StillSmart

This post has little to do with the way that I spent the afternoon, I will try to keep this short, but it already feels long.
I am currently sitting here, and sometimes jumping up to change collection vessels.
And it occurred to me to try and figure the amount of time that this 25Kg sack of malt has taken from sack to cut and casked spirit.
I cheated just a little with 3Kg of added sugar.
The obvious costs of materials and utilities are easy, around £40.
Nearly done on the spirit wash, and the expectation is a final 26 litres @40%.
Although I usually bottle at 45%.
I will admit to tasting a little along the way, and it seemed good, hope after Oaking that it is better.
The strips are run with the contents of the previous spirit runs discards, ie Feints receiver.

Evaluation of time spent,the way that I do it;
Time spent doing stilling stuff that I can do nothing else; about 6 hours
Time spent doing the above that I can mostly watch
TV or listen to music,play on the interweb etc about 90 hours!
6 mashes,6 strips,3 spirit runs.Clean up time.

How do you people that do it in sheds manage?
(How could you contemplate this with a 4 litre Airstill?)

This seems to value my time, at my production rates at around £3 an hour.
Maybe this is the reason that HMRC can't be bothered to chase me?
I am working way below the national minimal wage.

Just a little upscaling,and maybe I could turn a good profit and attract the attentions of the Authorities.

More late night musings,Though falling asleep at the laptop makes them early morning ones

Hey Ho!

Robert.

Thinking along the same lines...would not the time taken be the same??
The only change on the stilling side would be how fast you drive the still.

I do have a old cd player that I use while I'm out in the outhouse and Mrs Ice brings me out the odd cuppa & a slice of cake that she's always baking.

I read on another site where a guy ran his spirit run so slow it took him 18 hours..but he did say he finished up with a drop of the good stuff.. I could not sit still for that length of time.

As for the hourly rate you should see if the minimal wage dept can work out a rise for yourself...how much can you afford??

As I see it, my pay rate is tied to the world alcohol tasty unit cost.
And I do believe that stilling costs are exponential.
The bigger the still, the smaller the cost.
You do have to buy or build the bigger still first though.....

Robert.