Initial runs - Details and results!

[Damo]

HI All,

I have successfully done two runs so far. The first with the kit's included Classic Turbo yeast, Turbo sugar, Turbo Carbon, Turbo Clear etc... (I'm sick of typing Turbo!). It resulted in 3.3 litres of 91% with a slight off taste which after filtering was much reduced. I made up a variety of stuff and apart from the Triple Sec it was all really good. The Triple Sec is mostly gone now though and funnily enough I am enjoying it more now that I am used to it.
The second wash was with Vodka Star and granulated sugar. I used the Carbon and Turbo Clear as before but seeing as I was away on holiday at the end of the ferment, it sat there for about 2 weeks and the sg was down to 986. This was distilled out to 3.7 litres of 91%. I had a lick of it on my finger at 91% and it was very smooth. Once reduced to 40% with some spring water and filtered it has almost no taste at all and is silky smooth (to me anyhow although remember I am a total newbie). Again I made a variety of flavours all of which I am trying to leave a few weeks before opening.

So, after 2 runs I have the same 91% result. Should I be getting higher? Maybe I haven't packed the column fully enough? Any ideas? Should I be happy with 91 or should I be trying to reach 94%? Both runs were almost always at around 58 degrees on the lower temp throughout the process and each took about 5.5 hours including the hour for the boiler to heat up.

Cheers,
Damo.

[diego321]

I'm same as you, i got 90-91% but so far what i know, it will all depend on the fermentation it self, factors like temperature will greatly affect the purity (taste) of it and yield, also i read ( but not completely sure) that using sugar instead of dextrose will give you slighly lower yield (but the exta expense of buying dextrose is not cost effective), also yeast can use dextrose easier than sugar, allowing you to put more of it (increasing the purity, hence the ABV), but if you do the same with sugar, the yeast might die during fermentation....



And for those of you master distillers, correct me if Im wrong, i just started doing it, but generally I read a lot and im well informed

[LeeH]

For Vodka, which would be better? Reducing down with spring water or distilled water?

[Damo]

diego321, that's interesting info. I was very pleased with the flavour or lack thereof in the last wash so I think may next step will be to get a couple of those lined up for a double distill!

That sounds like some nice Vodka to me!

Cheers,
Damo.