Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Ok guys, I am trying heat cycling. Did a run with a TPW based Tennessee whiskey (vodka based obviously) 1350mls @ 60% on Still Spirits Tennessee chips for 8days. I have added 5 caps of Edwards Tennessee essence to this (Equiv of correct mix for 1750ml @ 38%) I have saved 300ml for watering down to 38% for base line. Setup is as follows:- Sunbeam 5.5L slow cooker half filled with water. 2 x jars of the above product @ 60%. Timer is set to heat for 45mins at 12, 3, 6, 9, and 12 again. This will run for 7 days giving 28 heating/cooling cycles. Max temp after testing for 45 mins is 47 deg. I tested some JD rip off that failed terribly for 3 days like this and it did improve. Will see how it goes.

I have to admit I am a little concerned about the seals on those jars, are they alcohol safe? high abv alc and silicone seals on a jar for food :scared-eek: just my opinion mate. I would try it with a bottle with a natural cork stopper :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I soaked one of them in 88% for a week to see if I had any degradation as I was concerned too. They didn't seem to be affected, so was happy to run them.

Fair enough!

JamieC wrote:I soaked one of them in 88% for a week to see if I had any degradation as I was concerned too. They didn't seem to be affected, so was happy to run them.

Was there any smell leached into the spirit?

Not that I found.

Heating spirit can make it leach more too, rubber seals that is. I sometimes heat distress also a but i keep it at a temp of 60 for 4 or so hours with temp controller, in the slow cooker like you, exactly :laughing-rolling: . anyway to stay on topic ive replaced all my rubber seals on glass jars. What i do is fold over paper towel and place that op top and then close it up but if i heat distress i leave it partially open so it doesnt expand or decompress pressure too much. dont want to push cheap glass with different heat conditions, it may break. Yours look almost exactly same as mine although i use the 3L jars. (reject shop)

One reason i wouldnt want rubber there as the liquid will heat up and so will vapour and the lower alcohol chemicals in this case (lower boiling point close to your temp) and this hotter vapour will be in contact with those seals as it flows around the jar. I wouldnt advise plastic or rubber in a still nor would i use it around hot alcohol vapour, of any temp. Even in 45*C it still has a strong nose burning smell inside. I blow those vapours out also, kinda like a forced angels share.

If you still like your seals try heat some alc up again and then place a seal in for a while. This should help determine if they can handle a hot spirit/solvent. meanwhile here are some boiling points of some of the product from heads to hearts


acetone 56 °C
Methanol 64.7 °C
ethyl acetate 77.1 °C
ethanol 78.37 °C

Thanks WT. The test I did was at room temp, but at high abv. I did quite a bit of research prior to using them. Might try the paper towel method, to avoid vacuum, but what is in that that could leach. Most jam jar lids have a silicone seal much like you see on a beer bottle top. I have demi's with corks, but have read numerous time the glue in cork can dissolve at higher abv's. They sell the red rubber bungs at lhbs but no one there could tell me if they were food grade. Just that thats what everyone uses.

As an alternative, a member I meet last year has been using a ultrasonic cleaner with good results, pour the spirit in, set the temp and time. He is making some very nice whisky. I will be getting one myself once all the building and upgrades are finished.

JamieC wrote:Not that I found.

Should be good to go then :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Got a model/type Tas?

JamieC wrote:Got a model/type Tas?

Easy to find on ebay, just need to make sure it has a tap, from memory 6.5L one was around $180

Taz; are they a container that heats to a certain temp for a certain period of time? both able to be set? did a small google earlier but not an in depth one.

This is what i did last night, ABV 70% about 2 months aged already then 4 hours at 60*c and then 3 hours this morning at 50*c. Taste nice at the moment with coke and mineral water

WTDist wrote:Taz; are they a container that heats to a certain temp for a certain period of time? both able to be set? did a small google earlier but not an in depth one.

This is what i did last night, ABV 70% about 2 months aged already then 4 hours at 60*c and then 3 hours this morning at 50*c. Taste nice at the moment with coke and mineral water

2016-05-08 20.17.36.jpg

They are but they also create bubbles, heat and aeration in one :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I thought that heat ageing only really did anything if there was oak in there.

I have to smile every time I hear that.
"Tastes real good mixed with coke." ;-)
Not having a go at you mate. Just seem to hear that a lot but not too much of "Tastes real good with just a splash of water to bring out the flavours".
All mine taste good with coke (tastes like coke) but only a couple taste ok by themselves with a little soda water (still not top shelf quality).
I just wish it was easy to make something you could drink neat like a bookers or a bushmills that didn't cost the earth. :crying-blue:

warramungas wrote:I have to smile every time I hear that.
"Tastes real good mixed with coke." ;-)
Not having a go at you mate. Just seem to hear that a lot but not too much of "Tastes real good with just a splash of water to bring out the flavours".
All mine taste good with coke (tastes like coke) but only a couple taste ok by themselves with a little soda water (still not top shelf quality).
I just wish it was easy to make something you could drink neat like a bookers or a bushmills that didn't cost the earth. :crying-blue:

I switch back and forth as im drinking, when i say little coke i mean 3 parts mineral water 1 part coke and 50ml shot glass of 43% so 3:1:1 and other times its just the shot glass and mineral water so i taste only this whisky. Just depends how i feel at the time.

My aim was always to make something good enough for on the rocks

and in my above pic there was 14g/l inside the jar, it was aged, 2 dominoes, one toasted and one heavy charred

I was more talking to JamieC, WTD.
Not much point in cycling essanced spirit without oak.

You cycle the spirit with oak so that it sucks out the good stuff from the oak and imparts flavour, while letting the angles have the nastier stuff.

Hi scythe, Was on JD chips for 8 days. Not exactly long term with cfw or all grain on domino's, which is the plan in the future, but testing the water with different techniques.

WTDist wrote:Taz; are they a container that heats to a certain temp for a certain period of time? both able to be set? did a small google earlier but not an in depth one.

This is what i did last night, ABV 70% about 2 months aged already then 4 hours at 60*c and then 3 hours this morning at 50*c. Taste nice at the moment with coke and mineral water

2016-05-08 20.17.36.jpg

Nice temp controller. I am presently building a current controller for the boiler.