StillSmart

Re: Some questions from a newbie!

2012-04-16T07:06:37+00:00

Remember on the box it says you can use it for boiling shellfish....thought something fishy was going on
BTW think ive posted something twice due to effects of yesterday afternoons cosumption hic

Statistics: Posted by Admiral Toad — Mon Apr 16, 2012 7:06 am

Re: Some questions from a newbie!

2012-04-15T20:02:46+00:00

Evening chaps,

I keep her in the dark about what its really for because of the legality or rather lack of attached to this very worthwhile pastime, poor love would have kittens and not getting on particularly well with her family I wouldn't like a knock on the door from the local customs officer is also a good reason of keeping it low key.
She knows I have it but thinks its for brewing, something to do with the water my sister told her!
Could it be used as an AG boiler?

Newdistill

Statistics: Posted by Copperhead — Sun Apr 15, 2012 8:02 pm

Re: Some questions from a newbie!

2012-04-15T19:21:47+00:00

Yours does that too mate ! Bugger thought I'd got something with kryptonite in >:D

Statistics: Posted by Admiral Toad — Sun Apr 15, 2012 7:21 pm

Re: Some questions from a newbie!

2012-04-15T18:30:56+00:00

Mine is a wine and beer compressor which allows me to conserve space by compressing my innocent wines and beers into smaller containers thereby reducing my carbon footprint.

Thankyouverymuch!

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Sun Apr 15, 2012 6:30 pm

Re: Some questions from a newbie!

2012-04-15T17:15:09+00:00

Agree with the C'ptn just ran a second distill at 29% about 23 litres charge only took off about 200 ml of heads and 500 ml of tails (which weren't too bad either) and produced 6.1 litre of 92% good spirit took 6 hours all told but pleased with the result h

Statistics: Posted by Admiral Toad — Sun Apr 15, 2012 5:15 pm

Re: Some questions from a newbie!

2012-04-15T17:00:35+00:00

And mine produces fine oils used in perfume making by the lost inca tribe (I am a philantropissed sponsor) and for bio fuel to help power the sea Shepard in their whale conservation (all allowable against tax of course) >:D

Statistics: Posted by Admiral Toad — Sun Apr 15, 2012 5:00 pm

Re: Some questions from a newbie!

2012-04-15T16:56:14+00:00

Phantom wrote:
Well, from my T500, I get an average of 3.6 litres at 93.5% ABV, but I then let it down to about 40% with reverse osmosis water and run it again.

Just wondering if your re-running it have you tried doing 2 or 3 "strips" then charging the boiler will all the product for a large spirit run?
If you are going to equalise a column and slowly remove the heads, then to me it makes sense to do this time-consuming bit with a larger charge, rather than do it 3 times with a third of the alcohol.
Also the larger volume makes cuts easier, and the mid hearts more neutral (if you are collecting in fairly large containers like 500ml jars - less smearing)

I am also sold on the idea of letting the charge down to 20-30% ABV if you have the room in the boiler, this seems to give better separation of the fractions than a higher ABV charge - more so if doing a stinky heads only run.

I know we all have different aims and goals in this hobby, and its good to see what others are doing.

CC

Statistics: Posted by Capt-Cudellez — Sun Apr 15, 2012 4:56 pm

Re: Some questions from a newbie!

2012-04-15T16:30:12+00:00

Mine is a wine purifier

Statistics: Posted by Capt-Cudellez — Sun Apr 15, 2012 4:30 pm

Re: Some questions from a newbie!

2012-04-15T15:38:12+00:00

Mine is a water filter - it removes the water.....

Statistics: Posted by MrCat — Sun Apr 15, 2012 3:38 pm

Re: Some questions from a newbie!

2012-04-15T15:29:58+00:00

Welcome newdistill, I'm sure you'll have fun with your new bit of kit.
Just curious though for the reason for keeping your better half in the dark about what you are up to?

For me at least, this can be a time consuming hobby and would be difficult to hide what you are doing - most if it can be covered by wine\beer brewing, but sitting with a still for 7 hours on a spirit run is less easy to explain away.
I think that will be a tough one to keep going.

Statistics: Posted by Capt-Cudellez — Sun Apr 15, 2012 3:29 pm

Re: Some questions from a newbie!

2012-04-15T08:06:26+00:00

Well, from my T500, I get an average of 3.6 litres at 93.5% ABV, but I then let it down to about 40% with reverse osmosis water and run it again.

Then let that down to exactly 40% before carbon filtering it.

Might seem a little over the top, but I seem to be able to achieve a very clean neutral spirit. Which allows for just the taste of whatever flavouring I'm using at the time.

For rums, I've tried lots of them, and while most of them are good, I do find that still spirits classic range "Navy rum" is most to my taste. The local HBS does the SS brand stuff, but I have no qualms about mail ordering either prestige or essencia brand flavours to try. Lots of them are good too.

Statistics: Posted by Phantom — Sun Apr 15, 2012 8:06 am

Re: Some questions from a newbie!

2012-04-14T14:49:07+00:00

Aye that's a good one too Bill

Statistics: Posted by Admiral Toad — Sat Apr 14, 2012 2:49 pm

Re: Some questions from a newbie!

2012-04-14T11:52:08+00:00

or you could try here

http://www.aussiedistiller.com.au/calcs.html

Statistics: Posted by billmcc — Sat Apr 14, 2012 11:52 am

Re: Some questions from a newbie!

2012-04-14T08:59:05+00:00

By the way the website with loads of useful calculators that I use is brewheads.com

Statistics: Posted by Admiral Toad — Sat Apr 14, 2012 8:59 am

Re: Some questions from a newbie!

2012-04-13T20:45:45+00:00

I've only tried the Prestige brand of essences so far, that is what is readily available to me. The best of the lost was drinkable. The rest seemed like a plot of the major distillers to discourage home distilling. The one rum that I tried, Austrian, tasted very strongly of cheap bubble gum. It and most of the others went back in the still.

Google "pugirum" and "hook rum" for alternatives to using essences. I personally and going to be a LOT happier going that route.

Chuck

Statistics: Posted by chill — Fri Apr 13, 2012 8:45 pm