StillSmart

Think nothing of it, during the summer I see my duties to be those of a Butlin's Redcoat.
For those scratching their heads,- a holiday camp employee like in the movie 'Dirty Dancing'

Robert.

So I came down stairs today and my lentil wash had exploded out the top of the bucket. It's been happy bubbling away for 3days already as well. Happy days.

I also took a hydrometer reading of my turbo, was down to 1.005, so hopefully start clearing it tomorrow with the hope of running it on Thursday. How low would I expect this to go, I hasitly through the packet out before SWMBO got home.

I did however taste a bit and wow I was surprised by the number of off "fruity" flavours, I normally associate this with high fermentation temps and not long enough on the yeast, but what I read this is about right for turbos. Hopefully I can get rid of these with 2 runs through the T500.

As soon as I've finished my list of jobs for the day I'm off to go get a PRV and some jars. Is there anything I can use to practise/clean the T500 before I use it in anger for the first time?

Thanks for all the reply
Diverch

Hi Diverch.
When I first got my T500, the terminals
on the plug were loose, so plug got very
hot. I would give it a check.
Always worth a good clean and rinse on
anything new and make sure your hoses are
connected correctly and tight.
Enjoy buddie,am really happy with mine.

A turbo may go .980 ,sometimes mine have, sometimes just .990.
I don't use them anymore.
Maybe things have changed?

Robert.

I would just let if ferment out and then give it a couple of days somewhere cool to settle.

Off fruity flavours will most likely disappear when stilling.

My turbos usually hit 990. Alcotec 48 maybe a bit lower.

Vodka Star kept at 26°C and left alone for a fortnight usually finishes around 0.984

Wash had dropped to 0.98 this morning so I added the turbo clear and put it in my fridge to cold crash. Going to try and do a strip and spirit run tomorrow, does that sounds doable?

Plants to run a strip run nice and quick, water down to 30% and re run.

Quick question about the the cuts though,

I am going to discard the first 100ml (as well as 200ml on strip run)

Collect the next 400ml as heads

Than collect in 200ml jars till abv drops

Leave over night and try and identify the best jars for watering down and flavouring.

Do the volumes sound ok? Should I do a few jars of 100ml after the heads cut?

I've got 25l of 11%

Thanks
Diverch

First few attempts, I'd suggest you don't mess/meddle. Just collect in 100 or 200 ml measures. Mark the jars, then you can assess each one individually......

With Phantom here, until you have a little experience, the more small collections that you make at the start and the end the better,
It gives you the best choice of cuts.
If running uncleared wash, then use generous amount of boil pieces.

Easydrinker wrote:With Phantom here, until you have a little experience, the more small collections that you make at the start and the end the better,
It gives you the best choice of cuts.
If running uncleared wash, then use generous amount of boil pieces.

I do that, but also "distillers conditioner......

Well today was a complet and utter success, if I don't say so my self.

Got stripping run completed, collected 3L of 93% in 2 hrs. The abv at the end was only about 80% but had to stop as I had a military time scedual.

Collected 28, 100ml jars of 93% neutral, running at a low temp of 49-52 but had a steady drip/stream. Just leaving them to air over night and will try and identify the cuts. Any help there would be appreciated. Finished 20 mins before I had to leave the house, quick tidy and waste wash is cooling whilst Im out. Stopped because of time and a reduced drip rate but abv was still 93%.

Only mistake was I started running the water before putting the thermometer in, resulting in a little water fountain. Apart from that very smooth day, thanks to all you help and advice on this forum.

I did have a few air bubbles getting into my water run off line via the thermometer, worried this light effect temp so a little blue tac fixed that problem.

Once again thanks for all the help, now just have to work out where the cuts are. Will I of avoided the tails of I stopped the strip when there was still lots of ethanol left or are the tails always going to be there.

Diverch

Oh and I stuck another wash on of course...

I don't do cuts with neutrals. I strip, let down to below 40% with RO water, re-run slowly/carefully, let back down to exactly 40% with RO and then carbon filter (I have a "Z" filter but if you wanted, I can email you a copy of Gert Strands "carbon filtration" e-book)........

I don't know if my pallet is uneducated but I'm struggling to tell the differences. Or at least find one that tastes bad. Some have a slight burn some are just warming.

Links are always appreciated.

How do you let yours down? All at once or bottle by bottle?

Diverch wrote:I don't know if my pallet is uneducated but I'm struggling to tell the differences. Or at least find one that tastes bad. Some have a slight burn some are just warming.

Links are always appreciated.

How do you let yours down? All at once or bottle by bottle?

That's my experience of neutrals as well,hence cuts are for flavoured spirits IMO, except lots do them.

As for letting down ? I take reading, then add a out 30-50% of volume in RO. Re-test, then add small increments, stirring and testing after each one.

I aim for exactly 40%, but I don't obsess about it. 41, 42 ? close enough. A good stir and a couple of runs through the carbon filter, bingo.