10
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? WHY IS IT HAPPENING? HOW TO FIX IT?
Alcohol distillate
flows irregularly.
• Wash is surge boiling caused by hot spot on
base of integrated boiler.
• Distillate outlet pipe is higher than outlet
creating an airlock or is submerged in
distillate causing alternating pressure
and vacuum.
• Add ceramic boil enhancers. In extreme
cases try adding 1–2 stainless steel
pot scrubbers.
• Make sure the outlet pipe allows the
water to flow downwards from the
condenser outlet.
Trim outlet pipe so that it cannot be below
the level of the collected distillate.
No alcohol is coming out.
• This may be due to the cooling water being
too cold or its flow rate too high.
• This may be due to an incorrect position of
the tubes.
• There may be a blockage at the end of your
alcohol outlet tubing.
• Ensure the cooling water outlet
temperature is between 50-65°C
(122-149°F) during distillation.
• Check the tubes are in the correct position
(refer to Step 2 and 3).
• Remove the plug at the end of your alcohol
outlet tubing.
The spirit is coming out
cloudy/milky.
• Wash is foaming while boiling and carrying
fermentation residues up the column.
• Unfermented sugar in your wash can cause
foaming which eventually made its way up
into the condenser causing the temperature
fluctuations and producing undesirable,
cloudy spirit.
• Always ensure your wash is
completely fermented (refer to Step 1
on fermentation).
• Only fill wash to MAX line on inside
of boiler if using the 30 L (8 US Gal) boiler.
• Add 3 capfuls of Still Spirits Distilling
Conditioner to the wash. This stops
excessive foaming in the boiler.
• Add ceramic boil enhancers in your boiler
• Re-distil the bad spirit.
Spirit has a strong unpleasant
smell, described as ‘paint
thinner’, ‘hospital’, ‘burnt’,
‘nail polish’.
• Distillate coming out of the T500
is at approx 93% ABV and has a strong
ethanol smell.
• The first 50 -100 ml (1.7-3.4 US fl oz) of
distillate has a stronger smell (nail polish type),
because it contains most acetaldehydes and
esters. This should be discarded.
• The rest of the distillate smells like ethanol.
• Water down and filter your distillate
with activated carbon. It will trap most
unwanted flavours, leaving you a clean
spirit (refer to activated carbon in
the glossary).
Spirit has a blue tint.
• This is caused by unbalanced or excessive
nutrients added in the fermentation vessel.
Nutrients are essential for the yeast to
ferment sugars; they are precisely dosed
and included in every Still Spirits Turbo
Yeast sachet.
• Use only 1 sachet of Still Spirits Turbo
Yeast per 25 L (6.6 US Gal) of wash.
• Follow recommended recipes for each
type of Turbo Yeast.
The yield is low.
• The wash has not fermented out
properly so the amount of alcohol available
is reduced. This could be due
to several factors:
• The sugars were not fully dissolved.
• The fermentation temperature is too low or
too high.
• Steam and vapour pressure is leaking from
lid seal.
• Check the fermentation is finished (refer
to FAQs about fermentation).
• Check lid gasket is sitting evenly inside lid
before clipping onto the base.
TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
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