New to Home Distiller

[Crazytechnology]

Hi Guys, I would like to introduce myself. I am from Brisbane in Australia and have been brewing for approximately four years. I have one of those Essencia reflux stills, the blue type which I have seen in a couple of photos on this site. I think this is a cooling management reflux still. I get good alcohol but it has taken me a long time to work out how to run the still to its optimum. I used to be constantly altering the water flow to control the temperature until I realised that once you get the temperature right it will pretty much regulate itself. As this type of alcohol is basically a cordial I started to think about making a bourbon that was more like the real thing with corn etc. That’s when I discovered this site and have been learning ever since. I have tried “Alkoholics” advice about splitting the Turbo Yeast packs into two and have just recently tried Birdwatchers Sugar Wash and that’s what I will be using from now on. I have always known about the foreshots but not about the heads, hearts and tails. By recycling the heads and tails the alcohol just gets better every time. I currently make Samuel Willards Kentucky Style Bourbon which is where I started and still enjoy drinking and Top Shelf Irish Whiskey which is good for a change. I also make gin, a rum for my mates and just started making a non flavoured alcohol to add to dry ginger ale for something a bit different. One day I would love to get a pot still and experiment further with using corn and rye to make a bourbon. So a big thankyou to everyone on this site for your advice.

[Bushman]

First welcome to the forum! I just googled that still as I am not familiar with the design. Looks like the column is a bit small for their claim of achieving 90% ABV. I would be interested on your take on it, have you measured the ABV of your product? Also I cannot tell by the picture, I can see that the waterlines are plastic which is ok but it looked like your collection was also plastic which is not good.

[Bushman]

Just found this thread on your still, might want to read through it.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 5&start=15

[Prairiepiss]

Hear give this one a looky to.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 46&t=13264

[Crazytechnology]

That’s exactly the still that I’ve got Prairiepiss. Since I started reading up on this site I have been getting 94% ABV. Which I think is fantastic. I think this is because I am taking out the tails which would normally drop the ABV down and because I am recycling the heads and tails I get just as much alcohol that tastes better. Bushman I am pretty sure the packing is copper but then again I am not a metallurgist. I do filter my alcohol even though I know I don’t have to but I recently bought a new stainless steel filter that you load up with carbon and I can’t help myself, I have to use it. Yes there’s a sucker born every minute. The cooling tubes are plastic but the outlet for the spirits is silicone. I don’t know if that’s any better but the guy selling the still seemed to think it was. I think that’s the point, when you don’t know better and you walk into a brew shop they sell you whatever they can and not what is the best for making alcohol. They also need to sell consumables to ensure an ongoing income for the business which is why they don’t tell you about Birdwatchers Sugar Wash or using a pot still. I have to say I am happy with my still but I would like to expand my knowledge which will happen slowly with everyone’s help. So thanks for the welcome and advice.

[Prairiepiss]

First I will say ditch the silicon hose. It's not good either. Find a suitable replacement. Soft copper pipe maybe?

Now on to you method. How are you running it? You say you are leaving out the tails? Because it would normally make the ABV go down? And recycling the heads and tails? You kinda lost me with all that?

[LWTCS]

I took it to mean that he is excluding any hint of what he percieves to be tails from his final blend. And therefore his final aggregate ABV is that much more increased

[rad14701]

The Essencia design is not terrible and has been known to make nice spirits for members... The performance can be increased by adding a packed column extension between the boiler and the compact Essencia still head to increase the HETP's...

[Bushman]

First I will say ditch the silicon hose. It's not good either. Find a suitable replacement. Soft copper pipe maybe?

Now on to you method. How are you running it? You say you are leaving out the tails? Because it would normally make the ABV go down? And recycling the heads and tails? You kinda lost me with all that?

PP this was a discussion in another thread, most people do not add the heads back in on their next run, but discussion was that with a reflux still you can probably get away with adding both heads and tails in the next run. I have done it both ways but mostly use heads for keeping the shop clean. The ABV drops with tails but with my VM still it never drops below 87%.

[Prairiepiss]

I've been saving everything that I don't think is drinkable. And running them with my CM. But I don't want to hijacking his thread with all my thoughts. And I kinda remember that discussion.

The way he worded it just concerned me for some reason? I had a gut feeling? And the fact he said he left the tails out but then said he ran them? I was just cornfused on what he ment. I was just really trying to get clarification on his process.

[Bushman]

I've been saving everything that I don't think is drinkable. And running them with my CM. But I don't want to hijacking his thread with all my thoughts. And I kinda remember that discussion.

The way he worded it just concerned me for some reason? I had a gut feeling? And the fact he said he left the tails out but then said he ran them? I was just cornfused on what he ment. I was just really trying to get clarification on his process.

Gotcha!