New to group

[RobertP]

Hi Everyone!
New to group and distilling with a reflux still. Old one with a paint can sealer band and I've added a copper reflux for higher %.
Some much information on here, will take awhile to get my head around it all. I've looked in newbies corner.
I've made two T500 washes and just tried the Nutrigrain wash.

I added two boxes, 60 grams of bakers yeast( is there a better one?) and 25lt water.
Through the reflux it took about five hours as it only dripped out did not run. I had three 750ml bottles at 95% it did drop down to about 40% on last bottle.
After dilating it down to about 35% I had 5.5 Litters roughly. Should I get more to start with than the 3 bottles?
What is the generations ? Is this when you take the wash from the fermenter to the still and you leave the sediment and start a new wash from this? Wouldn't it be better to start with new boxes of nutrigrain again? or does it add to the whiskey flavor next time? Is there dead yeast cells in the bottom ?
I used vanilla flavor grain. Is this the final flavor (smells and taste good) you don't add whiskey essence?
What is the stripping run, is that when you let the still run and take all the alcohol including the tails and temp goes up to 97 degrees ? Then add this to your next wash?
Regards
Rob

[Yonder]

Good beginner’s questions, Robert. You’ll find all of those answers in the ‘newbie forum’ and many more. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

There’s a great deal of knowledge there and plenty of in depth knowledge here to draw on. Welcome in and enjoy the ride.

[Wellsy]

Welcome aboard Robert.
You are right about lots of info, have a couple of reads of the newbie section mate as it takes a few reads to get your head around things. Maybe start by reading the strengths and weaknesses of reflux stills, and pot stills. You may find you are fighting the basics of your still trying to make a whiskey. Most reflux stills are designed to rip out the flavour of a wash and give a clean neutral high ABV. Once you have a pot still arrangement you will be better placed to experiment with whiskey, bourbon, and rums.
Enjoy the journey mate

[TDick]

Welcome Down The Rabbit Hole!

[Professor Green]

Welcome to AD Rob.

Bakers yeast is fine.

Yield calculations are difficult without knowing the alcohol content of the wash but assuming something like 10% that gives you 2.5 litres of alcohol to start with and given you can’t recover all the alcohol from the wash then what you have seems about right.

I would suggest reading the thread on cuts in Newbies Corner to help you get better results as not everything you collect will be useable; you’ll see the terms “fores”, “heads”, and “tails” mentioned and these are important to learn about.

“Generations” is where you take the remaining liquid left in the still after a run (aka backset) or the yeast bed left over from fermentation process (aka trub) and use them to start the fermentation of the next batch to produce a more flavourful result. You would usually add more of your ingredients on top of this and yes there could be dead yeast in there.

You would normally not add a flavouring as you would age the product on oak for a good enough length of time to introduce the colour and flavour you desire. Having said that, it seems like you’re trying to make whisky with a reflux column. This will not be terribly successful as reflux columns are designed to strip flavour so you’re not getting the benefit of the grain flavoured wash. Some folks have added flavourings then oaked the flavoured results but I’ve not had any experience with that as generally I don’t make brown spirits.

A stripping run is where you take a wash and run it hard and fast through pot still to create what are called “low wines”. You generally run it until it becomes no longer viable to do so; some people stop at %20 others a bit lower or a bit higher, that’s just personal preference. It is used as part of a strip/spirit run strategy and can improve the quality and quantity of your hearts in the spirit run, especially if you combine the results of two stripping runs to create a larger still charge for the spirit run.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

[RobertP]

Thanks for everyone's reply!
Professor Green I've looked at your posts.
I've only started distilling as my wife wanted 92% plus for a tincture and thought I would use the left over.
So with the t500 wash i can make the 92% alcohol and add the essence to make whatever flavor drink.
Seen the Nutri grain wash and thought that I would try that. Not a whiskey drinker but guess coke adds the flavor and its not bad!
I did add some wine nutrient and that was all. Ill add to the first batch and make another Nutri grain wash. Guess honeycomb grain will taste different again.
Open to any recipes, there is a lot on here. Just after a simple one to start with.
Rob

[RobMichelle]

Gday Robert
Welcome enjoy your journey, I do a lot of FFV wash’s, I use it for gin and I find it a very easy wash to make. The cereal base wash’s are very easy to make and produce great results and as mentioned using a reflux stil you strip most flavour anyway, from what I hear as I’ve only ever used a pot still.maybe the TPW wash maybe better suited for your purpose ? Letting your grog sit for a few months really helps in making it taste better to.
Have fun enjoy trialing the wash’s and if you like rum the macrum is a ripper.
Rob

[RobertP]

Great Information on here.
My wife asked me today what are we going to do with all these pears? Strait away I thought of this forum.
Pear brandy or as I looked on here just any fruit or even carrots!
I'll try brandy or even a liquor. Ill add some sugar and yeast and after fermenting run it through the reflux still. Thought this would then be more of a liquor.
I've only had three runs through the still so far. Just used the flavor essence to change the spirit.
I've tried aging the sprit with oak barrel chunks for bourbon in a jar.
Added honey to bourbon, made cream bourbon tried a rum and peanut whiskey along with Nutri grain Whiskey.
Having a bit of a go from the information on here thanks.
Rob

[RobertP]

Thanks RobMichelle
Just have to get used to the different types of washes. I'll use the turbo wash to get high % and try others with the intention of drinking them.
Reflux is what I have put together as it did have a black ceramic top condenser and I had to cut the lid out for the reflux so cant change back for more flavors.
Rob

[RobMichelle]

The TPW will be way better than the turbo stuff. No charcoal filtering or chemicals required

[The Stig]

Don’t waste your time putting all the effort into the Pear wash and put it through a reflux still , you’ll just strip all the flavor out .
For ANYTHING you want to keep the flavor you will need a pot or plated still.
A reflux still is only for making neutral .
Sorry to be blunt but I’m just trying to save you time, effort and the feeling of failure when you don’t get what you want at the end.

[RobertP]

The Stig,
Thanks for the comments as I thought it would be a liquor. I'll give that Idea a miss.
Ok got it now as the reflux is for neutral sprits. That's what I got it for but now the bug has bitten!
So my nutrigrain whiskey could have tasted even more better. I was going to try the cornflake whiskey next. Taking the scrubbers out of the reflux would that help any?
Thanks
Rob

[The Stig]

Depending on the type and build of the redux still .
Things like the T500 can not be run as a pot simply by pulling out the packing as it will melt the cap
Got a pic of your rig ?

[RobMichelle]

Five star distilling (stig) sell a great pot still setup that fits on a 30ltr boiler and is great value, I use mine ALOT and it just chugs away. I have a bwko wash that’s been sitting for a few weeks which I better start stripping runs on tomoro. Did I mention the fsd 2” pot still is great value for money lol :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[The Stig]

:text-lol:
Thanks Rob :romance-kisscheek:

[Wellsy]

To be fair all the 5star gear is fantastic, I understand I am biased but there is a reason for that lol

[RobertP]

The Sig

[RobertP]

This is my still. I added the reflux to it.
I had to cut the hole to fit it. I've shown you mine Stig you show me yours!!

[RuddyCrazy]

Welcome to the Rabbit hole Rob :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Eh mate if you can soft solder you're first pot still can be made by yourself :handgestures-thumbupleft:

There is plenty of info on this forum on how to do it and if your on a tight budget making your own is an option.

Cheers Bryan

[The Stig]

This is my still. I added the reflux to it.
I had to cut the hole to fit it. I've shown you mine Stig you show me yours!!

If you try to run that column as a pot still all your vapor will just pour out the top , sorry but thats the design.
Now what would you like me to show you ? Will this tickle your fancy ?