StillSmart

Re: Distilling options...

2018-06-04T05:38:04+00:00

8 Years on the 28th of the month.

Statistics: Posted by Pyro — Mon Jun 04, 2018 5:38 am

Re: Distilling options...

2018-06-04T05:37:30+00:00

8 Years on the 28th month.

Statistics: Posted by Pyro — Mon Jun 04, 2018 5:37 am

Re: Distilling options...

2018-06-03T18:15:54+00:00

Yes that was about 7 years ago,time just fly's by.

Statistics: Posted by optic — Sun Jun 03, 2018 6:15 pm

Re: Distilling options...

2018-06-03T16:15:02+00:00

optic wrote:
Although I haven't done any distilling for a while,I did regret selling my airstil after buying Phantom's super reflux. Likewise an entire wash was stripped by using a timer over a couple of days without needing any real attention or nurturing on my part except from,empty,refill and set the timer.Spirit runs where a doddle done at the weekend.

Damn that was a while ago.......

Just made me look at my own "joining date". Bloody hell! I've been hereabouts for 10 years..........

Statistics: Posted by Phantom — Sun Jun 03, 2018 4:15 pm

Re: Distilling options...

2018-06-03T16:05:13+00:00

Pyro wrote:
I don’t find stripping with the air still a problem. Before or after breakfast I simply fill the still and use a timer plug set at 3 ½ Hr, plug it in, job done.
A timer plug and a Free PC program could Cool Timber are a must for letting you to get on with other things.
My old foreman would say “if you want to find the quickest and simplest way to do a job ask the laziest man”, I was asked quite often.

Although I haven't done any distilling for a while,I did regret selling my airstil after buying Phantom's super reflux. Likewise an entire wash was stripped by using a timer over a couple of days without needing any real attention or nurturing on my part except from,empty,refill and set the timer.Spirit runs where a doddle done at the weekend.

Statistics: Posted by optic — Sun Jun 03, 2018 4:05 pm

Re: Distilling options...

2018-06-03T08:48:51+00:00

Pyro wrote:
I don’t find stripping with the air still a problem. Before or after breakfast I simply fill the still and use a timer plug set at 3 ½ Hr, plug it in, job done.
A timer plug and a Free PC program could Cool Timber are a must for letting you to get on with other things.
My old foreman would say “if you want to find the quickest and simplest way to do a job ask the laziest man”, I was asked quite often.

Sure. It was just "mental cig packet maths" after reading the original stuff and thinking of comparison to my experiences etc......

I keep trying to remember to buy a plug in timer for mine (still dragging my arse in setting up circular cooling for my T500 and it should do for my milk can boiler once I can make my mind up about a column for it)..........

Ha! won't stop me asking idiot questions to fill gaps in knowledge etc

Statistics: Posted by Phantom — Sun Jun 03, 2018 8:48 am

Re: Distilling options...

2018-06-03T06:17:59+00:00

I don’t find stripping with the air still a problem. Before or after breakfast I simply fill the still and use a timer plug set at 3 ½ Hr, plug it in, job done.
A timer plug and a Free PC program could Cool Timber are a must for letting you to get on with other things.
My old foreman would say “if you want to find the quickest and simplest way to do a job ask the laziest man”, I was asked quite often.

Statistics: Posted by Pyro — Sun Jun 03, 2018 6:17 am

Re: Distilling options...

2018-06-02T20:44:49+00:00

But whatever eh ? not here to argue the toss.........

Absolutely.

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Sat Jun 02, 2018 8:44 pm

Re: Distilling options...

2018-06-02T14:15:11+00:00

Mash wrote:
Oh contrare min amiee.

2 airstills will finish a 25l wash from frozen in 4 hours. But leaves a couple of litres for next time.

3 would nail it with spare capacity so prolly only take 3.5 hours.

On a single timer, whirring away while you watch the footy.

Using less leccy and water.

Seriously speedy.. I think the next upgrade would need to be 3 way funnel

Mis-calc on my part. A 25 litre wash will give 6 runs of wash, at 4 litres of wash per run. So rather than having to use some twice and be quicker (at 2.5 hours rather than 4.5), then it'd be 6, but that doesn't account for higher purity/strength and additional distillation to get anywhere near the strength that the T500 produces.

But whatever eh ? not here to argue the toss.........

Statistics: Posted by Phantom — Sat Jun 02, 2018 2:15 pm

Re: Distilling options...

2018-06-02T14:05:25+00:00

Oh contrare min amiee.

2 airstills will finish a 25l wash from frozen in 4 hours. But leaves a couple of litres for next time.

3 would nail it with spare capacity so prolly only take 3.5 hours.

On a single timer, whirring away while you watch the footy.

Using less leccy and water.

Seriously speedy.. I think the next upgrade would need to be 3 way funnel

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Sat Jun 02, 2018 2:05 pm

Re: Distilling options...

2018-06-02T08:06:40+00:00

The only issue of multiple air stills that doesn't beat the T500, is that the 500 takes about 4.5 hours to run the whole of a 25 litre batch and it will reach a much higher strength.

To beat that time-wise, you'd need about a dozen air stills (what with an airstill taking about 2.5 hours to process 4 litres of wash, and they'd all need to be started at the same time).

The bonus of an air still over a T500 is that the normal T500 will strip all flavour to that higher strength, but if you want to retain flavour, then air still (or any other pot still) is the cost effective way ahead.

If you factor in the cost of a T500, but also buy the domed copper lid and the liebig condenser, it still works out cheaper than buying enough air stills (used/cheap or otherwise). Then you can indeed do stripping runs or flavoured spirit runs.

Statistics: Posted by Phantom — Sat Jun 02, 2018 8:06 am

Re: Distilling options...

2018-05-27T18:39:11+00:00

I am going for a lay down

Preowned £80 is a common.
When you get the hang of it, run em hands free on a timer. And you can do hot swaps.

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Sun May 27, 2018 6:39 pm

Re: Distilling options...

2018-05-27T18:19:43+00:00

Another 2 Airstills is still a lot cheaper than a T500.

There you go Mash......

Statistics: Posted by Duffer26 — Sun May 27, 2018 6:19 pm

Re: Distilling options...

2018-05-27T08:37:38+00:00

Thanks Myles - and I mean that.

I always expect holy water and exorcism when I post on this topic.

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Sun May 27, 2018 8:37 am

Re: Distilling options...

2018-05-27T07:53:21+00:00

I really do have to agree with Mash on this issue.

If you have the freezer space, and your fermentations are not too big, then doing the initial wash processing in the freezer is an effective method.

I would recommend trying it before buying more gear.

Statistics: Posted by Myles — Sun May 27, 2018 7:53 am