Home Distiller

Just wanted to know if any of you have any opinions about the use of the Alcotec 24 hour turbo--I'm a long time brewer and know the faster the ferment the more esters, and a newcomer to distilling and have heard that esters are not so good in the wash.
THANKS!

There are two factions of distillers. Those for flavored spirits like whiskey and those for a nuetral spiritvoid of flavors like vodka.

For Vodka you will likely use a fractionating column and turbos wouldn't be a problem, if you go for flavor then you may not want to use a turbo.

I have used the Alcotec Turbo's. usually the 48 which ferments 8kg sugar to 20%. In my view this one - and the 24 - produces off flavours, which come through strongly in a pot still so I carbon filter afterwards.

Having said that I now use the so called 'pure' yeasts. Alcotec do one called 'Vodka Star' and I thoroughly recommend it. It ferments 6kg to 14% without the off flavours and even with a pot still will produce a much purer product without filtering.

In fact it produces a neutral alcohol that can on it's own be made into a very acceptable drink by the addition of say 30 ml toffee syrup etc.

I produce a cheap drink as above which I call 'Tofka'. It is very popular with friends and keeps them happy whilst I keep myself happy with my own real vodka, gin, rum etc.

Once the wash has finished fermenting clear it like you would a wine. It finishes crystal clear, with the appearance of water. Alcotec also do a clearing agent in a sachet called 'Turbo Klar' that does the job quickly and effectively.

Thanks for the input from both of you!
One other question--I read somewhere that one shouldn't collect the emerging distillate in glass. Is this true? if so, why? I'm thinking it's simply due to possible cracks due to heat, but if using Pyrex?/mason jars?, or is there another reason that is tied to flavors
THANKS!

If you're distillate is that hot then there's a problem. Mine comes out cool. As for glass not being suitable for any reason whatsoever then that's incorrect. THM will tell you not to use plastic. Glass is the purest, and least affected of all by any chemical reactions except one acid which if I remember correctly is hydrofluoric acid.

Glass won't crack from heat. In fact, heating up glass in an oven often makes glass stronger by reducing the stress in the glass.

It is rapid and uneven changes in temperature that will crack glass. The chance of your distillate being able to cause a rapid enough change in temperature in the glass is unlikely.

leglessboot wrote:In fact it produces a neutral alcohol that can on it's own be made into a very acceptable drink by the addition of say 30 ml toffee syrup etc.

I produce a cheap drink as above which I call 'Tofka'. It is very popular with friends and keeps them happy whilst I keep myself happy with my own real vodka, gin, rum etc.

Tofka, eh? Sounds nice, I might try that.