StillSmart

OK,I left it to age a whole three weeks on toasted oak,before getting back from a work trip,and needing to test...
Pretty damn good.
GS is back on the shopping list.
As I write this,it is nearly light outdoors,and it reminds me that life is just too short to do all the stuff that I want to do.
Doing what I can..........
Robert.

Can't get this recipe out of my head, so picked up six cans of Tate & Lyle's golden syrup from Lidl. Will get is going tomorrow.

I will update regularly.

I am on my second night of "taste evaluation"......
And declare it is well worth the effort,and slight extra cost over a cheap sugar wash.
I cannot imagine anyone not being happy with the finished product.
However it will cause you to stay up very late,trying "just one more"
And this is the worst night of the year to do so in the UK,and so as I hit the submit button on this post,I really will go to bed!
Maybe.
Robert.

Be warned my friends,- the tasting sessions don't get better,(read shorter; the product may well improve).
Tonight,I am drinking something different,and about to retire.
Cachaca just seems to grip me and keeps me going later on into the night.
Just one more..........
Oh to be able to make such wickedness for myself......
'Tis what this stilling thing is all about,isn't it?
Robert.

I've just started a wash, 6 tins of Tate & Lyle's golden syrup, made up to 24 litres, came out at 1075 OG. I'm more of a bourbon man, but this might just be the thing for "everyday" sipping, and allow the bourbon to age untouched, something I find most difficult to do.

I'm hoping for a pleasant surprise, from what's been said, cachaca has a lot to offer. I really fancy knocking up the odd caipirinha, looks like perfect summer cocktail.

i am ready to give this a go.Any hints to running it though an airstill?

Apart from your cuts being harder than a bigger still,due to the increased frequency and smaller volume,and so the risk of loss of some distillate,I would say it should be no different to any other air still double strip.
As you are used to an Airstill,you should fare well,and little alcohol is really lost...the mistakes can always be recycled.
As a Rum lover,you of all people on this site should appreciate the taste of this.
I am happy with mine and plan another 12Kg wash
Robert.

Thanks Easy,, I will definitely start this one tomorrow night,, As for Rum,, I like it and am now sipping on some i made earlier, which has been sitting on toasted oak for 4 weeks,, It is getting there,,

Wash now at 1000 from 1075 in 9 days, that's 10%....pretty good! Thursday today, should be 'stilling at the weekend.

I'm going to run this wash tomorrow, having never made cachaca before, I would be grateful for some advice. I don't have (as yet) a pot still attachment, just my Boka, so that's what I'll be using. My thoughts are to start off like any other spirit run, under full reflux for about an hour, then take 50-60ml. of foreshots. After the fores, I am thinking of opening up the valve, and running the Bok fairly hard . Obviously, I'm going to have to decide on the cuts, maybe collecting in small jars and deciding later. I have 24 litres at about 10% ABV, from your experiences of this wash, what sort of quantity of cachaca would you expect?

Hi JJ, and welcome to possibly an unhelpful response.
My only Cachaca run,through a pot still.
2x 23 litre washes yielded 18 lits @ 25%,after a stripping run,how you achieve something similar in a Bok? Strip out the packing maybe? I think RJ gave hints to this,somewhere on here,it may be worth a search as things heat up.
I recall he advised running it hard for max flavour.
Yielded approx 5.5 lits at 68%,after cuts,sitting on Oak,improving on flavour,but the level in the DJ is going down,time to start some more.
I wish you luck and happy tastings,sorry I couldn't help more.
Robert.

Thanks for the response. I'll run it hard, and keep everything, other than the fores, if I get it wrong, I'll just bung it back in the still and try again.

Got it down to 0990, so about 11% ABV., seems to be consistent with others experience. In the still now heating up, going to equilibrate for about 1 hour, take off the fores, then turn the temp down and open up fully. I'll control take-off by boil rate on the controller. All a bit of an experiment for me, this one, but looking forward to the experience.

Attn: Jolly John. I would have got to you sooner but had to go and live in another country for 5 weeks. I chose Australia and it was great. Anyway I am back now and if I may be so bold as to offer a little advice....

There is no reason to reflux the cachaca. Indeed, it will be counter productive. I use a short column for the cachaca, no packing and do both runs wide open. reflux at all. The stripping run has an overall ABV 50-55%. The stripping run I don't want to go higher than 80%.

Reflux for an hour and then opening up the valve beyond a dribble will have just wasted a bunch of time and energy. The final procedure for rum and cachaca is a whole lot different from doing a vodka.

Hope it helps. Cheers

Attn: JJ. I have forgotten how to type.

2nd paragraph: 4th sentence: "NO reflux at all"
2nd para: Last sentence should read, "The spirit run......

Just got back yesterday and am a little tired still.