These instructions have been copied from the Still Spirits instruction sheets for this still.

To assemble:
Your Super Reflux Still comes complete with 250ml of Still Spirit Ceramic Saddles
1. Add the Still Spirits Ceramic Saddles to the condenser making sure that the wire mesh is sitting flat in the condenser chamber. Fit Bung.
2. Fit the condenser to the domed lid and tighten securely.
3. Situate the still on a firm heat resistant base close by a cold water tap, drain and power socket.
4. Fit the thermometer so that the bulb appears on the inside of the black bung by 20mm. Then refit the bung & thermometer into the top of the condenser.

Distillation using wash made with standard or TT turbo yeasts:
1. Plug the cord into the element while supporting the element from the inside of the still (don’t have the cord plugged into the electrical socket at this point). Add 5 litres of the wash and fit the lid complete with Condenser and hoses.
2. Plug the cord into the wall socket. When the wash has warmed up, but before the thermometer reads 50o C, start the cold water running through the Condenser.
3. During most of the distillation process the cooling water flowing through the condenser should be flowing at about 400 mls per minute. To measure the flow, fill a calibrated jug from the outlet pipe for one minute.
4. Collect the first 50 mls and put to one side. This is the Head.
5. Collect 650 mls of the Body which contains the Ethanol (drinkable alcohol) at about 80% proof. Make sure that the spirit outlet tube from the condenser stays well above the level of the spirit. Do not collect alcohol after 650 mls (700 mls if head is added to the wash).
6. The more cooling water that flows through the condenser the lower the temperature in the reflux column, this will show on the thermometer. The temperature of your water also influences the amount you need (i.e. In summer you may need more water than in winter when the water is cooler).
7. The slower the cooling water flows through the condenser, the higher the temperature will rise producing a faster flow of spirit. Running the cooling water at less than 400 mls per minute may result in the lid pushing off. If you run more than 500 mls of cooling water through the condenser then this will slow the process down.
8. Repeat steps 1 - 8 with the other 4 batches of 5 litres that you have fermented. With each subsequent batch you can add the 50 mls of head collected from the batch prior, along with the 5 litres of wash, to the still. If you do this you can increase the quantity of condensate collected to 700 mls. After the last 5 litre batch has been run, discard the 50 mls head. Remember that you have extracted the alcohol so the rest of the wash contains fermentation byproducts and water and should be discarded.
9. The thermometer temperature will slowly rise as the alcohol is boiled off. Should the temperature exceed 92o C and you have not collected the full amount of distillate then increase the flow of water through the condenser to hold the temperature at 92o C. If the flow slows down substantially then this would indicate that there is no more alcohol left in the wash and that it is time to stop collecting.

• From a standard 25 litre wash produced with 7 kgs of Dextrose you should collect 3.45 litres of alcohol at 80% strength. Any Alcohol collected after the still has produced 750 mls (800 mls if head is added to the wash) from 5 litres of a standard turbo wash will be poor quality and should be discarded. Remember to always measure the strength of your spirit at 20o Celsius or refer to the Temperature Correction Chart on page 5 to make the relevant adjustments. Discard the rest of the fermented wash.


Points to watch out for:
a) If for any reason the Wash has not fermented completely, (i.e. above 990 SG all the sugar has not been converted to alcohol), then you will not collect the full amount of distillate through the Still.
b) If you have not collected the full amount of alcohol, check you have:
*used the correct amount of sugar/ dextrose in the Wash
*and/or the specific gravity is below 990 before distilling
*and/or there is no steam leak during distillation.
c) If the wash is not fully fermented out, then the unfermented sugars combined with suspended yeast cells can foam causing the wash to come through the condenser with the distillate. In this instance Distilling Conditioner can be used to increase yield or avoid problems. This problem should not occur though if Turbo Clear has been used prior to distilling.

Sugar used & Alcohol yield for 5 Litre Super Reflux Still