First timer

[crapula2010]

Hi All,

Got the still today couldn't wait to get going so here's a quick description of day one.

Had 23 litres of wine ready for drinking at about 11% ABV so nicked 4 litres of that and stuck it in. An hour later and the first 20ml came out and smelled awful so I chucked it in the white spirit bottle. Collected the next 500ml spirit hydrometer said it was 58% so I chucked it in a old spirit bottle and topped it up with some of the wine (now about 38% and smells and tastes like cheap brandy). Took another 300ml of and it was 26% stuff after that was less than the original wine so I stopped. By my calculation I've extracted about 85% of the alcohol - is that reasonable?

Quite pleased all in all. If I wanted to 'waste' all the wine I would distil most but keep enough back to cut and distil again then cut back to 40% with the wine and it would probably be quite a decent brandy but I think I'll drink the rest of the wine as it is as it's quite a nice red.

My tomato paste run is currently at 10.7% (tastes like cheap white cider but still a bit sweet) and should be ready in week or so will be about 12% at a guess. I plan to strip the whole lot to 6 litres dilute to 8 litres with water then do two runs discarding some foreshots (not sure how much?. How much should I take out of the second run?

[crapula2010]

Thanks,

I found that post after I'd posted. I'll probably follow that recipe it looks complicated at first glance but when you read it the second time it goes in. Got plenty of wine to drink until my first spirits are ready and that cost less than £1 per litre. I love home brewing.

[Jimmy]

Hiya, welcome! Good luck with it, keep us posted on your experiences, everyone is different after all and it's always good for people to see how others got on.