Hi all im from New zealand and help plz

[Morgana-rose]

I just wanted to introduce myself to all the people out there, im from nz which is a lovely place, im a mother of two girls, i have had my super reflux for a yr now and im only just about to get it going, Only because i was scared of it as i throught i was going to blow my place up till the guy said i won't. This is my first time ever, so i was pleased to find this site as i have no one to help me and its too far for me to keep going into the brew shop to keep asking questions, so i appreciate all the help i can get from you all. I have already done my wash, 2wks ago, and 3days ago i had put the turbo clear A and B in am i doing this right? My friend is doing one aswell but she has people helping her, she told me i had to wait for my wash to go green, eeww and that i should not have put the turbo clear A and B in my wash & i was to put it in after its been disstilled, Hmm not what the instructions say. Anyway im about to hook my ss super reflux up and get it going, now i am lost could anyone help me thank you & have an amazing day oh and by the way what do you mean by tail and putting it back in the still thank you

[Bushman]

What a nice introduction and welcome to the forum. NZ is on my list of places to visit in the future. Enjoy this great hobbie and be safe!

[Morgana-rose]

Hey thanks, i had just edit it as i read the rulz after i had posted, so i throught i better put in that i needed some help. Nz is such a beautiful country with lots of amazing outdoor stuff, and natural heated waterfalls out in the forest, its my fav spot at that waterfall, and it also heals aches and pains like arthurits, hope i spelt it right not the best speller, so if your ever in nz in the bay of plenty of rotorua its 25ks inbetween roto & taupo, the name of the place is kerosine creek, have a google search, it does not smell like it tho lol, anyway i better go do some recyling before i put the still on i think i have sit there for 5hurs to watch it maybe, will be back to check out more info here, have a Awsome day

[ArkyJ]

Welcome to the site. Another woman. Yeah!!!
NZ is a fabulous place. Was to Christs Church for a week and loved the place.
Think of a dog. It has head which will bite
The body or heart. Where the love is.
The tail. The last thing to come thru the door.
Keep a little of the bite, all the heart and maybe just a little of the tails.
ArkyJ

[exon]

Welcome aboard, M !

Good to see ladies operating the controls

Near as I can tell, there's not anything here a woman could not accomplish.
I've hired female helpers in the construction biz, and most of the time, many of them performed most tasks as well as most men.
There IS a difference, though.
Women tend to do things a bit different than men do.
Results generally end up the same... well, they must !

Review all the best advice you can find here in prior posts, and ask questions if you encounter difficulty understanding some aspect.
The basics are no more difficult than customary food preparation and cooking.
The fine points will require developing a skill level similar to other artists in their field of interest.

Best
exon

Edit: The fellow was WRONG to tell you that you would not blow up the place. If you are reckless, or easily distracted, extraordinary and unpleasant events may occur. Please take the time to review the section here on safety issues.
If you are uncomfortable operating the device on your own, invite a level - headed friend to join you for your first cruise. Begin by explaining operation and the perils and pitfalls to them, as presented here, so they may be helpful. This will also serve to re-enforce your plan of action.

More edit: Tails ? You MUST go back and READ through the beginner threads. It becomes obvious you have NOT !
We are talking about something for human consumption here...
Pls review all the good advice before you begin operation of your 'super' device !
Learn to use the three <<3>> different search function here on Home Distillers... VERY valuable tool
You should learn about 'foreshots,' 'heads,' 'hearts,' and 'tails' BEFORE you begin... and how to calculate in advance how much you should expect to take.
This information is NOT ONLY for your personal health and safety, but to assist you in an economical, quality operation.

Begin another wash fermenting while you read a bit more... By the time it is done, you will understand why...

[ArkyJ]

OUCH! Exon.
ArkyJ

[LWTCS]

Welcome M-R.
Keep readin.

She ain't potstillin Miss Jackie.

She got a super reflux and a brewshop sack of supplies.
Ain't gonna want no parts of heads or tails if she runnin that rig correctly.

If she run it good,,,,,,heads and tails gonna be ugly as ...................

[rtalbigr]

OUCH! Exon

Ditto!

This is why some people are really put off with this forum. Some are diplomatic, some are not.

Big R

[rubber duck]

That reads like one of my posts.

Welcome aboard.

Exon is right you do need to know what your doing before you fire it up, but that's why your here right. Don't let that scare you, it's a perfectly safe hobby, you just need to pay attention.

If you need some help be sure to speak up.

[Moorea]

I believe that women and distilling, in some points of view, are a more common thing than men and distilling, since all of us need a stove, and women are genetically closer to the stove than men, for sure they will be more confortable distilling LOL
But keeping jokes aside, take some time to read and swallow all the info you find here and anjoy your new hobby keeping in mind that any activity, played with safety, is safe.
I have an african friend that used to say "in cannibal land, there´s no oral sex"

my best regards

Moorea, from Ilhabela - Brazil

[Bayou-Ruler]

welcome

[Bull Rider]

Good On Ya!

You're on the right path to success. The parent site, and this forum has all of the information, tips, and suggestions that you need to get up and running in a safe and efficient manner.

Break down your learning curve into segments, and it will be much easier. Otherwise it can be overwhelming.

The mash recipe and the mash process.

The safe operation of your still.

Testing and cleaning your equipment.

Producing a product.

Cutting and blending.

Aging for maximum flavor.

If you need more help, Rubber Duck and I can fly over and visit.



Bull.

[blanikdog]

... You should learn about 'foreshots,' 'heads,' 'hearts,' and 'tails' BEFORE you begin... and how to calculate in advance how much you should expect to take.

I don't understand how to 'calculate' fores, heads, hearts and tails. I firmly believe that the best calculator for these are smell and taste and couldn't give two stuffs if it doesn't align with calculated amounts.

But then, I've never bothered to even try calculating cos I can't see the point or the need or the effectiveness. Regardless of arithmatic it either tastes good or it doesn't.


And my apologies to the ladies. Those kitchen comments were uncalled for.

[Bushman]

I just wanted to introduce myself to all the people out there, im from nz which is a lovely place

I've already welcomed you but had to tell you I just booked a 6 week trip to Europe with a lay-over in Iceland. While reading up on Iceland they claim to be the second friendliest country next to your NZ. I guess I will have to plan a trip to your lovely place!

[azeo]

Welcome aboard Morgana! Amazing place kerosine creek, "found" it once when when taking my time back to welly from Awakeri.

Hope the super reflux is going well - a couple of ideas if you still have questions - how far away are you from the seller in terms of a toll-call? If it's local, don't be scared of ringing them up to get advice, they sold an expensive product and it's in their best interests to help you use it safely and get the best results you can. If not free calling, perhaps see if they'll give you their email. Perhaps do that anyway, as you can always refer back to the answers - again, they should be giving you all the advice and clarification you need.

Follow the instructions to the letter until really familiar and happy with it's operation and recipe/s and have many brews under your belt. You can then start comparing this still with the recipes and other stills on here, and when it all starts making sense, it's time to try something different from the "book" recipe.

Good luck, theres a few kiwis around here, so a good chance someone can offer local advice!
azeo

[Morgana-rose]

Hi everyone thanks for all your help and info, my girlfriend came over and took over as she is doing her one as well, but she has people helping her,anyway i think she boobooed it up as she took the 1st 100mls out but she did not take the tail out and she had put it in the bucket after it had gone thru the still, I told her that shouldint we take the tail out, and she said no you don't have too, its been in the bucket with the carbon in sitting for a week now, before i filter it, hmm what should i do if the tails not out, not only that before she had watered it down to 40% it only came out as 60% when my super reflux should be bout 80%. Do i need to throw it out and start again? I had brought this still on a auction site off a old guy whos in his late 70s he was such a lovley guy, but i did not get a book or anything to show me how to use it or any recipies, so i will be relying soley on this site, I spoke to the brew guy who is 40mins away from me and he seems to think it could be my water preasure as i live out in the country. So next time i will not have my friend give me a hand, but i must admitt that having a man around sure does help, cause those buckets are heaaaavy to lift in the still, and is it really nesscersary to put a turbo clear in your wash, as she said you dont need it, I was hoping to take a bottle of kahlua down to christchurch for my sister whos comeing from ozz as we have a wedding to go to but i need to find a good recipe for that i have till the 23rd of feb, i guess i better start another thread else where as this is only an introduction part, And thanks to all who are helping me, i
am off to do some reading up on here, but all the help is reallly reallly apreciated,
thank you all
morgana rose

[LWTCS]

Tails gonna smell like and old shoe Miss Morgana.

But don't worry. Just run it thru the still again if you are unhappy with the result. Dilute back to at least 40% or so. Don't toss it.

It will be good for practice. Collect in small jars so that you can better identify the transitions from heads to hearts and hearts to tails. Let your distillate air over night and the next day you should be able to do a very good job with your woman nose of smelling your cleanest bit of likker within your lot of jars.
I beleive that most ladies have a better sence of smell than most men.

Prolly should get 2 or three fermenters up and running. That will help you stay on top of your stock,,,,,specially when your friends are helping widdle down the fruits of your labor.

[rad14701]

Morgana-rose, what LWTCS said...

Too many cooks in the kitchen comes to mind... Also, some folks just have too much of a brute force mentality... I can remember times when attempting something a simple as loosening a rusted nut or bolt with some finesse, only to have someone else try to help by applying too much force and either rounding the head or breaking the bolt... That "get a bigger hammer" mentality can be tough to shake... Heck, I could have broken the bolt all by myself... Duh...!!!

Don't be afraid to go solo until you get things sorted... Re-distill, taking your time, making proper cuts, and you should be able to taste and smell the difference...

Keep us posted on your progress...

[exon]

Glad your first venture turned out well, M !

Always good to have a co-pilot!

Now you can fire her...

Good luck w ur kahlua recipe.
exon

[azeo]

so far so good... ! It's certainly best to treat the first few distillations as practice runs, and as LWTCS says you don't have to throw them out. What you *can* do as mentioned is redilute them, and run them again, this saves making up a new wash each time, and lets you try out the still again and again, checking the heads and tails, their smell etc, the temps they come off at and get familiar with how it all works, water flow requirements etc.

If the spirit is coming out cold from the condensor, that's usually a good sign of enough water flow. I do know these stills also use the flow for controlling "reflux" (which helps deterenine the strength %), so if flow/pressure is very low, it's certainly possible this is affecting the strength, although it would probably have to be very low at a guess. Often the problem is a "weak" fermentation to start with, not enough sugar, too much sugar, temp too hot or cold for the yeast, etc. so quite a few things to go wrong, even before distillation.

ok on the seller, I assumed it came form a shop although 'Trade Me' did cross my mind.... I'm not too far away from a home-brew shop and visiting one soon, happy to find out more about the super reflux and see if I can find anything of use to pass on, there may even be some instructions on line somewhere, possibly under the "Great Expectations or "Still spirits" websites. Perhaps others too, have specific knowledge about these particular stills.

One thing I don't think we've mentioned yet is plastics (although I don't want to start throwing too many new things in here), many of the NZ made stills use plastic in certain areas, but it's something that is good to stay away from as much as possible, as the spirit can leach small amounts of toxins out of the material, and one might as well keep these to a minimum. Best also to use glass (jam jars, "Agee" jars, any old clean juice or pickle jars etc great for this), stainless steel or crockery containers (lead-free glaze tho) for the spirit after it come out of the still, and stay away from using plastic buckets, containers etc. You may already be doing something like this, if so that's even better!

Don't be afraid to start asking questions in the novice sections, we're all still learning, no matter how long we've been involved, and all had to start at the same place! Good luck!

[Morgana-rose]

Wow thanks everyone for the wonderful help. yes my alcohol is in the bucket in carbon but i did know not to put them in plastic bottles, so i have over 200 glass bottles that have been sterilised etc. I have my daughters 21st comming up next yr so i throught i can get it up and running then let it sit for the yr should be nice by then. My daughter has alot of friends and family whom a big drinkers aswell, me i hardly drink but do not mind the odd kahlua and malibu, baileys, i still have my malibu from 6yrs ago i have a glass each birthday, well im going to head over to the novice section and see what i can find there, thanks all
have a wonderful night

[exon]

Hello M,

It would be good if your product was still in those glass jars... If they were not kept in order, as they came off the super-M, smell of each of them to determine which of them may be the heads, and tails... You should be able to notice some difference. Set the worst smelling of the lot aside, to run with your next wash.

There should not be a reason to use turbo clear if you will allow your product to set 2 or 3 days in a cool place. Most heavies should settle to the bottom and you shall be able to pour the bulk off the top, leaving residuals to run back through the super-M as tails in the next wash.
exon

[LWTCS]

Lordy lordy Miss Morgana.

Please be careful servin them youngsters your likker. They gonna conduct themselves properly?

I wouldn't serve anything higher than 50% and let em know what it is so they don't get suprised and/or hurt.

Good luck

[Morgana-rose]

I totally agree with you on serving the young ones home made, but it was actually them that got me into it, they all drink the homebrew stuff, i had never heard of making you own from hme, till i tryed there's except for beer that my dad did, but not sprits, pitty they live 6hurs away,its my daughters friends etc, no ive dialuted it down to 38% thanks all.

[azeo]

good one M, safety always has to be a big concern with the homemade, especially when sharing/making for others, well done. When I first started this game, I was tempted to make some powerful brews (as one does sometimes), and caught out a friend or too, even when they were *told* to take it easy, and possibly myself too from time-time when judgment not so good! While it's nice to have a "special reserve" in the cabinet, std strength or close to is a good safety margin, specially when their can be plenty around to share and the flavoor good!

[Samohon]

Welcome to HD Morgana-rose...

Great to have another lady join the ranks of Home Distillation...

Were here to help Morgana, as RD has said, just holler if your not sure...

All great advice... Have fun with your new hobby and stay safe...

[Morgana-rose]

Just wanted to say that on the weekend i had filterd my alcohol so i could put it back in the i asume would be the wash to run thru the still, anyway i had some people here and they wanted to try it, it was just a tiny sip as i was afraid they might pass out on me etc, but to my surprise they said it was the best vodka theve ever tasted, better than the shop one, and one of my friends is part russian, and he loved it, so they took a bottle and drank it mixed after i did what was needed to be done for smoothness etc, well it went down really well, and they woke up with no hangover or sick so i did well, i mustin of left the tail in yay, thank you all for your help and support, i have also spent long hours reading the other message boards here which has been a wonderful help, thank you to all the people for posting, now i must sort out and find me a kahlua recipe