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WHAT’S IN THE DISTILLATE?
The distillate obtained with the T500 Reflux Distillation
System is usually composed of 93% alcohol and 6.9%
water. The 0.1% left is a mixture of dierent compounds,
called congeners, responsible for good
and bad flavours.
Most of this 0.1% comes out in the first 300 ml
(10 US fl oz) of the distillate; this is called the ‘heads’
and contains acetaldehydes and ethyl acetate. It has
a distinctive smell: ‘fruity’, ‘nail polish’. Up to 500 ml (17
US fl oz) can be taken out if you are looking to make
an outstanding clean, pure spirit, like vodka. However,
taking the first 50 -100 ml (1.7-3.4 US fl oz) out is
sucient for most applications.
The core of the distillate (500 ml (17 US fl oz) to the
end) is very pure.
CAN THE T500 REFLUX CONDENSER BE USED AS A
POT STILL?
We recommend using the Still Spirits Alembic
Condenser and Dome Top sold separately, for better
results. This consists of a copper dome and alembic
condenser that fit onto your existing T500 Boiler.
CAN I DISTIL TWO BATCHES IN A ROW?
The wash left inside the boiler after your first distillation
is boiling hot. If you wish to run it again then carefully
remove the very hot lid and add 5 L (1.3 US Gal) of
cold water to the spent wash to cool quickly before
emptying.
CAN I GET A HIGHER ABV BY DOUBLE DISTILLING?
Double distilling will achieve very little with the T500
Reflux Still as it will not increase the ABV much.
If using the T500 Reflux distillation system, the
distillate will be already approx. 90-93% ABV, which
is near the maximum ABV a home still can achieve.
Double or triple distilling is used with pot stills to try to
emulate the result of a reflux still.
Note that the highest alcohol percentage possible
is 95.6% ABV.
IS THERE ANY METHANOL PRODUCED?
The T500 Reflux Distillation System produces a highly
pure spirit with 0.001% methanol on average, which
is well below the maximum legal limits for methanol in
spirits for commercial sale.
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
alcohol. As the wash contains a mix of water and
alcohol the temperature the wash boils at rises as
the alcohol is driven o. You need to boil the wash to
convert the alcohol to steam so you can extract the
alcohol from the wash.
WHAT IS THE MINIMUM VOLUME REQUIRED IN
THE 30 L (8 US GAL) BOILER?
10 L (2.6 US Gal) is the minimum volume possible.
Although optimum performance is attained when the
T500 Reflux Distillation System is full.
WHY DO I NEED TO USE 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.
WHAT IS 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 column and
disrupt the reflux action, reduce alcohol quality and
disrupt temperature control. To help prevent foaming
we recommend adding 3 capfuls of Still Spirits Distilling
Conditioner to the 30 L (8 US Gal) boiler.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO CONTROL THE WATER
OUTLET TEMPERATURE?
Controlling the water outlet temperature is the key user
control of the T500 Reflux Distillation System process.
The development work on the T500 Reflux Condenser
showed an ideal water outlet range of 55-65°C
(131-150°F). This can be reduced as low as 50°C
(122°F), which will slow the alcohol production rate.
The outlet temperature can be increased to as high as
65°C (150°F), which will make the alcohol flow faster,
but at slightly lower strength and purity.
As a general rule, running the still between 60-65°C
(140-150°F) will produce alcohol faster but at a slightly
lower strength and quality, while running the still
between 55-60°C (131-140°F) will provide you with
optimum quality but it will take a bit longer.
The higher the flow rate, the cooler the condenser and
the slower the distillate will flow.
The lower the flow rate, the hotter the condenser and
the faster the distillate will flow.
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