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Making Gin With A T500

PostPosted: Fri Oct 26, 2018 8:24 am
by StillBrewing
Evening/Morning All

Gin is a big thing over here in the UK at the moment. I used to hate the bloody stuff, but that was until I started sampling products apart from Gordons. At the moment I'm using the Still Spirits flavourings. They are pretty good, especially if extra Juniper and lemon peel is added for a week to their version of dry gin.

I noticed that Still Spirits now sell a gin basket, one that is screwed on to the bottom of the T500 reflux still and then run without packing to push the flavour of the botanicals through. Over the last couple of years I have read so many groups, forums and different places that say a T500 should not be run without the packing in the column because of the plastic part covering the top.

Last week I bit the bullet and contacted Still Spirits to see if I could get some answers from the horses mouth. I asked them whether it was safe to run without packing and also asked what temperature to run the still at without the packing. The reply was pretty quick but not what I expected. All they did was thank me for the email and send me some instructions on how to use the gin basket.

So, you now have Still Spirits telling us to remove all the packing to make gin with the screw on basket and you have everybody else saying not to do it.

Should it be done, can it be done safely ???. If the answer is yes, what sort of temp should it be run at.

Cheers.

Re: Making Gin With A T500

PostPosted: Fri Oct 26, 2018 8:59 am
by RC Al
Have a search for broken, leaking, melted +t500, lots of examples....

The reality is that your ready to move on to some better equipment

I would suggest a pot still head for your boiler, you can basket the botanicals and have a go at flavored washes :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Re: Making Gin With A T500

PostPosted: Fri Oct 26, 2018 8:39 pm
by warramungas
Looks like it screws in the bottom.
If the bottom then no packing is probably better or you'll lose flavor but from what I've heard the t500 hates being run in pot still mode. Probably work fine with the alembic setup.

Re: Making Gin With A T500

PostPosted: Sat Oct 27, 2018 5:41 am
by Professor Green
warramungas wrote:Looks like it screws in the bottom.
If the bottom then no packing is probably better or you'll lose flavor but from what I've heard the t500 hates being run in pot still mode. Probably work fine with the alembic setup.


:text-+1:

I would think using it with an unpacked column can only end in disaster.

Re: Making Gin With A T500

PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2018 7:22 pm
by Doubleuj
StillBrewing wrote:
So, you now have Still Spirits telling us to remove all the packing to make gin with the screw on basket and you have everybody else saying not to do it.

Should it be done, can it be done safely ???. If the answer is yes, what sort of temp should it be run at.

Cheers.


Mine deformed and leaked even when fully packed, don’t see how taking the packing out will make it better :angry-banghead:
If you decide to do it, make sure the stills under warranty and keep a small mirror handy, and a fire extinguisher.
Basically I’d suggest not to try it, build a simple pot still.
Run your t500 properly and take good cuts, then macerate your botanicals in the hearts and re run it through the pot :dance:
You’ll be drinking your gin with fever tree in no time :handgestures-thumbupleft: