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Here in NZ it is totally legal to distill for your own use.

I just fired my 25L stainless reflux-still for the first time today.

I charged it with 20 odd L of feijoa, and Plum wine that was too dry and acid to drink and got 1.5 L of 85% dead clear brandy. I would have had 3L but missed when to turn on the condenser to start collecting the vapor.
According to the formula that came with it I must dilute with 3 L of water to make 4.5 L of 40% - this doesn't make perfect sense to me mathematically but I wont dick with it at this stage.

My alcometer and Carbon filter system arrive this week!:cheers:

I am brewing up a wash to make vodka as we speak.

Oh the fun i will have creating my own liqueurs and such! Bring on the damsons

Sorry guys, I just HAD to brag to someone!

mmmmmmmmm sounds great

I knew there was a good reason to go for an extended visit to my sister in law in NZ! Sounds like fun...back to the (now) boring baking!!

Dear Frozenthunderbolt,

Excuse the ignorance but what is .....

feijoa

Also how does your still cope with dangerous by products like fusel oil?

Love and Peace
Jim

jim wrote:Dear Frozenthunderbolt,

Excuse the ignorance but what is .....

feijoa

Also how does your still cope with dangerous by products like fusel oil?

Love and Peace
Jim

Feijoa is a subtropical shrub that prduces delicious fruit. you may know it as the 'pinapple-guava'

The spirit produced by the still has a significantly reduced amount of fusil oils, aldehydes etc as it has a refractory collumn on top of it - similar in principle to fractil distilation of crude oil.
The height, shape, packing and cooling band and outlet from it all encourage the heavier fusil oils and other unwanted nasties to recondense and drop back into the still body rather than exiting with the ethanol vapour.
The manufaturer says it is capapble of producing an alcohol of 85%, they also still advise removing the first 50ml of 'heads' - the lighter alcohols, taking the middle 3-3.5 L (depending on wash strength) and then dumping the rest.
On top of these two measures I have a 2 stage activated carbon filter system to polish the spirit.

It's legal to have a still in the UK too.You can buy electric ones from our local homebrew shop.They ARE quite expensive and no more effective than the heathrobinson contraption thats been handed down in this family.(We value a ready supply of distilled water).