StillSmart

Anavrin wrote:Hi Icefever, have you made a 50lt batch, how many lentils did you use? I'm going to do similar.

No mate...2x25 lts..I've got 6 corny kegs that I use for my beer, I'm thinking about dropping the strip run straight into a corny until the 50 lts is done then go for a spirit run.
I've followed the recipe on...Here

Cheers, it was Aidan's recipe I used last time I made one too, I might try keeping it at a lower temp than 30°c this time. Maybe 24°c and see how it gets on.

I've got three cornies laying around, funny, I've not made any beer since I built my still >:D
I might use one the same as you, it'll save my demijohn's

My neighbour dropped off the pomace from this years wine making so I have a batch of grappa on the ferment again. I took less than half as I still have grappa from the previous year and the one before that. Most of it I age on oak as with a brandy. The rest gets anise macerated in it and re-distilled to make a sort of Ouzo. Most of that goes to my other Italian neighbour for baking.

I also have a batch of Apricot wine (wash?) ready to be run for low wines and eventually into schnapps. The black cherry schnapps from earlier in the year was a total bust, very little flavour carried over. For the apricot, I fermented on the pits and then when I racked it, I distilled the left over flesh, pits, and some slop. The flavour is very pronounced so I am hopeful that the final combination will be excellent. I have about 20 pounds of fresh peaches in the freezer. They will begin their journey to peach schnapps once the grappa is out of the fermentors.

Then I need to build my bourbon and whisky stocks back up and start stock piling neutral for experiments (gin, aquavit, whatever else comes into my mind). And I still want to try sweet potatoes too. So many ideas, such a small still!

Chuck

Anavrin wrote: I've not made any beer since I built my still >:D
I might use one the same as you, it'll save my demijohn's

Same with me, I've not made a brew in 6 months...what with the pressure of work...just don't have the time. The weekends go so fast, now we have the allotment... and we're away the week after next.

When you think about storage the S/S cornies is an ideal vessel, 19 liters just the thing

Today I have run my first 'turbo' wash through my still. It smelled a lot cleaner than the tomato paste wash I have used up until now, and this was only the stripping run. I had a sneaky taste when output was at 60% and it was definitely more neutral. I appreciate that turbo is unpopular within the community, but seemed far better. II also made some crab apple jelly and have started planning to make a real fortified wine, port style.

Aethelstan,Worry not what is popular,if it works for you,that is sufficient.
I used to be a turbo yeast fan,never got on with TP.
Lentil washes of various make-ups seem to me to be an improvement for a neutral spirit these days,when you have something piled in the cupboard,maybe give it a go?

Best wishes with the Port-style,mmm tasting it now!
Robert.

I will definitely try a lentil wash, I am still searching for the cheap, good neutral. This triple distiller pack was an experiment, and I definitely learned from it. Finings for starters! I need to work out a cheapish wash for the brandy to make port, thinking a quick sultana wine or something.

Sultanna wine,and a distill ought to do it.
Let us know how it went,and the wine that you fortified,please.
Maybe we can then just be jealous.
Robert.

well the school holidays over, getting back in the mix again.Just set another bran/malt/molasses away. I know its not the cheapest of wash's but i loved the product that came off, its the closest to a bourbon style that ive ever made,this time i'm doing them in 30ltr fermenters, sometimes i cant get a wash to go below zero when i do them in 60ltr barrels, even my nuetral wash's.which i find a bit puzzling at times,I don't know if it has anything to do with the high temps that are generated at the start of fermenting when i do a double batch.no doubt i'll find a workaround.

cheers B_D

Up early to run a VS wash set up my T500 only to find my top temp probe not working >:( I must of damaged it when I stripped the column down last week for cleaning. I thought sod ran it anyway using just the bottom probe no problem. ordered a new probe from love brewing should arrive Tuesday. going to make a couple of gallons of blueberry vodka
Alan

Hi Alan, as the later model t500s ship with a single thermometer measuring the water exit temp only do you need the top thermometer? could you not just plug the hole with the probe and run as usual?

Hi Fil you could be right as it ran ok without the top probe working.
you won't believe it but I pressed the reset button a few times and the damn thing started working again >:( but its only a matter of time before it packs in altogether
alan

Picked up 2 kg of blueberries and a 1 kg of blackberries in Asda this morning made up 2 DJs blueberrie vodka and 1 blackberry just in time for Christmas i've made this for the last few years always goes down well with the ladies i've been asked if I will make up a few bottles of blackberry whisky for are local boxing day shoot.
Alan

What I didn't do today was filter my latest Southern Comfort clone (recipe in the recipe section).
This usually takes about 5 hours for about eight litres.
I left this one macerating a couple of weeks longer.
The peaches have produced more "slime" than usual,and boy does it clog the filter paper.
The end product,sweetened at the end,is clear,nicely coloured and tastes rather good.
This could be a three day filtering.....
I live and learn.
Ho Hum,
Robert.

Due to multiple requests, I have just done a release of mango flavoured vodka. With luck this will be a final release as I intend to drop vodka and gin. They are too much effort and rum is so much easier to make.