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Re: Agitator

PostPosted: Sun Jul 09, 2017 12:17 pm
by bluc
Wobblyboot wrote:
wynnum1 wrote:
Awesome still vq :handgestures-thumbupleft: is ur agitator on a triclamp or permanently fixed?

:text-+1: Awesome tun vq

Re: Agitator

PostPosted: Sun Jul 09, 2017 5:37 pm
by Wobblyboot
warramungas wrote:Something ALL of our recipes have other than the odd gin is to 'allow to clear' before running.
Why do we say that? Because uncleared washes produce off flavours. All the trub and grain and mollasses bits and pieces when boiled create horrible esters and other undesirables in the spirit. If you're doing a 3000 gallon batch like the big boys do and there's a few floaties in there it probably wont hurt much but I doubt even the big boys ferment and distill in the same pot. Even siphoning the liquid off the top of the grain has to produce better results than giving it a stir while you're boiling the lot of it.
It seems like a very expensive waste of time trying to boil the entire mash.
Having said that, experimentation is the name of the game and you may find other uses for it like mashing corn so I recommend keeping it as cheap as possible. If it works a dream you haven't spent much and can upgrade to a better setup. If it doesn't work you haven't wasted too much money.

If u are happy doing ur sugar heads then that's good :handgestures-thumbupleft: distilling on the grains is how it's always been done, too much waste and cost involved in straining. Most of OUR recipes are sugar heads for running on elements :handgestures-thumbdown:

Re: Agitator

PostPosted: Sun Jul 09, 2017 6:00 pm
by TasSpirits
Wobblyboot wrote:
warramungas wrote:Something ALL of our recipes have other than the odd gin is to 'allow to clear' before running.
Why do we say that? Because uncleared washes produce off flavours. All the trub and grain and mollasses bits and pieces when boiled create horrible esters and other undesirables in the spirit. If you're doing a 3000 gallon batch like the big boys do and there's a few floaties in there it probably wont hurt much but I doubt even the big boys ferment and distill in the same pot. Even siphoning the liquid off the top of the grain has to produce better results than giving it a stir while you're boiling the lot of it.
It seems like a very expensive waste of time trying to boil the entire mash.
Having said that, experimentation is the name of the game and you may find other uses for it like mashing corn so I recommend keeping it as cheap as possible. If it works a dream you haven't spent much and can upgrade to a better setup. If it doesn't work you haven't wasted too much money.

If u are happy doing ur sugar heads then that's good :handgestures-thumbupleft: distilling on the grains is how it's always been done, too much waste and cost involved in straining. Most of OUR recipes are sugar heads for running on elements :handgestures-thumbdown:

I may be wrong, I'm pretty sure only the yanks distil on the grain. :think: Even then I'm pretty sure its not widely practiced these days. Not having a go, this is just from my very basic research. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Re: Agitator

PostPosted: Sun Jul 09, 2017 6:10 pm
by vqstatesman
Wobblyboot wrote:
wynnum1 wrote:Apparatus fitted inside a copper pot still, consisting of four rotating arms that carry a copper chain mesh. The rummager prevents solid particles in the wash ...

And the rest of that sentence.
Apparatus fitted inside a copper pot still, consisting of four rotating arms that carry a copper chain mesh. The rummager prevents solid particles in the wash sticking to the bottom of the still when stills are directly fired, but with most stills now steam-heated, rummagers are comparatively rare.
That is a rummager, different to a agitator, which u obviously found here
.http://www.whisky-pages.com/glossary/glossary_a_z.htm
Discussion and different opinions are good but please start another thread for them, this is about ideas on making a working agitator and not whether people think they any good or not.

Awesome still vq :handgestures-thumbupleft: is ur agitator on a triclamp or permanently fixed?


Permanent fixture.

Re: Agitator

PostPosted: Sun Jul 09, 2017 6:50 pm
by Wobblyboot
U didn't wonder what the rummanger was for tas? All my research points to everyone distilling on grain for centuries. How would they have strained it and why since nothing was wasted, just gotta look at what was used on an animal, on a pig the only thing not used was the squeal. I've read a lot of old books where they heated the mash and kept stirring to avoid scorching and put still head on at last min when they had rolling boil...steams not new but even Baldwin are using it :handgestures-thumbupleft: electricity is fairly new in this game.

Re: Agitator

PostPosted: Sun Jul 09, 2017 7:15 pm
by bluc
Who else does corn tas?
Pretty sure distilling on grain is a corn thing. Lots grind to flor and distill on grain with corn.

As wobbly said is most cost effective seperation method..

Re: Agitator

PostPosted: Sun Jul 09, 2017 8:24 pm
by Sam.
I think you will find Baldwin Distilling does not distill on the grain even though steam is the power :-B

The big boys (in Scotland) minimise wastage by sparging the grain at least 3 times and the last one is used for the starting wash of the next batch, but it is still seperated from the grain before it hits the still.

Rummagers are still used at a couple of scottish distilleries that still "direct fire" the stills. Probably more gimmick than anything these days.

Re: Agitator

PostPosted: Sun Jul 09, 2017 8:37 pm
by bluc
Scots seperate grains because it fairly simple to do with barley.(sparging) Corn is a biatch it falls ot of suspension and burns on the bottom if heated. And it remains thick and gluggy if you try seperate at room temp. Which is why distilling on grain with agitation comes into play.
I think double boiler jacketed boiler with steam injection is only fairly modern. Blokes like us in the past used a pot still with a doubler for direct steam injection. Siphon thin liquid off top to charge boiler and leave solids in the thumper. (Direct steam injection) :-B

Re: Agitator

PostPosted: Sun Jul 09, 2017 9:44 pm
by Bushy
Hands up who's jealous of VQ's setup. :greetings-waveyellow: ^:)^
On a smaller scale, I have been making all grain washes in me double boiler. My agitator while mashing is just a drill setup which clips into the keg ring.
Fermenting on the grain and then i give it a stir before I run the still on it. On the grain. Spirit is showing a lot of potential but still young.

Re: Agitator

PostPosted: Mon Jul 10, 2017 7:31 am
by bayshine
Bushy wrote:Hands up who's jealous of VQ's setup. :greetings-waveyellow: ^:)^
On a smaller scale, I have been making all grain washes in me double boiler. My agitator while mashing is just a drill setup which clips into the keg ring.
Fermenting on the grain and then i give it a stir before I run the still on it. On the grain. Spirit is showing a lot of potential but still young.



:greetings-waveyellow:
I'm jealous, nice setup VQ :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Re: Agitator

PostPosted: Mon Jul 10, 2017 11:29 am
by vqstatesman
bayshine wrote:
Bushy wrote:Hands up who's jealous of VQ's setup. :greetings-waveyellow: ^:)^
On a smaller scale, I have been making all grain washes in me double boiler. My agitator while mashing is just a drill setup which clips into the keg ring.
Fermenting on the grain and then i give it a stir before I run the still on it. On the grain. Spirit is showing a lot of potential but still young.



:greetings-waveyellow:
I'm jealous, nice setup VQ :handgestures-thumbupleft:


Best investment I've ever made :)