StillSmart

Megahome water distiller modification

2009-09-23T03:50:31+00:00

yes, i do, but I\'m not patient enough besides, been stilling all day now, no blow ups. I used one smashed coffee cup. the bits are rattling in the still, but nothing else has happened.

Well if you\'ve got your first batch distilled then surely you should have another one on the go
It\'s not often that I haven\'t got some ready...... currently it\'s a full batch, cleared and everything but I forgot to run it over the weekend.....
Ah well, there\'s always next weekend.....
p.s. oh and whoever posted that picture of the carbon filter made out of tube, you don\'t need to worry about translation etc, if you google for Gert Strand and then follow the links from his site, he\'s got a free e-book about carbon filtering and that design is basically the same as in his book. Except you get a lot more info from his book about filtering etc.....

Statistics: Posted by Phantom — Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:50 am

Megahome water distiller modification

2009-09-22T21:24:19+00:00

just curious you know you have to leave it clear after it has fermented before distilling?
yes, i do, but I\'m not patient enough besides, been stilling all day now, no blowups. I used one smashed coffee cup. the bits are rathling in the still, but nothing else has happened.

Statistics: Posted by blackmoor — Tue Sep 22, 2009 9:24 pm

Megahome water distiller modification

2009-09-22T20:35:41+00:00

** wash still is not all clear but has stopped fermenting yesterday.
just curious you know you have to leave it clear after it has fermented before distilling?
** 60% at second distillation, can i collect tails from that too and use the next time I have fermented wash ready to go
you sure can !
**how much tails should i collect

depends on you, no hard rules, for me depends if i can be bothered lol sometimes with a second distil I will stop collecting at about 40% and just dump the rest.

But i suppost a better way would be to stop collecting @ 60% for drinking

maybe anything under 60% to 20% put in with your next batch.

Like I said though, just what work best for you

Statistics: Posted by HangOver — Tue Sep 22, 2009 8:35 pm

Megahome water distiller modification

2009-09-22T15:08:37+00:00

Now distilling the whole batch. wash still is not all clear but has stopped fermenting yesterday. I\'ll be trying the 40ml heads away, 8 dl of hearts, 5 dl of tails to next batch route. After evertyhing has gone through, distill the end product again. no heads that time, just collect it until the alc level drops under 60%.
BTW, when alc level drops to 60% at second distillation, can i collect tails from that too and use the next time I have fermented wash ready to go? and how much tails should i collect from that? same 5 dl?

Statistics: Posted by blackmoor — Tue Sep 22, 2009 3:08 pm

Megahome water distiller modification

2009-09-21T14:12:31+00:00

Did you de-gas the wash?
I degas in the bucket then transfer once clear to demejons then shake the hell out of it.
The last demejon I put in I forgot to degas, the spirit smells a little like eggs, that will be the co2 imparted flavours in the spirit.
If it just smells a little like the wash wich shouldn\'t be that bad, just a fermentation smell, do as hangover suggest\'s, run it throug the carbon, then flavour it and let it stand for a couple of days, you wont be disapointed.

Statistics: Posted by maverick50 — Mon Sep 21, 2009 2:12 pm

Megahome water distiller modification

2009-09-20T07:40:03+00:00

if the end result smells bad carbon filter until it smells ok

Statistics: Posted by HangOver — Sun Sep 20, 2009 7:40 am

Megahome water distiller modification

2009-09-19T22:42:31+00:00

Just finished my first real distillation. I had the wash still going, but could\'nt resist. I measured 3,5 Litres of the wash in pot. heated it up, util it started to haze. then in the still, set the wattage to 320 and put one smashed coffee cup on the bottom. And away we go...
I made a thermal meter from computer thermal controller which has a probe on the end of a cable. i taed it directly on the coolant pipe that comes from the distiller (right where the \"vent\" hole is)
When it showed 60c it started drippping. throw away first 50ml. And collected 0,6 liters of 65% spirits.
But the smell, pew. the spirit smells bad, really bad. same like the wash. Just started to filter it. diluted it to 45%, ended up 800 ml of spirits.

Statistics: Posted by blackmoor — Sat Sep 19, 2009 10:42 pm

Megahome water distiller modification

2009-09-17T17:45:35+00:00

I make it like this.
21 litres of water

5kg sugar

3/4 small tin of tomatoe puree

1/2 tin of allinsons bakers yeast

juice of 1 lemon.
Make up as you would with using turbo (water temp etc)

should make a wash with 11-12 % alchol

not as quick as turbo\'s or as strong but far cheeper

will make a better neutral spirit apparently.
My wash wont be ready for at least another week so cant comment any further, again if you look at the other site you will find plenty of info on it, plus many more recipe\'s

it will also clear by itself although I will be using turbo clear, I\'m far to impatient

Statistics: Posted by maverick50 — Thu Sep 17, 2009 5:45 pm

Megahome water distiller modification

2009-09-17T17:39:12+00:00

What is birdwatchers wash

Statistics: Posted by blackmoor — Thu Sep 17, 2009 5:39 pm

Megahome water distiller modification

2009-09-17T17:25:26+00:00

As I said I\'m far from an expert.

Looking at your desighn I\'m sure it would work, have a look on the other site and search the post\'s on filtering. http://homedistiller.org/forum/

You may find better answers to your questions there, just be aware they are not air still fans!!!!.
I would of thought that you should be able to but a couple of litres through that filter at 40%. After that you will need to replace, alhough if you look on the other site they do talk about boiling the carbon and drying it out in the oven to use again, however it will only be 80% efficient
You refer to charcoal, make sure you have the correct stuff for spirits filtering.
Apparently if you make a birdwatchers wash it doesn\'t need filtering, got one on the go at the moment, will let you know how it goes

Statistics: Posted by maverick50 — Thu Sep 17, 2009 5:25 pm

Megahome water distiller modification

2009-09-17T13:51:39+00:00

So youre suggesting that I don\'t make the filter like this:
Funnel attached to a 3 cm diameter 1 meter tube, which is filled with charcoal. at the end of the tube is a coffee filter wrapped around the tube, so charcoal wont come out of the tube this design is from the swedish book about distilling, here is the link:

http://translate.google.com/translate?p ... ry_state0=
I used google translator for your convenience, Original site is in Finnish
I was thinking of your system, and it seems like I could use moccamaster glass jar which has the coffee funnel on top. put filter paper in it and charcoal and pour it through. That would work? And filter the spirits of bad taste and odor?
How much spirits can i run if the funnel is 3/4 full of coal before I have to change the coal? And can I run filtered spirits again through the same coal, or should I change it everytime?
Thanx

Statistics: Posted by blackmoor — Thu Sep 17, 2009 1:51 pm

Megahome water distiller modification

2009-09-17T12:59:06+00:00

dont take my advice as gospel as I have only recently started, however I can tell you what I have done.
Firstly 7 kg sugar seems a little high (6kg would be better), you may push your yeast a little to far and max it out leaving some sugar in the wash, also if it does ferment down to 990/980 because you have pushed your yeast to the max you may end up with some off flavours in you spirit.
With regards double distill as you have taken the forshots out on your first run you dont need to do it again. I just redistilled 2 litres of spirit @ 40% added 1 liter of water and then tested the strengh every 100ml once the total volume ended up at 60% I stoped, I did take a further 250ml to put back in with my next wash, I ended up with 1.5 litres @ 40% after cutting it down. Yes I did loose 500ml put the quality was so much better.

With regards filtering, go to you local HBS and you should be able to purchase a carbon filter, or you can make one out of a funnel, put a cone coffee filter in it 1/3 fill with active carbon (rince carbon first)and poor spirit in, kep topping up till all gone.

You wont be disapointed.

I wont bother will double distilling again as I flavour mine with ss flavours and it taste very good indeed.
Hope this helps

Statistics: Posted by maverick50 — Thu Sep 17, 2009 12:59 pm

Megahome water distiller modification

2009-09-16T23:43:11+00:00

So I hva distilled A half liter bottle of ANIS spirits which my father bought me as a gift. How I hate anis.
I have basic wash coming up, (22 liters of water, seven kg sugar and turbo yeast, cant remember the make of it though) If i distil that like this:
3,5 liter/ set. 50 ml heads gone, 800ML hearts taken away, 500 ML tails with next batch and so on until everything has gone though. If I then add half as much water to the distilled product and distill it all again, I don\'t have to throw heads away? How much can I salvage from the second distillation/set? and above all, Must I use active charcoal? If I ust, How to make one? And how much is needed/batch?

Statistics: Posted by blackmoor — Wed Sep 16, 2009 11:43 pm

Megahome water distiller modification

2009-09-16T20:29:40+00:00

NICE!!!!!

Statistics: Posted by digitalisman99 — Wed Sep 16, 2009 8:29 pm

Megahome water distiller modification

2009-09-16T20:16:30+00:00

I\'m only new to this but all the advise I got was to throw away the first 50mm, although I have now reduced that to 30mm

Statistics: Posted by maverick50 — Wed Sep 16, 2009 8:16 pm