NOVICE - ME... This is what I did

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Perlousette
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Joined: Sun May 09, 2021 11:47 am

NOVICE - ME... This is what I did

Post by Perlousette »

Hi Guys thanks for all of your great suggestions. I am glad I found your site.
I have always wanted to distil but living in Australia where it is illegal concerned me.
I made my own still in an old saucepan rolled 8m of copper by hand hahahaha.
I watched read and found out as much as I could before I started, and then went full bore.
I most likely took out too much of the heads first and possibly could have had less tails, it was all plumb juice.
I left the heads in a jar, smelt then a week or so later and understood what heads are, real shit stuff.
The hearts were good
The tails were weak in every way, so, lucky me, I got it right more by fluke than design.
I distilled at a low heat, with the pulp inside my pressure cooker. It did not burn and had a great nose. I still had a lot of liquid when I opened it.
I built my own still
I have a 60lt pressure cooker for preserving, I did not want to drill that.
I fasten a plastic tube 10mm over the air vent tighten it with a hose clamp and that went over the 10mm coper tube and fastened that in the same way.
I measured the temperature with a handheld laser digital thermometer.
Yes that is complete Bogan but at least I did waste money, if I stuffed up.
I am currently fermenting apples
I have just juiced 20l of mash feijoas.
I am starting to take notes so I can be of help to others.
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subbrew
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Re: NOVICE - ME... This is what I did

Post by subbrew »

You are going to catch hell for using plastic on a still (rightfully so). Alcohol is a solvent and hose is not made to resist that. Before those apples finish you need to find a better way
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NZChris
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Re: NOVICE - ME... This is what I did

Post by NZChris »

Check the pressure cooker seal. Most use rubbers that are not compatible with hot alcohol and it's associated congeners.
StillerBoy
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Re: NOVICE - ME... This is what I did

Post by StillerBoy »

Perlousette wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 7:13 pm I am starting to take notes so I can be of help to others.
Before you can be of help to others, there's a need to clean up on the equipment used.. and hiding behind the fact that it was just something to start with in case there was a failure, is pure BS.. why.. cause you are publicizing it here and no mention of intent to change ..

A word of advise.. stop the ferment you have in the process, and spend time learning how to setup a properly built unit, before you harm yourself and maybe others with that contraption..

Mars
" I know quite certainly that I myself have no special talent. Curiosity, Obsession and dogged endurance, combined with self-criticism, have brought me to my knowledge and understanding "

– Albert Einstein
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Yonder
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Re: NOVICE - ME... This is what I did

Post by Yonder »

Perlousette, welcome and congrats on successfully beginning your journeys. Great that you started on your own but, as others have said, you can do better, safer. Take the advice to heart and not as an insult to your efforts. Review the basics and keep going, it’s well worth the effort.
Double, Double, toil and trouble. Fire Burn and pot still bubble.
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