Just bought an upgrade

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SPEEDY
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Just bought an upgrade

Post by SPEEDY »

Still that is. :dance: :dance: :dance:

I'm finally moving up from my little old 1 gallon still to a 5 gallon one, and for the 1st time I'm running a thumper, although I'm doing it a little different too.
Most people put a little water water in theirs but I'm going to run viper mesh. That helps remove any sulfides in the shine and makes for a much smoother finish.
Also helps remove any unwanted solids just as good as water does.

Now I get my 5 gallon tub brewing with my rum and set up my 12 gallon tub brewing up a strait sprouted corn traditional shine that's yeast free for a superior smooth finish.

So now all I need is to hit my brother up to save me a good replacement piece of liver. :lol:
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9.3x64
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Re: Just bought an upgrade

Post by 9.3x64 »

Wow that's interesting speedy.
I would love to try some one day.
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SPEEDY
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Re: Just bought an upgrade

Post by SPEEDY »

If ya ever head north east drop in and grab a bottle or two. :handgestures-thumbup:

The thumper is the interesting bit, I've never run one before, I've run air stills and reflux stills but the pot still is supposed to be the best and the thumper is supposed to be the key, it adds an extra bit of filtration and removes extra water.
It should be here next week so I'd better get another pot of mash going so I can test it out when it arrives.
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9.3x64
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Re: Just bought an upgrade

Post by 9.3x64 »

SPEEDY wrote: Mon Sep 03, 2018 3:03 am If ya ever head north east drop in and grab a bottle or two. :handgestures-thumbup:
Thanks mate.
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SPEEDY
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Re: Just bought an upgrade

Post by SPEEDY »

I took 3 bottles over to Thailand, whilè drinking the local rice based stuff with the outlaws and a bunch of the village men I broke one out.
It made them sit up pretty quick and take a breath, they couldn't believe it could be that strong and still be so smooth.
Made me extra welcome, and they want more next visit. :lol:
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Re: Just bought an upgrade

Post by SPEEDY »

I'm thinking about calling it "Speedys burning pot likker" :lol:

[BBvideo=560,315]https://youtu.be/6YLtSBs0VMc[/BBvideo]
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deerhunter338mag
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Re: Just bought an upgrade

Post by deerhunter338mag »

That’s a mad set up. I met an old guy once that would make whiskey and bourbon. Was bloody nice. He sold it to the locals just to give him some extra coin. I’m sure it was all legal. :whistle: :lol: :lol:
Measure it, when it’s on the deck

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Re: Just bought an upgrade

Post by SPEEDY »

Known plenty of blokes that make mixer spirits for sale, white sugar, carbon filter and flavor added, bloody amateurs.
You can make white spirit with all the flavor if you do it right from scratch.
Actually they only started ageing spirits since the early/mid 1800's and like champagne that got discovered by accident.
But a nice shine be it corn, the or other doesn't need to be aged and is traditionally white.
Nobody ages vodka or modt tequila which is one reason that I like them, the flavor comes from the quality of the ingredients used to make them, and that's the same with real shine.
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Gun Barrel Ecologist
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Re: Just bought an upgrade

Post by Gun Barrel Ecologist »

Hey speedy, any chance of pics of your sprouter & fermenter?
After chatting with colleagues who have stills I've been eyeing off a T500 kit with the copper pot condenser and infuser for gin but most of the kit is set up for the usual 8kg of sugar and turbo yeast which doesnt interest me.

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sav338
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Re: Just bought an upgrade

Post by sav338 »

Now that’s an elaborate setup, I can vaguely remember the parent making wine then put the squashed skins in the bathtub add boiled water ,sucrose ,and yeast i. It would sit there fermenting. It would then go into a still made from steel and sealed with flower and water paste. ,copper coil into a bin full of ice.
It tasted like manure and Burt all the way down and kept burning in the gut.

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SPEEDY
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Re: Just bought an upgrade

Post by SPEEDY »

Gun Barrel Ecologist wrote: Mon Sep 03, 2018 5:10 am Hey speedy, any chance of pics of your sprouter & fermenter?
After chatting with colleagues who have stills I've been eyeing off a T500 kit with the copper pot condenser and infuser for gin but most of the kit is set up for the usual 8kg of sugar and turbo yeast which doesnt interest me.
Don't waste your money on a turbo still if you want smooth natural shine.
That setup cost me about $330 less then a T500 and will make a much better drink.
The only sugar to use is raw or brown sugar, never white and dextrose is a waste of money, but those turbo's are built for people to turn white sugar and turbo yeast into alcohol quick (and tough) then run it through a charcoal filter to remove any flavor and then you add artificial flavor to it.
That's a hacks game and I hate it, brew shops love it because they get to sell you so much crap and pat you on the back to keep you going.
Bad on replacement parts too, the pot I got will out last me if I look after it, with little maintenance required.

The best stuff is simple, I can even brew a wash in the pot and then distill it still in there with the thumper, although I won't.
Yeast in your mash is going to come out in run and then you either filter it or run it back through.

If you just want to make a reasonable drop with little mess or fuss buy an air still rather then a turbo.
The key is in the wash, for my rum (key secret ingredient left out ;) ) is pretty simple, 2lt of mollass added to 6kg of RAW sugar and a kg of brown sugar dissolved in a pot.
Pour into a beer fermenter or make your own like I do for 1/3 The price (20lt or 5 gallon) add cold water and mix till it's just on the hot side of warm, add half a packet of a slow yeast, I like and recommend Samuel Willards temperature tolerant yeast, never use turbo yeast.
Shake that up to mix and let sit with the lid off till it starts to bubble/ferment, then top up with like warm water.
I let that sit until it settles, most brew shops say add clarifying agents and other crap they sell but don't.
Instead let it settle naturally until you see a thick sludge form on the bottom.
Now this is the trick, open the tap slowly and drain it into another container or the pot, don't stir up the silt.
Then run it through the still, in the case of an air still there is a big nozzle at the spout that has charcoal in it, throw that out, I buy a big stainless one on eBay pretty cheap and some copper mesh like a scour pad, stuff the scour into the the stainless spout and then run the mix through that.
Different people have different ways to determine when to stop but my rule of thumb is a teaspoon and a lighter.
Sample with the spoon and as soon as it no longer lights get ready to stop, take a sip every minute or so and as soon as it looses any bite or tastes bitter then shut it down.
(Note, that's leaving out a lot about the head, heart and tails but this post is already long enough, this is not a complete guide)
What you will have will be around 60% If it's done right, maybe 55% but use a hydrometer and add water till it's at 50% unless like me you enjoy a real kick.

But to sum up the basics here's my container for my wash.
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This is my preferred yeast, but bakers yeast is better then turbo yeast IMO.
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If you have never tried or been shown before, start with a $100 or so air still to teach you the basics, then get a non electric heated pot or reflux still, my main still for years was actually a modified pot/reflux hybrid but with any of those temperature control is both critical and confusing. An air still is plug and play and takes a number of steps out, is more compact, easier to use and dimple to clean.
But the shine will be weaker and not as smooth, but still a mile better then anything that comes from the brew shop standard turbo still dextrose/white sugar and turbo yeast method.
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SPEEDY
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Re: Just bought an upgrade

Post by SPEEDY »

Next, I have to make a 45lt (12 gallon) open top tub for my corn wash.
Oh and instead of collecting empty bottles to put the shine in, I use home brew longnecks from BigW, they come with safety seal lids that you need if you want to fly with it, cheap, clean and disposable.
One box does two runs of 20lt of wash at 40-45%.
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Re: Just bought an upgrade

Post by Gun Barrel Ecologist »

Thanks for the info. Your fermenter is the same as I used to use for my home brew :whistle:
From past experience with Nylex drums you’d be better off upping to 60L
https://www.admerch.com.au/product/dr50 ... re-barrel/

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SPEEDY
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Re: Just bought an upgrade

Post by SPEEDY »

I'm eventually moving up to a 44 gallon blue drum. :lol:

But seriously I prefer the 45lt container, easier to move and clean, it's also let's me make a run and then change recipes sooner.
A 45lt drum makes about 12lt of strong spirits in a week, that's more then I can drink, that's 16 bottles and I only average half a bottle a night.
My doctors told me to stop drinking because of my meds and that's pretty close to stopping in my book. :lol:
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SPEEDY
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Re: Just bought an upgrade

Post by SPEEDY »

Gun Barrel Ecologist wrote: Mon Sep 03, 2018 6:47 am Thanks for the info. Your fermenter is the same as I used to use for my home brew :whistle:
From past experience with Nylex drums you’d be better off upping to 60L
https://www.admerch.com.au/product/dr50 ... re-barrel/
fuzzy bunny.

I went to the rural supply store next to the gun shop to buy some whole and cracked corn for my shine along with a 5lt bottle of molasses for my rum.

I walked out with a 100lt (22gallon) rainwater tank for my new fermenting pot.
I'd better get in touch with some old army mates, I will never be able to drink this quick.
It's going to be about 30 bottles a run and I could do a run a week.
But probably only 25 bottles of corn whiskey and another 7 bottles of rum.
And that's at 100 proof, if I watered it down to the standard 35-40% ladys strength, thats and extra 3-5 bottles.
20180905_170311.jpg
I think I will name the new corn shine, Speedys corn likker. :dance: :lol:
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