Home Distiller’s Workbook by Jeff King- Audiobook Review by Anthony Zaca

Home Distiller Workbook by Jeff King- Book Review by Anthony  Zaca

This is my review of the audio book. 

I do notice a few distilling companies ask its customers to  do basic research on distilling before even contacting them with any questions. So, this audio book is such a great way to learn the  basics. You sit down with one of your best beverages, light your  cigar or pipe and listen to this and I guarantee you will know  what you are talking about, when you contact them, with questions.

 I recommend this audiobook not only to the beginner  but to those that think they know what distilling is all about.  I am speaking for myself. I thought I knew alot, it just goes to  show you, you are always learning, and there is alot of room  left. For example, I did not know that the word “ZYMURGY”, means  the art of fermentation. I do now.

This audiobook is sold on AUDIBLE.com.

 If you sign up, you get a free  credit for doing that. But its only 3 or 4 dollars to buy and  about 2 hours long. You can download to your computer or cellphone. Its the best investment! No reading!! Just  listening. Email me, if you are having a hard time buying or  downloading this from Audible, I can help, I have done it.

Starts off about distillation history, how it started in Italy  and then a year later a Prince taxed the alcohol. Alcohol is  what everyone wants, he says, so the authorities want to tax us,  saying they are protecting us. He then moves on to the new urban  moonshiner, who is not doing it for profit but for a hobby.

Talks about his teens, meeting a man in Kentucky with a still in  a barn, who told him the history of moonshine. His three years hanging with him and all he saw.

Then he talks about all his adventures in his life meeting  people who make shine like a Grandfathers tequila, and an aunts  grappa. Parties where he brought out mason jar of apple pie and  what happened.

He talks about the basics of distilling, fermenting and aging.  Tells you all the jargon. How it works, definitions, what you  need, how it is done, and what with, The new yeasts that are  out. Old school and new school ways to distill, all of it he  covers. He goes through all the ingredients. Steps to make, in  easy instructions. He also has some recipes he is reading out,  simple beginner ones. He goes into temperatures and how  important this is.

He talks a little about the science, about what happens in  distilling. Your relationship with your still, keeping watch  over how hot the steam is and how to cool. Teaching you about  monitoring. How to run your still, he gives you steps. He talks  about foreshots and how they must always be removed and he will  give you the basic percentages to the amount of wash. Its a must  pay attention to. You learn the rules. He talks about the all  the cuts and how to tell where you are. How to smell it, and  what it will smell like. Also, how to flavor, filter and age. I  don’t want to give away the book, but he has a common sense  approach to do your cuts.

Distilling like cooking, is individual taste, and no way is best  way.  He talks about all the different personalities out there  with regards to personal distilling. There are different types  of distilling, like steam for example. He goes into each of  these. 

This audiobook comes with a PDF with all the types of stills,  with pictures, you can see how each is built.

He goes into some advanced concepts. For those who want  something extra. 

He goes into every design of every type of still out there from  pot still, thumpers, reflux, lyne arm, slobber box, water  jackets, pan or woks from your kitchen and tea pot stills. My  favorite is the reflux still! He tells you which still is best  for what kind of product you want.

I like when he talks about freeze distillation (alcohol doesn’t  freeze so you can separate from fermentation). This is pretty  cool. This is a distilling technique used in places like Alaska,  Eskimos, etc. You do not have to use a still. You can leave a 20  gallon bucket of beer wort and 90% of it will freeze and you  will have a clear liquid on the top. Which will be alcohol.

He talks about abv’s and techniques how to get high proof.

How to make homemade easy stills with diagrams, come with this.

He gives you shopping lists and homework. Where to buy your  supplies he tells you also.

Things like dangers, such as proper room ventilation, or fire  and seals. He goes into everything in this audio. He says be  safe not sorry. Learn the basics well.

I love the recipe section. What exactly whiskey is. All the  different types and whats in each. Try them all. This guy uses  fans and everything basic to distill. For the home distiller he  wrote this. 

He talks about legality and laws. He talks about this and why  this is. I see his politics here. He assumes this book is for  entertainment for you.

I hear all the time, what he says about the myth of moonshine  and going blind. Its like the protein myth, you need meat for  protein is whats killing us Americans in heart disease. The same  thing with moonshine and going blind. This is propaganda. He explains this and  talks about the grain of truth in this, the tiny grain. 

Moonshine he talks all about next. What is it, how any fool can  make. The blue flame test, he teaches you.

The last part is all his recipes. He gives you some books to  read, that he recommends. I recommend them too. People ask me  all the time for recipes.  I can send them here.

I listened to this a few times while I was working. I had a few stray listeners with me who enjoyed it as well. I am looking forward to his next book.

Thank you for reading my book review. Support people like Jeff King that have spent many years adding solutions to distilling and not expecting anything from public. Passionate distiller.

Happy Distilling from ANTHONY ZACA

Works in Progress, in the studio..a raw look

I haven’t written a blog in a while. I have been wanting to do a blog, initially I said every two days. Like a business diary. A place for me to just talk about distilling and stills. To vent and relax. Connect with home distilling lovers. I have just been waiting on professional photos and a video, and well, I have been so busy, too. I might as well write something about what I have been doing with the business. Until these videos and photos come. Just write something small. I can just post cell phone pics.

I worked with a welder to design a 50 gallon boiler. A conical top of a 50 gallon barrel. I haven’t got good photos yet. Just one one my cell phone and advanced preview. It is not polished yet. So you see it raw and before prepared. You can compare the before and after photos coming soon.

The reason its going to be a success is, we can have windows on them, a cleanout, heating elements, thermometers, etc. It can be run on gas. It can come insulated or not. This can be manipulated, everyone can be custom made. To suit any distillers need. It will be functional robust. You are going to get a custom pot affordable.

The reason I am doing this, is because there are hardly if any large boilers made in the USA, American made. Its a long wait to order and you must go through customs. You buy in large quantities in order to sell these. The shipping on these may take 3 months from China. Then you have to get it from Canada. They say three weeks to ship, yeah, after its made…and that takes time to build them too. If I drop ship these from other companies, supply is short and it is never guaranteed to be in stock at any given time or they sell out fast..

This way, I can be sure of this order because its in my hands.

I am working also on a custom still. It is not ready yet, and not polished. I am showing you a preview, You can also see what a still looks like. A BEFORE pic. What it looks like before polishing after its welded. Check back for the AFTER version. I will get beautiful professional photos soon in a few weeks check back our photo account. It will be all shiny when completed. This is what a still looks like before finished. I have 6 more things I have to do. I made a few videos and will do more when testing.

BEFORE POLISHED AND FINISHED-

This still is a 4 inch Alchemist. The man who commisioned me had a special request.  He has limited height where he distills. He wanted the ten foot tall Alchemist, with 4 feet pot boiler to fit in 12 foot ceiling.  So this still is divided into two units. Thats only 60% of the still finished, pictured. Giving you a raw peek at what it takes to build these. This still is side by side, 5 feet tall each side on a four foot pot.

I have been on the phone with many people. They teach me things and ask good questions. Some questions I get is can you distill rice into ethanol. You can distill a rice wine into ethanol easily. I explained how.

A guy told me his brother has built a generator that runs on ethanol well. I said wow, because you can’t really import one of these from Brazil where they mostly are made. I have people screaming at me for these things. I just want all of you to know this is a good business to get into.

I am moving into my new shed finally. It has a ceiling of 18 feet. I just painted and working late tonight finishing. It is a filming studio so I can help produce a better finished product on filming, on the property. There will be two cameras for youtube. There will be better lighting, I have extra large windows that open into the beautiful woods. Better hearing so people can understand better what I am trying to say. I installed one of the Wiseway wood pellet stoves. This is SO WARM. Its so warm in there, and the heat lasts all day, I light it in morning, and when I come back at night, its very warm. I did this with some help from friends.

I finished a manual for my stills -with the people who know nothing of distilling, in mind. I call it the old lady version, for fun. So easy to understand, your grandmother can use my still. I will work on one for master distillers and micro distillers soon with advanced techinques. Coming SOON.

People call me and are blown away when I tell them their cars, as it is now, takes 50% petroleum product gas and 50% ethanol. You don’t have to convert your car, only if you use more of your homemade ethanol than 50%. Companies dont want you to know this, its a racket.

Also, I want to talk about rendering oil from Marijuana. Steam distillation from marijuana yields very little oil. But you can do an alcohol run with marijuana. This is what they call either infusion or alcohol separation. As the 90 plus percent alcohol -at a temp of 173 F- passes over the hemp, it dissolves the crystals in the bud. The alcohol and the THC will be homogenized. The only way to separate that stasis is you need to evaporate the ethyl alcohol through low heat. Once all ethyl alcohol has evaporated there will be residue of water and the oil be floating on top of the water. Then you put in rice cooker to evaporate the alcohol on low heat. Some water left behind with oil -sitting on top as oil and water don’t mix. The water is an infusion as well. This is high potency of thc that can be used topically or orally for people with rashes tumors etc..I have seen this process myself- with my still- that a client did for me, who has permit to sell, as also it is legal to have marijuana in Washington State now.

This doesnt mean I want people showing up at my door with garbage bags of marijuana, please! I have to put a stop to this. But I can discuss these principles of distilling with anyone. Its all about Alchemy.

If you ever see clip art cartoon of an Alchemist you always see a magician- looking-dude with a distillation device of some kind on his table. Thats what you will be when you take distillation seriously. When you understand you are changing something plain into something wonderful. Your spirit itself will be infused into your product.

My goal this year is to have a perforated plate. Made of copper. I will be approaching this very differently from what is out there on the market. It will have the sight glass windows, but everything else will be different. Nothing will be copied or stolen. I am not competing with anyone. Its all concepts I come up with through trial and error. I love making stills, have a passion for this. This perforated plate can be attached to all my Alchemists. So customers can add this on, without buying a new still.

I am the only one who packs the stills for delivery. I don’t allow anyone else to do this. I pack these super well. I want you to be assured.

There has been a concern out there, is copper mesh “electro-plated”? You will know if your copper mesh has been electro plated because it will have a black tarnish to it after you run your still. Then you know it is not pure copper. The copper mesh we buy comes from Texas, and is made for purposes of cleaning machines in nuclear power plants. Also used in Micro Distilling industry where all alcohol has to be devoid of any poisonous substance.

So clean a child can play with it.

I cannot wait until someone does a reality show on making moonshine stills. Building them and going over everything. Also- what we go through making them. I have crazy conversations with people. Yesterday, I was talking to an old man, who I couldn’t understand, he was chewing tobacco and spitting and he had an accent. While he was talking to me, I heard in the background his wife screaming, ” You are up to no damn good! ” and on and on.. I get these sometimes.

We do not record conversations or give out any information to anyone, third parties. We may do a blind drop ship with companies who build things for us that we sell, like the control boxes or spare parts. We just ask them to ship it to you.

Someone called me and told me there was a state where its legal to distill a certain amount of spirits. It is seen to be legal by the state -but seen as illegal by the feds. This man who called me up and told me, asked me who do I listen to? The state or the feds. I just told him the feds are employed by the people. I said our state, Washington legalized Marijuana. But it is still seen as illegal by the federal government. I don’t have too much info on this. I will look into this. But times are changing and fast. I wish I coul
d remember more of this conversation. It was a good question. Who do you listen to? It is tough call.

I can talk about removing oil from shrimp now. I traded a still for a fishing trip. I showed this man how to extract the oil from the shrimp, using my still. By loading the tower with shrimp and removing it with steam. Not only do I wind up with a brine that you pour into surrounding areas of your boat where you fish, but the oil itself, which you rub on your lures. Makes steelhead go crazy. Alchemy again. Never know what you are going to find.

My main goal is to build a still that will do everything. So anyone who bought an orginal Alchemist can have all the applications to take a window, extra modulars, essential oil extension. All for essential oils, tinctures, effusion lamps, hemp, foods, medicine, alcohol, fuel, gas, flavored distilled water..etc.  Every farm should have a still. In these times one is valuable. Things are changing and people are more in touch with the land. There is awareness.

 I look forward to anyone of a legal age can distill their own spirit, with fathers, mothers and grandparents. To be allowed to make 20 gallons of high proof, a year, is good. To pay a small permit to the state seems to be a win-win. The rules out there are not about safety, but just about taxes and control. Just imagine all the recipes people come up with.

I have been trying out a recipe with a microdistillery for and with them, using bananas, brown sugar, molasses and a coffee bean infusion. Washington state has 20,000 lbs of bananas that are bad, gone bad every month, spotty. The sugars in these are the highest. This can be used for ethanol as well. I had client who made ethanol for his motor bike by bananas.

Someone blogged about me, to the home distilers forum and I was swamped with orders for copper pipe to keg kits. I want to thank you. But it was a surprise. I sold out all my suppliers of a coupling, found more, sold them out, so for about a week, until I got the new order, I tested a different coupling, and it worked fine, so I used that until I got my two inch ones. Its not exactly whats pictured in the photo, but it works beautiful. I am back to my coupling. Its about keeping the production line going and not stopping. These are handmade. Occasionally, the parrots might have different stands, some fancy others plain, than what is pictured. Every piece is a work of art.

Copper Pipe to keg kits

I have been working long time with a college professor. For a course in distillation of ethanol. The students have option to buy my small 2 inch still for the course. Universities can do anything. We are in the last process. I got a copy of the course outlines/syllabus and I will look it over. Kids are now distilling ethanol. I have spent many hours on the phone with him. If this works out it will be so beautiful. 

I got a package sent to me, an easy carbon filtration stand. I have to test this out too, in my spare time, fully and many times. If this works, we can sell this retail. I love testing out things to help with distilling.

I want to spread distilling empowerment. Do not be scared or intimidated. There are no stupid questions.

I am not always there- to answer my phone, because I am building stills. The girls in office take care of the orders and emails they can answer. 

One day everything will be sorted and I could streamline these orders. We can buy copper in larger and larger amounts for cheaper and keep our prices lower.

 I don’t believe at this time from ordering everything from overseas. I still have to, but its a work in progress, will take a while to find cheap suppliers within Canada or USA. “India and China were the top sources of radioactive goods shipped to the U.S. through 2008,” explains a March 24, 2012, Bloomberg article about radioactive scrap metal. And there is no indication that things have improved since that time, according to Ross Bartley, a metallurgist who has been tracking radioactive contamination since the early 1990s. In all likelihood, he says, the problem has remained the same or even gotten worse.

 I believe in world trade and all that. But we have to be sure what we are getting.

Along with all this, I have a fiancee, a toddler and another baby coming on the way. Its challenging juggling relationships and work. Lucky I found someone excited about hard work and distilling as me. Who supports, cares and believes in me and is my best friend. Been there when I was welding all night at 11 pm and up at 6 to help me with paperwork.

Thank you for reading and I appreciate all your emails and phone calls.

We are not perfect yet, and always improving. I apologize if an order comes late. Please be patient. All that stuff, is working itself out in our business, we are getting new help. I can now focus on building. 

 I don’t answer emails or phones on Saturdays. I build stills during the week. I can’t answer all calls, all day.  I always return them by that day or the next. If I have a break I always answer. If I hire an answering service, then people won’t get personal attention. They won’t get their questions answered…because, you can’t hire someone to answer technical questions about distillation. You need expertise and experience. I rely on some girls to answer emails about orders and answer e.t.a.s, and they are very good about this. 

My girl makes fun and says I should open a full time distilling phone sex line. So many people want to chat about stills. Sometimes I am on the phone with customers for three hours. Have a glass of wine in the evening and make some friends. I know this pays off someday. I enjoy it. I will figure this out. 

 It takes a lot to run a business. I build stills. That is what I do. It takes alot more than that. My advice to all you copper still builders, you need a team. Customers need lots of attention and you have to give them all you can. There is shipping, driving, marketing, blogs, videos, and suppliers, wholesale accounts, prices on parts, hiring help good, articles, google ads, youtube, secure website, cart, merchant account, paypal, bills for electric, banking, facebook etc.  I have to be alot of things. 

 That is why I made a super easy manual. Why I make videos. Why I write blogs. Cartoons, anything else..This is all to teach. I will be putting up a FAQ part 2 next. (Those are all the types of questions I have been emailed about since my last FAQ).

 Please be patient with us. I thank you so much. 

Its an idea I have- that some evenings I can have a live stream open -online, an hour each few days or week or something, where I teach about how to distill ethanol, or answer questions. It can be live and people can call in, video in etc..

Don’t get me wrong. I am never too busy for your call or email. I always have time. I just ask for patience. Please. I am not a machine.

Alchemist Manual- The Easy Version for Beginners- Copper Reflux Still

Here is the link to print this out and view, click on - LINK

Distilling Equipment

- Custom Work by us

In the background–This is my boiler with a conical top. 200 gallon pot for stripping and for making Apple Brandy and Rum. I made this for a distillery in Snohomish. I do custom work. Anything you need I can try to build or acquire for you at retail cost. This is with a pot still head we made also. Pure Copper.

4 inch pot still. 10 foot long condenser. To make Rum, 200 gallon boiler

Two functions- pot still and stripping still.

Apple Vodka 180, running around 91-92%. 50F. 4 inch reflux still. Run on gas. 2.5-3 gallons an hour of 95%. Flavor coming out amazing. The base rate for alcohol is 60 degrees F. When it measures 10 degrees F lower you have to add two to three percent to adjust for the temperature. So now we have 95% The tower itself is 10 feet high, that can go with another tower to take it up to 12 feet. Its fully packed with copper mesh. They are running an apple wash through this.

www.shop.rainierdistillers.com/ I

BEST Heat Controller for Distilling!

I am really excited about our new product.The perfect controller for the perfectionist distiller. For even the novice that knows NOTHING. You just set your temperature or turn the dial to the set temperature and it will run itself. SET AND FORGET. This one will ACTUALLY run the still without you being there. There will be apps attached to this which will send you text to phone or android! No need to label your containers for the alcohol content, they will always be the same thing as using the still troll! This will revolutionize how people will make ethanol. Once you set at 173 it will stay at 173 through the entire run. So you can set this at night, go to bed, wake up and its done!

  

I am launching this product tonight. It takes the guesswork out of distilling ethanol. I have been working on this for two years with an engineer. To make something that is affordable to the home distiller market or the micro distiller. This box will definitely be a plus for the home brewers that are creating a wort with different temps at different times. This box has a timer.Not only can this be used for distilling high proof alcohol, or different sorts of beer. This still Troll can be custom made to suit those that are running twenty to thirty kva. On that note it can be manipulated to run propane on your still. Not only electricity but gas! It will manipulate a solanoid.

I will be making more videos running this. If anybody has a custom job that wants this for their personal distillery, my engineer will work out the capabilities and design the box to suit your needs. No longer spending ten fifteen twenty thousand dollars to control a distillery!

Here are some photos:

See bottom of this blog post, I have a description of the whole thing*

Look at it, it is a real computer!

I also have a single box and a double phase angle controller box. The single box runs a 5500 watt element. That will heat a keg 15 gallons in thirty five minutes to distill. When it comes up to temperature, you can turn it down to the flow rate and the alcohol content you desire. This is 280 dollars, not 600$ that is on the market selling now. Check out how big the heat sink is on the back and you know you are getting your money’s worth.

Also this is a double phase angle controller that runs 9000 watts. This has two breakers and it is controllable. This is showing you the amps and the wattage on a screen. It is more wattage than the single. It doesn’t cost you a thousand dollars plus! $600 

The Single and the Double have been worked on by an avid distiller, who is electrician and works in a distillery that is trying to simplify controlling the pot temperature.

These can be used on any still!! Running electrical elements.

Also I have designed a new product. It is a 3 inch Still Complete Starter Kit- This is a 3 inch Alchemist Copper Reflux Tower STARTER KIT.

Still, Deluxe Keg Boiler, 7 bags of yeast, 2 heating belts, two 8 gallon buckets with airlocks, copper mesh packing, Parrot, triple scale hydrometer, alcohol meter, all hoses and fittings. All for 1690$ plus 22% shipping flat rate within USA!

Here is a video

This is a distilling kit for the ETHANOL market. And those who want to create alcohol. This is a one stop shop. This three inch still will produce up to 7 gallons an hour. On full tilt. Meaning that it is running high wattage and probably supplemented with propane.

It comes with a custom made parrot too. Each parrot is individual. The only time I get to have fun in my workshop.But I do have fun making stills.

I am helping open up another distillery in Toledo. Using a 450 gallon pot still, slash stripping still. I designed the boilers. All of the boilers and stills are custom made. You can see me here in the distillery setting up for their opening.. See this video.

They are going to make a whiskey and a vodka. I will give you an update how this distillery is going to work out. They are using in their product malted corn. So for all those whiskey lovers, watch out.

I have been very busy. I apologize to all those who have been waiting to talk to me. I have to oversee everything in my shed. I put my name behind everything. Personally I check everything that is done. I am very rarely in front of a computer during the week. I try to call back everyone who leaves me a message.

I shaved my head because the guys make fun of my long hair. Everyone has short hair. So on Saturday morning I went with them to the barber.

I am working on a whiskey, rum and a flavored vodka recipes and ingredients-that fit into flat rate boxes. 

CHECK OUT THIS LINK TO PETITION to legalize home distillation!

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/legalize-home-distillation-home-spirits/gBLcDHg5

WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO:

Legalize home distillation for home spirits!

Currently home distilling is illegal in the US. This petition aims to legalize home distilling. Since 1979, home brewing has been legal, the current artisanal renaissance in craft beers can be connected to this legalization. Home brewers emerge with legalization and openly compete in competition and are able to practice brewing skills without fear of retribution of the law. If home distilling was legalized, I argue we would see a similar renaissance emerge with craft liquors and spirits across the US. The taxes loss from home distilling would be regained by the sale of the local craft spirits and liquors. It’s time to legalize this so home distillers can flourish and launch businesses that feed into the current artisanal movement.

*Rainier Distillers Still-Troll Control System.  Version 2.10

 While distilling using any of the automatic modes, you will produce the exact amount of production from the start to the finish.  If you gauge your final product at 100 proof from the beginning, then it will be the same later on in the run.  If you are producing a “finish” run to strip most of the alcohol out of it, then you will consistently achieve the most out of your mash that is possible.  It will also be consistent from the start of the system to the end.  Example: 180 proof is the first sample taken from a mash run, then 8 hours later it will consistently be the same later.  It will decrease in production once you remove the alcohol from the mash.  Therefore it may take longer to achieve the same levels, but it will be the same levels that you started with.  There is a setting on the Still-Troll that allows you to customize the run.  This setting allows you to experiment and achieve your own results by distilling at different temperatures consistently.  During an initial start-up, it will display the heat-up time on the front of the controller.  Once the vapors reaches a set point of 117 degrees and higher, the still will sound an alarm stating that it is entering into production mode after heating up.  We recommend that you dis-card the first 10 minutes of your finish product due to the amount of methanol that is being produced and carried over.  A good method of sensing that is has completed through this phase during a finish run is it will be clear, and not cloudy. During a strip run, we recommend that you dis-card the first 15 minutes of this final product before claiming it as final product.  If you stop the process anytime during production, we recommend that you restart the dis-carding process once desired temperature has been reached.  This system allows for multiple heating sources including gas, as one of the sources for the system.  It has accommodation up to 30 Amps of power regulation inside the controller to handle either 115 VAC, or 230 VAC heating sources.  See heating chart on what elements can be used in conjunction with this controller.  There is an option to use multiple elements to achieve the production set point, and then drop out one of them to conserve energy as well.  Consult your manual for these settings.  We pride ourselves in using the most precise measurement devices in the industry.  All of our standard systems are controlled using RTD temperature sensors.  Unlike Thermocouples which drift in temperature up to 3 degrees a year, our precision senors in conjunction with our unique control  system work flawlessly to create the perfect run for your results.

Tower Properties:  We typically have between 1-4 wadings in the tower that can be purchased and re-used for several batches through Rainier Distillers.  This has been proven to provide enough back pressure and filtering of the hot mash to get more than adequate results.  If you are doing a strip run, we recommend no more than 1 wadding in the tower due to retrieving the most flavors in the final product as possible.

General operation Strip Run: The first method is a “Strip” run.  This would typically be used to distill a flavor wine or beer to generate it into a flavorful spirit.  You can expect to get the full flavors of the “Mash” in your finished product rather easily.  The Still-Troll allows for the most precise distilling around.  It allows you to be able to place the control in the “strip” run position and allows you to gather the most possible flavored spirits achievable.  A flavor to distill for example is an extremely hoppy beer, or a wine like a Riesling which makes Brandy when distilled.  You will be impressed with the consistency that you can create by distilling a very good beer by tasting the hops, and malt in the finished flavored distilled spirits.

General operation Finish Run:  The second method is a “Finish” run.  This method is used to extract the most alcohol from the mash as possible.  Since Alcohol and water separate around 172 degrees, this setting will produce an almost perfect product between 80-95 percent finished product.  This is typically used to produce fuel, or straight white lightning, moonshine, ect.

Custom operation:  This setting allows for the operator to determine the set point at which they would like to extract the finished product.  This allows for users to experiment and develop their own custom spirit.  We would like to caution the operator that distilling under 170 degrees F produces some non-consumable product if too low in temperature that can be harmful for Human consumption.

 

This control system has proudly been in the development and testing for over 2 years.

“No need to label your containers for the alcohol content, they will always be the same using the still-troll”

“The perfect Controller for the perfectionist Distiller”

Consult us for your needs if larger systems are required.

Rainier Distillers,

Making Moonshine with a Pellet Stove- Off the Grid!

Here I am interviewing a man. He wanted to show me something and I couldn’t believe it. How cool is this? This is my 2 inch Alchemist converted. We are distilling water but it just goes to show you can make alcohol and essential oils over a pellet stove, or a wood fire. It works by gravity fed, non electric. No motors nothing. Distilling water in a wash pot, water. Can be used in the home off the grid as long as you have access to pellet fuel. No emissions, EPA certified burning stove. Non electric pellet stove, very efficient. This stove can heat up a home from one bag of pellets will last 30 hours.

There is nothing like this on the market. I look forward to working with all great minds.

I meet many guys who have great inventions. One thing I will have up shortly on my website is something that this other man Jeff has been working on for two years. It actually measures the temperature in the column and then regulates the electrical or gas power. You can set the temperature on finish, it will stay at 175 degrees F. Through the whole run. It is called SET AND FORGET, when you wake up in the morning you will have high 90 plus proof alcohol. YOu do not have to watch this work. The other two settings is a “stripping run”, and the other setting is called “custom” so you can manipulate the temperatures. With the same unit we are going to have a program where we send you info to your iphone or android. So you do not have to be watching your still.This will be coming soon. It looks beautiful. It will available very soon. I will do a video, as well as a video on the next two items.

There is a guy I spoke to who is working on a gasifier unit that will run a generator. I am not saying nothing else. Here we go.

I just put up also two other control panels. Scott has been working on these for the past fourteen months. To bring a controllable unit for the micro distiller or home distiller. It is a bigger bang for your buck at half the price of those out there. This single and a double heat controller for distilling, if you look at the parts that have been used to create this, they are over and beyond what is necessary. Take a look under HEAT in my shopping cart. One is a double phase angle controller and the other one is a single. These are made by Scott who is a Master Distiller I work with, who is also an electrician. Scott has worked in micro distilleries and he knows the makers of Moonshiners the tv show.


I wish I could share with you all. I am dealing with real geniuses. Anything you can think of -people are out there doing.

 

Copper still 

Wiseway pellet stove http://www.wisewaypelletstoves.com/

The 4 inch Alchemist Vodka Still – in Seattle Craft Distillery

 

I will be setting up all the pots in another video with him. I just had one pot set up in this video. I will do more at a later time. I look forward to working with him again. I love spending my time with local distillers -10 hours straight sometimes.

I have many videos coming too.

This still, in this video above, is producing 3.8- 4.2 gallons an hour BECAUSE we ran only one 4500 watt element. In a 50 gallon pot. The strength of the alcohol. was 168 proof. Which is excellent. The quality of the product was outstanding.

The still ran smooth through the run, he was impressed. We produced around 8 gallons in about two and half hours. That fixes his problem. Read below.

This owner of the distillery contacted me to fix a problem..that had a problem of production, he would like to make 500 cases. He bought 2 perforated plate stills that were not pumping enough out. It was beautiful expensive still, but only pumping out a gallon an hour.  He needed something fast as he had orders coming in.

These perforated plate ones,They are an interesting thing. They make great conversational pieces.I love them. Its just some people think they know how to build stills, and they look great, man I am telling you. Its a great looking still. 

 The Alchemist four inch produces a lot more of the amount of what he was producing in the perforated plate 4 inch still. The perforated stills were producing a 3 quarts -of a gallon to one gallon an hour- on 4500 watt element, so you can see the Alchemist is producing four times the amount.

Perforated plate stills have one thing going for them. They retain the flavors. But around 4 inches, and if there is not enough surface area on the plates opened up on them, they produce around 3 quarts to a gallon an hour.

The same still if you open up the plates and had at least 50-60% syrface area, not only are you still retaining your flavors, but you are doubling the output.

I am not putting down these stills. I want to make one myself, I am in this process but I am not having it come to market until I know it is not only going to produce but work efficiently for those professionals who need it to run fast. And mine will be modular based, two plates to each modular.

His two perforated stills were producing 1-2 gallons an hour. He was lucky to be putting out maybe 30 -100 cases a month and he needs five hundred!! My Alchemist still will pump out his 500 cases, and save you money! It is so amazing. Alchemist copper still 4 inch tower goes at least 7-10 gallons an hour during a stripping run. It depends on amount of btus you put in boiler.

But my still does not look pretty. It is like a Mustang. Which just does the job. It goes fast. Once you learn how to drive a compund reflux still, with liquid management and cooling management, you will be on par with any still on the market. Especially for the price range I sell my stills for, your return will be paid off in very short time.

When starting out a small distillery I recommend 2 of our 4 inch Alchemist Copper stills. These stills will pump out a lot of material. Each 4 inch reflux still, will cost you around $3,150.00, for a ten foot still. But not for long. The pot has to be a MINIMUM 50 gallons. I say that because it will bleed that 50 gallons, at full tilt, in hour and half. It is pretty full on like a freight train. 

When you got it set to the reflux -you are pulling out maybe 180 proof, 90%,then you are backing it down to around 3 1/2 gallons an hour. 

Starting the run-  I turn the liquid management tap off so I have 100% reflux. I do this for twenty minutes to half an hour. After that I slowly open the tap. I do my takeoffs, remove my heads and slowly open up the tap, without changing the equilibrium of the still. I allow the still to have a perfect environment for the ethanol to be in a window of 175F. This is all due to how fast you run this still. Plus how much btus in the pot.

 The Alchemist is basically a modular still, so when you bring it down to doing a whiskey brandy or rum, you take off the four modulars and the head down to the pot and then that becomes a POT STILL.

The Alchemist still speaks for itself. It sells itself. Slowly, word of mouth. A lot of people have opinions like they have assholes too, I am sure. But please watch the videos, hear the actual real customers of mine and listen to what they are saying. I sell to military and race car drivers. I sell to herbal farms and businessmen.  I have videos testimonials and photos. If you think I am wrong email me we will put it to the test.

Everyone thinks they are expert, we have all so much to learn. We all have egos, I sometime trip out, but I stand by my stills. I just want to make the best still out there for the average person to the micro distiller. I want to be the number one distilling educator. In explaining the simplicity of distilling. That is my goal.

A perforated plate still can work if they are well made. Its all about surface area. Would you want one that only has 25%-35% surface area? That seems a waste. And it is choking the column.

You can put a great perforated plate still in the wrong hands of someone who doesn’t know too much of what they are doing and it will make a shitty drink. People want to buy what is pretty to show off -like a mid life crisis. I understand. I totally see it. But everyone is welcome if they want to make stills. This industry is going to be huge. The more people making and selling stills, the more customers we will all get.

 They should be teaching distilling in elementary schools. It is a bona fide science. Something every civilization wants and needs. Something all people of this world desire. The people who run this world need it as well as those who consume. The 100% need it. It’s nothing to do with class, wealth, or social structures. Government or Military agencies welcome too. It is a basic human desire. Liquid gold. Distill your own fuel. Make alcohol. Create spirits. Make perfumes and oils. Always have clean water. One machine. Will work without electricity too if you have wood fire. This will last you forever. Store it away or use now.

Just imagine if each block in NJ and NY had a still, not only could they distill their dirty water into drinkable water, they could make alcohol to run alcohol stoves for cooking. And to run their vehicles.

I want to help people. I want to save people money, I want to help the everyday distiller. In the end its really about what the stills produce..

http://www.raincityvodka.com/ 

Please order Vodka from them! Support our local business!

206-464-7246 is their number

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My girlfriend got me an audio cd. It is called the Whiskey Rebels. A historical novel. 15 cds. I try to listen to one every night. I am trying to stay awake. But what struck me is the description of the story. Here I put it in quotes.

Meanwhile, Joan Maycott is a young woman married to another Revolutionary War veteran. With the new states unable to support their ex-soldiers, the Maycotts make a desperate gamble: trade the chance of future payment for the hope of a better life on the western Pennsylvania frontier. There, amid hardship and deprivation, they find unlikely friendship and a chance for prosperity with a new method of distilling whiskey. But on an isolated frontier, whiskey is more than a drink; it is currency and power, and the Maycotts’ success attracts the brutal attention of men in Hamilton’s orbit, men who threaten to destroy all Joan holds dear.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Whiskey-Rebels-A-Novel/dp/1400064201

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