Home Distiller

Cant see any other Posts/questions about this so here we go........... I am trying to make a rum and raisin flavor spirit.I have been looking and asking in most brew shops/health food shops trying to get raisin essence.I have been told that it was never made and cant get it. So have (hopefully) made...

Thanks for the note bronzdragon.I don't think it will last that long anyway(as my wife keeps drinking it) :x :lol: . But i forgot to add that ,yes refrigerate after making. I dont know if UHT cream is a dairy based product.perhaps other members could educate me with this question. .....................

Hi all, Sorry it has been so long since i have been back to the site(been very busy). A friend of mine that used to work as a barman suggested i try UHT cream,as the taste of the essence and alcohol should over take the UHT taste.So i tryied it........and it is great.Here in oz they sell them off th...

I am newish to distilling (about 20 different types under my belt now)and have been using the cream base packs from my local brewshop when making cream base spirits/liqueurs.http://www.brewcraftsa.com.au/showProduct/Spirits+and+Liqueurs/Cream+Liqueurs/55031/Top+Shelf+CREAM+LIQUEUR+BASE" onclick...

Being new to distilling and using 2lt glass bottles how do i soak the chips to get the flavor?
Can i just tip them in the bottle then strain the liquid off when i am ready?
Or put them in a bigger bottle with chips in a material bag soaking them in the liquid?.

Any help would be great.

Grid.

I am new to home distilling and brought one of those 50ml vodka essence.Now i have tasted my 80% straight from the pot and it has its own taste and a mean kick but when i mixed it with this vodka it tasted very different(on the verge of Battery acid smell......sulfur smell)and the taste was very bad...

Just spoke to my local brew/spirit shop and was told that these essance are okay BUT his essence is better(he would say that to get a sale) Also was told the Liqueur cream base that they sell is only powdered cream. So i did my own Mocha Liqueur. 300ml of 80% spirits 300ml of white sugar 500ml NOT t...

I have been using the alcohol essence from my local brew like these http://www.brewcraft.com.au/wawcs019613/ln-make-your-own-spirits.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow for my spirits and was in the shopping centre today (getting sugar for a wash) a...

Thanks for the reply spiritsofcatemaco.. The wash i have is just raw sugar but have flavour essence to add and i normally use white sugar and read that raw sugar has SOME molasses in it,so i thought i would give the raw sugar a go. yes the container is air tight and seal good,it bubbled quiet a lot ...

I have been reading what other people do and have done a 6kg raw sugar(want to try a rum flavor) 21lt water 4 teaspoons of yeast nutrient and 40grams of yeast.It has been bubbling for about 6-7 days now ,checked with a hydrometer and its reading 1052 or about 7%.i am not in a hurry for it but what w...

I have been using the turbo yeast packs that i buy from brew shop http://stillspirits.com/wa.asp?idWebPage=6161&idDetails=101" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow i put 6 kg white sugar 21lt water and this yeast pack and it finishes in about 2-3 days(...

Can someone please give me a idea off shelf life of homemade spirit (if it last that long)?

Grid.

Thanks for the info pintoshine,i will look into that when i get around to doing it.

thanks again
Grid.

Thanks for the reply Dnderhead, One stockpots fits nice and snug on top of the other but needs to be welded. The electric fry pan does a good job,it has a thermostat and takes about 1-1 1/2hrs to get it and keep it at 77-78c. I wanted a electric heater as i am distilling in my small shed and have pe...

I have 2 11.5lt stainless steel stockpots. I am thinking of cutting the base out of one and extending the height (and wash level)and welding the top pot to the bottom one. This will sit in my electric fry pan. I need more wash volume as i have a been using 1 11.5lt pot and have 21lt of wash to disti...

I am new to stilling and did not separate the heads,middle,tails(my first real amount of spirit )I and have a wash ready to go in the pot still.Can i put it into this wash then distill it again(making sure to remove heads,tails)? It is only 1lt and the finished wash is 21lt ? Thanks in advance. Grid.

At the moment im as happy as a pig in !@#$. I finally got some shine. I boiled up my honey wine (2lt) and got about a small thimble full,but boy did it was strong.I had a sip and it was nice and smooth. It was okay as a first taste and hope things are the same with my next wash. Thanks to all that h...

After my first wash goes through i have a water purifier jug http://www.italiankitchenaids.com/produ ... cat=67that" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow i will run it through and see if it takes anything out... will let you know.

Grid.

As a newbie to still spirits can someone tell me if these are any good http://stillspirits.com/wa.asp?idWebPage=6161&idDetails=101" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow. I have just brought one and was told it is the easier way to do spirits. I see mos...

I'm from the northern metro of Adelaide (Salisbury) good to see there is some Aussie guys and girls here.

I'm new to stilling but im learning more everyday.

Grid.

Thanks CoopOz,I was just reading some text that i got from another site and i think you are right...my temp is to high.I must be boiling the water out of it and no alcohol. No i haven't got any pics as yet but that is on my to do list very soon.(that way other people can share there views of what i ...

Yesterday my wash was finished (after about 7 days in my fermenter)(checked it with a hydrometer and was all okay) so i started to boil the wash. About 3 hrs later i got about 400 ml of off smelling water ....AGAIN I have checked for leaks under pressure (small tap at the end) and none there,so it i...

Thanks for the reply s everyone,I think you maybe be right Old_blue.maybe the beer was a lower alcohol %.I normally check the start and finish gravity's of my beers but i forgot with this one 97c that is close to the temp i had it at,and i was concerned that i would boil it to much and have a syrup ...

I have tried my homebrew today as i am waiting for my wash to finish bubbling,put about 6lt of homebrew in my 11lt pot and had it up to about 78c (sometimes the temp would rise to about 85-87c but adjusted the temp but after about 2hr was no liquid. Now i have my suspicions about my temp gauge as at...

Thanks for the info punkin.yes the pipe has a nice downward angle an is on a downward angle through the cooler. I think the cooler is more than 17lt as i have filler it with water today and it took 2 10lt buckets. I see on some other post that they are saying about using homebrew beer as there wash?...

Okay i think i have just solved my problem with keeping it cool. Got a 17lt storage crate and put 1 hole each end with water proof rubber washers and a tap.run the copper pipe through the middle and fill it with cooling water(like a big bath with 2 holes). No bends ,no kinks,no soldering. Just comes...

tubing. yes thats what i got the first time and it was rolled in a circle the size of a truck steering wheel and i needed to make it a smaller coil for the water cooler,and thats where i did the damage first time.

Grid.

Thanks for the info..I have brought some 3/4 copper pipe (3mt long) and tryed to bend it into shape with a pipe bender but it just doesnt want to bend on a nice corner or twist for the coil.it just kinks in one spot and looks crap then i have to straighten it out again . Now i have 2 pieces (1 about...

I have a pot still with copper pipe coming out the metal lid and need to go to the cooling bucket. This product is at my local scrap supplier at $10 each (2mt long) http://paramountbrowns.ihub.com.au/DesktopDefault.aspx?ItemID=2725968&TabID=806424&Alias=paramountbrownsau" onclick="...

Okay i did just a water run to get to know what you mean by not needing a temp gauge and i think i now know what you mean. you can hear it slowly bubbling and then after a bit the liquid starts to come out. I have relocated my temp gauge hole to the top of the copper pipe and it is a better place an...