Making Spirits with the Turbo 500

The Still Spirits Turbo 500 is the ultimate small batch distillation system extracting an incredibly high 95% of potential alcohol from the wash. Here we explain to you how to use it in 4 simple steps.

The Turbo 500 System is the ultimate small batch distillation system.

  • Very simple to operate.
  • Extreme efficiency: extracts up to 95% of all potential alcohol from the fermented wash
  • Extreme purity: up to 93% final ABV (alcohol strength)
  • Once diluted and filtred: typically produces between 8 to 10lt of distilled neutral spirit at 40%

How to make spirits with the T 500?

Making Spirits is a simple 4 Step Process

Fermentation:  Fermenting your wash is the first step. This process produces the alcohol base for distillation. Specialised high alcohol tolerant spirit yeast, known as Turbo Yeast ferment the sugars to produce Alcohol with an ABV between 14 and 18%.

Distillation: The Turbo 500 is a long column reflux still which produces very pure high strength distillate.  The column is designed to distill 25Lt washes when attached to a 30Lt electric Boiler which will heat the fermented wash.

Once heated alcohol steam rises and falls up the column as it moves further away from the heat source.  Cooling tap water flows through the column which allows the alcohol steam to condensed and drawn off as liquid. 

Distillation quality and volume will vary depending on your wash ingredients and sugar volume. For example, the Turbo Classic 6 Yeast combined with a 6KG sugar wash will ultimately produce 3.5lt of distilled spirit at 93%. This process will take around 3 hours.

Filtration:  The high strength distillate needs to be filtered to produce a polished, pure, neutral spirit. Measure alcohol strength using an Alcometer and then dilute with water back to drinking strength of around 40 to 45% ABV.

Once diluted the Spirit need to be filtered using a Carbon Filter. These filters are gravity feed to allow the spirit to slowly pass through activated carbon to transform and produce the best possible spirit quality.

Flavour or Soak: The aim of distilling with a Turbo 500 is to produce a pure clean neutral spirit. This becomes your blank canvas from which any spirit can be created. Whiskeys, Bourbon, Rums, Gin and Liqueur essences are used to create the ultimate home distilled spirit drinks..

It is also possible to use American Barrel Oak Bourbon Chips and soak and age on neutral spirit to create the ultimate Bourbon, Whiskeys or Rum.

Check out a couple of recipes below.

American Bourbon Recipe

Ingredients

  • Classic American Bourbon
  • 100g of American Bourbon Oak Chips
  • 10 ml of Glycerine

Mix the Classic American Bourbon essence with 3lt of filtered Spirit at 40%. Add 100g of American Chips and 10 ml of glycerine. Soak in glass for 2 to 8 weeks.   Bottle and age for a further 4 weeks.

 

Kentucky Bourbon Recipe

Ingredients

  • Top Shelf Kentucky Bourbon
  • 50g of American Bourbon Oak Chips
  • 10 ml of Glycerine

Mix the Top Shelf essence with 2.25lt of filtered Spirit at 40%. Add 50g of American Chips and 10 ml of glycerine. Soak in glass for 2 to 8 weeks.   Bottle and age for a further 4 weeks.

 

Black Spiced Rum Recipe

Ingredients

  • Top Shelf Spiced Rum
  • Top Shelf Dark Jamaican Rum
  • 100g of American Bourbon Oak Chips
  • 20 ml of Glycerine

Mix both essences with 4lt of filtered Spirit at 40%. Add 100g of American Chips and 20 ml of glycerine. Soak in glass for 2 to 8 weeks. Bottle and age for a further 4 weeks.