It's this last part that I'm having a hard time coping with lately.
When it's running good, it's boring as hell. When things go wrong, it's panic time. It's especially bad when you're sequestered to a dingy garage with nothing to do but watch the jars fill up, one drop at a time. The most exciting part is replacing the jars.
Doing it on the patio is a different story. Lounge chairs, tunes, fluids, a fridge full of stuff and a grill to cook it on. One is a job, the other is a vacation. Hell, I can even make orgonite while I wait.
That's why I decided to hold off on distilling until the maple trees green up and provide cover for my nefarious acts. I haven't been slack, Mr. Walker. (Thunderdome reference) I have about four finished ferments ready to go and all I need is the intent.
But... ya know, I just gotta see what this new rum recipe tastes like so I cobbled together a mini-still.
The boiler is a 1 liter Erlenmeyer flask, 3/8" copper tube, and a plastic vinegar jug for the condenser. The burner is a Coleman stove.
It took ten minutes to make rum with this thing.
Ok, I had a few problems running this thing for the first time but once I got it straightened out, it produced some seriously fine rum. At least I know what to expect when I run the rest through the big still.
This unit is the perfect size for turning that crap wine, you can't seem to give away, into brandy. It also makes an excellent water distillation system when the economy finally crashes and your only water source is a ditch. I'd prefer a flask twice the size but this could easily handle a single bottle of wine with no problems.
With a little ingenuity, I think I can replace the Coleman stove with a butane burner, shorten up the copper and modify the condenser to make it the size of a Mr. Coffee.
A kitchen appliance for the drunkard in your life.
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