StillSmart

the parrot is a like a trial jar with the feed from the output of your still entering the bottom of the jar and exiting at the top of the jar,the spirit tester is inside the jar.It just makes life a lot easier especiallly when doing a spirit run because you can monitor the output ABV constantly from the still and swap collection jars once the required ABV is registering,personally I only collect down to 80%ABV on a spirit run and carry on collecting in another jar down to about 25% to run through again at a later date.
Optic

If anyones interested in the carbon filter mod go back to bottom of page 6 of this thread.
Opus 27

Just ordered one and just this minute got an email to say its been dispatched.
Had a bit of a thought!
I don\'t seem to make anywhere near as much spirits as some people on here hic!
BUT my tap water always has a slight chlorine smell so I usually cut back with boiled water, as this is a water filter as well and Im gonna prime it, is it worth putting say 25 ltrs of water through to use that for cutting back.
My normal procedure has been to get the 800mls out of the still and cut back by adding it up to 1200mls with boiled and cooled water (suppose to give me 40 percent but realistically its a little below that) then throw this in a demijon -
From now I will collect perhaps 3 or 4 demijons before filtering in my new Essencia

Ye ha its arrived - what a good service from creative wine making and priced at £67.50 but bought an extra carbon filter as well

Thanks for that, the spirit is flowing a little faster now but have been decanting it off as it gets almost full, will fill it up and allow the bottom and top to fill up and leave it.
Wow what a surprise though, the taste is clean and no smell at all.
Have started using a britta filter I picked up at the boot sale to filter \"top up\" water and the Chlorine smell has gone.
Will look into RO system and see whats involved
Thanks

A word of caution. In case anyone is wondering if the ceramic filter is essential the answer is yes. Not because it improves quality more a matter of structural support as it stiffens the base of the inner container. I tried running it without the ceramic and the weight of the saturated carbon cartridge bends the base and prevents the \"O\" Ring from making a proper contact.
Opus 27

Mine has now been used continuously for 3 weeks have put through 30 ltrs but have noticed that the bottom 1/3 of the ceramic filter is starting to go brown, is this normal. The spirit is still good coming out, no taint or taste alteration yet, I have changed to vodka star thats my only change.

Thats fine its got along way to go yet. I think mines done about 80 litres so far. Using RO Water for cutting helps. My distillate is normally 93% so I cut 50/50.
Opus 27

well Opus 27 have had excatly the same as you Lol well all up hill now hopefully but can sympathize with you ...heard alot of good reports about this equipment hope now I\'m on my way ...wish me luck :O)

Based entirely on recommendations here I recently bought an essencia. Almost completed filtering the first batch. Very happy with the results so far, so thanks all!

Without question essencia is the way to go. Very pleased I took the advice from this site and invested. Thanks all.

Goddamit.need to replace my upper reservoir.Heads up,be careful about overtightening the carbon filter.it doesnt take much.

Bolleaux bolleaux and even mair bolleaux and a feckin goddamit ino the bargin >:( ,I ordered the essencia filter,left it unopened in the packaging for a month as i didnt have a wash on the go,started one couple of weeks ago,on my days off this week decided to run the still and use the filter,opened the packaging set up the filter,,was just bout to fill it with the distilled spirit and the feckin ceramic cap was broken,totally broken,jus above the plastic rim,carbon all over the filter, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh

bugger.....go see the seller!

you might get a replacement

cheers guys,gonna do that the morra,hope they will take pity on me,now going to drown my sorrows with some hame made hooch,thats been sitting for a few weeks