Hullo from Tassie!

[hobbit60]

Hi all,

I'm finally introducing myself. I've been looking at getting into this for about 5 years on and off - mainly due to the "Still It" youtuber - and finally taken the plunge.

The realisation that I was paying about $40 tax on a bottle of Bombay Sapphire may have had something to do with it ;-) , but I brewed beer for a long time and was much happier with my product than what I could buy, so I am expecting a similar journey with distilling. However, I am discovering that there is quite a learning curve - even in the ferment.

Anyway, I've got my first 2 washes on the go at the moment - a straight sugar as a sacrificial and a TPW. I got given one of those cheap chinese stills as a toe in the water exercise (yes, I know :violence-smack: ). I figure it will do while I learn the basics.

I'm really looking forwards to experimenting with Gin (my wife's favourite) and having a go at a Scotch (my favourite drink). Along with Schnapps, vodka etc. etc.

I've read a lot of the stuff for beginners here, and I can see that this will be an incredible resource. You seem like an incredibly helpful bunch. :smile:

[The Stig]

Welcome to the slippery slope .
When you say straight sugar I hope you don’t mean sugar water and yeast ?
And the TPW will be absolutely terrible coming out of a basic pot still
Sorry to be so negative but the learning starts here

[hobbit60]

I should have been a bit clearer about the sugar wash - it was sugar, water, yeast, citric and epsom salts. It hasn't exaclty been warm here in Tassie (we're having a crap summer), so it's taking a while. As I said, it's only sacrificial to make sure that everything works in a basic fashion.

The TPW is going much better, of course. I'm looking at doing a couple of stripping runs and a spirit run with the TPW. I'm certainly not expecting miracles, but I will be intrigued to see how it goes. I know that there is a lot of dislike expressed for the chinese stills, but it was a case of "don't look a gift horse in the mouth", and all that.

[The Stig]

The sugar wash needs some food , crumble some weet-bix in there or even some tomato paste as well .
Yeast needs more than just sugar to survive , that’s why the TPW is going better, the yeast has something to eat.
And there’s no dislike of anything here , it’s a matter of the right wash/mash for the right still.
A pot still running TPW will produce a tomato tasting whiskey that isn’t very pleasant .
You would be better off doing the WBAB or CFW

[TDick]

Welcome Down The Rabbit Hole! :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[hobbit60]

The sugar wash needs some food , crumble some weet-bix in there or even some tomato paste as well .
Yeast needs more than just sugar to survive , that’s why the TPW is going better, the yeast has something to eat.

Ah. Makes total sense. I'll give it a feed this arvo.

And there’s no dislike of anything here , it’s a matter of the right wash/mash for the right still.

Ah, gotcha. It's quite a learning curve, isn't it? The brewing knowledge doesn't really translate, I'm finding.

[Professor Green]

Welcome Hobbit.

Definitely have a go at WBAB as Stig suggested; you won’t easily be able to achieve a neutral spirit (which you'll need for your gin) with your pot still but with WBAB and a good run strategy any flavour that carries over into the final will be a nice wheat flavour. Have read of the threads about cuts and stripping runs in Newbies corner, these will help you get closer to a cleaner tasting spirit.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

[The Stig]

Ah, gotcha. It's quite a learning curve, isn't it? The brewing knowledge doesn't really translate, I'm finding.

It is indeed a learning curve but its doable, and your brewing background will come into great use later on when delving into whiskeys etc so dont give in just yet :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[hobbit60]

Hi Prof.

I've seen you around here a bit, as I have The Stig.

I think that my next wash will indeed be a WBAB, as it seems that it will be a much better match for my pot still. It has a thumper, but even so I certainly don't expect it to give a result like a reflux. I specified pot still to my gifter, knowing that my favourite Scotch's are all made in pot stills. However, swings and roundabouts and all that.

I have indeed been reading/ watching a lot of stuff about stripping runs, cuts and spirit runs. I can see that I have a hell of a lot to learn. But that's what I'm here for. Learning something new every day makes me happy. :-D

[RobMichelle]

Howdy Hobit & welcome you gonna be one happy camper then lol, I’m only new to the hobby and it certainly opens ones eyes enjoy the journey

[Wellsy]

Welcome aboard Hobbit

You have lots to learn yes, but you will find distilling is far more forgiving than brewing which makes life easier. You just need to clean things once, unlike brewing where it is 3 times lol.

Keep your eye out for Tacman who is down your way, he has some a fantastic gin recipe. I believe there is a gathering of Tassie distillers every month or so. It is a small but enthusiastic group down there.

Enjoy the journey

[hobbit60]

You just need to clean things once, unlike brewing where it is 3 times lol.

Oh, so true!

I believe there is a gathering of Tassie distillers every month or so. It is a small but enthusiastic group down there.

I was unaware of this! I'll definitely look into it once I have a couple of runs under my belt.

[hobbit60]

Success!

I FINALLY managed to run my still for a stripping run on Saturday and a spirit run on Sunday, after a vinegar and a sacrificial.

It should be noted that even though those Chinese stainless stills SAY that they will work on Induction stoves - they don't. What a surprise - :roll:
Had to go and buy one of those 2 ring burners from Bunnings. Works a treat.

Anyway, I ended up with 1.7 litres of neutral @ 62% after 850ml went in to the Feints jar for Ron.
I'm doing the Gin run on Saturday after macerating my botanicals overnight. The neutral seems to be just the job. Can't wait.

I must say that it worked rather well once I started to get the hang of it.

[RuddyCrazy]

G'Day Hobbit welcome to the Rabbit Hole mate :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Now your saying that pot still is SS so is there any copper in the vapour path as if the still is all SS some will need to be put in to get rid of the sulphides :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Cheers Bryan

[hobbit60]

Now your saying that pot still is SS so is there any copper in the vapour path as if the still is all SS some will need to be put in to get rid of the sulphides :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Thanks for the welcome.

Yes, I was aware of that. Thankfully, the vapour path once it leaves the boiler is all through copper pipe. Seems to work quite well, in my limited experience.

[hobbit60]

Success!
I'm doing the Gin run on Saturday after macerating my botanicals overnight. The neutral seems to be just the job. Can't wait.

I must say that it worked rather well once I started to get the hang of it.

Gin run is now done. Oh boy! I'm hooked!

I macerated the botanicals in the 62% neutral for 2 days and then strained the neutral into the boiler and proofed it down to 35%, and put the botanicals in the thumper with a bit of the proofed neutral.

I ended up collecting in 300 ml cuts. I discarded the tails as there were not nice flavours at the end. I ended up with 2.75 700ml bottles @ 40%.
It louched quite a bit when I proofed it down to 40%, but that doesn't bother us at all. It's all about the flavour, and I gotta say - what a great result! And that's after a day! I can't wait to see what it is like in a few weeks.

I now have thorough WAF for this hobby. Her words - "That's awesome! Already better than most gins we buy, and I can't wait to see what it's like in a few weeks. The expense and effort really was worth it!" She said what most people tend to say about the great gin recipe - the citrus is a little bit too prominent straight out of the still, but it was still excellent.

[RuddyCrazy]

G'Day Hobbit well mate your now down the rabbit hole :laughing-rolling:

Now as you learnt with this first run the thumper is an old age concept where some called the thumper a slabber box as if any pukes happens the thumper would take care of it, now with using a thumper on a pot still does mean a 1.5 run so in your terms yes it has been distilled one and a half times. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Now if you can hold a blow torch so one can soft solder your world is an oyster mate as getting addicted to copper is a life long disease :laughing-rolling: Also on this forum are How To's on making easy flanges, funnels and everything else devoted to stilling like I said copper is an addiction. :laughing-rolling:

WBAB and cornflakes whisky were my staple before I learnt to AG and man it just so easy now I'm sure GladField Malt will deliver to Hobart so send them a message and ask then we can get you into AG :handgestures-thumbupleft: it's about $70 for a 25kg sack of malt and I'm sure by the time you get to that a new better still may be made or bought :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Cheers Bryan

[hobbit60]

G'Day Hobbit well mate your now down the rabbit hole :laughing-rolling:

Now as you learnt with this first run the thumper is an old age concept where some called the thumper a slabber box as if any pukes happens the thumper would take care of it, now with using a thumper on a pot still does mean a 1.5 run so in your terms yes it has been distilled one and a half times. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Now if you can hold a blow torch so one can soft solder your world is an oyster mate as getting addicted to copper is a life long disease :laughing-rolling: Also on this forum are How To's on making easy flanges, funnels and everything else devoted to stilling like I said copper is an addiction. :laughing-rolling:

WBAB and cornflakes whisky were my staple before I learnt to AG and man it just so easy now I'm sure GladField Malt will deliver to Hobart so send them a message and ask then we can get you into AG :handgestures-thumbupleft: it's about $70 for a 25kg sack of malt and I'm sure by the time you get to that a new better still may be made or bought :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Cheers Bryan

Yup. We worked out that it was, in fact, a quadruple distillation, as I used the thumper for the spirit run. So -

Stripping run - 1x
Spirit run - 1.5x
Gin run - 1.5x
TOTAL - 4x

As a result - smooth as silk.

And this is from a cheapie Chinese pot still! My wash that is currently in the fermenter is a WBAB, so I will be intrigued to see the difference.

AG holds no terrors for me, as I was mashing in my brewing endeavours. The copper awaits! I have already broached the subject of building a still with one of my best friends who is a retired consultant engineer with a workshop to die for. He's quite enthusiastic......

I can see that I am going to have to bring the second fermenter to the mix, as we have already drunk 1/2 a bottle. In 2 days. It's not going to last long. :-D

This forum is an absolute goldmine. Answered all of my newbie questions, and then some. You're an awesome bunch.