StillSmart

Re: Smell from the Airstill

2012-06-01T19:27:28+00:00

Generally I just chuck the tails in the next stripping run to boost the yield from the strip.

I take the view that when I add the tails to a stripping run I know it's going to be distilled twice and that will allow me recover clean ethanol from those tails.

Not sure running the tails alone in a pot would clean it up enough. Running it through a good reflux column to make neutral would certainly work.

When I add tails to a wash for stripping the 'Smell from the Airstill' is the same as a normal run - there, we're back on topic again!

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Fri Jun 01, 2012 7:27 pm

Re: Smell from the Airstill

2012-06-01T07:11:40+00:00

perhaps risking offtopic but...
AidanMac et al , I wonder if the last of the collected tails from a POTSTILL strip run could be run through the Airstill (perhaps double distilled) to get a decent end product?? I get about 2 litres of ave 25%ABV, so that'd make about 4 litres of typical turbo wash ABV% ...dont suppose anyone has tried it???? (and, please Jimmy, move this post if its too offtopic to be here)....

Statistics: Posted by Frank — Fri Jun 01, 2012 7:11 am

Re: Smell from the Airstill

2012-05-30T18:35:13+00:00

Nice one Frank, looking good. That's a really long take-off!!

I'm keeping my Airstill and will even give it a run to do now and again. After all, it's looked after me for over two years now - we're old friends!

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Wed May 30, 2012 6:35 pm

Re: Smell from the Airstill

2012-05-30T10:16:38+00:00

as requested here,'tis...its got a 900mm adjustable liebig condensor on a 1200mm takeoff (1 inch over 3/4)...

and/or

copper all the way...and the very first 10 litres I stripped (from TPW) has buggerall smell already so, bring on the spirit run, I say
and I'm pretty sure its a keeper...mind you, so is my airstill

Statistics: Posted by Frank — Wed May 30, 2012 10:16 am

Re: Smell from the Airstill

2012-05-30T09:00:36+00:00

Nice one Frank.

Thats the way to reply to Still Spirits. Build yur own WITH some copper.
I'd love to see a photo of your new still.

Statistics: Posted by Normski — Wed May 30, 2012 9:00 am

Re: Smell from the Airstill

2012-05-30T07:18:51+00:00

aidanmac wrote:
Ah the eternal question Frank! - not really!
This has been mooted in the thread entitled "What's in you Still" under Distillation.

In a 'real' pot or reflux still this is easy but with an Airstill!

Let us know if you come up with a work-around!

Haven't seen you for a while, How are things with you these days?

AM

I haven't been (able to) post for a while mate (lost the plot/password) but, now, thanx to Jimmy, here is I.

Anyway, re this 'copper not there problem', I did email the Still Spirits company (to their Customer Services Manager or whomever) to ask
1. is their ANY copper in the Airstill vapour path and
2. if not, is there a recommended mod/workaround to get copper into the vapour path.

Her inital response was quite 'off the dial' in terms of telling me that the componentry of the still is a secret and the technical folk are not at liberty to expain the makings of the still blah blah. So..I responded with a polite but firm request for my questions to be answered (afterall I AM a customer etc)....and (finally) the response was that
1.'no' there is no copper in the airstill and
2. 'no' there isn't a recommended solution re putting any in there.

She then went on to say that perhaps I ought to consider the T500 and/or some other (outrageously) expensive Stillspirits model that includes copper etc etc. So....I did what I should have done from the start IMHO.

I (and some talented mates) built a 2.5 inch copper potstill that runs off a 50 litre stainless steel keg boiler. Now I get 5l hour on a strip run.

Statistics: Posted by Frank — Wed May 30, 2012 7:18 am

Re: Smell from the Airstill

2012-03-15T15:46:48+00:00

Blackmoor came up with an idea here :

viewtopic.php?f=3&p=7755#p7749

Worth a try!

Statistics: Posted by Jimmy — Thu Mar 15, 2012 3:46 pm

Re: Smell from the Airstill

2012-03-14T07:25:01+00:00

Ah the eternal question Frank! - not really!
This has been mooted in the thread entitled "What's in you Still" under Distillation.

In a 'real' pot or reflux still this is easy but with an Airstill!

Let us know if you come up with a work-around!

Haven't seen you for a while, How are things with you these days?

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Wed Mar 14, 2012 7:25 am

Re: Smell from the Airstill

2012-03-13T21:42:15+00:00

Nice to see your posts back AidanMac....

BTW I now put some copper offcuts (smoothed on the edges) into the Airstill (along with the ceramic boil enhancers) for the stripping runs and this seems to provide a more neutral smelling spirit. I have tried both including and excluding the copper for batches of the same wash and am pretty certain adding the copper is noticeable....something to do with no resident copper in an Airstill perhaps? Anyone know how I could effectively put copper in the Airstill 'vapour path'?

Statistics: Posted by Frank — Tue Mar 13, 2012 9:42 pm

Re: Smell from the Airstill

2011-09-13T07:58:08+00:00

Here's a variation on 'Aidanmacs' double distillation with the airstill....
ran a 6kg sugar, 25 litre, Tomato Paste Wash through in first run and collected four litres (i.e. 4 x 1 litres, minus 50ml foreshots per). The other 2 runs were for wife's liqueurs BTW...

Ok with second run from that 4 litres, I collected 1800ml from start (no foreshot discard) and it was at 83%ABV (+ or - 1%)!!!! It was the best yet re smell, taste (thanx TPW) etc and I watered it to 60%ABV and soaked with Charred Oak Sticks (about 10cm square by 100mm long) for 'months'.

Anyway...who needs essences

Statistics: Posted by Frank — Tue Sep 13, 2011 7:58 am

Smell from the Airstill

2011-05-04T03:48:29+00:00

Hi Aidanmac (at the risk of going completely off thread topic...)using Essencia chunks has been also recommended by my LHBS, so I better do that soon! How long do you reckon I should soak for AND what, if any, added bourbon flavour (and how much) do you recommend with your chunk-soaked neutral to make your \'Best Bourbon\'??

Statistics: Posted by Frank — Wed May 04, 2011 3:48 am

Smell from the Airstill

2011-04-29T10:37:14+00:00

Update is.... with a well fermented, 25litre/7kg dextrose wash, I ran three runs for wife\'s liqueurs (she\'s not as fussy as I) then ran another three stripping runs and collected 3x 1 litre (incl foreshots) at 51%ABV. Added about 200ml of 40%abv I had spare, topped to 4 litres with water and did second still run. Got 1.8 litres (quickly too) at about 74%ABV which I cut into 3.4 litres of fabulously unsmelly neutral, carbon fitered it and put in two 1.8l Mason jars from IKEA (one with whiskey barrel oak and one with JD chips) for it to sit until...... A wonderful result and your help/experince has been most appreciated Aidanmac. Thank you.

Statistics: Posted by Frank — Fri Apr 29, 2011 10:37 am

Re: Smell from the Airstill

2011-04-22T02:57:00+00:00

Hi Frank, collectively your 6 X 4Lt runs that give you 4.2Lt @ 60% are what I call a "Stripping Run". It gets rid of the biggest part of the crap from the wash but not enough of it!
When I said "second run" I should have use the term "Final Run". What I meant was putting the product from the stripping run (your 4.2Lt @60%) through the Airstill again after cutting it to 40%.
Also if you are going to do a Stripping Run and then a Final Run you should consider collecting everything on the Stripping Run down to about 50-55% (I go to 52% myself) and I mean collect everything heads and all.
On the Final Run you will discard the first 100ml of each batch as heads then collect a very, very clean spirit - you decide where to cut off and cut what you collect to 40% - this is your "Final" spirit for drinking/flavoring etc..
When you've finished collecting your "Final" spirit let the still run on collecting from each batch in the "Final Run" down to 30% and add what you collect to your next "Final Run" batch
You will lose a little volume doing this and that's normal as the Airstill will only achieve about 80-85% yield at best.
Hope this helps and remember - the cleaner your spirit the better your head - and everything else - the next morning.

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Fri Apr 22, 2011 2:57 am

Smell from the Airstill

2011-04-19T06:18:45+00:00

Hey again Aidanmac and thank you very much for your info. The only bit I am struggling with is where you say

If you did a second run you\'d end up with about 5.3Lt @ 40%ABV

. Is this easy to explain to a learner like me?

Statistics: Posted by Frank — Tue Apr 19, 2011 6:18 am

Smell from the Airstill

2011-04-12T14:44:10+00:00

Great post aidanmac, thanks for that!

Statistics: Posted by Jimmy — Tue Apr 12, 2011 2:44 pm