Newbie here plenty of questions so little time

[mrsupraboy]

G'day guys and girls,

I'm new to the forums from nsw, and started making a batch on Sunday.
A bit of background is that I have been doing homebrew since December and thought hey I have have all the stuff to do spirits so why not.

Questions to all

Q1 does spirits age and get better
Q2 what is the closest essence to shivers regal(spelling wrong I know)

My understanding is that you do your wash, so added my 8 kg of dextrose and then mixed it till dissolved then added turbo yeast and let it ferment. Once fermenting is finished and the clear packet then 1 hour later added the other half of the clear packet.
24hrs later or so put into still and let it distill. Once heated up to 50 degrees Celsius add water through the top tubes and let it recirculate. Temp looking for I think is 75degrees c or 25. Can't remember. After a tiny bit open the tap of the still and let it drip into the glass you have.
Once done add water till alcohol is at 40%. Then put through carbon filter.
Then add essences.
Am I on the ball park guys

[Zak Griffin]

Welcome mate :handgestures-thumbupleft:

First off... You've obviously got a good memory because that sounds about word for word like what the bloke at the home brew shop would've told you :D

To answer your first question; yes and no. Sometimes maybe. Depends on how you do it...

You say you've got a T500... Good for making vodka (neutral), not so good for making Scotch. Your turbo yeast wash isn't exactly desirable either.

EDIT: you said elsewhere that you haven't got a still yet, just the boiler? I'm sure you can build or possibly buy a pot still head for your boiler that will get you closer to making a nice scotch!

There's a few things you'll want to read if you want to make a nice drop... All can be found on this forum. Have a look in the Newbies section. Have a look at

Making cuts
Tomato paste wash

You're in the ball park. Sort of. Your eyes are about to be opened to an entire new world haha.

Oh, and don't be in a rush. Your turbo brew is probably going to taste like shit anyway, so sit down and have a read, get a tomato paste wash on and enjoy the ride :)

[SBB]

Zaks pretty well covered it with his answer. A lot of what you have read or been told so far isn't the best of information.
If it is a T500 that you own they are not a bad little still for what they are, used the right way, using good non turbo washes, and using careful cuts you will produce a reasonable neutralish spirit.
A T500 is controlled by the amount of water going through the reflux condenser, more water equals slower output, the slower the output the purer and better the end product. You cant rely totally on the temperature gauges to achieve that. There are quite a few threads on running T500s in the "reflux still section" of the forum. You will learn a lot by reading through as many of them as you can.

[mrsupraboy]

Thanks guys. Been doing a lot of reading and was wondering if anyone has post a diy Job on making a pot still out of copper.

[OzKev]

Thanks guys. Been doing a lot of reading and was wondering if anyone has post a diy Job on making a pot still out of copper.

I found this really helpful for my build
http://www.instructables.com/id/Building-a-Keg-Still-Pot-still-design/?ALLSTEPS

Bunnings sell a 1/2" by 1/2" by 3/4" copper fitting which works great for the liebig (condenser)
http://www.bunnings.com.au/kinetic-20-x-15-x-15mm-copper-capillary-reducing-tee_p4880026


Here's my build
http://aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=4951

[Brendan]

Thanks guys. Been doing a lot of reading and was wondering if anyone has post a diy Job on making a pot still out of copper.

You'll find once you start getting into all the readings, that it's a really simple design, and therefore would have trouble finding exact plans as newer guys tend to ask for. Once you understand different condenser designs, it's just a matter of connecting that to a column, and connecting that to the boiler.

Here's a few threads that I found just going through the pot still section in the forum :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Hope it's a starting point for you anyway.

One of mine

Goldie's Build

Mac's Cobra Stripping Pot

EG's Pot

1 2 Many's

Sam's FSD Pot

[mrsupraboy]

Ok so the pot stiller doesn't produce as high abv. as the reflux is that correct.

If I were to use the pot stiller is it the same process as what I wrote above or slightly different.

I was. Looking into making one cause it actually looks quite easy.

My understanding of how a reflux works is that the wash is boiled which causes vapour to the top, which with the vapour turns back into a liquid and drops into a tundish then overflows then back into the boiler. Once temp is hit right you then open the outlet to a drip. You throw the 1st tiny bit out and and the keep the rest. And should have an abv above 85.
Is that correct. But from hearing all the comments it comes out as a neutral taste. It takes taste out or something like that.

My next question is, is that with the pot stiller there is none of that. No tundish and no way of restricting the alcohol from coming out to fast/going into the section were is runs down. Does it need one would it make it better.

My main drinks are sambuka and vodka. But parentals love the scotch.

[Brendan]

Ok so the pot stiller doesn't produce as high abv. as the reflux is that correct.

One distillation has the same effect regardless...a reflux still can perform many distillations in one go before collecting your product.

If I were to use the pot stiller is it the same process as what I wrote above or slightly different.

Unfortunately as mentioned, everything you detailed is what someone at the home brew shop would tell you to do, and is exactly what we recommend people not to do...it's not a matter of different process for different type of still...people were pointing out that your turbo wash with dextrose and carbon filtering will make a shite product...

I was. Looking into making one cause it actually looks quite easy.

It is :handgestures-thumbupleft:

My understanding of how a reflux works is that the wash is boiled which causes vapour to the top, which with the vapour turns back into a liquid and drops into a tundish then overflows then back into the boiler. Once temp is hit right you then open the outlet to a drip. You throw the 1st tiny bit out and and the keep the rest. And should have an abv above 85.
Is that correct. But from hearing all the comments it comes out as a neutral taste. It takes taste out or something like that.

There is no 'tundish', isn't that something used for recirculating wort in beer brewing?

A pot still performs one simple distillation; wash boils, vapour rises, vapour is condensed and collected. A reflux still has a reflux condenser on top of the column, will condense those rising vapours and the liquid will fall back down the column...a packing material (ie. copper mesh) will give a large surface area for the rising vapours and falling liquid distillate to make contact, effectively raising the number of distillations achieved within the column.

Forget about temperature, it's rarely about any specific number as the home brew shop may lead you to believe...there are threads around here on this exact topic.

You don't just throw out a tiny bit and keep the rest...these are called cuts. You learn the varying smells and tastes and know which is which. There are your foreshots which you most definitely toss, then there are your heads, hearts and tails...the hearts being the only stuff you want kept in your drink. You will need to develop your senses to pick these points up to make a decent product.

For a reflux column, if it is made well and ran right, you can achieve an output of 95% alcohol. This will still have heads, hearts and tails, but the hearts will be completely neutral and perfect to be diluted for vodka/neutral for mixing. Yes, the more distillations, the less flavour in it.



My next question is, is that with the pot stiller there is none of that. No tundish and no way of restricting the alcohol from coming out to fast/going into the section were is runs down. Does it need one would it make it better.

Again, doesn't make sense in distillation terms :wtf: A pot still is only controlled by the amount of power put in at the boiler. The more power, the more vapour pushed up the column, the more distillate collected. Faster means more flavour carry over, and slower means cleaner. Usually several strip runs are performed hard and fast, and then a combined striup run is performed slowly to achieve a good flavoured product (you can research this topic).

My main drinks are sambuka and vodka. But parentals love the scotch.

Unfortunately for you, they require a very different setup. For your vodka, you will want a decent reflux still that can output 95% alcohol, I would suggest looking at a Boka. You can also make Sambuca with your vodka by macerating a few different things or using various flavourings and essences. For your parentals Scotch, you really need a pot still, and a really good recipe and well practiced process...moving up to all grain barley washes would be the ultimate result for that.

[mrsupraboy]

I read up on the cuts/fractions. Understood half and the other half went over my head

So with the pot still u basically keep running it through a few times and end up with say 4 litres at the end.

[Brendan]

I read up on the cuts/fractions. Understood half and the other half went over my head

So with the pot still u basically keep running it through a few times and end up with say 4 litres at the end.

Did you read this one? --> Kiwistiller's Novice Guide to Cuts and Fractions

As an example with the pot still: For a 50L boiler, you would run 3x 40L washes through hard and fast (stripping runs), collecting about 13L from each one.

Then that combined 39L would be run through as a 'spirit run' to collect the final product :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[mrsupraboy]

Yeh that's the one I read. Quick question about what I'm doing. So I'm buying the reflux tomorrow. I've got a batch on the fermenter which will be ready on the weekend. So I also get the carbon filtering thing. Or should I be doing it a different way

[Brendan]

So I'm buying the reflux tomorrow.

We can only help so far mate...99% of people on this site will tell you to not buy straight away and just give yourself a few weeks of reading on this site.

But it's up to you how you go about it. You've only got to read on here from all the people that just 'jumped in' and bought home brew shop stills impulsively only to regret it.

No, I wouldn't be buying one of these stills and the associated plastic carbon filtering rubbish.

If you do jump in, there are threads about how to make the most out of your HBS equipment. Good luck :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[bt1]

+1 Brendan's comments

take the pressure off yourself and buy a bottle of spirits tomorrow...instead of a HBS still.

Longer term most likely the bottle you'll really appreciate given time for a well considered decision.

bt1

[MacStill]

:text-+1:

First piece of advise I'll offer is to just slow down, this is not a hobby for anyone in a hurry ;-)

Enjoy :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[mrsupraboy]

I'm getting the black maximus one. Not the cheap ones. Also I'm gonna build the pot stiller anyway so I got both. Just in a hurry cause I got a batch going. Then will see how I go. Just wanted to no if I do what I said up the top. Or tell what to do so I do something otherwise. I making vodka and sambuca.

[bt1]

A ferment will last for months if sealed. Forget the rush there's no need.

btw the price paid in a HBS is not strictly relative to quality. Pay more than you need by all means but only do that once you've made an informed considered decision.

bt1

[mrsupraboy]

Instead of telling me to do nothing explain why. I think all u guys by the sounds of it just want me to buy one of the forums

[mrsupraboy]

Also all I wanna try is the basic ones with essence to start of. If that's not the right process let me or post some reading for me if u can.

I appreciate all ur help

[bt1]

ok..

The reason we want you to take your time is as per previous posts. You need to be better informed to make a good , quality long term decisions.

WE have little or no interest in where you buy kit from other than to say, time and time again the kit produced by other members far out performs HBS bought equipment.
That's a statement of quality and of functionality.

Our collective role is not to stop progress, in fact you'll find we actively encourage it...but we just hope and are trying here to give you a chance to better understand equipment choices.
If the advice of many does not suit you... ask your self why? what's in it for us...jack :handgestures-thumbupleft:

What we do prefer is to see a well informed member make good sound choices based on a good level of understanding. if that offering don't suit...sorry bloke your in the wrong place.

bt1

[MacStill]

Instead of telling me to do nothing explain why. I think all u guys by the sounds of it just want me to buy one of the forums

Couldnt be further from the truth mate, but if you did you wouldn't be copping all the HBS high pressure sales pitches... :handgestures-thumbupleft: