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Corn Whiskey at 65% tastes quite nice....

Hi @StratMan no, sorry mate, I don't make cider...just carry it.
But, it is easy to make. A nice solid performing Scrumpy will knock your socks off!
Apple juice and yeast is basically all it needs.
You can add water and sugar to stretch things out if not enough juice...but, maybe that's not quite pukka.
Hey, any good on the music (blues) side of things?
 
I scored a really nice keg today, so the first component in my still is sorted!

I'll take it in to work in a couple of days, and start playing with copper and brass fittings. It's good having access to all of that stuff.

I think I'll be making a reflux still, with an insertion point for botanicals, for the gin.

Have the fermenter here (late father-in-law's beer tub), just waiting on DAP for the yeast, to arrive. Also need to get an aquarium heater to keep the ferment at a higher temperature than it currently is here...

I have also ordered a hydrometer set, along with the voltage regulators.

And finally (for now), my hip flask arrived today, in readiness...
 
hey @Blackie, absolutely started listening to it, just got to get it on media to carry around with me. Awesome range of music there, appreciate it, thanks

I am regretting not getting your 0.95 OC now, gotten used to the SB and wouldnt mind to up the ante, will have to check out the timeless returns section at some point
 
An update:

Have built the boiler unit in the keg. The boiler consists of a 2400W stainless steel heating element, which I have attached to a variable controller. Underneath, I had the local engineer add a weld nipple, for a drainage plug.

A 2-inch "pelican" design will be the still's final build. That is, the copper pipe coming out of the top. I have the first part cut up and ready. I simply need to hand it over to the engineer for lead-free brazing. I have built a tri-clamp into the top of the steam path, so that I can add a botanicals bag, as required. Flavour is everything!

The second part is the shotgun condenser, for which I need to source some copper plate. Once this is sorted, then I can begin final assembly, and pics can flow!

I ran the keg on a water boil, which was a 25L fill. It took almost exactly an hour. Next, I ran a vinegar wash (50:50 with water). This was a 30L fill, and took marginally longer. The keg is shiny clean inside, though.
 
@RustyBlade , see below for the first pics.

Just to advise though... this is just for proof of concept. In Australia it is illegal to brew your own spirits. The Gubmint hates to miss out on it's cut (at roughly $66 per litre of alcohol). I can easily use this for Ms Naturopath, to extract essential oils. As mentioned in other posts. I need to do these kind of things to keep my mind ticking over. Like a kind of therapy.


OK, Pic one is the full concept. Here, I have simply cut the copper to length, and laid it up. You can see the scale, with the 30cm green ruler...

The idea is that the copper pipe bolts onto the top of the keg.

PlAIRCH.jpg



In the second pic, I have ground everything square for part 1, and numbered it for the engineer. I'll make join marks, so he can easily note the layout.

fFrWsQ0.jpg





I'll take a pic of the keg shortly, and upload too.
 
Pic of the keg.

50 litre, retired keg. Here, I had the engineer drill a 32mm hole, for a no-weld heating element. As a precaution against it crapping out, I have earthed the keg for my own safety.
The variable controller was sourced from eBay. It works well, and also fan-cooled.

The top of the keg has a 50mm stainless ferrule welded onto the opening. Its matching pair will be attached to the bottom of the copper pipe, to allow for easy removal and cleaning.

It is on the bricks because the 20mm drain plug sits out from the bottom of the keg. I will be making an MDF table to sit this on, with a strategically placed hole cut in it, for a bucket to capture the outflow.

3e3ghSI.jpg
 
Looking good @Arnold J Rimmer
That copper pipe will be good...nice design.
But...you can't brew your own spirits in OZ?
What a bunch of wowser politicians you must have.
Mind you, we have a weirdo PM so we Kiwis can't laugh at you anyway.
What about cooling water? From the household taps, or making a recirculating system?
I can flick you some photos and details if needed for recirc setup.
 
I have a little water pump I bought off of Wish, it pushes 12 litres per minute, and runs off a 12v battery. On the condenser, I will be adding inlet and outlet waterports for recirculated water. I'm thinking of a 55 litre bucket at this stage, for the water, but it may or may not be enough, as it absorbs the heat from the steam condensate...

And yes, it is illegal to DISTIL (I do need to correct what I wrote initially) spirits at home, without the ATO knowing and permitting it (that is, you paying for the privilege)... It is ok, however, to brew low alcohol products such as beer, etc..

Your PM was voted Australia's favourite politician a couple months back... that tells you the calibre of what we have to deal with here, if you think Ms Ardern isn't quite right...

It's not so much wowsers, but they can't sit by and not let a taxation opportunity be taken. They are addicted to the money, you see...
 
Yes, our current lot think everything should be ('needs to be') taxed.
Hey, I think 55 litre bucket is way too small.
I used a 200 litre barrel and that was starting to get warm after a 25 litre spirit run.
Don't forget that little pump may not have enough 'head', plus as it's battery powered you may need to run it 2 to 4 hours for a 25 litre run. How good is your battery?
If the pump is sitting on the bottom of the water bucket/barrel and has to lift water up to (say) 1 metre high to get the water up to and through the cooling system (how high is your water cooling inlet and outlet?) then you need a serious wee pump that has a head of at least 2 metres.
I used a 240 volt submersible jobbie, with a head of 8 metres. Never had any cooling problems.
Something like this...
https://www.trademe.co.nz/building-...tm?rsqid=1e8f35a48e5e4c0086c56924a9e4fa09-003
I first tried a 240 volt 'fish tank', or 'pond pump' type of pump with 1.8 metre head but it was useless. Died (broke) on the second use.
 
I think you will be right about the 55 litre bucket. Worse comes to worst, I'll go bigger. There are some 44gal drums in the shed, if I can be bothered...

The pump is surprisingly good, and tiny too. I just gave it a shot with a 2m head (condenser will be about 1.6m). It pumps about 11 litres per minute to that height. I have a spare 4WD battery that I can power it with, so 3 hours will be a cinch.
 
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