StillSmart

Re: New to Alcohol Distillation

2013-10-13T08:48:23+00:00

Only problem these days is that cheap jams, and some expensive ones too, are made with artificial sweeteners, thickening agents, artificial flavourings and preservatives, etc., and I wouldn't fancy your chances fermenting that lot

If it is 'real' jam then go for it

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Sun Oct 13, 2013 8:48 am

Re: New to Alcohol Distillation

2013-10-13T01:35:15+00:00

Attn: Easydrinker. During WWII, an uncle of mine was an engineer in the Pacific. His job was to go onto American bases after they had left and clean up. One of the things they would leave behind was loads of 5 gallon cans of jam. Made great alcohol.

Statistics: Posted by RumJohn — Sun Oct 13, 2013 1:35 am

Re: New to Alcohol Distillation

2013-10-11T11:01:53+00:00

I always got a little bit of the 'wet cardboard' smell from my spirit run but it seems that I was collecting into the tails as the Capt. had no such problems.

One has to be careful with preservatives, mostly sodium based ie. sulphur.

About 15 years ago I stopped the ferment using sodium metabisulphate then ran it through a pot still. Had a battery acid taste to it.

You can get as many jars as you for the price of a glass cutter and some sandpaper. Quoting myself from this thread.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1131

I've just made a very clean cut in a sherry bottle.

Scrap wood for height, hold the glasscutter firm and rotated the bottle until I had a neat score line.

Carefully poured a full kettle of hot water over the score line while rotating the bottle. (Eye protection advised, just in case.)

When I plunged the bottle into a sink full of cold water, I first thought it hadn't worked but what I thought was the score line was in fact a perfect crack and the bottom pulled off easily.

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Statistics: Posted by John51 — Fri Oct 11, 2013 11:01 am

Re: New to Alcohol Distillation

2013-10-11T01:57:16+00:00

Welcome Steven,

All the guys are right on here. The airstill can be a lovely little machine. Aidanmac and Mozr's guides can get you making very nice spirits right away. Being a newcomer myself, here is what I use/do:

- bought a hydrometer and alcometer with testing vials. Bought lots of canning jars in various sizes. Bought stainless steel funnel with mesh screen.
-made John51's recommended modification to the plastic spout
- made only Tried and True wash recipes using baker's yeast, champagne yeast, and ec-1118
- add copper parts and ceramic bits to the boiler on each stripping run
- always use distiller's conditioner/butter on each stripping run
- on stripping runs I collect in a single 2lt canning jar. Once I get above 1lt, I collect in a 100ml small glass container so I can measure the ABV of each 100ml so I know when to stop. Then I pour it into the 2lt container.
- On stripping runs, I collect forshots in a shot glass and discard, heads straight into the 2lt heads jar, and everything after in 100ml small canning jars.

I following the methods found in the guides here have allowed me to make some very nice product. I'm still working on it and refining my techniques and recipes, but it is a smoothe enjoyable drink already!

Good Luck!

rhinus

Statistics: Posted by rhinus — Fri Oct 11, 2013 1:57 am

Re: New to Alcohol Distillation

2013-10-10T19:11:40+00:00

Sounds like brandy to me! I had 12L of mixed fruit macerated in rum that no one liked (people don't seem to like 62% ABV desserts for some reason). I diluted, re-fermented, and distilled. Yummy!

Statistics: Posted by chill — Thu Oct 10, 2013 7:11 pm

Re: New to Alcohol Distillation

2013-10-10T18:55:11+00:00

Not wanting to take your thread off topic,but why bin the jam?
A jar of Tesco Everyday Value Mixed Fruit Jam costs 29p and contains 277g of sugar.
20 jars in a 25 litre wash might produce a wash of 11-12%.
Perhaps not really an experiment for a new distiller,I'm not sure what effect the Acidity Regulator (Sodium Citrate),would have on the wash.
Maybe someone will come back and tell me this is a ridiculous idea,I hate to think of that jam going to waste!
Brainwave or brain fart,I can't decide.
Robert.

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Thu Oct 10, 2013 6:55 pm

Re: New to Alcohol Distillation

2013-10-10T18:17:37+00:00

I assume you have an Alcometer and a Trial Jar. These are essential with the Airstill as you must be able to tell when the output gets down to 20%.

If you were running a large conventional still you could collect right down to 5% like some of the commercial distilleries but at our level you really don't want to go that far and particularly with the Airstill it's just not worth it

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Thu Oct 10, 2013 6:17 pm

Re: New to Alcohol Distillation

2013-10-10T16:45:34+00:00

thanks , makes sense now

Statistics: Posted by steven7 — Thu Oct 10, 2013 4:45 pm

Re: New to Alcohol Distillation

2013-10-10T16:17:28+00:00

What you collect is higher than 18% (otherwise, what point would there be in distilling?). After you have collected 1300+ml, what is left in the still is probably less than 3% alcohol. You reach a point where it is not economical to continue collecting. If you just let the still run you would get out of it exactly what you put into it. Pointless.

Chuck

Statistics: Posted by chill — Thu Oct 10, 2013 4:17 pm

Re: New to Alcohol Distillation

2013-10-10T15:38:16+00:00

Thanks aidanmac was about to bin the old batch , see when I make the 1350 Ml on the stripping run do I just discard what's left in the airstill about 2.5L 18 % alcohol?

Done a search for the Preserve Jars looks like am cheaper off with jam jars and bin the jam

Thanks john for the mod link it's on my to do list

Statistics: Posted by steven7 — Thu Oct 10, 2013 3:38 pm

Re: New to Alcohol Distillation

2013-10-10T12:04:13+00:00

Here's little mod I did to my airstill to make me feel better.

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1408

Statistics: Posted by John51 — Thu Oct 10, 2013 12:04 pm

Re: New to Alcohol Distillation

2013-10-09T18:46:44+00:00

steven7 wrote:
Thanks had a look over the aidanmac pdf will need to get more glassware for the for the spirit run .

In your neck of the woods you won't have any problem getting 1lt Kilner Preserve Jars which I found perfect. You could also get mates to hold onto jam jars for you too. Either will do the job.

Don't let your first experience put you off, you'll get there quite quickly and all the help you need is right here when you need it.

If you haven't chucked the first batch out you can simply recycle it by diluting it to 20% and run it again as a stripping run and keep the distillate until you do a new wash then add the stuff you save to the stripping run to boost the yield

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Wed Oct 09, 2013 6:46 pm

Re: New to Alcohol Distillation

2013-10-09T18:25:33+00:00

A kettle lead should be fine for the fan,If you want it to run at full power.I chopped an old lead for the dimmer (female connection to still male), when I played with lower power,and let the fan run at lower power too.I could have used the stills original power lead to the fan for full fan power.
You might want to put a lower rated fuse in though,13 amps is a bit high for a 320 watt appliance,the fan on mine is only about 20 watts,I found some 3amp,and felt happier.
Robert.

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Wed Oct 09, 2013 6:25 pm

Re: New to Alcohol Distillation

2013-10-09T16:12:26+00:00

Thanks had a look over the aidanmac pdf will need to get more glassware for the for the spirit run .
Sent away for the dimmer, would a 3 Pin Kettle Female Plug 13A(old PSU) work for the fan ?

Statistics: Posted by steven7 — Wed Oct 09, 2013 4:12 pm

Re: New to Alcohol Distillation

2013-10-09T14:49:04+00:00

If you go the strip/spirit run route, I can recommend using a cheapo 300w light dimmer on the spirit run to improve quality. I had the power down to 160w so it takes a while but no never mind as it doesn't require your full attention all the time.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dimmer-Socket ... 35c9902835

Not quite as good as what I get from my T-500 but acceptable to me and most of my friends when drank unfiltered but with a mixer. I gave a bottle to friends that had been flavoured with 'Bombay Gin' and they loved it.

The manufacturers are imo less than honourable in their pushing of consumables. Do everything their way and you get a lesser quality product that costs almost double than the best way of doing it.

Statistics: Posted by John51 — Wed Oct 09, 2013 2:49 pm