If you're using a basic straight column still but want to make very pure liquors like vodka, you can mimic a reflux column by stuffing chunks of copper mesh up inside of your straight column. Just be mindful that you don't pack it too tight and create a clog. I've never tried copper scrubber pads, but if they're pure copper and don't have any coating on them, they would be perfect.
Welch's or store brand white grape juice concentrate makes a damn good cognac in a pinch. Just make sure you age it with French white oak and not American white oak.
Don't bother barrel aging if you're working with less than a couple gallons. You can order white oak chips from a brew company and toast/char them yourself. The increased surface area compared to a barrel will accelerate the aging process, sometimes 4:1.
If you're making vodka with real potatoes, expect your mash to foam up quite a bit. I had to buy bigger fermentation containers (30gal container for 10gal of mash) after I came home one day and there was potato guts all over my ceiling.
Red Star Premier Blanc champagne yeast is my favorite yeast for all spirits.
I prefer buying powdered amylase enzymes over malted grains when I can for converting starches to sugars.
Depending on what type of condenser you're using, anything bigger than 3 gallons is going to be too much for the average kitchen to handle. As long as your still has a steel pot, you can take it out to the garage and heat it on the ground with an induction hot plate. It's a much safer option and it's extremely easy to control the temperature at the column when it starts to produce. The water supply for your laundry machine is a good place to tap in.
When I make brandy from real fruit, I cook about 30lbs of fruit for 10gal of mash. The ratio scales up and down fairly well.
If you've never distilled anything before, it takes longer than you think. A 10 gallon run from start to finish takes upwards of 15-20 hours. Invest in a bluetooth cooking thermometer that pairs with an app so you can receive warnings at set temperatures.
I use an app called Hoochware to do all my calculations quickly. It's a must have, especially for accurate diluting your spirits.
Instead of using a hydrometer for proofing and determining where to make your cuts, get an alcohol refractometer that's scaled for proofing. It's slightly more expensive but a billion times faster and more convenient.
It's very easy to make a DIY activated charcoal liquor filter and it's a must have for vodka making. It's not a bad idea to make even if you enjoy fine vodka, because you can run a cheap bottle through it and it comes out much better. Mine is a 4ft long 4in pipe, but that's overkill for most people's needs.
If you buy a cheapo still and want quick and inexpensive practice, go to the grocery store and buy the cheapest jug of wine you can find. You can distill this into brandy and it won't hurt if you fuck it up.
Buy real air locks for your fermentation vessels. They're cheap.
Sterilize your fermentation equipment between every use without exception. Some types of bacteria will kill your yeast and ruin your mash.
Don't buy an all stainless steel still. The pot is fine, but either/both your column or/and condenser need to be made out of copper. The copper interacts with the alcohol vapor and strips some of the sulfides from it.
The best way to clean your copper column and condenser is to do a really hot run with 1:3 white vinegar to distilled water. Don't cool the vapor for the first 20 or so minutes. Continue until the liquid stops running blue.
I stuff a couple cotton balls down the funnel of my catch jar. This keeps shit out of your jar while you're not watching it, and it helps to keep any residual copper oxide out of your finished product.
