StillSmart

Hi,
just registered so thought I'd say hello!
Been brewing for years and recently moved away from expensive kits etc to using alternative ingredients that can be found cheaply to make tasty concoctions. Just maturing a gallon of mulled apple and rhubarb cider experiment. Can't wait for that one!
I did in the past use a very crude still I made using a couple of buckets and a fish tank heater. Tasted like crap so made a carbon filter out of a length of waste pipe (new) and after 3 passes was actually passable.
I've always fancied getting a proper still and am about ready to bite the bullet. Have been reading a lot on here about the t500. It defo looks like an option but am also quite keen to build one...
Hmm, choices choices.

Welcome to the forums..........

I already have a T500 and am very pleased with it. That's not to say that I'm not collecting the bits to build one though, because I am, but I haven't yet decided on what design to use.

I'm still using tap water to make my wash, as I haven't managed to find the time to fit the RO filter unit I got recently, but I've been getting RO water from the local aquarium shop, and use that to let the spirit down to about 50% or so, before re-running it and then letting it down to 40% ready to carbon filter and membrane filter (mini-jet) using the 0.5 micron pads.

I manage to get very clean, flavourless neutral spirit that way (though it was also OK with just a single run and then let down with tap water before carbon filtering).

I would suggest that a T500 is worth the money as it all comes in a couple of boxes and is easily assembled. The only extra bit I went for was the double male converter so I could connect it to a washing machine hose which in turn is easily connected with one of the "no-solder" tap connections that just threads/bites into a piece of copper pipe. IMO, it's an excellent piece of kit that I've had no trouble with whatsoever.....

The only thing that can be a pain is that connecting it to the water main supply like that does show up fluctuations in mains pressure, but I usually manage to set it running so that it stays between 55 and 60 degree's on lower thermometer, which means I end up with 3.6 litres @ 93 to 94.5% ABV spirit from 25 litres of 14% wash in about 4 and a half hours. So it works out a lot quicker than a "smart still", but I still keep my smart still as it's handy for running batches of wines and meads that I've made and don't like the result of. So I use it more these days to recover the alcohol that way.

regards

P!

Hi,

Thanks both, yeah I see loads of people raving about them. How do you find the build quality and reliability?

I'm also in WY, are we well catered for in terms of stockists? I have a couple of local HBS but they all stick to the 'air still'.

Si

Speak to Richard at Wineworks / Love Brewing - might mean a trip to Chesterfield or Liverpool, whichever you prefer, but he's the importer so what he doesn't know about them ain't worth knowing!

Ha, didn't know there was one in Fev, used to live in Cas Vegas when I worked at Pontecarlo College, small world ain't it!

Thanks all. Good to know about that one fairly locally, cheers! Been talking to a couple of helpful chaps in the 'build' section and I think I've been bitten by the bug so I'll explore that side for a bit and see how far I get. May revisit the t500 though...

By the way, is the t500 the only commercially available still here in the UK?

Still Not There Yet wrote:By the way, is the t500 the only commercially available still here in the UK?

I think, if you dig deep enough, you'll find a few others as well i.e. essencia make a couple and I believe you can get them here.

Plus, there's any number of places that will sell/ship you one, you'd only have to ask......

Go along with the comments earlier
Love the T 500 just got 4.2 litres from an 8kg classic wash before the tails started and 2 passes through z filter left a clean product
I was lucky that the fitting supplied went straight onto my faucet mixer tap in the kitchen ( which is not overlooked by neighbours he he)
I find mains water pressure is more consistent on an evening run rather than a weekend morning run but usually not too bad. even let the family use the loo on quick flush !
Have fun cos I do !

Casvegas for my yea I'm a newbie and the guy at fev is great.