Here at Wallington's WRG, we believe in giving our employees a hands-on approach to new products or existing lines. This is why we gave our Digital Content Coordinator a Pure Distilling Kit to look at and conduct the following beginner's review for anyone who's always wanted to brew their own spirits or wine from home but has never given it a try.
The Complete Pure Distilling All In One System for Spirits and Wine Distilling
I was recently given the opportunity to test out and review the Complete Home Distilling Kit from Pure Distilling from the eyes of a beginner brewer.
As a complete beginner when it comes to brewing and distilling, I was excited to see what this kit had in store for me and how incredibly easy it was to use.
After opening the box and inspecting all the contents, I was impressed with the value for money of this kit. Not only is this kit well-made, but it also truly comes with everything you need to get started on your first ever distilling experience.
The kit includes*
- A Prue Distilling copper reflux condenser (Made in Australia)
- Digital distilling thermometer with alarm
- 3 x 12mm plastic hose connections
- 4m of 12.5mm clear vinyl hose
- One Smart Filter System with stainless steel spindle and very clever stainless-steel plug stick.
- One 30ml stainless steel heated fermenter
- Hydrometer with easy-read scale
- Alcometer with an easy-read scale
- Premium Spirit Yeast
- Crystal Clear
- Spirit Enhancer Liquid Carbon
- Stirring Paddle
- Distilling Conditioner
- 6 x mixed Pure Distilling essences (Tennessee Bourbon, Whiskey, Kentucky Bourbon, Spiced Gold Rum, London Dry Gin & White Rum)
- 4L Barrel Chuck Soaker Bucket
- 2 x 100g sample packs of Pure Distilling Barrel Chunks (Bourbon Barrel Chunks & Whisky Port Barrel Chunks)
* The Smell Eliminator Kit is no longer included in the system; it is available for separate purchase.
The entire system was designed to give the average customer a full distilling experience while also saving time and money. You can use this kit to start out, and then invest further into brewing with other distilling or brewing equipment.
The complete system easily fits inside a box that allows for easy storage. Having the whole kit inside a box also makes shipping this product Australia-wide a breeze. It's the perfect starter kit for anyone not local to a home brewing shop. I've been told that Wallington's WRG also offers free shipping on any orders over $100 with their PLUS Club free membership, so you can get this item shipped anywhere in Australia for free.
Before we begin, In Australia it is illegal to use this system to produce alcohol for consumption without a license from the Customs and Excise Department. If you intend to brew for personal consumption, this license is free with the ATO and can be found here. If you intend to brew for sale, you will require further licenses.
The kit itself comes with an incredibly detailed 22-page starter guide with images which I found extremely handy when overwhelmed by the number of goodies that come with this kit. The guide takes you through every step of the process from start to finish, including how to set up your equipment, sanitizing, fermentation, distilling and even cleaning and maintaining your product for future brews.
As a first-time user, I appreciated having this illustrated guide to refer to whenever I felt lost or needed clarification on something. Once the whole kit was laid out in front of me, I could see that every piece has its place and purpose. Having the instruction book with pictures of the items In front of me, I was able to piece together the whole it without struggle.
When starting the brewing process, the first choice I had to make was picking which flavour of brew I would make first. The kit comes with 6 spirit flavourings to pick from. You can choose Tennessee Bourbon, Whiskey, Kentucky Bourbon, Spiced Gold Run, London Dry Gin or White Rum. For this first test, I went with the classic Whiskey.
The whole system took around 15 minutes to fully set up in my kitchen before I could get started. While the starter kit only stocks enough premium spirit yeast for a single 10-litre batch, Wallington's WRG stocks each item in this kit separately, so I can always go back and purchase more yeast and flavourings to make another batch. They also stock over 200 other favours from a wide range of bands. You can use this kit to make basic Vodka and turn it into mouthwatering caramel, apple or even butterscotch vodka.
The fermentation process can take anywhere from 48 hours up to 14 days, it just depends on your sugar levels and temperature levels. As I followed the instructions, my distilling process took around 5 hours to complete after fermentation. This was due to being a first-time brewer and my first time using the system. As you make more brews and become more comfortable with the system, this time shall decrease.
Overall, I was extremely impressed with the Pure Distilling Complete Home Distilling Kit, and I would very strongly advise anyone interested in distilling their own spirits to purchase this kit. This whole kit is a fantastic and easy-to-use hobby brewery kit that anyone can easily use out of the box. They also make the perfect Father's Day present or a fantastic gift for that special brew drinker in your life.
Thanks to Wallington's WRG for giving me the opportunity to test out this kit, head on to Wallington's at 370 Grubb Road Wallington to visit Dan and the team or you can shop online right now for the kit or other home brewing equipment.