Is the T500 ultimate kit a decent buy

[Alkyholik]

https://www.lovebrewing.co.uk/still-spi ... tarter-kit
Can anyone tell me if this kit is worth the money? It has reflux and artisian pot type of still for a bit of everything no?
Does anyone have 1? What's it like?

[NZChris]

It seems like a lot of money for a still that has sealing materials that an industrial gasket supplier advised me not to use.

[Saltbush Bill]

By my calculations that equates to ....752 GBP to AUD = 1,372.06 Australian Dollars That's a lot for a still that you will more than likely out grow of if you stick to the hobby for long. You could by a few tools and build an excellent keg boiler, a pot still and a reflux still for less. Just as an example, I know not everyone wants to build. You could probably also by modular components that clamp together to build a decent still for a less.

[jayka]

I purchased a kegland still it's relatively similar. But not as much. I did look at these but I don't think there is much need to buy the whole kit in one hit. You don't save any money than just buying what you need to get started.
I would suggest just buy what you need to get started. Do you want to make whiskey or vodka? If whiskey just buy the pot still head. If vodka get the reflux. All those fermenting items are well over priced and kinda small. You could save money and get better volume shopping around. My fermenter is a 70lt stainless steel pot I got on eBay.

[jayka]

I guess what I'm saying is just buy the minimum you require. You can always buy the next trinket you need when you need it.

[Yummyrum]

I agree ... its a shit ton of money for nothing spectacular .

Don’t get sucked in by the word “Artisan” ... its an over priced Copper dome . Big deal . A stainless steel bowl will do the same thing so long as you have a copper riser or condenser . Speaking of the condenser , its relatively tiny . For about $100 AUD ... thats probably around £50-60 , You could make one that shits all over that one they are flogging .

Iffn you got money to spend and can’t be bothered or don’t have the skills or inclination to build one then sure . It will get you started ... but it’s not really a good long term investment .

[zapata]

Equipment Included
1 x Turbo 500 Boiler with Stainless Lid overpriced, small, bad materials, caused a fire on here recently
1 x Turbo 500 Copper Condenser overpriced, not versatile, most will outgrow
1 x Large/Coarse straining bag for botanicals. aka paint strainer / hop sock
1 x Alembic Copper Dome Top OK, but expensive and not needed with a Cu column or packing
1 x Alembic Copper Condenser overpriced, limited versatility
1 x Spiritworks Granular Carbon Filter, complete with 2x 10 Litre Buckets and all necessary fittings. (See below for details). garbage, plastic garbage at that
2 x 30 Litre Food Grade Plastic Buckets with Lids & Grommets & Airlocks fine, available anywhere
1 x Mixing Spoon or Paddle fine, available anywhere
1 x Hydrometer fine, available anywhere
1 x Thermometer fine, available anywhere
1 x Easy Start Medium Siphon with anti sediment end, tap end and bucket clip (for transferring the liquor to other containers and bottling) and throttle turn off Jesusfuckingchrist don't use that to transfer liquor! otherwise available anywhere
1 x Jug (Very useful for mixing Spirits & Liqueurs) Jesusfuckingchrist don't use that for liquor, also available anywhere
1 x Spirit Hydrometer (For testing the amount of Alcohol by Volume (ABV) fine, available anywhere
Yeasts Included
1 x ClassicTurbo Yeast & Carbon garbage
1 x Pure Turbo Yeast & Carbon garbage
2 x Turbo Clear garbage
2 x Turbo Carbon garbage
1 x Still Spirits - Distiller’s Yeast Gin 20g ?, suspect, gin doesn't need special yeast
1 x Still Spirits - Distiller’s Yeast Vodka 20g ?
2 x Still Spirits - Distiller’s Enzyme Glucoamylase 12g Very little utility IMHO, available anywhere
1 x Still Spirits - Distiller’s Nutrient Light Spirits 450g available anywhere
1 x 100g Steriliser Very little utility IMHO, available anywhere
Flavourings Included
1 x Classic Whisky (sachet) garbage
1 x Classic VSOP Brandy (sachet) garbage
1 x Classic Gin (sachet) garbage
1 x Classic Bourbon (sachet) garbage
1 x Classic Rum (sachet) garbage
Botanicals Included
1 x Luxury Botanical Juniper 100g fine if fresh, available anywhere
1 x Coriander 100g fine if fresh, available anywhere
1 x Lemon Peel 100g fine if fresh, available anywhere
1 x Orange Peel 100g fine if fresh, available anywhere
Consumables Included
1 x 100g T500 Copper Saddles (in column) meh
1 x 30g Ceramic Boil Enhancers useless IMHO
1 x Spiritworks - Granular Carbon Filter only needed if using the garbage above, available anywhere
1 x Distillers Conditioner 80ml garbage, available anywhere

So, what do you think?
Here's a clue, take a look around the forums and see how many are using ANY of these items. Then when you do find one, check the user's level of experience and expertise and why they are using said item. A very few of the items will be kept and used just through the sunk costs fallacy by people who also got hoodwinked when they were starting off. So pretty much the best review you'll get is something like "meh, it's fine when I'm doing this one thing, but for anything else I've made or bought something else more appropriate".

These kits, and pretty much everything from these manufacturers are an exercise in "what can we trick people into buying" NOT "what can we provide that people want and need". It's an attempt to mirror the homebrewing / vinting INDUSTRY without an appreciation that those industries are driven overwhelmingly by homebrewers and vinters. Almost every single brewing widget you see in a homebrew store is something that some brewers use, started off being something that homebrewers made for themselves, and some homebrewers still make them for themselves. Yet no home distiller has made themselves a still that looks like a T500 in 30 years. Some distillers make a boiler that looks like the T-500 boiler, but it's cheaper, made from fundamentally better components, and is typically a better size (either smaller or larger, eg; I have boilers from 500 ml to 30 gallons, but nothing within several gallons of this one, it's just not a size I've found convenient for anything).

[Durhommer]

Dont go t500

[v-child]

Zapata brought up a good point, there is a whole bunch of crap tied to this package to drive the price up. I know nothing of this still or your capabilities. Can this still be purchased stand alone with one or both heads? How's your fabrication skills? Look at some of the homebuilt stills in the the construction site/ post a pic of your still/ section on the forum. One of the easiest is made from the beer keg. Follow the "KISS" principle.

[CopperFiend]

Dont go t500

Ha, concise and to the point. No mincing of words here Durhommer!

I agree with everything Zapata said.

[Alkyholik]

Thanks guys. Wont buy one
I can't believe my luck. The pot still I bought a week ago has been lost in transit.thanks dpd!
So I've been looking at others online without much luck. I want a 30l still for preferably doing vodka AND whiskey. You guys seen anything that will do both?

[CopperFiend]

Thanks guys. Wont buy one
I can't believe my luck. The pot still I bought a week ago has been lost in transit.thanks dpd!
So I've been looking at others online without much luck. I want a 30l still for preferably doing vodka AND whiskey. You guys seen anything that will do both?

Are you unable to build one? You will be unlikely to find a decent one to buy that's versatile for both those without spending real money. You can quite easily build a pot still from a stainless steel keg for under 200 smackaroons. With minimal tools, just a blowtorch, some solder and flux. A leibig condenser for both product condenser and reflux condenser is efficient and very easy to make, also with just the tools above, plus a drill and a small sander (or tin snips). Many threads about this if you have a search.

[CopperFiend]

Also, someone should pin Zapata's comment above about the T500 haha. I'm sure prospective buyers visiting here would find it very useful

[Alkyholik]

Nah I don't want a keg type
Update. Just got message from dpd saying my still that was supposedly lost will be delivered tomorrow. Happy days if its true. Fingers crossed