StillSmart

Smoooooth, huh?

I'm really getting to like running mine, it's so manageable

Today I'm watching over a stripping run with a dedicated head and condenser for that purpose. I decided I didn't want half distilled low wines coursing through my lovely shiny hybrid. Does that make me a distilling snob?



AM

RumJohn wrote:Just finished a 180L wash, a day or two early. Had to get it out of the way as I am delivering a 96' yacht to Taiwan, leaving on the 1st, weather permitting.

Will be gone 4-5 days. Will stop in Hong Kong on the way for an hour or two. Entering Taiwan on a Chinese registered boat is a bit suspect, but a stop in HK, which is Chinese territory, but not really, solves the problem. I hope.

Interesting to see that you have several strings to your bow RJ.
Myself,I own a small,26' sailboat,and have crossed the Atlantic twice in her,and plan a longer trip to celebrate my 60th.
Never too old!
I hate going alongside,being a single-hander,and favour ports where you can anchor on arrival,these are fast disappearing.

Robert.

What I doing at the moment..12.13 is sat next to the still watching the Jaggery rum wash running....just started to drip. if it tastes like it smells....woopty doodey.

Not sure what to do. Might just take a day off on the beach. The boat delivery to Taiwan is off for the moment. The navy heard we were heading to Taiwan and wont let the boat leave the harbor. Not sure what the final outcome will be.

spent the day running a brown sugar and corn mash while working on my 37 chevrolet pro street rod. Today was my birthday so I will enjoy dinner with my children and grandchildren tonight.

Congratulations Ed, 21 again eh? Enjoy your birthday and many more to come

AM

Today, I shall mostly be doing spirit runs........

Bit of an experiment really, cos it'll be the first time I've done a batch with Alcotec 48 (8kg sugar for the 20% mix).

Not heard bad things from it and in any case, once it's been run, let down and filtered, if it's not up to scratch, I'll just make another batch with vodka star and blend it with that.

Ooh! Suit you Sir, Suit you!

AM

aidanmac wrote:Ooh! Suit you Sir, Suit you!

AM

Yaaaaah! someone else who recognises good humour

Spent the day chilling out in grand Scottish sunshine,celebrating getting half way to eleventy-two.
Dinner with friends follows soon.
The hand printed gift T shirt is a bit bonkers,but apparently is "so me"!

Robert.

Easydrinker wrote:Spent the day chilling out in grand Scottish sunshine,celebrating getting half way to eleventy-two.
Dinner with friends follows soon.
The hand printed gift T shirt is a bit bonkers,but apparently is "so me"!

Robert.

Good shirt design

That T shirt looks like something the good captain would construct !

Would it work though...

Looks like China customs is going to let us leave - on Thursday or Friday. Have again submitted a copy of my passport. And spent some of the day sorting my kit out.

But looks like only going as far as Hong Kong.

I finally got my shit together and finished the spring cleaning the workshop, brewery and distillery badly needed. I can actually find things now

Some time back someone asked and I promised to post a few pics and couldn't until now because of the state of my place but here's a few I took at the weekend.


This is my stripping setup which, as you can see, feeds directly to my low wines storage keg with the parrot on top..

The riser is not packed and is that height to reach the storage keg which, in turn can feed the boiler without having to do any heavy lifting

I use two separate condensers for stripping and spirit runs and the smaller of the two is the spirit one...


On spirit runs I use a hybrid in two different setups. This one is for pot stilled neutral.

...the riser above the hybrid is not packed but I've found I get a cleaner neutral even though it runs quite slow at 2LPH

For all grain low wines the only difference is that the riser is left out and the result is a brilliant. The bubble caps are amazing not to mention mesmerising to watch.

It's all fed from this 50lt keg boiler which now has a 3Kw element and on the bottom right you can just about see the drain tap and pump which makes post run cleanup a doddle


Today I also got my 3yr aged and seasoned White Oak cut and ready for toasting. I'm hoping this cut pattern will increase the extraction and allow me use a lighter toasting.

......

Now I'm ready to get this year's stilling season off to a serious start with 300lt of wash fermenting in 3 staged lots to give me two stripping runs a week and a spirit run each weekend.

I just love this hobby

AidanMac