Newbie here plenty of questions so little time

[mrsupraboy]

Are all u guys try to tell me to only to do the pot still. Is that what ur saying.

I've read up on that as well as the reflux.

The only thing that is not in the newb section is the spirits run part

[MacStill]

Here's some reading http://aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=3539

Nobody's telling you to do nothing, but you've only just found out about this hobby so just slow down..... a few weeks of reading here wont slow you down, it'll save you money and end up getting you on the right track quicker.

By all means if you must distill today for tomorrows booze go buy a HBS rig and learn the hard way, blowing heaps of money along the way, that's their business to do it to you ;-)

I'm going to sit back and have a 2yo rum to celebrate for you :D

[bt1]

+1 mac

A pot's a good choice to do the flavoured/ heavier styles Gins, Rum Bourbons etc. It's a great place to learn also as you get a feel for the processes fast on a pot.

Some ppl myself included would say there are far better equipment choices for a reflux still. Either build a still or buy regardless other designs will out perform the HBS unit and reckon no one has any issues with that statement.

Get a plan settled, say build/buy the pot, learn a bit ....then make a decision on a good long term quality reflux still. You could as suggested invest some of the obvious energy in understanding reflux designs:
Boka's
LM/VM's
Modular Bubblers
Bubblers and so on....

We've all seen ppl rush in... only to be disappointed with the still and more commonly the results they get...poor quality spirits will surely kill any motivations you have .. so why not get it right :handgestures-thumbupleft:

bt1

[Smbjk]

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.

I know its already been said but take your time mate. The price of a wasted wash that you didn't get to run in time is far better than forking out $500 + on a rig that over time you will not be happy with and will want to upgrade to something much better. If you patient enough for that money you could build yourself a reflux and pot still and have the best of both worlds. The reflux you build if you follow some of the buils on the forum will produce 96% quality and with the addition of the tomato paste wash and good cuts you want need all the expensive filtering gear. 40lt of tpw costs no more than $15 and you'll get a great yeild of fine neutral. Explore all you options first and get something you will be truly happy with :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Save a bit more and maybe get a fsd rig and you will be happy for a lifetime :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[OzKev]

I bet you can make a boka still a lot better than the black maximus (which is just a boka with fancy advertising) for half the price. But it is your choice.

[mrsupraboy]

I could build a reflux tomorrow if I wanted. It's just the stuffing around that I can't be bothered with. And I'll have to try the tomato wash next batch as I've already started a batch of what you guys call turbo poison. So if I get the right equipment can't I make the best out of this batch. What do you guys recommend I should do apart from reading about it. As I have done heaps.

[Sam.]

You can't make good food or beverages with shit ingredients ;-)

You have just scratched the surface of distilling, if you are impatient by nature then this hobby might not be for you.

[MacStill]

Newbie here plenty of questions so little time

Yeah look mate, this is your first hurdle.... you cant rush the learning or results of this hobby without some major sacrifices to your gear and product.

What do you guys recommend I should do apart from reading about it. As I have done heaps.

You've read nothing yet, not even close to enough.... if you feel you've read enough & couldnt be stuffed with it all, or want spoon feeding you'd be better off going to the HBS mate, the guys here are trying to help you but you seem to be missing what's being said here.

Good luck with it all, it only takes a few hours to build a boka & pot still, so if you cant be stuffed or dont have the time I would forget this hobby until you do have time.

.

[Zak Griffin]

We're telling you to sit back and do some reading because if you want to make scotch and go out tomorrow and buy a HBS reflux, you WILL REGRET IT, sooner rather than later. It's like buying a Commodore when you want a car to drive to the top of Cape York.

You don't even know what you think you want yet, let alone what you actually need.

If you want to see what your HBS reflux can do, go out and buy a few essences and a couple of bottles of cheap vodka... See if you're happy with the results.

[mrsupraboy]

Not really after scotch. That can come later more after a few different vodkas, some sambuca maybe a lacour or 2. Then next batch I'll smash a tomato paste and maybe some more experimenting

[SBB]

Distilling isn't like driving a Supra Mate, you have to sloooow down, ya cant drive a still that way its far to dangerous.

[Yummyrum]

Hi there Mrsupraboy.

I'm feeling your excitement :handgestures-thumbupleft: ....you want to make your first batch and taste it ....nothing wrong with that ..been there.

I just wish that you could borrow a still from someone to get the initial urge satisfied while you take the time to take in whats been said ..Surely you know someone thats got one kicking around in their shed

Please don't rush out and buy the first thing that grabs you...every time I walk into a HBS I can't help shake my head at whats for sale

[Urrazeb]

:tools-hammerdrill: :confusion-confused:

[CHEROKEE]

This is a serious hobby, slow down............read and enjoy the learning experience............Even if you
distilled something today, it will be on oak (not vodka or gin) for two to three months. Then judge.
I did the T-500 thing methodically, three years later I needed to do more and now I’m doing traditional
All grain, I love Whisky and you'll learn a lot on this forum. Cheers :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Scales82]

+1 To everything that everyone has said already MrSupra. I'm going to tell you my story because I think it really applies here.

Im a noob just starting out in "serious" stilling, I say 'serious' because I have been doing this for years but I wouldnt consider the result anything serious.... I did EXACTLY what you did, went to a HBS, bought the first thing that was 'highly recommended' to me many many moons ago. And i was pretty disgusted with the result. So I put it down for ages, Then about 4 or 5 years ago, I made the same mistake twice... went BACK to the HBS and ended up with ANOTHER still, albeit a 25L and with a much nicer head (similar to a T500). Fast forward to now... Im ultimatley not really happy (nor having fun) with the end product I was producing, therefore making less and less, and buying more and more from the bottle-o instead. (getting the trend here? ive spent soooo much).

Now after weeks of reading and research on here and a few other places, I'm building a 2" boka still. And im more excited than I have EVER been doing this hobby as I know the end result is going to be leaps and bounds better than my previous efforts. Not only that, I have made future plans to make a pot head also to do my brown spirits. Not to mention the awesome feeling that you have made all the equipment yourself!! bragging rights indeed.

I totally understand where you are coming from, you've put a batch down, all excited, thinking its the 'thing' to do. Then you come on here and are basically shot down in flames and all your perceptions have been wrong... yep it sucks ass and not a good feeling. My advice is just cop it on the chin mate, these guys know what they are talking about more than any Joe-Blow HBS. No need to get defensive and thinking there is other motives etc. We all would rather another informed person making some kickass spirits on a beautiful home made still rather than another "guy that someone knows" that makes some dodgy smelling vodkas, theres too many of them around (I was one)


Anyway, thats my 2 cents from one (experienced) Noob to another. Sorry for the long post.



TLDR; Listen to the advice on the forum, build your own still, you wont look back.

[mrsupraboy]

So I've been reading up and from what I can gather is the reflux's you buy u can't strip were if u make the bocka one it strips or I'll need a pot still to strip before. I also read the cuts and now understand it a bit better.

[Yummyrum]

So I've been reading up and from what I can gather is the reflux's you buy u can't strip

Not sure about all HBS reflux stills , but the Ultrapure did have a restricter in the output that would not allow it to be "De-tuned" to run as a stripper

were if u make the bocka one it strips or I'll need a pot still to strip before. .

Its not essential to strip first before running through a reflux still but it certainly results in a cleaner spirit.If you want the same purity ,you have to run the still soooo slowly that its painful.

You can Run a Boka flat out and use it for stripping but it is generally better to remove the packing .......or take the Boka head off the packed column and shove it straight on the boiler.The reason is that the tall column full of packing will allow some passive refluxing so it will increase your stripping time ...kinda defeating the purpose a bit .It will give you a cleaner strip but you still have to water it down to 40% before rerunning through the reflux still anyway .

Ideally a dedicated Pot still head is the go but first off , you may as well just use your Boka detuned.

Personally I prefer a VM still as it is very repeatable where as the Boka, you will be constantly fiddling with the output valve

[mrsupraboy]

When ur stripping are u just letting it run out quickly then adding more water in then doing it again. Do u end up with with the same amount of spirits either way.

[SBB]

When ur stripping are u just letting it run out quickly then adding more water in then doing it again.

Supra reading this may help. viewtopic.php?f=57&t=3098

[mrsupraboy]

Yeh read that just making sure I understood it