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CHEMIST
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What is the distilling conditioner?
Distilling conditioner is an anti foaming product, made of silicones and is suitable for human
consumption. This reduces the chance of foaming in the boiler and promotes optimum
distillation conditions. The wash can froth when boiling (this may be due to the presence of
residual sugar not entirely fermented, or a wash not cleared). Froth can enter the condenser
and then make its way through the output as undistilled liquid. To help prevent foaming we
recommend adding 4-5 capfuls (for brown spirit washes), or 3 capfuls (for other washes) of Still
Spirits Distilling Conditioner.
Why is it important to ensure the distillate comes out as a cool liquid?
Ethanol is a very flammable substance, and if the cooling liquid is not running it will come out
as a vapour which can be extremely dangerous. Also, temperature changes the alcohol readings
of the spirit a great deal. As most alcoholmeters are designed for 20°C (68°F) spirit there will be
large inaccuracy in the ethanol percentage which could affect when you are making your cuts.
Can the alembic pot still be used as a reflux still?
The process of redistilling the output through the pot still will improve the spirit quality much
like refluxing does, but it will have a reduced yield to that of a reflux still. In order to reflux you
would need a reflux column.
How long can I keep a wash before distilling it?
We recommend distilling a wash within one week of clearing. The longer it is left, the more off
flavours may develop cause by autolysis of the dead yeast cells. It is likely to be fine for up to eight
weeks if kept sealed and cool.
What’s in the clearing agent and how does it work?
Still Spirits Turbo Clear is made up of silicic acid (Part A) which charges floating particles and
chitosan (Part B) attracts all particles (with its opposite charges) to eventually make them settle
on the bottom of the fermenter.
How hot does the boiler get?
The liquid inside the boiler will get as hot as its boiling point, ie 100°C (212°F) for water, 78.2°C
(173°F) for ethanol. As the wash contains a mix of water and alcohol the temperature the wash
boils at rises as the alcohol is driven off. You will need to boil the wash to convert the alcohol to
steam so you can extract the alcohol from the wash.
Can I distil two batches in a row?
The wash left inside the boiler after the first distillation is boiling hot. If you wish to run the still
again then very carefully remove the very hot lid and add at least 5 L (1.3 US Gal) of cold water to
the spent wash to cool it quickly before emptying. Be very careful of the ethanol vapour present
in the boiler as well.
The inside of my copper dome has lost its shine, why? And what should I do?
After a few distillations, the inside surface of the dome and condenser will lose the polished
copper look and take on a more dull patchy brown. This is natural and expected and no amount
of physical scrubbing will remove this change in colour. During distilling unwanted sulphur
flavours reacts with the copper on the dome and sticks to the copper surface without continuing into
the output vessel. This is why copper is superior to other metals for distilling. The still can be washed
with vinegar or another light acid to bring back the polished look, but this is only for cosmetic
reasons.
How can I recycle my cooling water?
You can run your cooling water in a closed circuit, provided you have a sufficient amount of water
and ice packs and a pump that provides enough flow. We suggest using a 200 L (53 US Gal) container
(eg a rubbish bin), filled with water, and add 6 x 2 L (2 US qt) bottles filled with water and frozen a few
days ahead. Your cooling water can also be kept in big containers and later reused for your garden.
How much does it cost to run the still?
The still uses 2kW/hour (NZ/AU/UK) and 1.5kW/hour (US). You can multiply this by the power rate
paid, by the time the still is operating (5 hours). Add to this the cost of the cooling water, based on the
flow rate used and the cost of raw materials required to produce the wash.
Is there methanol produced?
There is methanol present in the final product, but at no greater concentrations than any
commercially produced spirit. Methanol will be the first liquid distilled off, so as long as the
instructions of discarding the foreshots is followed correctly there is no way for methanol poisoning.
Why do I need ceramic boil enhancers?
The reusable ceramic boil enhancers should be added in the boiler before distilling to avoid surge
boiling. Stainless steel saddles do the same.
Why does the pot still equipment need to be copper?
Without a large amount of copper present in the system, sulphur components found in the yeast cells
will make their way into the final spirit, creating off colours and very undesirable flavours. Copper
acts as a catalyst for these sulphur components to react into hydrogen sulphate and when this
happens these flavours and off colours do not ruin the final spirit.
How long is fermentation usually?
A wash usually takes between 4 and 10 days to ferment depending on the yeast used and the
temperature.
How do I know when fermentation is finished?
A few ways:
1. Measure your SG with a hydrometer, when the SG matches the desired SG for your given recipe
and has read that for two consecutive days then fermentation is complete.
2. Look for fizziness, bubbles rising to the surface: while it’s fermenting there are lots of bubbles
coming to the surface.
3. Check the activity in the airlock.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
