Home distilling do's and don'ts for beginners
Most of what goes wrong for a beginner distiller goes wrong before the still is even switched on, and the one that matters more than any of the others is the paperwork, so I'm going to start there and then get into the do's and don'ts that actually decide whether the spirit is any good.
Do sort out the licence before anything else
Owning a still is lawful and buying one is lawful, so there's nothing odd about having one sitting in the shed. Distilling spirits with it is a different thing, because in Australia that needs an excise manufacturer licence from the ATO. It's a federal rule rather than a state one, so it's the same answer wherever you live. If you'd rather skip the paperwork completely, flavouring a bought neutral spirit with an essence gets you a long way and there's no licence in it at all.
Do get the wash right first
A still can only separate what the fermentation gave it, so a rough wash comes out as a rough spirit no matter how carefully you run it. Keep the fermenter clean and hold it at the temperature on the yeast packet rather than wherever the shed happens to sit. Then let it finish properly before you touch it, because a wash that's still working when it goes into the boiler tends to foam and carry off flavours across with it.
Don't skimp on cleaning and sanitising
Cleaning and sanitising are two separate jobs, and beginners tend to do one and assume they've done both. Cleaning takes off the residue you can see and sanitising deals with the bugs you can't. Anything that touches the wash after it's mixed wants both, because an infection in the fermenter turns up again in the glass.
Do learn your cuts
The run doesn't come off the still as one even spirit. The first part off, the foreshots and heads, carries methanol and the sharp solvent smells, so it gets set aside and never drunk. After that comes the hearts, which is the part you keep, and once the run starts to go thin and oily you're into the tails, which most people keep separate to run again.
How much to set aside at the start depends on the size of the wash and the still, so go by the instructions that came with your still rather than a number off a forum.
Don't rush the run
Turning the heat up gets the run over sooner and smears the cuts together, so the clean middle ends up carrying a bit of both ends. A slow and steady run is easier to read, and honestly it's the cheapest way there is to a smoother spirit.
Don't judge it the same day
A fresh spirit always tastes harsher than it will in a week. Dilute it to drinking strength and give it a few days to settle before you decide anything, and if it's still rough after that the answer is usually back in the wash or the cuts rather than in more filtering.
Do keep notes
Write down what went into the wash, how warm it was, how long it took and where you made your cuts. It feels like homework the first time, and it's the only way batch 3 ends up better than batch 1 on purpose rather than by luck.
Shop related products
- Still Spirits purt Turbo Yeast. A yeast made for fermenting a clean sugar wash.
- Still Spirits Distilling Conditioner 50ml. It helps stop the boiler foaming over during a run.
- Still Spirits Universal Z Carbon. Carbon for polishing a neutral spirit after the run.
- Edwards Essences Vodka Essence. The no licence route, stirred into a bought neutral spirit.
Did you know we also keep the Air Still, a hydrometer with test jar, no rinse sanitiser and the AMPI 30 litre fermenter in the shop. They're not on the website, so give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 to check what's on the shelf.
- What you need to make spirits at home, gear and licence
- Making spirits at home, the five steps and where the law sits
- How full to fill a still boiler, and what to do when it foams
If you're still working out which way to go, Brewhilder will help you narrow it down, or have a look through the homebrew collection.
I keep a notebook for every batch, and I'll admit my handwriting is the weakest part of the whole operation.
Candeece
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