What I've learned in 7 days

[Nipper]

1 I been using an embarrassingly large amount of sugar to make my 25ltr wash (8 kg). Golden rule is 1kg to 5ltr.

2 I needed a voltage regulator to adjust the power on the t500 to help with distilling better & purer. ( I ordered one of those).

3 still spirits turbo yeast, carbon & finings may as well be thrown into the bin, A/ it's expensive & B/ un-nessisery C/ I can't spell un-necisary

4 kale wash, I never heard of that; with tomato paste (i assume that to be tomato puree). Looking forward to trying that out with allinsons bread yeast (yeah just ordered some of that) oh and some DAP (not a clue what that was).

5 probably the most important, double distilling (Strip run & spirit run) after a few years of watching online vids from Richard at lovebrewing, not once did I see this!

There maybe a 6 but I can't think of it right now, my point is though 7 / 8 days I've been here and the help from you guys is priceless (Or the £20 donation I made toward the website anyway ). And I would like to encourage any other newbies like myself to make a small donation towards the upkeep of this site to help future generations if they have learned anything!

Ahaa, here comes the 6 THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT GUYS

[Moss]

I haven’t distilled in about 6 years, and I used to run my T500 6 days a week.

The way stuff has changed in the intervening years is incredible.

Glad you are picking stuff up

[Maker]

Point 5 is an absolute no brainer, you will be amazed by the difference it makes.
Point 7 should read 'Freeze distilling.'

[Moss]

Point 5 is an absolute no brainer, you will be amazed by the difference it makes.
Point 7 should read 'Freeze distilling.'

Is that window whiskey ready yet?
Hoping for the odd sample over the weekend

[Easydrinker]

So good to see this site helping.
The reason that I am here.

Robert.

[Nipper]

Point 7 should read 'Freeze distilling.'

It would have if I had learned about it in the last week

But that I will be looking into next, thanks Maker

[Nipper]

I haven’t distilled in about 6 years, and I used to run my T500 6 days a week.

The way stuff has changed in the intervening years is incredible.

Glad you are picking stuff up

Every day is a school day

[Easydrinker]

I wish they had tought this at school.
I would have quickly become Head Boy.

Robert.

[Mash]

Nipper,You are on the road to much finer things - Think you will be amazed at the difference.

Let us know how you get on

[Nipper]

Nipper,You are on the road to much finer things - Think you will be amazed at the difference.

Let us know how you get on

Will do mate, but I've currently got 75 litres of wash about ready at the minute and work 5-6 12 hour night shifts, so time is the problem for me.

But I will certainly be keeping you informed & probably brain picking along the way!

[Mash]

You are more than welcome. You're guaranteed to get a variety of answers - but somewhere there will Be a speck of truth

It's about time I got some more washes underway - I have one thats been in the freezer for a good six months. Ought to see what state that is in.

[gaza the instructor]

Good on you mate we are all ears.

[Easydrinker]

Will do mate, but I've currently got 75 litres of wash about ready at the minute and work 5-6 12 hour night shifts, so time is the problem for me.

But I will certainly be keeping you informed & probably brain picking along the way!

This alone could be a reason for learning to do unattended, timer controlled runs?
Well, mostly so.
Or freeze stripping?
Don't tell other Stillin' website about this, you may find yourself kicked into the Dunder.

Robert.

[Nipper]

Will do mate, but I've currently got 75 litres of wash about ready at the minute and work 5-6 12 hour night shifts, so time is the problem for me.

But I will certainly be keeping you informed & probably brain picking along the way!

This alone could be a reason for learning to do unattended, timer controlled runs?
Well, mostly so.
Or freeze stripping?
Don't tell other Stillin' website about this, you may find yourself kicked into the Dunder.

Robert.

Unattended timer control? This sounds interesting!

And I'm not on any other sites anyway, ain't got time

[Mash]

If you freeze 2 washes, you will get 22-25l ish of 30%.
Takes 5 mins to bung 'em in the freezer. Takes 5 mins to get'em out and invert them over a bucket.
While they are thawing setup the T500.

Both buckets will fill a T500 ..... BUT you have doubled the product output and cut straight to the spirit run.

So by my math you will get 2 gallon (ish) and run the still once.

[Nipper]

Thanks for that Mash

Because I've already got carbon and finings in this wash, should I do that with this one or maybe wait until I start with the next one using kale, allinsons etc?

[Nipper]

Still need to make the cuts on the spirit run yes?

[Easydrinker]

Thanks for that Mash

Because I've already got carbon and finings in this wash, should I do that with this one or maybe wait until I start with the next one using kale, allinsons etc?

Yes. Wait until the next.

Robert.

[Easydrinker]

Still need to make the cuts on the spirit run yes?

Yes, you need to make the cuts.

Robert.

[Nipper]

Just 1 thing I been meaning to ask is, can a fermented wash be left for several weeks?
Lid unopened since filling it.

[Easydrinker]

Just 1 thing I been meaning to ask is, can a fermented wash be left for several weeks?
Lid unopened since filling it.

IMO yes, but I prefer to rack off at the end of ferment first.

Robert.

[Mash]

Yes, it can. Treat it like you would wine ['cos it is] and remove any air gap.
If you rack off 25l, it tends to fit nicely into five Demi-Johns. Don't stopper it too hard, It's probably still working gently. Better it pops the cork then explodes.

Better still, just bung it in the freezer

[phantom]

As above i.e. yes it can be left - the wine and mead making world does that routinely. It is entirely possible that you know of "autolysis" where the yeast dies off once it hits it's tolerance and then starts to rot down "autolysing" once it's dropped out.

That's fact, not fiction. Just that to put it into perspective, it's the same as rusting steel inasfaras, rusting will damage it but it takes a long time. Autolysis is the same, that it takes a few months for it to start because there's no O2 present and the alcohol has some preservative effect. So I see no reason why you can't keep some fermented wash in it's original fermenter (as long as it's sealed) for a couple of months if need be.....

As for some of the points in your original post Nipper, from memory 8kg is what's required for some types of turbo yeast, but that's 8kg of dextrose a.k.a. brewing sugar. Dextrose is also a little more expensive.

I don't use the yeast/finings/liquid carbon etc ones now, I just use Alcotec Vodka Star the recommended amount of sugar being 6 kg, not 8. It usually finished the ferment in 7 days but I leave it for a further week so it drops most/all of the yeast lees (not quite as clear as when finings is used, but not far off).

I've not moved into using kale or tomato paste, but you'd have to keep the sugar down in any event - from other booze I make, bread yeast will ferment to about 12% ABV, so a max of 5 kg would be about right.

I have a T500, but have been mostly using my airstill until I get a new cooling supply set up for the T500. When I was using my T500, I still did a double distilling - not that I really needed too, but I was being "belt and braces" with the 94% spirit it chucks out. Now I'm looking for some SPP to replace the "ceramic saddles" as the column will need a good cleaning as part of it's refurbishment......

Good luck with your efforts.........

[Nipper]

Thanks for that lads

[EchoSevenNine]

I've learned a load from reading this thread myself.

A friendly, knowledegable bunch you are!