StillSmart

Re: Anyone tried one of the very expensive red wine kits!!!

2016-10-27T06:00:49+00:00

I use fresh grapes (bought in) and modern winemaking techniques. I have not costed it recently but I am sure it is not much over £1 per bottle.

Whether it is beer, wine or spirits the savings, health benefits and flavours are phenomenal with hand made.

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Thu Oct 27, 2016 6:00 am

Re: Anyone tried one of the very expensive red wine kits!!!

2016-10-26T21:54:52+00:00

In the days that I used to work in the South and squeeze a French shopping trip in each trip away, maybe 8 years ago now, I did find that, away from the hypermarkets built for tourist shoppers, I could, with care, buy GOOD wines for less than £2 a bottle.
Very Occasionally, a Vin de Table for less.
There are inherent dangers in buying cheap booze

Robert.

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Wed Oct 26, 2016 9:54 pm

Re: Anyone tried one of the very expensive red wine kits!!!

2016-10-26T18:12:45+00:00

I have a friend who goes to france and gets me some decent reds and whites, 10 litre boxes for £14, works out cheaper than kits tried them but never had much luck.

Statistics: Posted by guest5234 — Wed Oct 26, 2016 6:12 pm

Re: Anyone tried one of the very expensive red wine kits!!!

2016-10-20T23:28:02+00:00

Curmudgeon wrote:
I'm reading that as pot still needs copper to reduce sulphur while leaving flavours compared to a more modern design will remove all undesirables including sulphur?

Cheerily taking this thread back off topic...
Any still and condenser incorporating copper will reduce sulphites in the distillate.
A "more modern" design will not, and this is not even determined by where the cuts are made.
Depending upon the size of your Reflux still,and it's design, it will cheerfully allow you to collect Acetone, Turpentine (or at least a version of White Spirit) and many other liquids that you do not wish to drink, before and after the stuff that you are striving for.

A pot still will, (generally), leave a flavoured spirit, based upon the initial wash, and with judicious cuts after a second distillation, a pleasant spirit, after aging .

A reflux still will, (generally), allow you to produce a distillate at a much higher ABV, and once again with judicious cuts, a neutral product.

Copper and Sulphites are just, but importantly, mice nibbling at the cheese.

Any version of a reflux still will give you a distillate of a much higher ABV than a Pot still, that bit is simples

Robert.

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Thu Oct 20, 2016 11:28 pm

Re: Anyone tried one of the very expensive red wine kits!!!

2016-10-19T12:27:20+00:00

Blimey a post ON TOPIC - not sure thats cricket

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Wed Oct 19, 2016 12:27 pm

Re: Anyone tried one of the very expensive red wine kits!!!

2016-10-19T12:15:02+00:00

Just taken delivery on one of those Cellar 7 Spanish Rojo red wine kits after reading this thread. Looking forward to giving it a try.

Statistics: Posted by Seagull — Wed Oct 19, 2016 12:15 pm

Re: Anyone tried one of the very expensive red wine kits!!!

2016-10-19T08:54:44+00:00

I was going to say....
Different stills are designed will use copper in different ways. The effect of the copper is always required. Air stills are limited to only a few options - Lob some in the boiler or thread some wire through the condenser coil.

Anavrin's answer was much better, though so I won't bother

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Wed Oct 19, 2016 8:54 am

Re: Anyone tried one of the very expensive red wine kits!!!

2016-10-19T08:32:00+00:00

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Wed Oct 19, 2016 8:32 am

Re: Anyone tried one of the very expensive red wine kits!!!

2016-10-19T08:08:21+00:00

I use a 1m 2" straight copper column in place of the bubble plates and packed section when stripping and the three bubble sections have copper plates and copper bubble caps, so hopefully there's enough in there.

Statistics: Posted by Anavrin — Wed Oct 19, 2016 8:08 am

Re: Anyone tried one of the very expensive red wine kits!!!

2016-10-19T06:06:58+00:00

I'm reading that as pot still needs copper to reduce sulphur while leaving flavours compared to a more modern design will remove all undesirables including sulphur?

Statistics: Posted by Curmudgeon — Wed Oct 19, 2016 6:06 am

Re: Anyone tried one of the very expensive red wine kits!!!

2016-10-19T05:15:50+00:00

Depends on on the type of still.

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Wed Oct 19, 2016 5:15 am

Re: Anyone tried one of the very expensive red wine kits!!!

2016-10-19T02:39:12+00:00

Lovely looking kit and I've been drooling over the still dragon gear.

What are your thoughts on the value of copper in a still? Overrated?

Statistics: Posted by Curmudgeon — Wed Oct 19, 2016 2:39 am

Re: Anyone tried one of the very expensive red wine kits!!!

2016-10-17T20:50:43+00:00

Anavrin wrote:
To fill it I take the column off, it's not like it's used all the time so it's no big deal to strip it down and I have plenty of time to clean the bits between spirit runs.

I'm not using ceramic raschig rings anymore, although I do have about 4kg of them collecting dust.

It's filled with SPP that I bought from Poland, it took about a month to arrive but it was worth the wait, it's good stuff.

Looking forward to your next video...

Statistics: Posted by inspector gadget — Mon Oct 17, 2016 8:50 pm

Re: Anyone tried one of the very expensive red wine kits!!!

2016-10-17T20:41:05+00:00

To fill it I take the column off, it's not like it's used all the time so it's no big deal to strip it down and I have plenty of time to clean the bits between spirit runs.

I'm not using ceramic raschig rings anymore, although I do have about 4kg of them collecting dust.

It's filled with SPP that I bought from Poland, it took about a month to arrive but it was worth the wait, it's good stuff.

Statistics: Posted by Anavrin — Mon Oct 17, 2016 8:41 pm

Re: Anyone tried one of the very expensive red wine kits!!!

2016-10-17T07:09:35+00:00

Anavrin wrote:
Yeah that's an old picture, it's evolved a bit these days

And I'm shit at darts and never been in the forces lol

I so want one of those...

hope you dont mind questions..?

where do you fill it from?

(just seen the drain) edit

is the nov 2015 video the latest you have done?

did you buy a bulk load of the ceramic rings?

i guess you are happy with the way it has evolved? or are there more things you are thinking of changing?

regards Les

Statistics: Posted by inspector gadget — Mon Oct 17, 2016 7:09 am