Hi Robert, at the moment ive been able to aquire the parts i need reasonably
cheap much of it because of my line of work. so far i have a boiler and a
lid and two choices of column diameters either 2 1/8inch or1 7/8 inch copper
pipe. So far ive only spent $11 au.
Im planing on useing a 50 litre keg for my boiler a stainless steel mixing
bowl for the lid and the rest will be copper.
I realise 50 litres is pretty big Ill probably only half fill it, and if a
smaller alternative becomes available change to that.
At first im planning on makin clear spirit and flavouring it. keeping things
simple to start with, but eventually id like to start playing around with
grains, ageing with Oakchips and maybe even barrels.
Oak barrels can be bought in Australia in sizes ranging down to 5 litres.
I dont want to spend to much money to start with hence the original reason
for making my own still. Ive already sussed out the store bought products
availabe and believe that i can atleast match them in qaulity ( with some
practice) and as my enthusiasm grows so does my desire to design (read copy)
and build my own contraption.

thanks for your input

Dean.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert N" <dinks_c@...>
To: <Distillers@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 04, 2004 2:29 PM
Subject: RE: [Distillers] Still design


> Hi Dean, sounds like you have been doing some reading on the subject. This
> along with your skills as a fridgie should see you well on the way to
making
> a good product. Until I had actually done some distilling I found it hard
to
> understand how the process worked. The guidance that others gave me a few
> years ago was the difference between frustration and a steep learning
curve.
>
>
>
>
> A few questions if I may; what type of material do you propose to use to
> build the still? What are you going to use as a boiler? Do you want to
make
> a clear spirit and add shop bought essences or do you wish to make grain
> wash's and make whiskey rum etc.? Or a still that you can do both on. Is
> this going to be a no/little cost unit or are you willing to spend some
> money on parts. These questions will allow us to better guide you on the
> way. Dean I would have to second "linw992003's" message and say that there
> are better designs out there than the one you pointed to in the link.
>
>
>
> These newsgroups have been going for a number of years and people have
> developed some great designs, which produce fine results every time they
use
> their still with the minium of fuss. Look to the designs of Nixon, Stone,
> Mc'Caw, Tony Ackland, Bokokob, and others. Look through the files and
photos
> section of the yahoo newsgroups and you will see all sorts of creations.
>
>
>
> Yours in Spirit
>
>
>
> Robert
>
>
>
>   _____
>
> From: deanthms [mailto:deanlil@...]
> Sent: Saturday, 3 July 2004 8:39 PM
> To: Distillers@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [Distillers] Still design
>
>
>
> Hi guys, Im new to the distilling game and although i havent distilled
> a drop yet I have done a lot of research and am Fascinated by the hole
> deal.
> the history the process the designs ETC.
> I am in the process of designing and building my first still and have
> come across a reflux still design at
> http://www.thickos.co.uk/brewgod.html
> which sounds perfect. and it sounds relatively easy to use. Basically
> it sounds like you heat the mash and control the reflux via the flow
> of water through tube soldered to the reflux tower.
> I am a refrigeration mechanic and dont have a problem with the
> construction and from what if learnt so far the design should work
> well but some guidance would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks, Dean.
>
> P.S I stumbled accross Tony's site and it was the wealth of
> information that got me started. thanks
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
>  Distillers list archives : http://archive.nnytech.net/
>  FAQ and other information at http://homedistiller.org
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>

Howdy Grayson

EU-TS sender is the same as like BBC.
What is your location?

Maybe can you making a dvd?
and you can send me a copy of that file to my pigeon-hole?

We cannot see US TV only CNN via the TV-cable.

All the best from the Netherlands

Liam
----- Original Message -----
From: Grayson Stewart <grayson_stewart66@...>
To: <Distillers@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, July 03, 2004 11:54 PM
Subject: [Distillers] Re: milk jugs


> I think most everyone ferments in plastic as the alcohol
> concentration is not that great.
>
> I recorded that show from the History Channel...but what is EU TS-
> sender?
>
>
>
>
>  Distillers list archives : http://archive.nnytech.net/
>  FAQ and other information at http://homedistiller.org
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Deze email is gecontroleerd door CAIWAY Internet Virusvrij.
> Voor meer informatie, zie http://www.caiway.nl/


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.714 / Virus Database: 470 - Release Date: 2-7-04

Hello Rana

In europe we cannot see that channel only via the cable CNN.

In your location living some of my mates. (These are flyfishers)

Thanx for your info

Liam

----- Original Message -----
From: Rana Pipiens <ranawater@...>
To: <Distillers@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, July 03, 2004 11:39 PM
Subject: Re: [Distillers] Re: milk jugs


> Hello Spiderman.  I didn't record the show but they advertised that copies
could pe purchased through The History Channel.  I saw this show last
Thursday night in southern California.  Rana
>
> Spiderfly <whperdix@...> wrote:Howdy folks
>
> Does anybody save that TV-show?
> Was that an EU TS-sender?
>
> Liam
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: linw992003 <linw@...>
> To: <Distillers@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Saturday, July 03, 2004 10:55 PM
> Subject: [Distillers] Re: milk jugs
>
>
> > --- In Distillers@yahoogroups.com, "Mark" <markgofast@h...> wrote:
> > > I saw a TV show involving moonshine.  The 'shiners were collecting /
> > > storing / transportating their product in common plastic milk jugs.
> > >
> > > Maybe the abv wasn't that high - it looked like a pot still with a
> > > long worm coil.  But I thought that plastic milk jugs made poor
> > > containers because of the reaction between the plastic and the
> > > alcohol.
> > >
> > > What's the deal?
> >
> > Yep, sounds fine to me if they are made from the same materials as NZ
> > ones. Ours are made from HDPE (high density polyethylene).  Another
> > suitable plastic is PET (polyethylene terephthalate) as used for
> > softdrink and juice bottles and other products.
> >
> > Of course, many say that plastic should never be allowed near your
> > alcohol so ultimately you will have to decide for yourself!
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >  Distillers list archives : http://archive.nnytech.net/
> >  FAQ and other information at http://homedistiller.org
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Deze email is gecontroleerd door CAIWAY Internet Virusvrij.
> > Voor meer informatie, zie http://www.caiway.nl/
>
>
> ---
> Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
> Version: 6.0.714 / Virus Database: 470 - Release Date: 2-7-04
>
>
>
> Distillers list archives : http://archive.nnytech.net/
> FAQ and other information at http://homedistiller.org
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups SponsorADVERTISEMENT
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>    To visit your group on the web, go to:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Distillers/
>
>    To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> Distillers-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>    Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Do you Yahoo!?
> New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage!
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
>  Distillers list archives : http://archive.nnytech.net/
>  FAQ and other information at http://homedistiller.org
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Deze email is gecontroleerd door CAIWAY Internet Virusvrij.
> Voor meer informatie, zie http://www.caiway.nl/


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.714 / Virus Database: 470 - Release Date: 2-7-04

--- In Distillers@yahoogroups.com, "Mark" <markgofast@h...> wrote:
> I saw a TV show involving moonshine.  The 'shiners were collecting /
> storing / transportating their product in common plastic milk jugs.
>
> Maybe the abv wasn't that high - it looked like a pot still with a
> long worm coil.  But I thought that plastic milk jugs made poor
> containers because of the reaction between the plastic and the
> alcohol.
>
> What's the deal?

Hi mark what was the name of the program I want to see if i can get it
in the land of oz or if need be on the net.
Thanks

Dean

Personally I would avoid aluminum. That pitting that you see is caused
by slightly acidic foods eating away at the metal and that is how we end
up with aluminum which is a heavy metal that our bodies can't break down
in our system. It builds up over time and causes many different problems
of which it is said that it is a leading contributor of Alzheimer's
among many other things as well when you throw others into the mix as
well.

Toni Smith
MSN Messenger     tonimarie29@...
Yahoo Messenger   tonimarie29au
ICQ Messenger      166838134


It's a real nice cooker, American made with nice thick walls. It's a
bit pitted on the in side, but nothing too serious. What would you
recomend for cleaning.

Des

I reside in Alabama, US.  I recorded the program on VHS but I will
see what I can do about transfering the copy to DVD.  Email me the
address that you would like to have the DVD mailed to.

I agree 100% with linw992003. Any still design with so-called reflux
cooling tubes running through the bottom or middle of the column is a
bad one done by someone who doesn't understand the principles of a
fractional distillation tower.

I urge you to carefully read any or all of the following books all
available online in pdf form for about US $10.

"The Carriage Still" by John Stone at www.gin-vodka.com

"Making Pure Corn Whiskey" by Ian Smiley at www.home-distilling.com

"The Compleat Distiller" by Nixon & McCaw at www.amphora-society.com

If you don't want to even spend $10 then read through Tony Ackland's
terrific WEB site at homedistiller.org paying particular attention to
Tony's personal experience and recommendations.

A little time and very little money invested now before you begin
construction will save you a lot of grief later IMHO.

--- In Distillers@yahoogroups.com, "linw992003" <linw@x> wrote:
>
> > I am in the process of designing and building my first still and
have
> > come across a reflux still design at
> > http://www.thickos.co.uk/brewgod.html
> > which sounds perfect. and it sounds relatively easy to use.
Basically
> > it sounds like you heat the mash and control the reflux via the
flow
> > of water through tube soldered to the reflux tower.
>
> If you do some more reading I think you will conclude that the
> aforementioned design is far from optimum. Most "good" forced reflux
> designs only have reflux cooling at the top of the column (find
> relevant discussions by Mike Nixon and McCaw and others). Indeed,
most
> columns are insulated to keep them hot rather than force cold water
> around them.  The reason for the top to bottom cooling is to allow
for
> a high wattage heater system. Most distillers who are after high
> purity restrict the power input to remove the need to cool the
column
> as this design does.
>
> My personal advice would be to keep looking! It is difficult for
> someone else to pick what design you should go for but you do need
to
> evaluate designs which use vapour and liquid management as well as
> better cooling management designs. Indeed, the thread you have
replied
> to is a good start!
>
> Good luck and happy distilling.

At 02:18 PM 6/30/2004 +1000, davis668 wrote:
>Where do I get ``hysopp`` in Australia

Hyssop = Hyssopus officinalis

In the mint family.  Substitute some mint or other,
if you can't find it.

Rik

At 05:59 PM 6/29/2004 -0400, Maxime wrote:
>Things are more clear now.  I would like to try it on
>simple dry heat (medium-low), I guess it will work
>just as great.  Otherwise, it seems a bit
>complicated...

Do the first maceration with the strongest alcohol you
can get ahold of.  Water will extract some undesirable things.
Break the herbs up a bit, but not to powder (if you intend to strain)
A couple of weeks should do the job.

Filter roughly--a kitchen colander or strainer is fine.  Press
well.  Rinse marc with a little strong alcohol.  Strain and press well.
*Maybe* soak marc in water for a few MINUTES at the most, strain
and press well.

Be sure to add enough water to the still, so there is something left,
after you distill off the Absinthe base.  You could also dispense with
straining, and throw the herbs into the still as well--might be a bit
of a mess to clean up afterwards, though.

Distill off the Absinthe base in a pot still, being careful
with your cuts.  Some of the tails are truly foul.

Macerate the finishing herbs in the base for a few days.  Strain and
press as best you can--there will be a lot still in the herbs.  8o(
Rinse marc with a little strong alcohol.  Strain and press some
more.

DO NOT even THINK about getting more out by rinsing/soaking
with water--unless you add this to the wash of your next batch.

Dilute with water to desired level.  If you wish to sweeten, dissolve
sugar or honey in the dilution water.

All this talk of double boilers and steam distillation, is just the
industrial process that that particular Absinthe distillery used.
What is most economical for an industrial plant is seldom
the most economical for a home distiller.

Rik

> a well and no city water, I went with a coil submersed in cold water
> as my condenser.

Did you have your condenser so that it both entered & exited the water via the
top ?  You should always try to have your coil so that it will easily &
naturally drain empty - eg not try to fill it with liquid that then needs to be
pushed out.  Because pushing it will require some pressure in the rest of the
still, and you do not want that - it is both dangerous & bad for quality.

See if you can take the exit line for the condenser out the bottom of the
container.  Yes, it will be a bit of a pain working out how to seal it, but it
will then give you a safe still that will work properly.

Tony

The reason double boilers/water baths are used is simply that you do
not want to scorch the herbs in the pot, which is much easier to do
with direct heat.  For example, when you melt chocolate, you use a
double boiler, because otherwise you'll burn it and it will turn out
poorly.  If you burn the herbs, that flavour will carry over and
taint the absinthe.  I suppose that it could be possible to use
direct heat successfully, but it seems like one would have to be
VERY careful.  But it's really not hard to use a double boiler/water
bath.

I still don't think that I have a clear answer as to whether to use
95% alcohol or 85% alcohol, as the historical recipies say.  As most
people here know, it's not that hard to produce circa 95% alcohol,
so I'm just assuming that they went for 85 due to the grape alcohol
being used, and they wanted to keep some of the flavour.  So unless
using grape spirits, stronger is better?  I don't really know.

Also, as I understand it, it is best to keep the herbs in the pot
during distillation, because when heated they release more oils and
whatnot that help the flavour.  Another reason for the double
boiler.  And it's really not that messy, if you heat slowly.

And I don't know about leaving the colouring herbs in the liquor for
a few days, most recipies I have seen say to soak them in the
alcohol, heat indirectly to 50C or so, and then allow to cool for a
while (say, an hour) and then filter off (and I know for a fact that
this works very well).  And there shouldn't be much alcohol left in
the herbs, because the herb mass should be rather minute.  The
colouring herbs don't scale the way the rest of the recipie does.
And you can always carefully squeeze it out, a little bit of
sediment never hurt anybody.

> Do the first maceration with the strongest alcohol you
> can get ahold of.  Water will extract some undesirable things.
> Break the herbs up a bit, but not to powder (if you intend to
strain)
> A couple of weeks should do the job.
>
> Filter roughly--a kitchen colander or strainer is fine.  Press
> well.  Rinse marc with a little strong alcohol.  Strain and press
well.
> *Maybe* soak marc in water for a few MINUTES at the most, strain
> and press well.
>
> Be sure to add enough water to the still, so there is something
left,
> after you distill off the Absinthe base.  You could also dispense
with
> straining, and throw the herbs into the still as well--might be a
bit
> of a mess to clean up afterwards, though.
>
> Distill off the Absinthe base in a pot still, being careful
> with your cuts.  Some of the tails are truly foul.
>
> Macerate the finishing herbs in the base for a few days.  Strain
and
> press as best you can--there will be a lot still in the herbs.  8o(
> Rinse marc with a little strong alcohol.  Strain and press some
> more.
>
> DO NOT even THINK about getting more out by rinsing/soaking
> with water--unless you add this to the wash of your next batch.
>
> Dilute with water to desired level.  If you wish to sweeten,
dissolve
> sugar or honey in the dilution water.
>
> All this talk of double boilers and steam distillation, is just the
> industrial process that that particular Absinthe distillery used.
> What is most economical for an industrial plant is seldom
> the most economical for a home distiller.
>
> Rik

Ok RIK
            Thanks for the mint bit, where do I get wormwood, do you have any
idea what it tastes like?

             Thanks    Pete
--

Pete, Wornwood is bitter.  I:think that I read that it is one of the most bitter
herbs.  Here in the US I was able to find wormwood in a nusery and it is
available dried through some herb suppliers and in some homebrew shops.  The
plants I got a few years back have gotten fairly big (4-5 feet) and have showed
up where some seeds got spread with compost.  I found hyssop in a nusery and
have seen it available through herb sellers.  I also found a source for roman
wormwood plants.  Probably some similar suppliers in Aus.  Rana

davis668 <davis668@...> wrote:Ok RIK
            Thanks for the mint bit, where do I get wormwood, do you have any
idea what it tastes like?

             Thanks    Pete
--




Distillers list archives : http://archive.nnytech.net/
FAQ and other information at http://homedistiller.org


Yahoo! Groups SponsorADVERTISEMENT


---------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links

    To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Distillers/

    To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
Distillers-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

    Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.




---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail Address AutoComplete - You start. We finish.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

i don't know the if maple syrup would convert ta alchohol. when i was younger
we would tap the sugar bush (sugar maple tree). it takes right at 32 gallons
of sap ta make one gallon of syrup. we would use 30 gallon plastic garbage
cans and pull it with a sled. we would use old pallets and any type of wood we
could git our hands on. nowadays most have a dedicated sap line usin plastic
hose to run ta the sugar house. still know some that use buckets but only along
side of roads. if i could only have the wood from all that i could build 50 or
more homes and have some ta spare for a few winters. reckon the point of this
is takin me back ta my childhood and thinkin how much harder it was fer them
moonshiners. by the way.....if ya can buy pure maple syrup in stores, git ya
some, then boil it down some more ta make candy. looks bout like drown sugar but
so much better. if the old timers could have used maple syrup as a cheap
source i think they would have but the price is not feasable.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

At 07:13 AM 7/5/2004 +1000, Pete wrote:
>Ok RIK
>            Thanks for the mint bit, where do I get wormwood,

Well.............that's the key ingredient, so you'll just have to find it
somewhere.
Have you tried to find live plants at a local nursery?

What you want is Artemisia absinthum.  You can also use the "Powis Castle"
hybrid.  For finishing, Artemisia pontica is the best choice, but lesser
amounts
of either of the other two could suffice, in a pinch.

>...do you have any idea what it tastes like?

It tastes very bitter, and kind of...................wormwoody.  8o)
There's no substituting anything else--the wormwood has the thujone,
that makes Absinthe what it is.

Rik

The condensor enters the top of a 5 gallon bucket, makes about 20 turns in the
bucket and exits the bottom. That was why I was wondering what I was doing
wrong. It should work, but I get nothing. All it does is shoot water out about a
foot if the heat is turned off for about 5 minutes then restarted. It has me
puzzled.
Is the 20 turn too many? I thought the more the better.

Bill
   ----- Original Message -----
   From: Ackland, Tony (CALNZAS)
   To: Distillers@yahoogroups.com
   Sent: Sunday, July 04, 2004 3:52 PM
   Subject: [Distillers] RE: reflux still not working


   > a well and no city water, I went with a coil submersed in cold water
   > as my condenser.

   Did you have your condenser so that it both entered & exited the water via the
top ?  You should always try to have your coil so that it will easily &
naturally drain empty - eg not try to fill it with liquid that then needs to be
pushed out.  Because pushing it will require some pressure in the rest of the
still, and you do not want that - it is both dangerous & bad for quality.

   See if you can take the exit line for the condenser out the bottom of the
container.  Yes, it will be a bit of a pain working out how to seal it, but it
will then give you a safe still that will work properly.

   Tony


   Distillers list archives : http://archive.nnytech.net/
   FAQ and other information at http://homedistiller.org


         Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
               ADVERTISEMENT





------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Yahoo! Groups Links

     a.. To visit your group on the web, go to:
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Distillers/

     b.. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
     Distillers-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

     c.. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Of course it will convert to alcohol, but I think
there's not enough nutrients in it if it is like honey
so I'll add some molasses to it.  I can get maple
syrup 550ml for 5.50$ canadian.  1.1 liter makes a bit
over 3 pounds.  I'll distill twice and I think it will
be very good.  we'll see...

---------------------------------
by the way.....if ya can buy pure maple syrup in
stores, git ya
some, then boil it down some more ta make candy.
====

Yes, I know, I'm doing this all the time.  It makes
good toffy.

Cheers!

Maxime Belair

__________________________________________________________
Lèche-vitrine ou lèche-écran ?
magasinage.yahoo.ca

At 09:03 PM 7/4/2004 +0000, "the1foy" wrote:
>I still don't think that I have a clear answer as to whether to use
>95% alcohol or 85% alcohol, as the historical recipies say.

Try it both ways, and let us know the outcome.  If you can't tell
the difference, is there one?

>Also, as I understand it, it is best to keep the herbs in the pot
>during distillation, because when heated they release more oils and
>whatnot that help the flavour.

Sounds like another good side-by-side experiment.

>And I don't know about leaving the colouring herbs in the liquor for
>a few days, most recipies I have seen say to soak them in the
>alcohol, heat indirectly to 50C or so, and then allow to cool for a
>while (say, an hour) and then filter off (and I know for a fact that
>this works very well).

Certainly quicker for commercial production, though a bit more of a hassle.
Here's another variable to test.

>And there shouldn't be much alcohol left in the herbs, because the herb
>mass should be rather minute.

I suppose that all depends on what size batch you make.  I like to make several
bottles at a time, and the marc can be around a gallon, or so.  I suppose
I'm just
being cheap, but I like to get as much out as I can.

Rik

A decent source for herbs online is www.mountainroseherbs.com

They have most of the stuff you'll need.  The hardest things to find
are Florence Fennel (as opposed to the much more common Sweet
Fennel) and Roman Wormwood.  I have heard that Powis Castle can be
used in colouring if roman is unavailable, but I'd hesitate to use
Grand Wormwood, as it is VERY bitter.  Just taste some, it's foul.
But live plants are really the best way to go, as Rik said.

> >Ok RIK
> >            Thanks for the mint bit, where do I get wormwood,
>
> Well.............that's the key ingredient, so you'll just have to
find it
> somewhere.
> Have you tried to find live plants at a local nursery?
>
> What you want is Artemisia absinthum.  You can also use the "Powis
Castle"
> hybrid.  For finishing, Artemisia pontica is the best choice, but
lesser
> amounts
> of either of the other two could suffice, in a pinch.
>
> >...do you have any idea what it tastes like?
>
> It tastes very bitter, and kind of...................wormwoody.
8o)
> There's no substituting anything else--the wormwood has the
thujone,
> that makes Absinthe what it is.
>
> Rik

Well, I've got two OK's and one don't use. No offence but for the
first little while I'll use it. I never paid much attention to the
whole process when I was younger. When I was a kid my folks would
double distill for clarity. I often told my step dad he should devise
some kind of unit to catch the junk that clouded the first run. A
slobber box who'd a thunk of calling it that. On Tony Acland's site
there is a nice description for a thumper. I like to make one; I have
at my disposal a really well equipped machine shop complete with all
the expertise I could hope for.

In the article it mentioned something tall etc… I'm thinking I should
make one out of stainless steel around 4 inches in diameter and about
twelve inches high, almost the height of my pressure cooker. Does
anyone know of a good set of drawing out there that a fella could
download.

Does each of the coils have a correct downward slope? I can't see how
they can as the law of gravity has not been defeated as far as I know.
It sounds like they slope but in the wrong direction allowing the
build up of water. Every bit of tube must be lower than any other bit
of tube before it. That way the water MUST run out.

--- In Distillers@yahoogroups.com, "William Cook" <wcook1@r...> wrote:
> The condensor enters the top of a 5 gallon bucket, makes about 20
turns in the bucket and exits the bottom. That was why I was wondering
what I was doing wrong. It should work, but I get nothing. All it does
is shoot water out about a foot if the heat is turned off for about 5
minutes then restarted. It has me puzzled.
> Is the 20 turn too many? I thought the more the better.
>
> Bill
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Ackland, Tony (CALNZAS)
>   To: Distillers@yahoogroups.com
>   Sent: Sunday, July 04, 2004 3:52 PM
>   Subject: [Distillers] RE: reflux still not working
>
>
>   > a well and no city water, I went with a coil submersed in cold water
>   > as my condenser.
>
>   Did you have your condenser so that it both entered & exited the
water via the top ?  You should always try to have your coil so that
it will easily & naturally drain empty - eg not try to fill it with
liquid that then needs to be pushed out.  Because pushing it will
require some pressure in the rest of the still, and you do not want
that - it is both dangerous & bad for quality.
>
>   See if you can take the exit line for the condenser out the bottom
of the container.  Yes, it will be a bit of a pain working out how to
seal it, but it will then give you a safe still that will work properly.
>
>   Tony
>
>
>   Distillers list archives : http://archive.nnytech.net/
>   FAQ and other information at http://homedistiller.org
>
>
>         Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
>               ADVERTISEMENT
>
>
>
>
>
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>   Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>     a.. To visit your group on the web, go to:
>     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Distillers/
>
>     b.. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>     Distillers-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>     c.. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
Service.
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Go here (http://www.taet.com.au/distillers.nsf) and do a search on
"aluminum". There are not many basic questions that haven't been
thrashed out previously. To summarise, aluminum is OK for distilling
but don't use it for fermenting (acid problem). Metal by-products
don't come off in the vapour which is probably just as well
considering all the copper stills!

--- In Distillers@yahoogroups.com, "muskegshine" <muskegshine@y...> wrote:
> Well, I've got two OK's and one don't use. No offence but for the
> first little while I'll use it. I never paid much attention to the
> whole process when I was younger. When I was a kid my folks would
> double distill for clarity. I often told my step dad he should devise
> some kind of unit to catch the junk that clouded the first run. A
> slobber box who'd a thunk of calling it that. On Tony Acland's site
> there is a nice description for a thumper. I like to make one; I have
> at my disposal a really well equipped machine shop complete with all
> the expertise I could hope for.
>
> In the article it mentioned something tall etc… I'm thinking I should
> make one out of stainless steel around 4 inches in diameter and about
> twelve inches high, almost the height of my pressure cooker. Does
> anyone know of a good set of drawing out there that a fella could
> download.

Wow! If the marc is around a gallon, what's the size
of the whole batch?

=======
I suppose that all depends on what size batch you
make.  I like to make several
bottles at a time, and the marc can be around a
gallon, or so.  I suppose
I'm just
being cheap, but I like to get as much out as I can.



__________________________________________________________
Lèche-vitrine ou lèche-écran ?
magasinage.yahoo.ca

Bein in college I dont have a whole lotta money for ingredients.. so I wondered
about ferminting a half a bottle of maple syrup I had.. I didnt do it.. I
instead opted to use the jar of honey I had.. which made some WONDERFULL mead..
the recipe I used was


4 cups honey

1 cup white sugar

3 quarts water

1-1 1/2 tables spoons bakers yeast..

I boiled the honey in 2 quarts of water.. I then boiled the sugar in 1 quart of
water and mixed it into a stainless steel pot with my honey/water mixture.. I
stirred it right good witha wooden spoon till it cooled down a bit.. I put in my
yeast and mixed it again.. after I let it set for about 15 minutes to make sure
it was all mixed up good I funneled it into a one gallon plastic jug.. you
should have the jug filled about 3/4 of the way up.. which is good cos you cant
have the jug fulled up to the top.. I opened the top and let the air out every
other day or so.. its done in somewhere between 3 to 5 days.. I let it set a
spell in the freezer.. about 2 days I think.. it froze the water and yeast down
to the bottom.. I poured the liquid thru a coffee filter into another jug
changing the filter every so often.. I think I may have used 5 filters for the
3/4 gallon.. then let it set a spell to settle and it tasts right good.. I do
18th century re-enacting and I took it to an even
  t where ppl had made it b4 and had tasted some of the best stuff there was and
they said it was one of the best tastin recipes they had come up with.. Im
thinking about using the same recipe as this, but substituting maple syrup for
the honey.. if anyone tries this lemme know how it comes out..

Wilson
----- Original Message -----
From: Maxime Belair <maxime_belair@...>
Date: Sun, 4 Jul 2004 19:13:25 -0400 (EDT)
To: Distillers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Distillers] Maple Syrup

> Of course it will convert to alcohol, but I think
> there's not enough nutrients in it if it is like honey
> so I'll add some molasses to it.  I can get maple
> syrup 550ml for 5.50$ canadian.  1.1 liter makes a bit
> over 3 pounds.  I'll distill twice and I think it will
> be very good.  we'll see...
>
> ---------------------------------
> by the way.....if ya can buy pure maple syrup in
> stores, git ya
> some, then boil it down some more ta make candy.
> ====
>
> Yes, I know, I'm doing this all the time.  It makes
> good toffy.
>
> Cheers!
>
> Maxime Belair
>
> __________________________________________________________
> Lèche-vitrine ou lèche-écran ?
> magasinage.yahoo.ca

--
_______________________________________________
Find what you are looking for with the Lycos Yellow Pages
http://r.lycos.com/r/yp_emailfooter/http://yellowpages.lycos.com/default.asp?SRC\
=lycos10

> It tastes very bitter, and kind of...................wormwoody.
8o)
> There's no substituting anything else--the wormwood has the
thujone,
> that makes Absinthe what it is.

There is a lot of evidence to support the theory that thujone is
pretty much a marketing ploy to get people who are into drugs to buy
cheap, pseudo-absinthe, thinking they'll get more fucked up.  Thus
the 35 mg/l or so claims on some of the stuff.  However, vintage
Pernod fils has been found to only contain 6 mg/l.  Also, sage has
thujone in it, and no one seems to report "secondary effects" from
sage.  Granted, I'm not sure how much is in it, but still.  And I'm
not denying that absinthe does have these secondary effects, but a
chemist better educated than I has described it as something of a
push me/pull me effect from all of the herbs combined.  So again,
thujone seems to be more of a buzz word than anything actually to be
taken seriously.

For more information, try this article (and the whole site, really)
http://www.feeverte.net/thujone.html

Hi guys, I'm looking at getting this book, most likely the PDF
format. I'll get it from here:

http://www.home-distilling.com/HD_mpcw_desc.asp

However I had a question, when/where do you actually get the PDF
document? I'm going to get "The complete distiller" as well and I
understand how to get this one, I have downloaded the PDF and now
just have to pay to get the password to unlock it. So with the Corn
Whiskey PDF where do you actually get the PDF, is it emailed to you
or does it direct you on to another site where you can download it
and then use the password to unlock it. I'm pretty keen to have a
read and I know that upon paying you receive the password to unlock
the document, but I haven't actually got the document downloaded yet.

If anyone can just clear this up before I go through the full
procedure I'd be grateful.

Cheers and thanks in advance,

Justin

Yeah,
all the coil turns are decending. I obviously am not going to get the magic
answer here. So I am just going to scrap the coil, and design some sort of
jacket for the condenser using a pump to recirculate limited water available.
Cant be too difficult, just more $$$.$$ for a damn pump
Thanks.
   ----- Original Message -----
   From: linw992003
   To: Distillers@yahoogroups.com
   Sent: Sunday, July 04, 2004 9:07 PM
   Subject: [Distillers] Re: reflux still not working


   Does each of the coils have a correct downward slope? I can't see how
   they can as the law of gravity has not been defeated as far as I know.
   It sounds like they slope but in the wrong direction allowing the
   build up of water. Every bit of tube must be lower than any other bit
   of tube before it. That way the water MUST run out.

   --- In Distillers@yahoogroups.com, "William Cook" <wcook1@r...> wrote:
   > The condensor enters the top of a 5 gallon bucket, makes about 20
   turns in the bucket and exits the bottom. That was why I was wondering
   what I was doing wrong. It should work, but I get nothing. All it does
   is shoot water out about a foot if the heat is turned off for about 5
   minutes then restarted. It has me puzzled.
   > Is the 20 turn too many? I thought the more the better.
   >
   > Bill
   >   ----- Original Message -----
   >   From: Ackland, Tony (CALNZAS)
   >   To: Distillers@yahoogroups.com
   >   Sent: Sunday, July 04, 2004 3:52 PM
   >   Subject: [Distillers] RE: reflux still not working
   >
   >
   >   > a well and no city water, I went with a coil submersed in cold water
   >   > as my condenser.
   >
   >   Did you have your condenser so that it both entered & exited the
   water via the top ?  You should always try to have your coil so that
   it will easily & naturally drain empty - eg not try to fill it with
   liquid that then needs to be pushed out.  Because pushing it will
   require some pressure in the rest of the still, and you do not want
   that - it is both dangerous & bad for quality.
   >
   >   See if you can take the exit line for the condenser out the bottom
   of the container.  Yes, it will be a bit of a pain working out how to
   seal it, but it will then give you a safe still that will work properly.
   >
   >   Tony
   >
   >
   >   Distillers list archives : http://archive.nnytech.net/
   >   FAQ and other information at http://homedistiller.org
   >
   >
   >         Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
   >               ADVERTISEMENT
   >
   >
   >
   >
   >
   >
   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   >   Yahoo! Groups Links
   >
   >     a.. To visit your group on the web, go to:
   >     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Distillers/
   >
   >     b.. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
   >     Distillers-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
   >
   >     c.. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
   Service.
   >
   >
   >
   > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



   Distillers list archives : http://archive.nnytech.net/
   FAQ and other information at http://homedistiller.org


         Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
               ADVERTISEMENT





------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Yahoo! Groups Links

     a.. To visit your group on the web, go to:
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Distillers/

     b.. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
     Distillers-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

     c.. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

At 01:52 AM 7/5/2004 +0000, "the1foy" wrote:
>There is a lot of evidence to support the theory that thujone is
>pretty much a marketing ploy to get people who are into drugs to buy
>cheap, pseudo-absinthe, thinking they'll get more fucked up.

Have you read the Absinthe/Artemisia absinthum entries in
Ott, Jonathan. 1993. Pharmacotheon: Entheogenic Drugs, Their
Plant Sources and History.  Natural Products Co. ?

          "I recently verified by self-experimentation that A. absinthum
          leaves are also psychoactive when smoked." (393)

...and that the principle active constituents of absinthe seem to
have been alcohol and thujones. (390) from:

          Vogt, D.D. 1981. "Absinthium: A nineteenth-century drug of abuse"
          Journal of Ethnopharmacology 4(3): 337-342.

...........of course, none of this "proves" that thujone is psychoactive
orally in doses likely to be encountered in an evening's Absinthe drinking,
any more than the Ian Hutton article at: http://www.feeverte.net/thujone.html
"proves" that it is not.

>However, vintage Pernod fils has been found to only contain 6 mg/l.

I hardly think the testing of ONE bottle of a HUNDRED year old
Absinthe "proves" that all Absinthe had very low levels of thujone
during the "classic period."

>Also, sage has thujone in it, and no one seems to report "secondary
>effects" from sage.

Actually, they do.  See Ott, 1993 (389), cited above.

I suppose you could make a batch with the Artemisias, and one without,
and see if you notice a difference in their effects.  After all, "the proof of
the pudding is in the tasting."

As an interesting aside, the government of Switzerland re-legalized
Absinthe, a couple of weeks ago, after nearly a hundred years of
proscription.  Perhaps is wasn't quite as evil as the prohibitionists
claimed.

          Absinthe, on a winter evening,
          Illumines the smoky soul in green.
                          --Charles Cros, "With Flowers and with Women"
Rik



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Would you Gentlemen take a moment to look over a drawing I have
linked below. It is a set up that is giving 80 to 85%. What do you
folk see that I could do to improve on this. I cook with gas and cook
off a 25 liter wash at a time as my pot is 35 liters. I bring to boil
and back off to a slow simmer. With water running into my coil full
open I get what I guess in known as full reflux, I get nothing from
my product tube. I let this happen for about fifteen minutes as to
let my column stabalize. I then back off my water until I start to
drip product, I then draw off my heads. The whole process takes me
about five hours to get around 2.5 liters of 80 to 85%. Am I taking
product to fast? Is five hours to quick to gain 2.5 liters? Would
purity be gained if I took product slower? Or is my still design no
good, Thanks

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-1/619141/still.JPG

Hi Dean, stick with the 2 1/8" pipe and the 50 litre keg. Never hurts to
have too much head room in the boiler. Something to consider when building
the still is how you plan to heat it. If electricity then try Lawrence and
Hansen etc for a hot water heater replacement element. Fit castor wheels to
the bottom of the keg, your back will thank you. You should build in a
failsafe device in case of pressure build up. Never design the still with
cooling tubes running through the tower, they are there for operators that
use way too much heat. A design with the condenser above the collection
point is best. This way you have direct control over the amount of reflux
that is happening.

The more heat you put into the boiler the greater the vapour velocity up the
tower and the greater the condenser has to work. For a 2" tower you can get
away with 2400 watts of energy, the downside is the amount of water it takes
to cool the vapour at the top of the tower. I run 1800 watts and find this
gives me better purity but the trade off is longer heating and running time.
Some use a big element and use a triac or similar to reduce the wattage once
the wash is boiling. One thing you are realising by now is that there is a
lot of science that goes into designing a good still.

Yours in spirit

Robert


   _____

From: DeanThomas [mailto:deanlil@...]
Sent: Sunday, July 04, 2004 6:34 PM
To: Distillers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Distillers] Still design

Hi Robert, at the moment ive been able to aquire the parts i need reasonably
cheap much of it because of my line of work. so far i have a boiler and a
lid and two choices of column diameters either 2 1/8inch or1 7/8 inch copper
pipe. So far ive only spent $11 au.
Im planing on useing a 50 litre keg for my boiler a stainless steel mixing
bowl for the lid and the rest will be copper.
I realise 50 litres is pretty big Ill probably only half fill it, and if a
smaller alternative becomes available change to that.
At first im planning on makin clear spirit and flavouring it. keeping things
simple to start with, but eventually id like to start playing around with
grains, ageing with Oakchips and maybe even barrels.
Oak barrels can be bought in Australia in sizes ranging down to 5 litres.
I dont want to spend to much money to start with hence the original reason
for making my own still. Ive already sussed out the store bought products
availabe and believe that i can atleast match them in qaulity ( with some
practice) and as my enthusiasm grows so does my desire to design (read copy)
and build my own contraption.

thanks for your input

Dean.




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]