What I Did Today

[Frank]

Today, I logged onto StillSmart for the first time in a fair while and had a bit of a read.....
nice to see some 'familiar faces' (I been grey-nomading and out of interweb zone)

BTW: where's the peated scotch, long-term, success stories when ya need 'em

[Easydrinker]

Hi Frank, good to see you passing through.
My own Heavily Peated Scotch from last year was pretty unremarkable,-
The same methods as the previous couple of years, the same Malt as the previous year.
I do now have a "feints" receiver to carry through the distillations tho', which helps things along, it's just the stuff that doesn't make the cut for finished product.
The only problem being not enough finished product!
I try putting some away on Oak, and after six months end up nuking it and drinking it
I might have to ramp up production this year

Robert.

[Anavrin]

The new Beast is taking shape, 1.2M x 76mm column, should be twice as fast as a 2" column

[Capt-Cudellez]

is 1.2M the packed section - or total including condenser? Still pretty short for a 3" unless your using something highly efficient like SSP?

Its looking great though

[Anavrin]

It's 1.2 meters from the boiler connection to just under the takeoff, not ideal for a 3" column but I'm limited for height like most of us, I have enough SPP to fill my old 1 meter 2" column but I think it will only fill about 40-45cm of this one, can't decide yet what else to add, I filled it with 2kg of 6mm rachig rings but they only got about 2/3rds the way up.

So my options are to use the rachig rings then the SPP or use SS Scrubbers then the SPP, probably go for the latter.

EDIT : think it was 4KG of ceramic rachig rings, (AKA, Airstill boil enhancers)

[Anavrin]

Leak test done by filling the column to the top with water for a few hours, so far so good.

Now what fun could I do with 12 pints of vinigar!!

[Curmudgeon]

12 pints of vinegar will definitely clean out your innards!

[Mash]

shine a light how expensive was that lot !!

Don't you get gallon cans up north

[Anavrin]

It's 27p a pint bottle from LIDL, I thought about looking for some bulk bargains but didn't bother at that price in the end.

[Mash]

Winner !

[Chubbs]

Today I did a dump run. Was pretty devastated when I noticed an old chap chuck in what looked like a box filled with airlocks, syphoning tubes and other assorted brewing goods.

Not allowed to skip pick any more since the French took over, but did managed to bag a couple of fermenting bins from him.

Will be ideal for when I start my freeze stripping. Will use them to hold my wine fermenters just in case one of them splits.

[Mash]

French?

Are you using youngs wine mouth fermenters?

[Chubbs]

Hi Mash

Only put French as I couldn't remember who ran the dumping and recycling sites. Just googled it and Yes, its the French owned SITA Group.

The fermenters I will be using are the Youngs wide mouthed ones. The ones with the big red screw tops and what looks like a part to drill down the bottom to add on a tap.

[Mash]

Don't bother with the taps.

When you freeze them, remove the handles. They go brital. Once frozen, remove the lid and lift by the neck. They will be fine.

[Chubbs]

Thanks Mash.

Planning on producing large stocks of neutral now that I have the bug back and the arrival of the T500. Was just looking for bulk sugar supplies at the cheapest price possible. I'm a tight git and still think I can get it cheaper even though the poundshops sell for a quid for 2kg.

Also just about to try a mate who is the warehouse manager for an ambient food supplier. He asked me ages ago if I needed any. Might take him up on the offer now.

Was also just looking at the cheap food website 'Approved Food'. They have 5 litre containers of Tango post mix syrup for a fiver or thereabouts. Might be worth a punt as a flavouring for neutral.