the still , do I ditch that as well when running brown spirits. I understand for single pass brown to leave the plates in or plates out, strip run , then spirit run.
Cheers Mick.
MickW
 
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Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:35 pm
equipment: 4" Plated column with 110 L Boiler

Re: Semi Retiring

Postby Dunnonuthin » Wed May 20, 2020 9:04 pm

Hi Mick, you really did jump in the deep end. As you said in your first post, you have a lot of reading ahead. The answers to most of your questions will be found in the here if you search hard enough. When you get stuck, confused or bamboozled by all means ask, people here are happy to help. Not trying to be a prick about it, just the way things roll :handgestures-thumbupleft:
To answer your last question, if you have plates in the still you need the RC (deflag) running. Without reflux you are pot stilling, the plates won’t load up and the vapour will blow right through.
If your pot stilling, take the RC and plates out. Must do two runs for decent spirit.
If column stilling, plates in, RC running. Can do brown spirits in one run.
Making a neutral or vodka, plates, packed section and RC running. Can do in a single pass with the right gear. Many recommend a stripping run first. Have you found the post by Mac on running a bubbler the easy way?
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Re: Semi Retiring

Postby MickW » Thu May 21, 2020 10:10 am

Hi Dunno,
Yes mate doing a lot of reading, just finished "The joy of home distilling" , I have read Mac's post on running a bubbler the easy way. I have printed out his process and it is hanging up next to the still right now. Copy the search first ask questions later advice, I didnt link the RC with the Deflag definition, that makes sense. Thanks for the support and advice on set up.
Cheers Mick.
MickW
 
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:35 pm
equipment: 4" Plated column with 110 L Boiler

Re: Semi Retiring

Postby GINKING » Thu May 21, 2020 6:59 pm

Hi Mick,

If you're comfortable show us a pic of you still? We'd love a sneak peak..

Cheers,

Ginking.
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Re: Semi Retiring

Postby MickW » Thu May 28, 2020 12:32 pm

Hi Ginking,
Sure thing mate, just getting my plumbing sorted and nearly good for a cleaning run.
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Re: Semi Retiring

Postby bluc » Thu May 28, 2020 12:50 pm

Nice :handgestures-thumbupleft:
bluc
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50l keg boiler 4" still mount 4" sight glass 1" drain..
4 plate 4" bubbler, 600mm packed section

Re: Semi Retiring

Postby MickW » Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:58 pm

Hi all, question on Barley. I've just done Brendan's all grain Bourbon on the weekend, all went pretty well. I got great conversion, ended up at 1.070 but I sparged down to 1.060 and its now in the fermenter. My question is, there seems to be a lot of info about keeping the husk in good shape so as to help act as a filter, but the downside would be maybe not releasing as much enzymes. I ended up grinding the Barley down much like the corn, pretty fine , but not complete flour. I figured its only a small percentage of the wash and its probably going to be gluggy anyway. As it happens it did take a lot of work to get the sparge water through it. Would it have been easier if I only had the Barley cracked a bit ?
MickW
 
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:35 pm
equipment: 4" Plated column with 110 L Boiler

Re: Semi Retiring

Postby bluc » Mon Aug 10, 2020 1:02 pm

More so the corn causes gluggy. Rice hulls help with sparging :handgestures-thumbupleft:
bluc
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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: Semi Retiring

Postby MickW » Mon Aug 10, 2020 2:13 pm

Thanks Bluc, I'll give the rice hulls a go for the next run.
Cheers.
MickW
 
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:35 pm
equipment: 4" Plated column with 110 L Boiler

Re: Semi Retiring

Postby GINKING » Mon Aug 10, 2020 6:43 pm

Nice Still MickW,

How big is your boiler and what I the wattage/power of your elements?

Cheers,

Ginking
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Re: Semi Retiring

Postby MickW » Mon Aug 17, 2020 10:35 am

Hi Ginking,
The boiler is 110L and the elements are 3 x 2000 w 10 amps each. I had to add extra power to my garage to keep up.
MickW
 
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:35 pm
equipment: 4" Plated column with 110 L Boiler

Re: Semi Retiring

Postby Bodgy » Mon Aug 17, 2020 7:44 pm

Man, retirement looks fun. Gimme 30 years.
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Re: Semi Retiring

Postby Grumpydude » Mon Aug 17, 2020 10:01 pm

Hi Mick, welcome aboard. That's a beautiful rig you have there. Well you can't blame you still for any bad tasting spirit now...lol.
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Re: Semi Retiring

Postby dans.brew » Tue Aug 18, 2020 7:49 am

Welcome Mick... good looking start to retirement if you ask me!
Nice looking still there mate. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Semi Retiring

Postby MickW » Tue Aug 18, 2020 3:50 pm

Cheers for the welcomes, I've been learning a lot of late. I have 2 x TPW's to my name , they seemed to work well. Distilled with all the gear in and then carbon filtered, the wife was a bit scared at first and now she cant tell if there is absolut or TPW. I have also just finished my second go at Brendan's all grain Bourbon. I have about 4 litres at 55 ABV sitting on an oak spiral and a 50 Litre wash bubbling away in the fermenter. Looking forward to tasting in a few weeks.
MickW
 
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:35 pm
equipment: 4" Plated column with 110 L Boiler


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