T500 best usage guide.

[Corps012588]

Hi.
Does anyone have a guide like the airstill ones by Mozr and Aidan but for the t500?
I keep thinking about investing in one but before I do I would like to see just how difficult they are.
Plus I think it would be beneficial to other people either with a new t500 or who like Myself
Are trying to make up their minds as to wether to make the purchase
Thanks in advance

[haziflad]

me too i would like one as iam new to distilling and this would be my first still


regards

andy

[Voddy]

For me, it was a case of just doing it and learning along the way. It's the best purchase I've made of anything - straight off. That said, I still intend to make my own still.

With things like varying water pressure, etc, I found that utter diligence in the early days of use was the only way. Now I know how my still works in my home, I can relax to a certain degree in that I know roughly how long each stage is etc but when neighbours use the water then temps go crazy for a while. I learned to do a strip run and then another finer run for a great product. There are other nuances (if you like) such as doing all my strip runs, then cleaning the column before doing a finer run, etc.

The biggest thing I learned in quality control is the fermentation process and clinical hygiene. This was letting me down 'til I nailed it good.

The other best usage guide is don't tell anyone; everyone loves free booze and hates not getting any.

[Easydrinker]

"The other best usage guide is don't tell anyone; everyone loves free booze and hates not getting any."

Oh yes,you are right there!
Robert.

[Mr Four Square]

There isn't one guide C8 but this is the most T500 friendly forum you'll find. Plenty of good advice in this section. Tips I found useful were:

1) Get the flow pressure right. T500s are vulnerable to pressure change. Use a Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) if you have to. If someone turns on a tap and the pressure drops in your house that probably means you

2) learn how to compress the heads http://www.stillsmart.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=747 not only does it make for a cleaner drop it will up your skill level and maybe give you a nice aha moment. Makes a change from the usual learner head scratching confusion.

3) When adjusting your water flow (cooling).Make tiny adjustments only when the output temp really has changed. If you adjust too often or too far you'll be compensating and adjusting more than you need to. Feels good when you know you've nailed it and the still just sits there happily doing its thing.

[Voddy]

Just to elaborate on 2 and 3 above - ie how I went about it.

2) Before I learned where my fores, heads, hearts were etc, I took 200ml lots off the still and tasted them so I got to learn the difference. Now I know a little better, I distill the hearts twice just for my pleasure. No filtering. The 200ml lots off was a tip around here someplace.

3)Do you know just how tiny a movement on the needle screw is needed? Tiny! Look at the knob and envisage moving the knob less than one-half of the knurled grip thread and I experience a temp difference of more than 5C. I need a PRV. This is even when I have opened the main water valve only marginally to allow a fraction of the water in.