Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

the Doctor wrote:The advice stated here is all pretty well on target ...but if there were one tip to make reagent quality ethanol it would be to cut hard... our discard rate is about 57% to achieve ethanol at a quality we are comfortable with. Carbon filtration will help, but does not take the place of good cutting. Also we do not reprocess the discards, they are used in ethanol fireplaces to heat our home and bar .
Doc

Good cuts as suggested Doc, then carbon filtering. That's what I do. However, I have been re-distilling the discards. I'm interested to hear why you discard the heads and tails? I'm more than happy to follow your lead though but interested to understand your theory... Cheers, Lowie. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I'm not going to speak for the doc but I would guess that the less shit into the next run = the less shit out :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Sam you nailed it....every time we evaporate and condense we create purer ethanol...so it is with the congeners... repeated re-processing creates purer congeners...some of which will smear into the hearts... I have always felt that the best spirit came from virgin runs without any re processed spirit. I know we gun for a high standard of neutral ...basically pure ethanol. Our distillery is situated over a kilometre above sea level and gets very cold in winter, so we burn our excess spirit discards in 4 ethanol furnaces to heat our house and bar so there is no waste..... If your goal is absolutely pure vodka, hard cutting is the secret.
Doc

What do you guys think of using sodium bicarbonate in the low wines.
I use a small amount - about 100 grams to 45 litre low wines at 30% abv.
It is supposed to make cuts easier and smaller heads portion.

I must add that my last 2 or 3 runs have had very good neutral. I compared it to a bottle of Belvedere vodka ($55 per bottle) and the Belvedere is only slightly better.
Practice and getting good cuts is imperative

I have tried the bi carb thing before and couldn't tell any difference.

the Doctor wrote:Sam you nailed it....every time we evaporate and condense we create purer ethanol...so it is with the congeners... repeated re-processing creates purer congeners...some of which will smear into the hearts... I have always felt that the best spirit came from virgin runs without any re processed spirit. I know we gun for a high standard of neutral ...basically pure ethanol. Our distillery is situated over a kilometre above sea level and gets very cold in winter, so we burn our excess spirit discards in 4 ethanol furnaces to heat our house and bar so there is no waste..... If your goal is absolutely pure vodka, hard cutting is the secret.
Doc

Thanks Doc - appreciate your wise words of wisdom. Now if I can just find a small ethanol heater for my shed... :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Some great info here folks . thanks.

I’ve read bits and pieces re. cutting. For a noob I’m still trying to perfect them... I guess it takes a lot of practice.

Am I right in saying that cut at 300ml intervals? Or should I cut at 300ml for the first few cuts, then 5ltr hearts then start cutting again? Just saves a lot of mucking around.

Just get more cuts jars and continue taking cuts all the way through hearts in case you stuff up and let some tails into your "5 L" of hearts. Much easier than having to re-run it.

Sam. wrote:I have tried the bi carb thing before and couldn't tell any difference.

I believe it makes a difference, i seem to get a lot better heads compression.