Best set-up for whiskey

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fabiovin70
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Best set-up for whiskey

Post by fabiovin70 »

I'm new to distillation.
I have a question about the best set-up I could use to distill whiskey.
I have the option to use a column with 4 plates, add reflux, or bypass both (in pot still mode).
I have tried a couple of times but I can't decide which way is better.
From my understanding I believe that for whiskey it is better to make a double distillation (strip run and spirit run). What could be the best set-up for the two runs?
I am attaching a couple of photos of my equipment to show the possible options.
Thank you very much for the valuable advice you can give me.
2020-12-30 18.09.31_reduced.jpg
2021-02-04 09.40.48_reduced.jpg
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Deplorable
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Re: Best set-up for whiskey

Post by Deplorable »

Use the bottom configuration for stripping runs. For the spirit run you can either run it through the plates so there is copper in the path, but you need your deflagmator above the plated section. Or you can run it in pot mode a 2nd time. You should still put some copper in the vapor path in pot mode though.
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fabiovin70
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Re: Best set-up for whiskey

Post by fabiovin70 »

When you talk about the deflagmator do you mean the reflux?
In this case do I need to open the cooling water just a bit?
Should I put some copper mesh maybe in the 180° curved pipe at the top?
Thank you so much
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Re: Best set-up for whiskey

Post by Deplorable »

Yes, the reflux condenser. You don't need water running to it while using it in the bottom picture as a riser for the pot still, but you DO need water running to it to make those bubble plates work in the top picture.
A single loose roll of copper mesh in the curve would be sufficient while running it as a pot still.
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Re: Best set-up for whiskey

Post by fabiovin70 »

Does the use of copper improve taste and smell a lot?
Maybe this was my mistake, when I used the system in pot still configuration to do the double distillation without any copper. The distillate had a not very pleasant smell. Is there any way to recover this distillate? Maybe with aging?
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Re: Best set-up for whiskey

Post by Durhommer »

Nice still for a beginning still ain't it
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Re: Best set-up for whiskey

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fabiovin70 wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 8:32 am Does the use of copper improve taste and smell a lot?
Maybe this was my mistake, when I used the system in pot still configuration to do the double distillation without any copper. The distillate had a not very pleasant smell. Is there any way to recover this distillate? Maybe with aging?
Did you do all three steps of the required cleaning runs before your liquor making run?
What yeast did you use, and what did you ferment?
Hard to say why it tasted bad when we don't know what you made.
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Re: Best set-up for whiskey

Post by still_stirrin »

fabiovin70 wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 8:32 am Does the use of copper improve taste and smell a lot?
Yes, copper removes sulfur from the distillate....and the sulfur is stinky and tastes bad. Copper helps a lot, especially in potstill operations.
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Demy
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Re: Best set-up for whiskey

Post by Demy »

fabiovin70 wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 8:32 am Does the use of copper improve taste and smell a lot?
Maybe this was my mistake, when I used the system in pot still configuration to do the double distillation without any copper. The distillate had a not very pleasant smell. Is there any way to recover this distillate? Maybe with aging?
Copper helps eliminate some sulfur compounds by chemical reaction. That is not necessarily the problem, maybe you make a mistake in the procedure.
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Re: Best set-up for whiskey

Post by fabiovin70 »

I did all the 3 cleaning steps and whiskey was not my first batch.
I already did some grappa before using the plates with better results.
After that I received this small piece of equipment that is a reduction in order to be able to take out the column with the plates and I tried whiskey but I found some Sulphur in it.
Probably it was the absence of copper that created this smell.
Do you think ageing with some charred oak can improve the result?
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fabiovin70
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Re: Best set-up for whiskey

Post by fabiovin70 »

Durhommer wrote:Nice still for a beginning still ain't it
Thank you. In fact it's a Chinese still
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Re: Best set-up for whiskey

Post by still_stirrin »

fabiovin70 wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 9:16 amDo you think ageing with some charred oak can improve the result?
It will help, but it won’t solve the problem. While the oak will allow some of the sulfur components to reduce and evaporate, it likely won’t fully resolve the flavor components. Even with years on oak, those will remain, although reduced in their offensiveness.
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fabiovin70 wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 9:16 amInviato dal mio RMX1931 utilizzando Tapatalk<— turn the advertisement off. It is in the apps’s settings.
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My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
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fabiovin70
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Re: Best set-up for whiskey

Post by fabiovin70 »

still_stirrin wrote:
fabiovin70 wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 9:16 amDo you think ageing with some charred oak can improve the result?
It will help, but it won’t solve the problem. While the oak will allow some of the sulfur components to reduce and evaporate, it likely won’t fully resolve the flavor components. Even with years on oak, those will remain, although reduced in their offensiveness.
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fabiovin70 wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 9:16 amInviato dal mio RMX1931 utilizzando Tapatalk<— turn the advertisement off. It is in the apps’s settings.
Ok, in this case I will prepare a new batch.
I'm not new to brewing beers.
As yeast for this peated whiskey I'm using Lalvin EC 1118 that is a great (and expensive) champagne yeast.
Do you think is it better to use a more specific yeast?
I am using essentially just peated malt and some acid malt to correct the pH.
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Re: Best set-up for whiskey

Post by Saltbush Bill »

fabiovin70 wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 7:27 am From my understanding I believe that for whiskey it is better to make a double distillation (strip run and spirit run). What could be the best set-up for the two runs?
If you want to do two runs use the pot still, strip first then run the low wines for a spirit run, you will need to strip more than one ferment first to get enough low wines for the spirit run.
Plated Columns / Flutes/ Bubblers are suitable for a single run, wash straight into the boiler.
fabiovin70 wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 8:12 am When you talk about the deflagmator do you mean the reflux?
There is a difference
A deflegmator is a partial condenser, It only condenses or partially condenses some components of a vapor stream.
https://thermopedia.com/content/691/
fabiovin70
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Re: Best set-up for whiskey

Post by fabiovin70 »

I think I will go with a double run without the plates and use the plates in case of a more neutral spirit like vodka or gin.
Does it make sense?
Is this Lalvin champagne yeast suitable for a whiskey?
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Re: Best set-up for whiskey

Post by Saltbush Bill »

EC1118 is better suited to neutral sugar and fruit washes ,it is not the best for Whiskey, there are much better choices.
A plated column is not a Vodka still.....it carries flavour...it is suitable for whisky.....but then again so is your pot still.
Please remove the tapa talk advert from your phones settings before posting again.....we do not want or need that here on the forum. I have edited it from your last post.
fabiovin70
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Re: Best set-up for whiskey

Post by fabiovin70 »

Saltbush Bill wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 1:02 pm EC1118 is better suited to neutral sugar and fruit washes ,it is not the best for Whiskey, there are much better choices.
A plated column is not a Vodka still.....it carries flavour...it is suitable for whisky.....but then again so is your pot still.
Do you have any suggestion for a more specific yeast?
Saltbush Bill wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 1:02 pmPlease remove the tapa talk advert from your phones settings before posting again.....we do not want or need that here on the forum. I have edited it from your last post.
I'm sorry for this.
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Re: Best set-up for whiskey

Post by Saltbush Bill »

One of the Whiskey fellas would be able to give you better advice on that, I'll leave it for them......simple bakers yeast is probably one option.
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Re: Best set-up for whiskey

Post by jonnys_spirit »

I've used US05 a number of times and i'll typically purchase a handful of different beer yeasts when I'm running whiskey just for variety... I'll build up a starter for a large pitch as the mash usually takes a couple days and harvest/clean yeast from that first ferment in the series to use and make starters from for subsequent batches in the run... Just my way of saving money on yeast... My cellar stays pretty cool all year round but gets even cooler in the winter so i'll switch up to lager yeasts for winter ferments.. I usually try to choose yeasts with higher attenuation and flocculation characteristics but might broaden that a little just to see how it presents in the product...

Bakers is a great choice too just really depends on how much you might want to experiment.

I will suggest that just about any yeast will ferment the sugars and "simply work" for the most part. There's a wide selection of brewers yeast products to experiment with for brewing ales, lagers, other beers, wines, meads, sake's, and ciders - even "distillers yeast" and the dreaded turbo's. Each of those yeast products typically have some details published about optimal or suggested environments regarding SG, attenuation, temp, pH, nutrient requirements - Subjecting them to environments slightly to moderately outside of their "preferred environments" or on the edge can still be beneficial in a distilled product where it might not be desired in a beer for instance..

Cheers,
jonny
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