What is a "must" - what was a bust?

Sunshine

Dear advanced distillers, let us give the newbies a hint, what to buy and what not for their new hobby:

What kind of item/accessory did you find an absolutely "must have" for your distilling, and what did you buy and never really use, or did appear as useless?

I may begin with two German distilling books, that now annoy me every time, I look at them (our StillDragon manuals are so much more useful and true like them!!!)

grim

Here are my favorites:

• (gear) Hanna pHep 5 - pH/temp pen for mashing and monitoring fermentation.
• (gear) Bench top lab stir plate - For making yeast starters - big money saver if using expensive yeast strains or making big batches.
• (book) Fermented Beverage Production by Lea and Piggott - Academic book with just about the best end-to-end overview.
• (book) Yeast: Practical guide to Beer Fermentation by White and Zainasheff - If you don't know yeast, you don't know squat.

Kapea

Not meaning to be a smartass, or a FOAG troll: The willingness to research and learn. Understanding what you are trying to do before you jump into action and start buying and building will save you a lot of heartache and money.

cooperville

If you could compile and follow @punkin travels through the interwebs over the years you would learn the ropes pretty quick

cooperville

Funnyoldagingguy @kapea

cooperville

Johns how to brew

fadge

For someone starting out.

Basic how to make a wash, tpw or any other wash as such, nothing really needed except a fermenter with a temp strip on the side, plus ingredients and method.

• MUST for the still, must have at least a half decent temp gauge somewhere in the vapor path, this is the single most useful and learning device when starting out. What temps does it start producing, what temps are good, what is too little, what is too much.
• MUST have a accurate abv tester, how can we dilute or get a finished product without this.
• NICE to have a parrot to use the above, better than finding a jar tall enough to use!
• NICE to have some sort of power control for the boiler (unless lucky enough that the element or gas is "just right")
• MUST have patience to start slow and then build up with knowledge and experience.
• BUST, don't go too big too soon, know what product you want to produce.

Thats my list off the cuff so far.

fadge

Lloyd

Good stuff @fadge. Starting out means starting Simple.
Then very slowly add to your distilling paraphernalia a little at a time.
As @fadge noted, there are only a few Must have things but tons and tons of Nice to have things.

I would encourage anyone new to the craft to run a simple pot still without any of the paraphernalia whatsoever - except for some type of boiler power controller - and learn the simple basics.
Then, no matter what kind of distilling equipment you are running, it all makes sense.
A bit like going to first grade before going to second grade... you need the basics under your belt before advancing.

If your first still is a 4 plate bubble column still then I'd suggest the first few runs be made without the plates or reflux condenser (pot still mode) just to understand very basic distilling and to learn cuts the old fashioned way, by using your sense of smell and taste.
With a bit of pot stilling mastery, running the plated column becomes a joy as the still does so much of the work for you by compressing the fractions and broadening the hearts cut. Understanding the pot still answers so many of the newbie questions for themselves.

Yet, I admit it, I am spoiled. I no longer want to run a pot still, operate without a parrot, thermometers here and there and everywhere, and I'm increasingly bespoiled (if that is even a word) to automation.
And automation is just one more step in my personal distilling journey.
But to start with a PID controlled bubble plate column as a first still would somehow seem to be akin to skipping grades in school - its cool to brag about but the learning foundation is missing.

Kapea

@cooperville said: Funnyoldagingguy kapea

I'll take the funny part as a compliment... :-*

popcorn

Must have

• Ian Smileys book
• Stainless steel or copper funnel
• Lots of jars

grim

Bust

• Anything with the word "turbo" in it

Moonshine

@grim said: Bust - Anything with the word "turbo" in it

+1 :D

TheMechWarrior

Must:

• Reading, forums and books and asking questions.
• Be prepared to taste the new make of someone else more experienced. Find a mentor or a stilln buddy.

Bust:

• KegKing heating elements, I've blown several versions over the years.

Kapea

To answer the OP's questions:

Must:

• a ferment made from fruit juice and solids

Bust:

• a woman's breasts

grim

@Kapea +1

Moonshine

@Kapea said: To answer the OP's questions:

You do realize that the OP is female, yes? ;)

Kapea

Yeah, I thought maybe it was kind of a trick question - to see if anybody is PWD... :)