Hello from the Wimmera

[gemini2544]

Hi All, I am new to the forum & Distilling, although I have been brewing beer for over 20 years. I have a co2 system & a kegerator for the beer but I recently purchased a "Spirit Maker" a cooper reflux still with a 30 liter boiler. I have a wash bubbling away as I write & can't wait to make my first batch. I do think I made a small mistake last night mixing the wash. I was supposed to make up 21 liters of water then add 8 kilos of sugar the phone rang & I lost count. I finished up with 29 liters total volume in the fermenter so I hope it's right! My logic says 21 liters of water & the weight of 8 kilos of sugar should be 29 liters. Please advise me if I got this wrong as it's not too late to add water or more sugar.

Anyway I hope to be an active member for years to come.

Regards,
Doug

[Urrazeb]

Hey mate welcome.

Seems to be natural progression going from beer to spirits :handgestures-thumbupleft:

If I were you I'd add water to get the potential wash abv down to about 10% at the moment it will finish at 16% which is too high.

I take it you are doing a turbo wash? Check out the tried and proven section of the fourm, and have a crack at a TPW.

Turbos will get you some nasty spirit, theres heaps on the fourm about the disadvantages of this yeast.

Have a poke around mate, we'll see you get the right start :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[gemini2544]

Hi Urrazeb thanks for the reply. The yeast supplied is called Premium spirit yeast made by Pure Distilling, is this the turbo yeast your referring too? Going by the forum calculator I'd need to add 21 liters to achieve 10.6% based on those figures. Surely It can't be that diluted that much? :scared-eek:

[Urrazeb]

Yeah mate that's a turbo.

General rule of thumb is 6-8% for all grain. 8-10% for others using bakers yeast and a max (IMO) of 15% for EC1118 the champagne yeast.

You will need a total volume of 45L with 8kg of sugar for a ~10% wash.

Turbos are supercharged with nutrients for the yeast to work extremely hard and reach high abv equalling more yield but during the ferment nasty congeners are produced making a less than ideal finished product.

I understand you have paid for the turbo and want to use it but it's best to halve the sugar or double the water to a respectable wash abv.

About 5kg per 25L is a general rule for neutrals

[tipsy]

Hi

:text-+1: to all that Urrazeb has said with the exception that you should run the turbo as the directions say.

Then you will truly know how shit it is :laughing-rolling:

[gemini2544]

Thanks guy's for the advice & yes I have had some pretty shitty brews too.. :text-lol:

[gemini2544]

Yeah mate that's a turbo.

General rule of thumb is 6-8% for all grain. 8-10% for others using bakers yeast and a max (IMO) of 15% for EC1118 the champagne yeast.

You will need a total volume of 45L with 8kg of sugar for a ~10% wash.

Turbos are supercharged with nutrients for the yeast to work extremely hard and reach high abv equalling more yield but during the ferment nasty congeners are produced making a less than ideal finished product.

I understand you have paid for the turbo and want to use it but it's best to halve the sugar or double the water to a respectable wash abv.

About 5kg per 25L is a general rule for neutrals

Thanks again, I've taken your recommendations & added water to the total volume of 45 liters. :obscene-drinkingdrunk: