Newbie Questions

[Ricardo]

Hi All
New on here with what some of you might consider daft questions but we all have to start somewhere !!
1)
When using that awful looking black activated carbon in your plastic fermentation bin does the bin end up black stained
Dont want to ruin a decent bin.......
2)
Using an Alcotec 23% the instructions say use 10.5 kg of Dextrose for a 25 litre brew.
Dextrose is a wee bit expensive so I intend to use cane sugar.
Will I need more or less than 10.5 kg if so how much would you use ??
3)
After the wash fermentations has finished do you need to add a stabaliser as you do with a home brewed wine ??
Thanks in advance

[GrunthosTheFlatulent]

I've used the liquid carbon a couple of times when I was starting out (in the Triple Distilled yeast packs) and it did not stain my fermenters.

Can't comment about the 23% because I have never used it and never will. For me the Vodka Star yeast at £2.50 is just as good as the TD packs, with between 5.5 and 6kg of regular granulated sugar.

You don't need to use sulphites or sorbate when fermentation is finished, just de-gas the wash and use finings if you want to hurry up the clearing process.

[Easydrinker]

Firstly, Welcome Ricardo.
With no idea of your still or location, my comments, following on from a pretty rounded response from GTF, are somewhat generic.

1.The carbon won't stain your bin, but seems to take for ever to wash out.
I remain unconvinced as to it's efficacy in a wash.

2.Totally with GTF here, do yourself a favour, and save some money, if using a Turbo yeast don't try to squeeze the maximum alcohol from the wash, the chances are it will be alcohol tasting like piss, bringing attendant troubles with it.
I assume that you are planning to distill this result?
If not you are on a hiding to nothing, and if so, then you don't need to work the wash so hard.
Depending upon your still, once or twice through will yield a very acceptable result.
And cheaper Turbos, or other recipes are available.
To my mind the Turbo that you mention is aimed at newcomers that wish to "make cheap alcohol easily",without distillation, it works, it brings it's own problems, and short lived pleasures.
Not really the purpose of this site.

3.As GTF stated,just leave it alone to settle,or add a clearing agent.

For your own sake,take some time to do some reading, here or elsewhere.
I do hope that you don't find my response brusque, I am trying to help.

Robert.

[chill]

Welcome! Please stay a while and do some reading. With a little care, and a little effort, you can make some very nice product. But "greed" is not going to be your friend here. I would not use any turbo or other recipe that called for more than 6Kg in 23L and 5Kg is a better upper limit. More than that and the yeast gets stressed and they don't like stress anymore than people do. The result is never good.

Chuck

[Mash]

I am going to assume to have purchased an airstill and are new to this.

Run the turbo as the guys above have said.

There is a "good practice" guide here... viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1216&hilit=Guide

You have a great peice of kit. But ignore the instructions and the sales patter.
You don't need turbo spirit if you just get a small stock in.


I also get the feeling you ferment other stuff.. Maybe beer or wine. This knowledge is transferable. You are making a neutral wine and then distilling it. The more neutral in the more nuetral out. Simple as that.

... And enjoy it.

[Ricardo]

Thanks for your welcome & all your replies.
I have updated my profile for you as you can see.
I has spent loads of time reading on this forum & making a few notes etc so may have some other questions as I go along.
Before reading your answers to my queries my plan was to go down the 'non distilling' route before spending loads of loot on an Airstill.
Brew the Alcotec 23% wash hoping for around 20% with good temperature control & filter very very well & see what the results come out like.
However you guys are making me a bit dubious about getting anything worth drinking from this idea !!
Looks like I may have to bite the bullet & spend the loot..........

[chill]

I've never tried using that particular turbo and have never filtered wash. I have sampled some unfiltered wash. My conclusion: buy a still. If you just want to get drunk cheaply, then you are on the right track. If you actually want to enjoy what you are drinking: buy a still. And prepare to learn. The quality of your results will increase dramatically with experience.

Chuck

[Easydrinker]

Thanks for your welcome & all your replies.
I have updated my profile for you as you can see.
I has spent loads of time reading on this forum & making a few notes etc so may have some other questions as I go along.
Before reading your answers to my queries my plan was to go down the 'non distilling' route before spending loads of loot on an Airstill.
Brew the Alcotec 23% wash hoping for around 20% with good temperature control & filter very very well & see what the results come out like.
However you guys are making me a bit dubious about getting anything worth drinking from this idea !!
Looks like I may have to bite the bullet & spend the loot..........

If we have persuaded you away from your intended course of action, then I am happy.
As Chill indicates, your fermented wash would intoxicate, not merely get you drunk, the key part of that word is toxic.
Sure, people, especially the young, seem to bounce back quickly from such experimentation, but it is better to not go there.
I have replied to you elsewhere on the board, and meant what I said there.
Pull up a seat and settle in, our purpose, or at least mine, is to help you achieve great results from home distillation.

Robert.

[Ricardo]

Ok thanks for all your comments & suggestions which have shown me the way to go.....
I have decided to bin the Alcotec 23% & filtering idea & have ordered an Airstill.
Going to brew up a nice wash using Vodka Star & have a go with the Airstill when my wash is ready.
As recommended on here I have decided to go slow rather than turbo speed !!
P.S.
Decided against the ebay Airstill & bought one from Lovebrewing at a very nice price.
Better the devil you know..........

[Magnu420]

You cant go wrong with richard at lovebrewing sound guy
Ive used him a few times very fast delivery i ordered my airstill
On thurs afternoon before 2ish got it friday at dinnertime ish

[hampk]

Check out either the lentil or the wonderful wheat wash recipes - both are great, and read, read, and re-read Mozr's definitive AirStill Best Practice guide. All available here - 'fraid I may have sampled too much of my own to post the links..!

Cheers

Hampk