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SPIRIT OR LIQUEUR SPIRITS & LIQUEURS DRINKS LIST NEWS DISCUSSION
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Welcome to the wonderful world of making your own spirits and liqueurs
Still Spirits is a recognized world leader in still technology and spirit essences that can transform basic low-cost
alcohol products into delicious and fully-flavoured replications of far more exciting and expensive spirits or
liqueurs, that even leading connoisseurs find difficult to pick.
Quite simply, with our recipes and ingredients for home-made spirits, you can reproduce just about any
alcohol-based drink you want, your way, with a little help from Still Spirits. You can also modify alcohol content
down or up, and add additional aromas and taste-traits if you like as well.
Its not rocket science, just a fun and easy way to make the drinks you enjoy, at a price you can afford. Whats
more, if you follow the easy recipe guidelines and use the right flavour sachets mixed into your spirit base, the
professional-quality alcohol drinks youll be able to create will taste so good that your friends will find it hard to
believe you made them yourself!
So for smooth and flavoursome spirits that really deliver and liqueurs that truly tempt your tastebuds, get into
Still Spirits and make them yourself!
If youre just starting out, begin with our site-by-step guide <Make your first spirit or liqueur>
If youre already on board, but want to aim higher, go here <Make better spirits & liqueurs>
Continuous development.
The Still Spirits team of scientists, lab technicians and product development specialists has achieved a great
deal in a short space of time. Our range continues to expand as we master, test and then offer up exciting new
drinks. We are determined to strive for ongoing excellence, and aim to achieve continuous improvement
across all that we do.
This commitment to product development means we regularly review, overhaul and enhance our recipes and
conduct strenuous research in our own well-resourced research lab. Having our in-house laboratory and
retaining the services of top consulting biochemists, allows us to confidently launch new choices, and introduce
new best practice initiatives so that Still Spirits continue to deliver exactly what you want, and more.
Excellent ingredients.
You can make spirits at home that taste like the real deal thanks to easy instructions and the use of quality
ingredients. Sugar and yeast are the key influencers in making alcohol, and that is why Still Spirits has
meticulously refined these two core ingredients to ensure you get a high level of rated purity from our range.
Still Spirits brand Turbo Sugar, Turbo Yeast variants and flavour essence packs are created to deliver a high
level of performance accurately and reliably. As is true in any recipe, if you add quality ingredients into the
mix and combine this with simple to follow technique, youll pretty much ensure you obtain a quality end-result.
Consistent quality.
To ensure that your enjoyment of alcohol-based beverages built with Still Spirits remains overwhelmingly
positive, our commitment to quality does not waver. We understand that our products must be totally safe to
consume, have a long shelf life, and offer on-going consistency.
The compounds and formulations used in Still Spirits flavour essences, and across the entire range of Turbo
yeast variants and filtering products have been quality assured a number of times before they are ready for
sale. This ensures that you get what you expect every single time, to make it as easy as possible for you to
follow our guidelines and make your favourite high quality alcohol drinks.
Still Spirits supports the observance of laws in regards to the home distillation of alcohol and the minimum
drinking age that is legislated in your country. We also recommend that you find out what the relevant health
authority in your country determines as the safe upper limit of alcohol consumption over a week-long period.
Above all, Still Spirits recommends that you know your limit and drink responsibly, as you will derive more
enjoyment and pleasure from drinking if you choose to consume alcohol sensibly.
From a drop-down menu on homepage
Okay, youre now pumped to proceed, but probably dont really know what to do next. No problems. Weve
made the whole process easy. All you have to do is read a few pages of information, get the right ingredients,
buy some basic gear, and follow some simple guidelines.
Okay, you may be thinking how do you do it?, and you wouldnt be alone. When most people discover that
you can make great tasting spirits at home very few people actually understand how it all works.
You start with a pack of yeast inside a still - which is an air-tight container. There are many different types of
yeast depending on the time of year you are doing it, and they type of spirit youre wanting to make. Then you
add sugar to the yeast. The yeast eats the sugar and turns it into alcohol and the end result is the spirit.
Okay, you now have all the basic fundamentals in place sot of like creating a jug of boiling water and then
deciding if it will be coffee, or English breakfast tea, or green tea, or whatever. So its time to add a suitable
flavour essence, in order to put the finishing touches on the kind of drink you want to make.
That could be Rum, Tequila, Bourbon, Scotch Whisky, Irish Whiskey, Sambucca, Butterscotch Schnapps,
Baileys, or hundreds of other delicious spirits. And then, hey presto its done! You have a fantastic tasting
drink to enjoy, with all of the characteristics (colour, aroma, texture, taste, and alcohol content) that you like.
It isnt hard to make great spirits at home, but you do have to play by the rules. To begin with, in New Zealand,
Austria, Italy, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, and the Ukraine it is perfectly legal to home distill for personal use,
but elsewhere it is not.
In most countries it is illegal for an individual to use a still for the purpose of making your own pure alcohol. Yet
its not against the law to own a water distillation unit or a simple plug in and press start air-still, (under 5 litres
in Australia) and many people already use these devices to distill water or to make essential oils.
Still Spirits strongly recommends that you check the legal status of amateur distillation in your country
beforehand.
If you are in a country where amateur distillation is not permitted, you will need to purchase the base alcohol
from a store in order to create your own liqueur, spirit or schnapps. Low-priced vodka or gin is ideal for this
purpose.
Please note that using Still Sprits flavourings and yeasts are legal in every country, as long as you dont distil
to get the higher alcohol. This is the case as you are fermenting the yeast and using legitimate duty-paid vodka
to use with the flavourings.
Here are some useful meanings for terms that you should know about before you commence.
____________________________________________________________________
ABV Alcohol By Volume is also known as ABV and is the alcoholic strength of a spirit measured as a
% part in relation to the liquid as a whole. 40% ABV equates to 40% alcohol and 60% water/congeners etc.
Airlock A device to allow air out of a fermenting unit while preventing oxygen and bugs from combing
back inside it.
Air Still A special type of pot still that uses air instead of water to cool the condenser, with an inbuilt fan
that blows cool air over the cooling coils inside the top cover.
Alcohol Alcohol is the hydrocarbon compound that results from fermenting sugar. In the form of ethanol,
alcohol is distilled white spirit.
Body The distillate or condensed steam collected from an air still or pot still.
Distilling The process of extracting alcohol from a fluid substance by applying heat, where the alcohol is
boiled off from the Wash and the steam is collected. Because alcohol vaporizes quicker than water, it can be
collected during condensation and then condensed back to liquid.
Fermentation The process that occurs when yeast uses sugar to make alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Head The first distillate or condensed steam from the still which can contain undesirable elements.
Hydrometer A direct-reading instrument for indicating the density and other characteristics of liquids
including alcohol content for spirits. Also referred to as an alcometer.
Neat A term referring to liquor that is drunk as it is from the bottle and undiluted by ice or a mixer.
On The Rocks A liqueur or spirit poured over ice cubes and served in a small or tall glass.
Pot Still A simple still consisting of a pot and an outlet to a condenser, with the outlet itself also serving
as a condenser, ensuring everything that boils is collected and condensed. This type of still can produce 5-6
litres of 37.5% alcohol by volume, each time it is used.
Proof A system of defining alcoholic strength. Proof spirit is that which at a temperature of 11.5C
weighs twelve thirteenths that of an equal volume of distilled water at the same temperature. This is said to be
100% proof and such a mixture would be 57.1 % alcohol and 42.9% water.
Reflux Still A more complex still with a chamber called the Reflux condenser, where steam is filtered and
some of the unwanted elements are returned to the boiling vessel. This results in purer, stronger alcohol.
Super Reflux
Still This is a more advanced version of a reflux still that can produce up to 6-7 litres of 40% alcohol
by volume, every time it is used.
Wash Mix of water, sugar, yeast and nutrients that you ferment to make an alcoholic base for distilling.
First up, youll need to have an air-still or water-still, some yeast and sugar, along with flavour essence, bottles
and caps. Still Spirits can provide everything you need to achieve an outstanding result, with the minimum of
effort. Youll find that just by reading this section and then making your selections accordingly, its easy too!
Please note that in countries and states where operating a still to make alcohol is against the law, you will need
to purchase pre-prepared base alcohol from a liquor shop instead of making your own alcohol wash at home.
Still Spirits Turbo brand yeasts ferment sugar into alcohol wash. There are five different kinds and each is
designed for specific climate conditions or desired alcohol outcomes.
A great all-rounder For smooth results High alcohol strength Fast turn-around For hot climates
Click the pack or descriptor above to get more information on each. Also check out the chart below
(same chart as currently found on website)
Still Spirits also markets helpful products like Turbo Sugar, Turbo Carbon and Turbo Clear, which are
formulated to provide fresh, clean results and eliminate unwanted by-products and solid particles that could
otherwise affect the taste, smell and appearance of your spirit. Plus, the easy-to-use E-Z Filter unit also make
a massive difference in the level of overall quality you can achieve, and its rated to purify water too.
For ultimate quality Ensure maximum yield Removes 95% from the wash E-Z Filter system
For ultimate quality (clicks through to information on CARBON)
Transform the quality of your alcohol! Add it directly into your wash and within 24 hours Turbo Clear will have
removed over 95% of the yeast cells, solids and other compounds. If it isnt used, yeast cells will break open
during the boiling process releasing off flavour and smell into your distillate plus impurities absorbed by
fermentation clays and carbons. For best results, use Turbo Clear in every wash and rack before distillation.
A Still is basically an airtight container, situated in a temperature controlled environment, that is used to
ferment alcohol wash from the process of fermenting yeast with sugar.
Again, please note, that in most countries and states it is against the law to use a still to ferment alcohol
without a license, and it is illegal to try and sell the end result.
Still Spirits market the four main types of stills that you can use to ferment liqueurs and spirits, in addition to
purifying water or making essential oils.
This unit is fairly straightforward. All the vapour generated by the boiler is collected and condensed back to
liquid. It produces a low strength spirit which will contain some impurities that may influence the taste of the
spirit, but are not dangerous at all if the wash has been produced using Still Spirits ingredients and distilling
instructions are followed. The spirit collected is suitable for making into all types of liqueurs and spirits.
Still Spirits Turbo Air Still BUY (price and e-commerce link)
This revolutionary type of pot still is air-cooled and doesnt use water at all, which is great news for drought
affected or water restricted regions. Whats more, its as easy to use as your kitchen kettle and compact too.
To minimise the level of impurities, always use high quality yeast. Most other air stills are largely made to distil
water and often work too hot or too fast to produce good quality, yet the Turbo Air is designed to work at the
correct temperature and rate for optimum alcohol distillation for a better result. It can distil 4 litres of wash to
make 1 litre of spirit in two hours, every time it is used. Its also made from quality stainless steel.
Still Spirits Reflux Still BUY (price and e-commerce link)
The Reflux features a special reflux condenser fitted before the main condenser, so that before the steam
moves across to the main condenser, it passes up through the vertical reflux column which has a small cooling
water jacket around it. This causes some of the heavier vapours including water and impurities to condense
and drip back into the boiler. As a result, the vapour that makes it through to the main condenser is mainly
alcohol vapour with most impurities and a lot of the water removed. The spirit collected by this type of
condenser is higher in alcohol strength than a pot still and contains less by-products too.
Still Spirits Super Reflux Still BUY (price and e-commerce link)
This high performance unit has a complex reflux condenser containing ceramic saddles that provide the ideal
surface for condensation. These are housed in a jacketed condenser with cooling water circulating around the
condenser to create a controlled temperature environment where the vapour and saddles interact within the
condenser. Therefore, the vapour comes into contact with a huge surface area and is repeatedly treated before
passing through to be condensed and collected by the main condenser. As a result, the spirit collected by this
type of condenser is even higher in alcohol strength than either the pot still or a standard Reflux still, and has
even less by-products. The spirit collected is particularly ideal for producing gin, vodka and other delicate
drinks that are enjoyed neat or with little to mask the flavour of the final spirit.
Check out our menu of drinks recipes. We have divided them into types of spirits and then rated them on their
ease of making or level of complexity. A one-star is real easy. Two stars is a bit trickier. Three stars is probably
not for beginners. And four stars is for later on when you are more confident.
<PDF of drinks recipes each with a rating scale of difficulty as in model making and beer brewing>
>>> FAQs
Yes. People have been making spirits for hundreds of years, and distilled alcoholic beverages first appeared in
Europe in the 12th century. The Still Spirits process involves the controlled manufacture of alcohol from a
known mix of natural nutrients, being sugar and yeast. The distillate is then cleaned with activated carbon to
remove unwanted flavours, to produce a smooth tasting spirit.
Distilling alcohol for making spirits is not dissimilar to fermenting wine or home brewing beer. Following the
instructions will result in pure clean alcohol that in most cases has less by-products and impurities than alcohol
produced from commercial sources.
It isnt hard to make great spirits at home, but you do have to play by the rules. To begin with, in New Zealand,
Austria, Italy, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, and the Ukraine it is perfectly legal to home distill for personal use,
but elsewhere it is not.
In most countries it is illegal for an individual to use a still for the purpose of making your own pure alcohol. Yet
its not against the law to own a water distillation unit or a simple air-still, (under 5 litres in Australia) and many
people already use these devices to distill water or to make essential oils.
If you are in a country where amateur distillation is not permitted, you will need to purchase the base alcohol
from a store in order to create your own liqueur, spirit or schnapps. Low-priced vodka or gin are ideal for this
purpose. Please note that using Still Sprits flavourings and yeasts are legal in every country, as long as you
dont distil to get the higher alcohol and this is the case as you are fermenting the yeast and using legitimate
duty-paid vodka to use with the flavourings.
In most countries where home-distilling is illegal, local authorities have historically been reluctant to move
against citizens who are producing alcohol for their own personal consumption. Yet authorities in all countries
around the world will prosecute anyone producing alcohol for sale without a license. Still Spirits strongly
recommends that you check the legal status of amateur distillation in your country beforehand.
There are a lot of variables so a definitive answer is not possible. However, depending on the kind of still you
have and the type of yeast and nutrients you are using, based on the EZ Filter carbon process, you can be
drinking your own home made spirits within 7 days.
>>> Which type of still produces the most alcohol? Reflux or Pot Stills?
All stills collect alcohol from the wash at varying strengths, and the total amount of alcohol collected depends
on how much is present in your wash. Reflux Stills collect less alcohol by volume but it is much higher in
strength. Alcohol should always be watered down to below 50% ABV before filtering.
After filtering and watering down, the total amount of finished alcohol should be the same, no matter what kind
of still you have used. The exception to this rule is the Super Reflux still, which sacrifices a little on total
quantity (around 5%) to achieve the purest best quality result that can be achieved.
The answer is possibly. However, its important to know that you shouldnt add more sugar than the recipe or
the manufacturer recommends, as yeast varieties are made and selected for different properties. For example,
a yeast variety which can ferment rapidly may not be very resistant to alcohol and so adding too much sugar
may result in unfermented sugar remaining in the wash.
If too much is added this may cause the wash to froth during distilling, which is to be avoided. Most spirit
yeasts and nutrients have a recipe printed on them so you should select the yeast which best suits your needs.
Still Selection
If I use a later model still that produces purer alcohol what is the advantage over the older models if I then
collect less spirit?
Flavours
I am Gluten intolerant and would like to know if Still Spirits flavours contain any Gluten?
Trouble Shooting
Can I connect a longer column between the condenser and the still ad make purer alcohol?
Do you offer a pot with two elements for quick heat up after which one is turned off.
Can I modify the water supply to the condenser to control the reflux condenser and the main condenser
separately.
I note in some literature on the subject that the output can benefit from contact with copper. Do you have a
view on this?
How long does it take to make each batch of spirits?
Depending on the type of yeast and nutrients and based on the Z Filter carbon process, you can be
drinking your own home made spirits within 7 days.
Which type of still produces the most alcohol? Reflux or Pot Stills?
All stills collect alcohol from your wash at varying strengths. The total amount of alcohol collected is
dependent on how much is present in your wash. Reflux Stills collect less in volume but this is much
higher in alcohol strength. Alcohol should always be watered down to below 50%/V before filtering.
After filtering, and watering down, the total amount of finished alcohol should be the same no matter
which still you have used. The exception to this rule is the new Super Reflux still which sacrifices 5%
quantity for higher quality.
Pot stills collect all the condensate from the boil and condense it. Reflux stills have a separate
chamber which further purifies the condensate before it condenses it. This produces a distillate which
is more concentrated and contains less impurities than pot stills and so it follows that they produce
better quality spirit.
The degree of carbon treatment and type of carbon. Always use a reputable brand of carbon that has
been designed specifically for the job. Any old carbon or charcoal will not do. Some distillers actually
run the spirit through the filter twice or three times to improve its smoothness.
The type of wash used. It is essential to use a high quality yeast and nutrient to produce the wash
and to maintain the correct fermentation temperatures. Distilling unwanted or excess beer, wine or
other ingredients may cause equipment damage or failure as well as producing less than desirable or
even poisonous by-products.
Aging. By storing some of the spirit you produce in glass in a cool dark place for a long period of time
it will mellow. Some distillers age their spirit in oak barrels to imitate the commercial brands. This
process may be imitated by the addition of oak chips or essences to the spirit. Age spirit in bulk for
best results.
The percentage at which the alcohol is consumed. For best results do not drink the spirit at greater
than 40% alcohol by volume.
What sort of result would distilling beer provide? Perhaps a pot would provide an interesting result.
We don't recommend distilling anything other than our Turbo's as you can not be certain what other
compounds are present in other alcoholic mixes. In the case of beer there are a lot of volatiles in hops
etc. that you would not want in the distilled spirit and will not be removed by carbon treatment.
I note some suggestions to add a little salt to the wash before beginning distillation, to raise the
boiling point. Is this a worthwhile consideration?
Using salt will not make any difference to what boils off or when. The amount of energy applied to the
wash will determine the amount of steam that is boiled off.
If I use a later model still that produces purer alcohol what is the advantage over the older models if I
then collect less spirit?
During the process of purifying to a higher level more impurities are removed leaving more pure
alcohol. If the spirit was then diluted with clean water to the same strength as our previous stills the
spirit collected from the latest Super Reflux Still would be considerably more pure. You do however
get about 8% less drinkable spirit using the Super Reflux still than our standard Reflux. (You can't
have everything!)
Why is my spirit coming out of the still cloudy?
The wash has not been allowed to settle with excess sediment dropping to the bottom of the
fermenter.
Fermentation temperature is too high causing the production of unwanted but harmless proteins.
The distilling equipment is dirty or faulty.
The wash is not fully fermented.
What measures can I take to guard against cloudy spirit?
The best method is to add some "distilling conditioner" to your wash in the still boiler before starting.
This stops the excessive foaming in the boiler which is caused by high concentrations of proteins and
unfermented sugars. Distilling conditioner allows distillation even if your wash has not fully fermented
out.
This is a very rare occurance. The fine sediment is in fact mineral salts which originate within the
activated carbon itself. When spirit runs over activated carbon which contains some mineral salts,
some mineral salts can be absorbed into the spirit. Later, once the temperature has dropped, these
mineral salts start to become insoluble in the spirit and after a few days a fine sediment appears in
the spirit. This fine sediment (sometimes looks like a milky haze, other times it drops to the bottom of
the bottle) is the mineral salts originally from the activated carbon. These mineral salts are absolutely
100% safe (in fact essential for life!) but you don't want them in your spirit.
Under certain circumstances, some of this residual mineral content gets dissolved into distillate spirit
as the spirit flows over the activated carbon. Think of it this way, as the spirit passes through the
activated carbon, the carbon absorbs the vast majority of 'volatiles' from the spirit and holds them
within the internal pore structure - however, under certain circumstances, mineral salts contained
within the carbon may pass into the spirit. Whether mineral salts do indeed get dissolved into the
spirit depends upon 2 main variables:
1. The amount and types of mineral salts within the particular batch of carbon.
2. The pH and chelate chemical (eg organic acids like citrate are a chelating agent) content of the
spirit.
Obviously, we have no control over 1. In a perfect world we would persuade the supplier to first wash
with an inorganic acid like they currently do and then wash with organic acids to remove the
remaining salt content.
These mineral salts remain soluble in the spirit for some minutes / hours because the spirit
temperature is warm and so has higher solubility. After the spirit has cooled, these mineral salts will
begin to become insoluble. If you had a spectrophotometer to measure even the slightest haze, you
would begin to 'see' the spirit 'go hazy' after just a few hours. To the naked eye, you will not start to
see these solids until after 2 or 3 days (may be less or more depending upon the level of mineral salts
present).
Re-filtering through activated carbon will not help, but 're-filtering' through an ordinary wine filter or
even a coffee filter, say 1 week after the filtering through carbon would remove the insoluble mineral
salts and hence solve the problem. But spirit should be stored cold (not frozen) during this week to
ensure anything that is going to become insoluble, does become insoluble). If the spirit is left for long
enough (3 or 4 weeks?), it should be easy to pour off the bright spirit from a white sediment at the
bottom of the bottle.
This problem is likely to be influenced by certain environmental conditions like temperature and water
quality.
Water flow.
The water flow required with a Pot Still is very high. Typically 2 3 litres per minute. This is required
because the condenser is not very efficient. In warmer climates where the cold water is above 20o C.
it may be necessary to fit a cooling coil to the water inlet tube and to immerse this in a tank with ice
added to bring the temperature of the incoming water down.
Yellow spirit can also be produced if too much spirit has been collected on the previous run.
Byproducts build up inside the condenser and are flushed out with the next run. The carbon treatment
should remove this but redistilling gives the customer peace of mind. Clean the condenser before
use.
If the wrong element is fitted it would either take longer or shorter to heat up. Here is a rough guide to
ascertain that the element is working properly . For a 5 litre still it should take 35 minutes to heat up
and start distilling. For a 25 litre Still it should take about 1 hour 25 minutes.
Why does my filtered spirit have a grey tint or sediment after filtering?
Some traces of carbon have come through the filter. Run your spirit through the finishing carbon
again making sure the filter paper is properly positioned.
The retailer I have spoken to is offering an inline Z carbon filter system and they claim this negates
the need for any further carbon treatment. Can this be true?
Yes, the Z Filter is a one step process which has definitely set a new standard for Carbon treatment
of spirit.
Can I connect a longer column between the condenser and the still and make purer alcohol?
Yes, using a longer column will likely result in slightly purer alcohol but you will have to compromise
time and volume. Using our turbo's and carbons negate the need to do this.
Do you offer a pot with two elements for quick heat up after which one is turned off?
We do not as this requires a power supply of over 10 amps which is not permitted in a plug in
appliance.
Can I modify the water supply to the condensor to control the reflux condenser and the main
condenser seperately?
The condenser is designed to be made as simple to use as possible. You could adapt our condenser
in the way you suggest but I don't think you will get any advantage unless your water temperature is
extremely high. If that is the case then cooling the inlet water by running it through a copper coil
immersed in water with ice added would be more effective and simpler.
I note in some literature on the subject that the output can benefit from contact with copper. Do you
have a view on this?
Yes, copper reduces the amount of sulphur compounds found in the distillate. Still Spirits condensers
have Copper content for this reason.
Gluten Chart
Classic Gin
No
Classic Brandy
Yes
Classic Gin
No
Getting started
FAQs
Troubleshooting
What you need
Easy recipes
Product:
Still Spirits
Classic Premium American Bourbon
Spirit Essence
A smooth, rich bourbon with the strong aroma of peach wood barrel oak. A superior bourbon ideal for drinking
straight over ice.
Why are the five types of yeasts? Whats the difference? There are different yeasts for different
conditions fermenting conditions and to achieve different fermented structures with some being more
suited to final spirit drinks than others.
There are five steps to making your own spirits and liqueurs by distillation. We have listed the steps in basic form
first then expanded the descriptions. The distilling instructions below are available in the three most common forms.
For more instructions covering all types of still recommended by Still Spirits then please refer to the downloads
page. If you are unsure of a word used then please refer to the Glossary.
Follow these links below for full instructions and equipment needed.
USA and Canada where it is illegal in most states to own a still but a Water Distillation unit is readily available from
Sears catalogue.
Australia where it is legal to own a still under 5 litre capacity as long as it is for either either water purification or
essential oil extraction.
New Zealand, Switzerland and Italy where it is legal to own a still and 25 litre stills appear the most common size.
Click here for full instructions on distilling with a 25 litre Reflux still.
Please note that in Australia if you purchase a 3 in 1 fermenter, replacement 5 litre Reflux Condenser and
thermometer then you have purchased the equivalent of a 25 litre still. Australian retailers are aware of this and
will try to prevent you breaking the law in this manner. If you are intent on this course of action then make sure
you make your purchases over two visits.
Glossary
Airlock - A device to allow air out of the fermenter but prevent bugs and oxygen back into it.
Body - The distillate or condensed steam collected from the still.
Distilling - The process where the alcohol is boiled off from the Wash and the steam is collected and condensed
back to liquid.
Fermentation - The process that takes place when the yeast uses the sugar to make the alcohol.
Fermenter - The container that you use to mix up the wash.
Head - The first distillate or condensed steam from the still which can contain undesirable elements.
Pot Still - A simple still where everything that boils is collected and condensed.
Reflux Still - A more complex still with a chamber called the Reflux condenser, where the steam is filtered and
some of the unwanted elements are returned to the boiling vessel. This results in purer, stronger alcohol.
Sterilisation - The process of cleaning and sanitising equipment before use.
Wash - The mix of water, sugar, yeast and nutrients that you will ferment to make the alcoholic base for distilling.
Yeast - An organisim which converts the sugary Wash to alcohol.
Instructions
Instructions for different combinations of stills and fermented bases can be found on our instructions page. Other
useful information can be found on our downloads page.
FOUR EASY STEPS TO GET THE BEST RESULTS FROM YOUR TURBO YEAST
Still Spirits Turbo Yeasts allows yeast to ferment sugar to provide the alcohol wash youll need to make your
spirit at home.
The following is a brief description of the process followed by full instructions for different Turbo and
Still combinations including Alcobase. There are five steps to making your own spirits and liqueurs by
distillation. We have listed the steps in basic form first then expanded the descriptions. The distilling
instructions below are available in the three most common forms. For more instructions covering all
types of still recommended by Still Spirits then please refer to the downloads page. If you are unsure
of a word used then please refer to the Glossary.
USA and Canada where it is illegal in most states to own a still but a Water Distillation unit is readily
available from Sears catalogue.
Australia where it is legal to own a still under 5 litre capacity as long as it is for either either water
purification or essential oil extraction.
New Zealand, Switzerland and Italy where it is legal to own a still and 25 litre stills appear the most
common size. Click here for full instructions on distilling with a 25 litre Reflux still.
Please note that in Australia if you purchase a 3 in 1 fermenter, replacement 5 litre Reflux Condenser
and thermometer then you have purchased the equivalent of a 25 litre still. Australian retailers are
aware of this and will try to prevent you breaking the law in this manner. If you are intent on this
course of action then make sure you make your purchases over two visits.
Equipment Needed:
30 Litre Bucket and Lid, Thermometer, Hydrometer, Siphon and U Tube, Mixing Spoon, Additional Container to
hold 25 Litres (Another bucket is ideal) for siphoning into.
Products Required:
Power 23 Turbo Sachet, Turbo Clear, 9 x Kilos of Sugar, Flavourings.
Each spirit flavour makes 2.25litres and each of the Liqueurs, schnapps and cream liqueurs make 1.125litres.
Any combination of this will be needed.
The Process:
Add 18 litres of water at 40 (Degrees C) to the 30litre clean bucket and then add the 9kilos of sugar. Stir until
fully dissolved. Add the sachet of Power 23 Turbo Yeast and stir in. Leave to ferment at 18-24(Degrees C)
Room temperature for 7 days. When the fermentation is finished stir well to remove gases and add the Turbo
Clear. Leave for 24 hours to clear.
Once clear siphon the clear liquid off the sediment into a clean container. Full instructions are included on the
packet of Power 23 Turbo and Turbo Clear. To Make Your Favourite Drink Provided you have maintained the
correct fermentation temperature you will have 23% Alcohol By Volume (ABV) in your clear liquid.
This can then be used to make your favourite Liqueur or Spirit. If you are making Liqueurs simply take the
amount of alcohol it recommends on the bottle and add the flavouring. You can also add the correct Sugar,
Schnapps or Cream Base pack but you will not need to add all this( the alcohol base will be slightly sweeter
than if you were using 40%ABV).
We suggest you add to taste the correct amount to suit your palate. The alcohol strength will be slightly less
than is recommended commercially but this should not spoil your enjoyment of the drink you have made. If you
wish you could add a small amount of Vodka to increase the ABV. Around 100 to 200 mls will make a
significant difference.
If you are making Spirit style drinks you will find the ABV is half what you would expect commercially so this
might not give the drink the necessary fiery taste to suit all palates. However if you are using the drink to add to
mixers like a Gin and Tonic you can simply double the amount of Gin and use the same amount of Tonic. As
this is half strength the net effect should be the same. Alternatively you can add some commercially bought
Vodka to boost the strength.
Remember its great fun experimenting because each time you try something new you have to have a taste!!!!
Simply use the alcohol to produce you favourite drink and enjoy
To do this all you need to do is have some cheap/inexpensive Vodka. Decide what you want to make. This will
fall into 4 categories
1. Spirits. Select which one you would like to do from either the Classic or the Top Shelf range. Which ever you
decide upon you will produce 2.25litres (3x75cl bottles). You dont have to make this all at once you can do say
half without a problem. Once you have decided its really simple. You just measure out the required amount of
Vodka and add the flavourings. Mix well and then bottle. We do recommend this is left for at least 2days for the
flavours to settle
2. Liqueurs. With many of the finest liqueurs available you will have a real problem selecting from our list.
Having made your choice again its really simple to do. Whichever one you decide on will make 1.125litres
(1and 1/2x 75cl bottles) each bottle of flavour will have instructions on the back telling you how much Vodka
you will need to use. This will typically be between 620 and 850mls dependant on the suggested strength of
the commercial equivalent. Measure out your Vodka and each liqueur has a suggested liqueur base pack
which goes with it (A, B, or C). This will appear when ordering. This should then be mixed with the Vodka and
the flavouring and topped up with water to the 1.125litre mark. We do recommend this is left for at least 2days
for the flavours to settle. If you dont buy the Base pack you can add sugar and glycerin but we would strongly
recommend the base pack as this is designed to give the right balance and texture to the finished drink.
3. Schnapps. We have a great list to choose from. All make 1.125litres. Again once you have decided you will
measure out your Vodka normally 650mls. Add the Schnapps Base pack, flavouring and top up with water to
1.125 litres. Mix well. If you dont buy the Schnapps Base pack you can add sugar and glycerin but we would
strongly recommend the base pack as this is designed to give the right balance and texture to the finished
drink.
4. Cream Liqueurs. Big problems here as you will probably have to have one of each!! Each will make 1.125
litres so decide which one you want and then measure out 500mls of Vodka. We strongly recommend using
one of the Cream Base packs with this. Add 250mls of water to the Cream Base and mix well. Add the Vodka
to the flavouring and mix in the cream base prepared earlier. You will ideally need an electric whisk for best
results. We do recommend this is left for at least 2days for the flavours to settle. If you dont buy the Base pack
you can add sugar and cream but we would strongly recommend the base pack as this is designed to give the
right balance and texture to the finished drink. Once made the drink can be stored for up to 3months and
should be kept in the fridge
Public Notice 39 - "Spirits production in the UK" dated July 2006 provides further information about HM
Revenue and Custom's requirements.
If you require further assistance then please contact the National Advice Service on Telephone 0845 010 9000
or www.hmrc.gov.uk. Where you can obtain or view public notice 39.
It is illegal to manufacture spirits in the UK without a distiller's licence which is required under the provisions of
section 12 of the Alcoholic Liquor Duties Act 1979 and this includes manufacture for "own/domestic use".
Public Notice 39 - "Spirits production in the UK" dated July 2006 provides further information about HM
Revenue and Custom's requirements.
If you require further assistance then please contact the National Advice Service on Telephone 0845 010 9000
or www.hmrc.gov.uk. Where you can obtain or view public notice 39.
Please note the Still Sprits flavourings and yeast are legal as long as you DON'T distil to get the higher
alcohol. As you are fermenting the yeast and using duty paid vodka to use with the flavourings