StillSmart

Hi all,

I'm a long time beer brewer and have wanted to get into distilling for awhile, so after counting up my change jar I had enough for a T500 still so I jumped in with both feet and ordered one today.

I'm busy trying to read as much as I can right now but any hints, tips and advice would be really appreciated.

I've a good knowledge of brewing but very little of distilling. Very excited to start this new hobby.

Thanks in advance for the help

Diverch

Diverch hi & welcome to the forum.

Well done on your choice..the T5 is a capable boiler...it'll serve you well as you learn your new hobby.

Have you got a wash on the go??? you'll kick yourself when the T5 turns up and you have to wait for it to clear...

As for hints & tips just read and re-read the 500 section.....you'll find it better to take one step at a time....walk before you try to run..

Any questions you have just post them...we're to to help you...

Hi and welcome from me also.
As Ice says get a wash or three going, so that you can play with the new toy.
Read around and take your choice, Lentil, wheat, even a Turbo, which I started with and some here are happy with.
Do read the T500 thread as much as you can, it does seem that most need to incorporate a flow control into the cooling water.
You should be as busy as a dog with two tails for the next short while, but it is all fun.

Robert.

Well after ordering yesterday it's being delivered today (well done home brew shop)

I put a turbo wash on yesterday (I know not the best but let's walk before I run), I intend to put a
Lentil wash on when I grew up one of my fermenters on sat.

Reading lots on information, but some gaps,

When my was is cleared I intend to run it through my t500 at 55 degrees C (slow is best right?)

I will discard the first 200ml and discard. I'm interning on running and collecting everything to re run (is this called a stripping run?)

I will then re run (after diluting back down to 40%) collecting the first 200ml discarding (not essential but better safe than sorry)

I will try and make cuts. When do I know when and where the heads, hearts and tails start/stop.

I will discard the heads and tails and dilute the hearts down, I'm more bothered about quality not quantity at first.

Does this sound reasonable for a start place? Working out where the cuts are is my biggest concern. Is this just a matter of practise or can I work this out by percentage/volume?

Still lots to read/learn but thanks for the answers to question in advance

**mods is this in the best section or does it need moving to the t500 section**

Thanks
Diverch

Ok matey...

Your in the ballpark with most of what you've put in your last post.

First run....is the stripping run and you can run it a little faster than you think....what you want is all of the good likker out of the wash....down to 30% (that's what I aim for) some go down to 20%.....up to you.

2nd run is the spirit run, and yes you water back to 35/40%....now this is were you go tippy toe....slowly, slowly...run the boiler up and get a "reflux" in the column, hold it there for maybe 15/20mins. Then start to turn down the water flow...back it off slow...to the point where likker starts to drip from the pc.

3...your correct I myself throw the first 200ml....then start collecting in jars...mason or just plain old jam jars. I collect 100ml for the first 5...then I up it to 200ml watching the parrot, as the % starts to drop off, you should get a "wet cardboard" "wet dog" smell. You can keep a jar or two if you wish....so guys after sorting their jars out, then start to mix the jars to suit their taste, adding a very small amount of tails.

It does seem a lot to take in at the start.... but after a couple of runs it all starts to make sense.....honest...trust me...

Well said Icefever. If I can do it
anyone can.
These guys are even teaching me how
to use a computer

Or you can run it exactly as the instructions say and it will still produce some pretty good stuff......

I've also got into the habit of running mine as per the instructions, letting the spirit down with RO (reverse osmosis water - mainly because I'm in a very hard water area) to less than 40% then running it the same way the second time i.e. I always try to run mine at 55C.

I don't mess around with trying to get 100% reflux in the column i.e. where all of the vapour is condensed back down the column - some like to do that, I've never bothered.

Equally, I don't dump the first 200 mls, I just separate off the first 50 mls and keep that to mix with screen wash for the car.

I've yet to ever get the wet dog/cardboard odour when running sugar wash made from cane sugar (tate & lyle, whitworth, etc - not silver spoon which is beet sugar and I'm convinced I can taste the difference, but I might be full of shit and imagining that, but when I started, the guidance was specific about cane sugar over beet sugar).......

I do however, always get my finished distillate, let it back down to as close to exactly 40% as I can (always at least 40%) with the RO water as mentioned above, then I run it through my carbon filter. This pretty much guarantees that I get a pure, clean tasting, odour free neutral/vodka.

This is because I'm happy with mostly using flavouring essences and am pretty settled with the ones I like because I only get the taste intended and no other distilling related off flavours.......

This isn't to confuse or suggest different ways or making any point of how others might say to run your still. Just that once I understood how to run the still, i tried a few minor changes etc and was happy with the results.

One thing I have found (dunno if it's real or imagined.......) is that I used to use the StillSpirits "Triple Distilled" yeast pack, along with the liquid carbon and their finings. I changed to using Alcotec Vodka Star, I don't bother with the liquid carbon or finings, because I don't panic about it all happening exactly as per pack and box guidance might suggest.

I use tap water to dissolve the sugar, with a bloody good stirring. I let the temperature drop to ambient/room temp over night, then I just pitch the yeast the next morning. I may use an electric balloon whisk to whisk the yeast and nutrient in, often just a spoon - but I try to give it a good stirring every day for at least the first 3 days, usually either with the leccy balloon whisk or my stick blender........

Hopefully that lot will have been useful...........

.... leccy balloon whisk or my stick blender

Thats a good idea. I use a plasterers paddle on a drill (if I remember)

So it arrived yesterday, had some great fun opening and setting up, just waiting for my turbo wash to finish and I can use it in anger.

Bottling a cider today what will free up a fermenter, so in planing on putting on a lentil wash.

200g lentils (soaked for 30 mins in boiling water)
6kg sugar
21L water
50g bread yest (this seems very odd to me, my beer brewing brain says no, yeast is really
Important)

Ferment at 30 degrees C for a week.

My fermentation fridge currently has an IPA in it so no room, so I won't be able to leave it at 30 degrees (once again feels really high) is it just a case of it will take a bit longer to ferment out? Or is it likely to get stuck?

Also for clearing the was, do you just leave it for a couple of weeks/cold crash it? I don't really like using finings, if need to I will normally just use some gelatine.

Everything sound ok?

I would leave out a bag of sugar and double the yeast, but otherwise would do the same.I throw in some chopped raisins too.
At this time of year don't worry about holding temps for fermentation,start it warm and let it look after itself.
I always throw in an aquarium heater, and have never considered trying to keep a fermenting wash cool....
If you can put the wash on a cool floor at the end, it should clear itself in a week or so.
Make sure that you put some boil pieces (copper coins or pipe offcuts) in the boiler and you should be able to run even a murky wash.
Patience is not one of my virtues

Robert.

+1....easy on the sugar...on the sugar calc it shows....5kg in 19.91 liters of water should give you a SG of 1.083...total volume of 23 lts, and should produce a wash of 12.8% alcohol.

On a wash like this I use 70 grms of yeast...it won't harm anything..

IPA.... Cider.... Wine....

You and I are mixed makers.
For neutrals, I had to learn that spirit ferments are different. Fast as you like. Fast is better that strongest possible. Faster equals less flavour. Huge amount of yeast. 28-30c.
Aim for 'settled out' not 'clear'. Murky is ok. Don't waste your money on finings (anything)

Consider what you already know about fermenting.....

The proprietary yeast packs are some sort of yeast with considerable amount of nutrition. The yeast will do 14%, generally not too warm though. They're designed for about the mid-20's so work quite well with a "brew belt" heater (they're fixed at 24c).

Bread yeast will go to about the 12% mark, so it'd make sense to drop a kilo of sugar to 5.

Lentils and/or raisins (or kale or whatever) are for nutrients. You could just as easy use some Young's yeast nutrient for the nitrogen requirement and some boiled bread yeast for B vitamins and other non-nitrogen.

There's a million and one ways, you'd have to try them all for which you think tastes best as that is relative........

As is apparent, all here would love to help you with what they have found works for them.
We have probably all tried a few recipes and tweaked a few!
Personally after the Summer Solstice, I like to add eye of newt and tongue of frog to my neutral washes, but a dry summer makes it difficult to catch enough to decide upon a consistant amount. ......
Keep going, and by xmas you will be sure what works for you.
And it is fun getting there.

Robert.

Easydrinker wrote:.... Personally after the Summer Solstice, I like to add eye of newt and tongue of frog to my neutral washes....

That brought a smile to a rather dull Monday face. Thank you Robert.