Hello and please help

[M^B]

Hello all,

I used to be a home distiller about 10 years ago. I used to add 6kg of white sugar to a fermenter, add a packet of turbo yeast, and then distil it in 5 litre batches in my 5 litre reflux still. It would create a clear vodka that I'd carbon filter and then add various flavourings to. Basically I was just following instructions from the local home brew store and not being very creative.

Now I have been getting right into full-mash beer brewing using only grain hops and yeast. It's making me think I should get back into distilling again but this time do it the 'right' way where possible, ie instead of using sugar using real ingredients and hopefully not have to add 'flavourings' later on. I'm not sure if this is even possible? Particularly not sure if it would require aging in barrels for a few years which would be impractical for me.

I use a 40L coffee urn that has an inbuilt 2400 watt element for my beer boiler. I was wondering if I could maybe make a lid for this up with a reflux or something else attached to it?

I figure I already have all of this equipment for beer so if I can use it for distilling as well that'd be awesome.

Any thoughts?

[olddog]

Hi M^B,Welcome to th forum.
Its sounds like you are half way there, you can use the fermentation vessels that you used for beer to make the wash for distillation. The coffee urn may be of use as long as the heating element does not cycle, most do. A lid and column should not be too hard to fabricate. If you look in the tried and true recipes in the main index page you will find some good recipes, a good one to start with would be UJSSM if you like a bourbon type spirit.


OD

[Dnderhead]

if your into all grain beer mashing ,your a leg up on making a mash, as their very close, you mite want to read up on cereal mashes if you have not done so. yes aging has a lot to do with making whiskey but there are "shortcuts"

(and welcome aboard)

[M^B]

Thanks guys, I've been doing a bit of reading especially the recommend recipe and there's definitely some new terms there that aren't in beer making so I'll do a lot more reading to get my head around it.

If I was to do a spirit like Scotch with no souring needed would I just be making a strong beer with malt and no hops, fermenting that, hopefully resulting in a beer of about 15-20%, then distilling that?

With my reflux still I was producing 'vodka' only and then flavouring, is this because I was only using sugar or is it just the nature of a reflux still? I'm assuming at the moment a reflux still only extracts water and alcohol (and bad alcohols as well of course) but a more traditional 'pot still' gets a flavour profile from the ingredients as well?

The country I am from (won't mention any names) frowns down upon home distilling so I've been finding it hard to get information locally, even from the local home brew stores that sell distilling gear. They don't want to tell me anything other than how to use their products.

[olddog]

If I was to do a spirit like Scotch with no souring needed would I just be making a strong beer with malt and no hops, fermenting that, hopefully resulting in a beer of about 15-20%, then distilling that?

You will be lucky to get that ABV% from a grain mash.

a more traditional 'pot still' gets a flavour profile from the ingredients as well?

A potstill is the best still for flavour
.

The country I am from (won't mention any names)

The country your in is not a problem, just don't put any personal details.

OD

[Dnderhead]

yes you just make "beer" without the hops,usually about 6-7% mash.most do not use "specialty" grains just light. (base malt)
and reflux stills are made for vodka/neutrals, but can be "detuned" to produce some flavor,a pot still is a better choice.

[M^B]

Nice thanks guys, that's the basics covered for me

[rubber duck]

Welcome to the forum.

As Dunder said, just do a 7%ish strait 2row as a baseline and go from there. Mashing at a lower temp then what your use to as a beer brewer might be helpful.

That UJSM gets great reviews though I have not done it as of yet.