Hi!
Here's another new member post. It's quite long. Sorry not sorry.
I've had an interest in distillation for a while... In my early 20s I wanted to build a big reflux still out of copper to produce fuel and/or solvents for cleaning. Although copper wasn't as expensive as it is now, it was still prohibitively expensive for a lad in his 20s, so it never happened. Probably for the best, really.
So, time passes; twenty years or so. I visited the Plymouth Gin distillery a couple of years ago, and went on the "master distiller experience" where we got to distill our own very small batch of gin. It was great fun, and rekindled my interest in distillation. The tour also included a lot of information about the distillation process used at the distillery.
I now have a lab glassware set of 1l boiling flask, reflux column, Liebig condenser, 500ml receiving flask, heated with a temperature controlled heating mantle. Also a short distillation head if I want a small batch "pot still". Not your usual moonshine gear - it would be pretty tedious running 5 gal of wash through that, so I got the Still Spirits Air Still which I plan to use for stripping runs and also as a pot still. I don't have the space for a big reflux still.
I have yet to use any of this gear, though. Just started fermenting 10l of sugar wash as a training run, fingers crossed I'll get something useful out of it. If not, hopefully I'll learn something
My original plan was to just use store bought vodka as my base spirit, but I realised that would be expensive and could get boring.
I've distilled a bit of vodka and wine with the glassware, just for the lols really. I love watching it condense! The output was.. drinkable I guess (diluted of course).
I have an interest in chemistry, though never studied or practiced it professionally. Have a few friends who do, though. I'm quite familiar with the smells of various solvents, though I'm still (no pun intended) going to be very careful - any "discarded" spirit can be used as cleaner/degreaser so I won't be too upset if I can't drink it.
Really excited about this new hobby. I always have loads of strawberries and rhubarb in my garden which I run out of things do to with, I think this would be an excellent way to use them.
Congratulations/apologies if you read this far!
Another new user post
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Re: Another new user post
hello and welcome. That's awesome you got to have actual hands on experience like that. That would be so fun! We have a ton of distilleries around here and they offer tours, but you just get to sample some of their product (for a fee of course). I think when it gets warmer, I may have to try it.
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Re: Another new user post
Welcome
I drink so much now,on the back of my license it's a list of organs I need.
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Re: Another new user post
Welcome from a fellow new member. Here’s to seeing you around the virtual still.