StillSmart

Hi all.
What a fantastic forum.
I have just bought a smartstill and as a beginner would like to start small.
I may have missed what im looking for but i would like to do a couple of staggered 5 litre washes in demijons to get me going but all the recipes seem to be for 25L
Does anyone have a recipe that would help me please before i fill my 25L bucket with wash!
Also is discarding the first 50ml and collecting 800ml sounding about right?
Sorry if i sound thick

Welcome Corps,

Go to the Airstill section and get the best practise guide or go to the Distillation section and get the airstill guide.

Mozr & Aidenmacs guides are spot on. Just follow them and it'll save a lot of problems. (and hangovers)

25l is a small wash!!

I would still make a 25l wash, it will save you time and money and a wash will keep for ages under an airlock.

You will have enough to do five charges without having to do extra ferments.

Thank you for your speedy reply guys. The only reason I was
Thinking of doing a 5L to start is I currently have a prohibition
Whisky kit underway and was just wondering I it might be worth
Running that wash through the airstill.
In readiness do buying the still I purchased the alcotec triplestil
With the carbon and things.
I'm going to be trying for a bourbon so I've also got a Tennessee essence too!
Thanks again

Don't expect too much from the essences. The bourbon ones nearly put me off of this hobby. This is MUCH better viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2034

Hi Corps: A 5L wash is a fairly pointless task unless your in jail and dont have the space for something a little bigger. By running a minimum of 25-30l boiler you will find that you are able to produce a much smoother product as your heat ranges can spend longer in each stage. Once you have stripped, the "spirit run" will spend the bulk of its time in the "heart" temp range.

Start out with some simple sugar washes and learn your equipment before getting into bourbons and whiskeys. Unless your happy with adding essence - which you wont be if you stick at this. Learn to make a good rum and a vodka without having to run them through charcoal.

It is not difficult to make good alcohol, but it is very easy to make crap.

Good luck.

Thank you very much for your advice. Now, I prefer dark rum
And was wondering if the still I have would strip the colour out of it or leave it dark?!
Sorry to be a pain

Corps012588 wrote:Thank you very much for your advice. Now, I prefer dark rum
And was wondering if the still I have would strip the colour out of it or leave it dark?!
Sorry to be a pain

Don't apologise for asking questions here, that's how we all learned the craft and art of distillation

AM

Corps012588 wrote:Now, I prefer dark rum and was wondering if the still I have would strip the colour out of it or leave it dark?!
Sorry to be a pain

I think Aidan Mac was intending to answer the question but may have been distracted.

Your still will strip all the colour out of the wash, as will any still. All spirits are crystal clear when they come out of the still. It's what you do to them afterwards that gives them the colours and a lot of the taste.

The first time I distilled anything I can remember being amazed at the lack of colour my "whisky" had.

And yes - a 25 litre wash is easier and a lot more useful than 5 x 5 litre ones.

Thanks guys.
Going to grab a tube of tomato paste from tesco in a bit
And try one of those washes.