TURBO 500

DISTILLATION
SYSTEM
MANUAL
The Turbo 500 Distillation System
is designed to produce high purity
Alcohol and give maximum Alcohol
recovery. High quality alcohol made
with the T500 can be used to make
high quality, commercial grade, clear
spirits such as Gin, White Rum and
Vodka as well as any of the other
spirits and liqueurs in the Still Spirits
Essences range.
TURBO 500 DISTILLATION SYSTEM MANUAL
To complete a T500 Distillation System you will need both a
T500 Distillation Column and a T500 Boiler.
To obtain the best performance from the Distillation
System and to operate it safely it is important to read these
instructions carefully.
Your T500 Distillation Column has a unique serial number.
You are invited to visit www.stillspirits.com to register your
Column. We do not need to know who you are or where you
are, but would like to provide special offers, information and
help in getting the best results from your Column.
PLEASE READ ALL OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS
CAREFULLY BEFORE USING YOUR STILL.
SAFETY
The high purity of the alcohol produced by the Turbo 500
Distillation System is far more flammable and potentially
explosive than the lower purity alcohol produced from previous
home distilling technologies. It should be regarded as being
as flammable as gasoline and it is quite capable of forming an
explosive mixture in the air at normal room temperature.
• The Still should always be run in a well ventilated area.
• It should never be left running unattended.
• Smoking, open flames or other possible ignition sources
must be banned.
• If you spill any alcohol, dilute it with water, clean it up
immediately and rinse any cloths or paper towels you use,
to reduce the alcohol level before disposal.
• A fire extinguisher suitable for alcohol should be kept
nearby.
• The Still is fitted with a user reset-able electrical cut-out to
protect the element in the event that the Still is allowed
to boil dry. This cut-out can be reset with the button
under the base of the Still.
In the very unlikely event the electric cut out fails, a fusible link
gives an added protection. This fuse will melt and cut the flow
of power if the temperature exceeds a safe level. It cannot be
reset by the user and the Boiler will need professional attention.
FERMENTATION OF WASH
Careful attention to producing a clean and high
quality wash will reward you with higher quality
finished spirits and liqueurs. The Distillation process
is where most of the impurities are removed, but
care and effort to make a clean wash makes a very
satisfying difference to the Alcohol produced.
To produce a wash most suited to the T500 Distillation
System, we recommend you ferment 6kg (13¼ lb)
white sugar in 21 litres (5½ US Gal) clean water using
a Still Spirits Classic Turbo Yeast. Still Spirits Turbo
Yeasts are carefully developed and premixed with
the optimum nutrients to give high levels of Alcohol
fermentation with minimal impurities.
Adding Still Spirits Liquid Carbon to the fermenting
wash absorbs a significant portion of the undesirable
flavours. The carbon makes the wash into a black
liquid. The carbon does not harm the fermentation
process, and is removed when the wash is cleared.
Ensure the fermentation is allowed to run until all
sugar is converted to Alcohol. A specific gravity
reading on a Hydrometer of 990, or less, indicates the
fermentation is complete.
Clear the wash of yeast, and other fermentation
by-products. These will contain undesirable flavours
and odours. Use Still Spirits Turbo Clear following the
instructions on the pack, and carefully siphon off the
clear clean wash leaving the fermentation sediment in
the fermenter vessel.
Actual steps to produce the cleared wash ready for
distilling:
1. Clean and sterilise your fermenter.
2. Add 21 litres (5 ½ US Gal) of water to your
fermenter at 40°C (104°F)
3. Add 6kgs (13¼ lb) white sugar and stir well to
dissolve.
4. Add Classic yeast and Turbo Carbon and stir well.
5. Leave fermenter at 20°C (68°F) room temperature
to ferment
6. The wash has finished fermenting when SG
reading is at 990 or below and wash has stopped
fizzing,
7. Add Turbo Clear; first stir vigorously to remove
 all gas, then add part A and stir well. 1 hour later,
evenly and gently mix part B in the top of the
wash. Leave for 24 hours to clear.
8. Carefully siphon contents of wash into boiler,
leaving behind as much sediment as possible.
9. Add 3ml (capful) of distilling conditioner and
ceramic boil enhancers supplied, to help prevent
frothing and surge boiling.
Producing the best spirit possible:
1. Use Triple Distilled Turbo with Turbo Carbon to
produce your wash.
2. Clear the wash using Turbo Clear once it has
finished fermenting,
3. Take special care to leave as much sediment as
possible in the fermenter when you transfer the
wash to the boiler.
Triple Distilled Turbo contains special absorbents that
reduce congeners in the wash that could produce off
flavours and aromas in your spirit. If you transfer these
absorbents in the boiler, they will be released back
into the wash during boiling.
ALCOHOL PURITY AND YIELD
The Purity and Yield of the Alcohol will vary
depending on factors such as;
• The type of sugar you ferment
• The choice of Yeast
• How well the wash is cleared
• Control of the water outlet temperature
“Purity” describes the strength of the Alcohol
produced by the Distillation. In the development
work, the T500 delivered 92 to 93% strength alcohol,
using well prepared washes that were cleared.
“Yield” describes the effectiveness of Alcohol
extraction from the wash. The higher the yield the
less Alcohol is left behind in the boiler. With care and
attention to wash clearing and the distillation process,
you can expect to recover 95% or more of the Alcohol
fermented in the wash.
HOW DISTILLATION IN THE T500
DISTILLATION SYSTEM WORKS
The wash is heated in the boiler to boiling point
and kept at boiling point throughout the Distillation
process. The vapour boiled off from the wash rises up
the column, in which the vapours of the heavier liquids
(water and heavier undesirable molecules) condense
and fall back down. This cycle of evaporation, rising
and condensing is continuous and is described as
refluxing.
The temperature at the top of the Column will be
lower than the base of the column, as the vapour
becomes more concentrated with alcohol the
temperature will drop. The higher the temperature at
the top of the column, the lower the alcohol.
The ceramic saddles in the column provide a large
surface area to maximise the contact between the
liquid and vapour flows in the column and accelerate
the refluxing action.
The Turbo 500 Still has been carefully engineered
to provide a continuously compensating reflux rate.
As the Distillation process progresses, the alcohol
concentration in the wash reduces. To maintain high
purity of Alcohol being produced, the refluxing
ratio will increase to compensate and the alcohol
production will slow.
Towards the end of the distillation the Alcohol purity
remains high, but output will slow until it stops
altogether. At this point the water vapour will keep
rising and condensing part way up the column, but
nothing will reach the top of the column to pass into
the Condenser. The Alcohol extraction is finished at
that point. – Time to switch off and move onto making
some high quality Spirits and Liqueurs with your
Alcohol and your favourite essences.
Hint: The Alcohol produced is very high purity,
but for complete confidence in the flavour of
your finished spirits, filtering through an EZ Filter
activated carbon filter will give the final “polish” to
your product.
MAINTENANCE
If storing the Condenser for an extended period, the
thermometers can be turned off by the on/off switch
on the back of each.
TURBO 500 DISTILLATION SYSTEM MANUAL

ASSEMBLY LEGEND
Your Turbo 500 Condenser comes with the following
components. A - Water Outlet Temperature Sensor
B - Cooling Water Inlet
A C - Water Outlet
• Column assembly with condenser water D D - Spirit Outlet
connections and alcohol take-off. E - Top Loop Connections
• One digital temperature sensor (Thermometer). B
C
• Water flow controller (and adaptor)
• Mounting Panel for Thermometer.
• Water and alcohol tubing.
• Copper saddles for column packing. E
• Ceramic saddles for column packing. E

You will need a T500 Boiler with lid to complete a

T500 Distillation System.

1. DISASSEMBLE COLUMN BASE.

Unscrew the bottom flanged bush from the
column.
2. INSTALL COPPER & CERAMIC SADDLES
(See Figure A) Hold the column upside down and
add the copper saddles. Gently shake these into
place at the top of the column. Then add the
ceramic saddles a small handful at a time. Shake
the column gently between handfuls to settle the
saddles in without gaps. The saddles should fill
the column to within 50mm (2”) from the bottom
end.
Keep the column upside down while you move to
the next step.
Screw the bush into the column firmly.
You may need to shake the column to let the
bush clear the saddles. Top up column with
saddles by adding one at a time through the
holes in the bottom flange.
To tighten the bush firmly a pair of long nose
pliers can be used to grip and turn the inner
grating.
FIGURE A

It is vital for optimum quality spirit that the

Copper Saddles are at the very top of the
column. Please add them first and shake into
place before adding ceramic Berl saddles.

It is important that the saddles are not loose FIGURE B

inside the column. Take time to settle the saddles
in with gentle shaking between small handfuls.

Copper Saddles are most effective at the very top

of the column.
3. FIT THE BOILER LID TO THE COLUMN
Fit the O-ring to the base of the column.
Place the lid over the column and secure with the
threaded bush.
4. THERMOMETER
The thermometer supplied needs to have the LR44
battery installed. The batteries should be included
separately with the thermometer.
Fit the thermometer into the water outlet block (A)
halfway up the column.
Check the thermometer is working and set to Celsius
or Fahrenheit depending on your preference .
A switch on the back allows you to turn the
thermometer on and off. A second switch allows you
to set the thermometer to Celsius or Fahrenheit.
Place the column and lid on a bench.
Mount the thermometer in the mounting bracket
provided. Clip the panel onto the Condenser near the
bottom.
Use a wire tie to tidy up any loose wiring.
5. FIT TUBES
Connect the 1,100mm (3’7”) length of tubing
onto the Water inlet. (B). This will connect to the
faucet adaptor and supply cooling water.
Connect the 1,500mm (5’) length of tubing onto
the Water outlet (C). Water will flow from this to
your outlet drain/sink.
Connect the 850mm (2’9”) length of tubing onto
the Spirit outlet. (D). The distilled alcohol will flow
from here to your collecting jug.
It is essential that the spirit outlet should not be
sitting in alcohol at any time. Please note that
this hose is a firmer, white tube which is rated for
alcohol. To mould this to the best shape for your
distilling arrangement, you can bend the hose
after soaking in boiling water and it can be set to
stay in this shape by cooling quickly.
The short 200mm (8”) length of tube links the two
fittings at the top of the Still. (E)
Your T500 Column is now ready to fit on the
Boiler.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
Distilling the recommended wash of 25 litres (6½ US
Gal) made with 6kg (13 ¼ lb) white sugar, will take
about 4 hours from start to finish. Please ensure you
can give your full attention to operating the T500
Distilling System for this time period.
You will need to have
• Clock or timer
• 1 litre calibrated jug
• 5L Jug or Vessel to collect Alcohol
• Cooling water supply. Under normal conditions
the water supply will need to be about 500-
600mls (1 - 1¼ pints) per minute. If the water
temperature is 20°C (68°F) then the water supply
will need to be about 450-500mls (13oz-1pint)
per minute. If the tap water is cooler then it will
need to be lower and if warmer it should be
higher. In some instances the water flowing into
the Reflux coil can create a condensation lock.
If no spirit comes out the outlet then reduce the
water flow until it starts to flow and then increase
to maintain the desired outlet temperature.
When using the 110v unit in cooler conditions,
cooling water supply may need to be as low as
300ml (10 oz)
STEP 1
Place the boiler body on a firm, level, bench where
the waste can discharge into a drain or sink. It is
important that the still is vertical and not tilted,
otherwise the condensate will not reflux evenly.
STEP 2
Add the wash to the T500 Boiler. The still is designed
for a normal 25 litre (6½ US Gal) wash with 23 to 24
litres (6 to 6 ¼ US Gal) of cleared wash to be distilled.
If you use a larger wash do not fill beyond the
maximum level line on the boiler.
The wash can sometimes foam when boiling during
the distilling process. If it foams it can enter the
Column and disrupt the reflux action, reduce Alcohol
quality and disrupt temperature control. To help
prevent foaming we recommend adding 3ml (capful)
of Still Spirits Distilling Conditioner. This reduces
the chance of foaming in the boiler and promotes
optimum distillation conditions. Also add the reusable
Ceramic Boil Enhancers before distilling to avoid
surge boiling.
STEP 3
Place the Column and Boiler lid assembly onto
the Boiler Base. Ensure you can clearly see the
thermometers. Fasten the four clips that hold the lid
onto the Boiler. Check the sealing gasket is sitting
firmly onto the Boiler with no gaps.
TURBO 500 DISTILLATION SYSTEM MANUAL
STEP 4
Fit the Water flow controller to your faucet/tap.
Remove the aerator from your faucet/tap. Attach
the water flow controller. You may need to use the
enclosed adaptor depending on the thread on your
faucet/tap.
If your faucet/tap does not have an aerator thread,
your Still Spirits stockists will be able to supply a push
on faucet connector or a 20mm (¾”) adaptor.
Connect the water inlet tube to the flow controller.
Place the Water outlet tube into the sink or drain.
Place the Alcohol outlet tube into the collection jug
or vessel.
Position the outlet of the tube so that it cannot
become submerged under the Distillate.
STEP 5
Connect the power supply and turn on the Boiler.
The wash will take 60 - 80 minutes to heat to boiling
temperature.
STEP 6
Before the wash begins to boil, turn on the cooling
water. Use the clock or timer and a graduated 1 litre
jug to adjust the flow to approximately 550mls (1 pint
3 oz) per minute if cold water is over 25°C (77°F). If
under this start with 450ml (15oz) per minute.
Once the wash starts boiling, heated vapours will rise
into the column and the column will become very hot.
STEP 7
VERY IMPORTANT – Collect and discard the first
50mls of Alcohol that flows.
The first 50mls (2oz) of Alcohol must be collected
separately and discarded. Your fermentation may have
produced a very small amount of by-products that will
evaporate at a much lower temperature than Ethanol
(the alcohol we can consume).
STEP 8
Adjust the water flow to give an outlet water
temperature of 55–65°C (131-150°F). Monitor and
adjust the water flow throughout the distillation
process if needed.
Controlling the water outlet temperature is the key
user control of the T500’s distillation process. This
differs substantially from older technologies in which
the user controls cooling water flow to achieve an
ideal temperature at the top of the Column.
The development work on the T500 showed an ideal
water outlet range of 55-65°C (131-150°F). This can
be lowered as low as 50°C (122°F), which will slow the
Alcohol production rate. The outlet temperature can
be raised 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 and
65°C (140-150°F) will produce alcohol faster but at a
slightly lower strength and quality and running the still
between 55 and 60°C (131-140°F) will provide you
with optimum quality but it will take a bit longer.
As the distillation process proceeds the alcohol
remaining in the wash is reducing, so the reflux ratio
automatically rises to compensate and the rate of
alcohol flow slows. This slowing is most noticeable
after 2 hours of alcohol production.
You can confidently keep the Distillation Process
running until the Alcohol flow stops. There are no
recognisable “tails” from the T500. All the Alcohol
produced, except the 50mls (2oz) of heads, will be
high quality.
Always ensure the spirit outlet is not below the level of
the collected distillate.
STEP 9
When the Distillation is finished, turn the Boiler power
off and disconnect from the power outlet.
Turn off the cooling water supply.
The depleted wash left in the Boiler will be
dangerously hot. Allow it to cool to a safe temperature
before emptying it. Note: The spent wash is rich in
nutrients and makes an ideal fertiliser for your garden.
STEP 10
Remove the Column and Boiler lid assembly, and
rinse the Boiler of all wash and debris, being careful
to retain the Ceramic boil Enhancers for the next
distillation run.
Rinse the Column by filling with clean water several
times to remove any debris carried up by the rising
vapours.
Be careful not to get any water on the thermometer
during cleaning.
WATERING THE ALCOHOL DOWN
Float a Spirit Hydrometer (AKA) Alcometer in the
spirit to measure the alcohol content. Alcohol is
thinner than water so the higher in strength the
alcohol is, the further down the hydrometer floats.
Read the line where the level of the spirit cuts across
the hydrometer. Additives such as flavouring and
Liquid Glucose will distort the Alcometer readings.
Take good care of your Spirit Hydrometer as it is very
fragile. Wash & sterilise with cold water only. See over
for a simple formula to help you work out how much
water to add.
Spirit hydrometers should only be used to test spirit
before any additives such as flavouring or liquid
glucose are mixed and at the calibrated temperature.
Still Spirits Spirit Alcometer are calibrated at a
temperature of 20°C (68°F). If the spirit is a different
temperature to this then you can refer to the
Temperature Correction Chart on the following page.
Taking readings of warmer liquids may damage your
hydrometer. MIXING UP THE SPIRITS AND LIQUEURS
Once you have completed filtering your spirit, check
Still Spirits Alcoholmeter 0 -100% the strength and water down as needed. Usually this
A good general purpose hydrometer for everyday is to 40% A/V or less. There are a few exceptions with
use. It has a range of 0 to 100% alcohol content. As some of the higher strength spirits and liqueurs.
the range is so broad the scale can be hard to read
especially in the lower ranges. SPIRITS:
Measure out the amount of alcohol required and add
Precision Alcometer 0%-50%
the essence to it. Use some of the spirit to rinse out
This hydrometer is ideal for use in measuring and the sachet or bottle. Mix well and serve.
adjusting the finished alcohol strength of your spirits.
As this hydrometer covers only the 0 to 50% range ICON LIQUEURS:
on the same length of the scale it is much easier to
Check the back of the pack and add alcohol and water
read and ensure your spirit is at the correct strength
as required. Please note the Irish Cream requires the
for drinking.
Icon Cream Base.
Precision Alcometer 70%-100%
LIQUEURS:
The perfect hydrometer for use with the Turbo 500
still and other full reflux stills. It measures in the range Check the liqueur essence bottle and follow the
of 70 to 100% so is ideal for all reflux stills. As the instructions. They will require a base pack which is
range of 70 to 100% covers the entire scale it is in a mixture of sugar and modified starch that will add
quite large increments making measuring the spirit sweetness and mouth feel to the liqueur. For the
much easier and more accurate. This helps those that non-cream liqueurs mix the base with the alcohol and
wish to set their still to make very pure spirit by easily top up to the required volume with water. For the
measuring the spirit to half per cent increments or cream liqueurs, mix up the cream base with any water
less in the 90 to 100% range. required then add the alcohol. Again top up to the
target volume with water.
 TURBO 500 DISTILLATION SYSTEM MANUAL

TEMPERATURE CORRECTION
ADJUSTMENT CHART EXAMPLE
Your Spirit Hydrometer reads 50% A/V at a temperature of 25°C (77°F) , look up the Correction Adjustment chart
and you will see the value is minus 1.88. You then adjust your reading by that number – in this case subtract 1.88
from your reading of 50% A/V which will give you a realistic reading of 48.12% A/V.

20°C Alcohol % / Volume

(68°F) 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 98
Temp
10°C (50°F) 4.12 3.98 3.67 3.42 3.19 2.92 2.45 2.06
15°C (59°F) 2.03 2.00 1.85 1.73 1.61 1.47 1.25 1.06
20°C (68°F) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
25°C (77°F) -2.01 -1.95 -1.88 -1.76 -1.65 -1.51 -1.31 -1.12
30°C (86°F) -4.06 -3.94 -3.78 -3.55 -3.33 -3.05 -2.67 -2.31
35°C (95°F) -6.15 -5.98 -5.82 -5.40 -5.13 -4.67 -4.07 -3.54
40°C (104°F) -8.29 -8.05 -7.92 -7.41 -7.03 -6.35 -5.50 -4.80

ADJUSTING YOUR ALCOHOL STRENGTH DOWN TO 40% A/V

After carbon purifying, the spirit should be watered down in strength to 40% A/V prior to drinking. We strongly
advise against making higher strength spirit.

LITRES (US Gallons) COLLECTED

X
ALCOHOL STRENGTH
= TOTAL LITRES (US GALLONS) TO BE MADE UP TO

ALCOHOL STRENGTH

EXAMPLE
To convert 45% strength alcohol to 40% use the following calculation:

4.5 Litres (1.2 US Gallons) x 45 / 40 = 5.06 litres (1.33 US Gallons).

If you collect 4.5 litres (1.2 US Gallons) of spirit and this measures 45% after carbon purifying, then multiply 4.5 x
45. Divide this by 40% and you will need to make the total spirit up to 5.06 litres (1.33 US Gallons) with water. In
other words add 590mls (20 US fl oz) of water. This is a rough guide only. Watering down the spirit to 40%, or less,
is very important as people unused to high strength spirit can easily overdose resulting in nausea and in extreme
cases death.
WATER DISTILLATION

ASSEMBLY

1. FIT THE BOILER LID TO THE COLUMN

You will not need the copper and ceramic saddles for D
water distillation. Refer to page 5 for instructions on
how to assemble the lid to the column.

C B
2. THERMOMETER
Use the temperature probe to test the outlet water.
Thermometer does not need to be mounted to the
bracket as you will need this to test the outlet
water supply.

3. FIT TUBES
Connect the 1,100mm (3’7”) length of tubing onto
the Water inlet. (B). This will connect to the faucet
adaptor and supply cooling water.

Connect the 1,500mm (5’) length of tubing onto the

Water outlet (E). (This is the condenser column fitting E
at the top right of the still). Water will flow from this
to your outlet drain/sink. The main column fitting on
the top left side of the still does not require a tube
attached for water distillation.

Connect the 850mm (2’9”) length of tubing onto

outlet. (D). The distilled water will flow from here to
your collecting jug. It is essential that this tube should
not be sitting in water at any time, otherwise this
could cause a pressure vacuum inside the boiler and
it could implode.
Fitting (C) does not require a tube attached for water
distillation.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
Distilling 20 litres (2.6 US Gal) of water will take about
8-10 hours from start to finish (excluding heating
time) and will produce approx. 18L of distilled water.
You will need to have:
• Clock or timer
• 1 litre calibrated jug
• Large vessel to collect distilled water
• Cooling water supply.
Under normal conditions the water supply will need
to be about 600mls (1 - 1¼ pints) per minute at a
temperature of 20°C. If the tap water is cooler then it
will need to be lower (500mls) and if warmer it should
be higher (700mls).
TURBO 500 DISTILLATION SYSTEM MANUAL

STEP 1
Place the boiler body on a firm, level, bench where
the waste can discharge into a drain or
sink. Add water to your boiler, do not fill beyond the
maximum level line on the boiler.
STEP 7
The distilled water must be filtered through the EZ
Filter carbon filter system to ensure any unwanted fla-
vours and aromas from previous washes are removed.
Refer to the EZ Filter manual for filtering instructions.

STEP 2
Place the Column and Boiler lid assembly onto the
Boiler Base. Ensure you can clearly see
the thermometers. Fasten the four clips that hold the
lid onto the Boiler. Check the sealing
gasket is sitting firmly onto the Boiler with no gaps.
TERMINOLOGY
STEP 3
Fit the Water flow controller to your faucet/tap. ALCOHOL – Most commonly used to describe
Remove the aerator from your faucet/tap. Ethanol, the type of alcohol in wine, beer, spirits and
Attach the water flow controller. You may need to use other alcoholic beverages. It is a chemical with the
the enclosed adaptor depending on the thread on formula C2H5OH.
your faucet/tap. If your faucet/tap does not have an
aerator thread, your Still Spirits stockists will be able DISTILLATE - The concentrated component that
to supply a push on faucet connector or a 20mm (¾”) condenses from a Distillation process.
adaptor. Connect the water inlet tube (C) to the flow
controller. Place the Water outlet tube (F) into the DISTILLATION – Method of separating 2 or more
sink or drain. Place the distillate outlet tube (E) into substances by heating the mixture to a temperature
the collection jug or vessel. Position the outlet of the that is higher than the boiling point of one component
tube so that it cannot become submerged under the and lower than the boiling point of the other
distillate. component. The vapour of the lower boiling point
component is captured and allowed to condense
STEP 4 and is more concentrated compared to the original
Connect the power supply and turn on the Boiler. mixture.
The water will take 60 - 80 minutes to heat to boiling
temperature. FERMENTATION – Conversion of carbohydrates
(sugars) into Alcohol and Carbon Dioxide by Yeast.
STEP 5
SPIRIT - An alcohol beverage containing at least 20%
Before the water begins to boil, turn on the cooling
alcohol v/v and with no added sugar
water. Use the clock or timer and the graduated 1
litre jug to adjust the flow to approximately 600mls (1 Wash - Liquid containing Alcohol which has been
pint 4 oz) per minute so that the outlet water flow produced by yeast fermenting sugars.
is at approx. 55°C (131°F) (Use the thermometer to
check temperature). This should stay stable for the
entire distillation period.

STEP 6
After you have collected 18 litres of water, turn the
boiler power off and disconnect from the power
outlet. Turn off the cooling water supply. Be careful
when discarding remaining water left in boiler as this
will be hot.
TROUBLESHOOTING
SYMPTOM: SPIRIT PRODUCED IS CLOUDY

Wash is foaming while boiling and carrying fermentation residues up the column.

Add 3ml of Still Spirits Distilling Conditioner to the wash. This stops excessive foaming in the boiler which can be caused by high concentrations of
proteins and unfermented sugars.

SYMPTOM: IRREGULAR FLOW OF SPIRIT.

Wash is surge boiling caused by hot spot on base of integrated boiler.

Add Ceramic boil enhancers. In extreme cases try adding 1 – 2 Stainless steel Pot Scrubbers.

Spirit outlet is submerged in distillate causing alternating pressure and vacuum.

Trim outlet pipe so that it cannot be below the level of the collected distillate

SYMPTOM: THE WATER OUTLET TEMPERATURE IS HARD TO CONTROL

Steam and vapour pressure is leaking from lid seal.

Check lid gasket is sitting evenly inside lid before clipping onto the base.

Water supply is inconsistent.

Check your water supply does not vary significantly through the distillation process. The included Faucet adapter should help prevent this even with
variable water supply.

SYMPTOM: THE SPIRIT PURITY (V/V%) SEEMS LOW

The Column temperature has been too hot. This can cause the spirit to flow at a higher but less concentrated rate.

Check the water out temperature is no more than 65°C (150°F).

SYMPTOM: THE YIELD IS LOW

The wash has not fermented out properly so the amount of alcohol available is reduced.

Use a beer, wine and wash hydrometer to ensure the wash has reached a specific gravity of 990 or below.

Steam and vapour pressure is leaking from lid seal.

Check lid gasket is sitting evenly inside lid before clipping onto the base.

SYMPTOM: THE SPIRIT HAS A YELLOW/ORANGE TINT

Build up of dead yeast cells passing through the column and building up on cooling coils inside the Column.

Be sure to use Turbo Clear on your wash before distilling to remove any unwanted yeast cells. If this does occur, empty the column and separate the
copper saddles from the ceramic saddles. Soak the copper saddles and wash the inside of the column and the main condensor with white vinegar. Hold
column upside down and fill with white vinegar, being careful to hold the end of the spirit outlet above the level of the white vinegar in the column.
Shake gently, then run out through spirit outlet and discard vinegar. Repeat 3-4 times. Rinse column with water. Pack copper saddles into column first so
they sit at the very top of the column.

High alcohol washes are more prone to this phenomena

Reduce sugar used in wash. Lower alcohol washes will always produce higher quality alcohol. The T500 still already produces higher yield than any other
still on the market. You will likely find that using a 7 kg (15½ lb) wash with the T500 still will produce more alcohol that an 8kg (17lb 10oz) wash with
another still type.
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distiller and the novice just starting out plus an extensive recipe
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ALCOHOL DISTILLATION ALCOHOL FOR BIO FUEL

In New Zealand it is legal to distil your own
spirits and liqueurs for personal consumption.
However please note that in certain countries
alcohol distillation may be illegal and you may
require a licence. Ask for advice or contact
your local Customs & Excise Department.
In Australia it is illegal to use this unit
to produce alcohol for consumption
without a licence from the Customs &
Excise Department.
On 30th June 2007 the UK Government made
it legal for people to produce up to 2500
litres annually without the need to pay duty
or to hold a permit. Always check with car
manufacturers as to the level you can add.
The USA authorities have recently allowed
distillation for fuel alcohol and you can get
a permit from the Federal Government very
cheaply.

In the USA and Canada it is illegal to use

this unit to produce alcohol for consumption
without a licence from the relevant authorities.

In the UK it is illegal to manufacture spirits

without a distiller’s licence which is required
under the provisions.

Reorder #72650 V10