Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Hey guys wasn't sure what section to post this in but its an odd one for ya lol....

I've been learning the double distill method (from the kiwi chart) using my airstill and turbo washes ( I know , I know)

I'm trying to work on taking good cuts but I have to purely rely on measurement and partially taste, as I have pretty much no sense of smell.... :violin:

This has been ok using turbo as I have learnt to start to taste when its getting into tails from hearts .

I really want to do a TPW, how does the taste differ from turbo as your going from heads to hearts to tails etc? are there distinct measurements / tastes I should be looking out for in a TPW nuetral when doing cuts?

Sorry for the long winded question, i hope you can understand what I'm trying to say lol

Cheers Legends

Less defined but still doable. Especially through a pot still(airstill) you should give wbab it will be much more pleasant after being potstilled...

ok cool i did see the WBAB but wasnt sure it would be cool to run through an airstill

Will give that a crack !

TPW via an air still will give you weak, alcoholic tomato soup .
The air still is a very rudimentary pot still and any flavour put into it will come out of it .
Weet-bix would be a better start

Thanks Stig, i just assumed TPW was the way to go as everyone seems to mention it over turbo lol

Ill get a WBAB on this week and see how I go.

:text-thankyoublue:

I've never run a TPW. but most that use it run through a reflux column.
I do TFFV for my neutrals it was good so I never tried anything else.

B-Man wrote:I've never run a TPW. but most that use it run through a reflux column.

This

ok so WBAB or TFFV or try both lol?

FYI ive been chatting to 5SD about a boka set up but will prob be after christmas :D

That’s only 6 weeks so let the count down begin lol

Benny_Stitch wrote:ok so WBAB or TFFV or try both lol?

Through your air still? WBAB for sure. Since the air-still is a pot still some of the wash flavour will carry over into your spirit; essentially you'll be making a whiskey. In my opinion, it is better for any residual flavour in your final spirit to be a pleasant wheat one.

Professor Green wrote:

Benny_Stitch wrote:ok so WBAB or TFFV or try both lol?

Through your air still? WBAB for sure. Since the air-still is a pot still some of the wash flavour will carry over into your spirit; essentially you'll be making a whiskey. In my opinion, it is better for any residual flavour in your final spirit to be a pleasant wheat one.

Im predominantly a bourbon drinker so maybe ill use the WBAB for bourbon type flavourings and stick with the turbo for the sweet cordial stuff?

WBAB is surprisingly not want you would want for bourbon, I too like bourbon and have just done my first WBAB, amazing what it comes out like, big initial intro, no taste and warming heavily as it goes down. Not Bourbon, a good neutral, flavour and mild oak slow and patient. That's what I learnt so far, 100% corn attempt this weekend.

chipboy wrote:WBAB is surprisingly not want you would want for bourbon, I too like bourbon and have just done my first WBAB, amazing what it comes out like, big initial intro, no taste and warming heavily as it goes down. Not Bourbon, a good neutral, flavour and mild oak slow and patient. That's what I learnt so far, 100% corn attempt this weekend.

almost sounds like tequila or a cheap vodka lol

Maybe try the cornflake wash if you like bourbon. I would avoid the turbos altogether. WBAB also makes a good base for neutrals if run right.

Professor Green wrote:Maybe try the cornflake wash if you like bourbon. I would avoid the turbos altogether. WBAB also makes a good base for neutrals if run right.

I have collected the ingredients for the WBAB today and purchased a second fermenting vessel, was hoping to get in on tonight but im half way through a bottle of home brew turkey so may have to wait until tomorrow afternoon. :))

Ill have a look on the forum for cornflake wash and may give that a crack in my other fermentor next week.

Im definately stepping it up , from one wash on the run to two , and hopefully a new still come the new year!

Good times ahead!!!!

Just put down the WBAB so fingers crossed! Keen as to see how it comes out! :dance:

It’s going to be VERY different to your turbos .

G'Day Benny,
With all this experimenting your doing mate it may be time to do some reading and up the anti :handgestures-thumbupleft:

First go take at my my malting thread where I just used bog standard fodder store grain, malted it then did a mash and man that for me has left breakfast washes a thing of the past.

Now as the air still is only small lets say 4-5 strip runs to get enough low wines for a spirit run which will blow you away with the sweet malty taste of barely.

A $20 investment in a bag of barely is a natural for one who makes their own and it's about the same for cracked corn so this is where we what we call generations where the first run is called a sweet mash and backset ( or the stuff left in the boiler after a run) is added to to the first ferment to make a sour mash.

I'm sure just using a 23 litre fermenter will be enough to get started and with home malted grain the strike temp or the water in the mash tun or 10 litre stock pot is about 73-74 C so when the malt is added the temp drops so the conversion can start. Now the HBS should have some US-05 yeast so grab that and just put 2kg's of grain down to malt. So put the grains in a bucket with holes drilled in the base and every few hours fill the bucket again, do this for day then find a tray or kind to put the grains and keep the critters out and when it's time to dry the grains just put your oven on at a low temp and fill the house with with that nice barely smell :laughing-rolling: We just want to dry the grains totally then we have to break open the grain so if no crusher or corona mill is there a steel bucket and a prod rod will do the same job.

So I do hope this post will get you thinking about a nice drop and going this way will determine your choice of still for the next instalment of your learning.

Any questions mate just post them in here and don't feel to scared to try mate as we all were when we started.

Cheers Bryan

RuddyCrazy wrote:G'Day Benny,
With all this experimenting your doing mate it may be time to do some reading and up the anti :handgestures-thumbupleft:

First go take at my my malting thread where I just used bog standard fodder store grain, malted it then did a mash and man that for me has left breakfast washes a thing of the past.

Now as the air still is only small lets say 4-5 strip runs to get enough low wines for a spirit run which will blow you away with the sweet malty taste of barely.

A $20 investment in a bag of barely is a natural for one who makes their own and it's about the same for cracked corn so this is where we what we call generations where the first run is called a sweet mash and backset ( or the stuff left in the boiler after a run) is added to to the first ferment to make a sour mash.

I'm sure just using a 23 litre fermenter will be enough to get started and with home malted grain the strike temp or the water in the mash tun or 10 litre stock pot is about 73-74 C so when the malt is added the temp drops so the conversion can start. Now the HBS should have some US-05 yeast so grab that and just put 2kg's of grain down to malt. So put the grains in a bucket with holes drilled in the base and every few hours fill the bucket again, do this for day then find a tray or kind to put the grains and keep the critters out and when it's time to dry the grains just put your oven on at a low temp and fill the house with with that nice barely smell :laughing-rolling: We just want to dry the grains totally then we have to break open the grain so if no crusher or corona mill is there a steel bucket and a prod rod will do the same job.

So I do hope this post will get you thinking about a nice drop and going this way will determine your choice of still for the next instalment of your learning.

Any questions mate just post them in here and don't feel to scared to try mate as we all were when we started.

Cheers Bryan

Hi Ruddy
Thank heaps for writing that up, i was hoping to wait for a new still before getting into that sort of territory, Do you think its worth running it through the air still? Might be a cool project to do over christmas break.

A few questions if you dont mind.

1. So after initial fermentation, drain out the wash and leave the sludge in the bottom of the FV ? then the backset from the stripping runs is added back to the FV for the second gen and topped up with water im assuming? Then how much yeast would need to be added if any to kick of the second gen ferment? Do you add anything else to the second gen?

2. You mentioned the first gen makes a "sweet mash" and then due to backset into the 2nd gen wash it produces a "sour mash". How many generations can you do and do you add backwash for every generation? and if so does it become more sour after each generation?

3. This would be best run through a pot still as opposed to a reflux when i decide an an upgrade to keep the flavours to head towards a bourbon / whiskey? im assuming you put the good stuff on oak after your spirit run?

Thanks again
Benny

Benny_Stitch wrote:

RuddyCrazy wrote:G'Day Benny,
With all this experimenting your doing mate it may be time to do some reading and up the anti :handgestures-thumbupleft:

First go take at my my malting thread where I just used bog standard fodder store grain, malted it then did a mash and man that for me has left breakfast washes a thing of the past.

Now as the air still is only small lets say 4-5 strip runs to get enough low wines for a spirit run which will blow you away with the sweet malty taste of barely.

A $20 investment in a bag of barely is a natural for one who makes their own and it's about the same for cracked corn so this is where we what we call generations where the first run is called a sweet mash and backset ( or the stuff left in the boiler after a run) is added to to the first ferment to make a sour mash.

I'm sure just using a 23 litre fermenter will be enough to get started and with home malted grain the strike temp or the water in the mash tun or 10 litre stock pot is about 73-74 C so when the malt is added the temp drops so the conversion can start. Now the HBS should have some US-05 yeast so grab that and just put 2kg's of grain down to malt. So put the grains in a bucket with holes drilled in the base and every few hours fill the bucket again, do this for day then find a tray or kind to put the grains and keep the critters out and when it's time to dry the grains just put your oven on at a low temp and fill the house with with that nice barely smell :laughing-rolling: We just want to dry the grains totally then we have to break open the grain so if no crusher or corona mill is there a steel bucket and a prod rod will do the same job.

So I do hope this post will get you thinking about a nice drop and going this way will determine your choice of still for the next instalment of your learning.

Any questions mate just post them in here and don't feel to scared to try mate as we all were when we started.

Cheers Bryan

Hi Ruddy
Thank heaps for writing that up, i was hoping to wait for a new still before getting into that sort of territory, Do you think its worth running it through the air still? Might be a cool project to do over christmas break.

A few questions if you dont mind.

1. So after initial fermentation, drain out the wash and leave the sludge in the bottom of the FV ? then the backset from the stripping runs is added back to the FV for the second gen and topped up with water im assuming? Then how much yeast would need to be added if any to kick of the second gen ferment? Do you add anything else to the second gen?

No more yeast should be needed and after you take out the wash for distilling add some water so the yeast bed doesn't dry out, now you scoop out some of the used grains and assuming the first wash is a pure barely one add some cracked corn and invert some sugar to aim for 1065-170 SG. It won't be long before the ferment kicks off either.

2. You mentioned the first gen makes a "sweet mash" and then due to backset into the 2nd gen wash it produces a "sour mash". How many generations can you do and do you add backwash for every generation? and if so does it become more sour after each generation?

Basically yes

3. This would be best run through a pot still as opposed to a reflux when i decide an an upgrade to keep the flavours to head towards a bourbon / whiskey? im assuming you put the good stuff on oak after your spirit run?

If you put this thru a reflux still all flavour would be lost and if doing it in a pot still one would strip each generation and keep the low wines until there is enough to do a spirit run then after cuts temper down to 65% and age on oak

Thanks again
Benny

Mate feel free to ask more questions and honestly this isn't hard and the rewards are there for the taking.

Cheers Bryan