Log and Commentary: Second Run in the AirStill

[Echo4golf]

Hi folks,

This was a simple sugar wash using the same yeast as last time. I made a point of slowing down and enjoying the ride this time and it paid off. With the exception of some missing alcohol, I'm happy with this run and looking forward to trying it this weekend.

Method

• Started with 4.91 pounds of sugar in ~2.25 gallons of spring water.
• Pitched 1 1/3 tbs of 48hr Batch Turbo Pure yeast.
• Fermented dry in 3 days.
• Cleared with ~half package of Super-Kleer.
• Note: C/Shoulda have let it clear for a bit longer but the wash was much clearer than last time and smelled better. Sweeter.

OG (Calculated) 1.09
FG (Observed) .98@70F corrects to .981
Calulated Wash ABV 14.06

Note: This is in line with the expectations of the yeast i.e. 4 1/3 lbs sugar, 2 gals water, will yield 14% in 72 hours.

• Stripped batch one to ~20%, maybe a bit lower.
• Yield was ~1250ml (Lower than anticipated.)
• Observed ABV of 40 corrects to 37.8% (lower than anticipated.)
• Stripped batch two to 20%, and recharged the still with the remaining wash on top of the stripped wash.

Note: Preheated batch two on the stove and it actually boiled for a few minutes before I pulled it off.

• Observed ABV 38% @70deg corrects to 35.8%. Low again.

Total low wines from the stripping run > 2500ML @ 36%ABV. Lower than anticipated.

Note: The quality of the low wines is different. They smell appetizing, although there's still a hint of something that's not right. I assume this is the fusil oils and that on the spirits run it will clear. Even at this stage though, it's night and day between this and the first try.

Spirit Run

• Charged the still and added 500ML of distilled water to the low wines > 3L @30% (1L lower than anticipated.)
• Convert to .75 of amounts in Airstill Guide Chart
• 50ML Foreshoots (Unconverted. Better safe than a bad batch!)
• 250ML heads > 187.50 >200ML (80%ABV) (saved for a heads run)
• 1000ML hearts > 750ML (65%ABV)
• Tails in 100ML increments to 25%. I would have stopped at 30%, but I passed it in the third 100ML sample

A. 50%
B. 40%
C. 25%

Total yield, not including foreshots and heads: 1050ML.

Lessons Learned:

• The distillate is much, much better than the first run.
• Regarding the low output, the only thing that I can figure is that I must have mismeasured the original sugar in the wash. All of the other numbers check out. I really need to remember to take an OG reading. (Didn't do it for the two batches started tonight either! <DOH!>
• I can't smell the difference between the heart and any of the tails yet. Hopefully leaving them overnight will help. If not, I'm not sure what to do. I tried a bit of "C," the last 100ML befor I shut down, and it had very little taste. It burned on my tongue a bit, but that's all. I'll sniff 'em all in the morning and when I get home from work and we'll see then.

Best,
Echo4Golf out

[Icefever]

Well done E4g you look like your getting there, it all take time and learning.
It's good your keeping all your info so that you can look back later.
Don't expect the earth to move just yet

Couple of points you quote...
#1 Calulated Wash ABV 14.06

#2 "Note: The quality of the low wines is different. They smell appetizing, although there's still a hint of something that's not right. I assume this is the fusil oils and that on the spirits run it will clear. Even at this stage though, it's night and day between this and the first try.

When I started I was told never try for an high ABV from a sugar wash...aim for 10& +/- 1%...don't stress your yeast, if fact I was told not to use turbo.

All the best matey.

May I suggest trying a Lentil wash, with bakers yeast, nice and slow..get the feel of the wash....ferment for a week or so..keep an eye on the temp...then run that and you will see a difference...

[chill]

"Started with 4.91 pounds of sugar in ~2.25 gallons of spring water"

US or Imperial gallons?

I still think are cutting from heads to hearts too early. You really need to collect in 100ml jars at the start of heats. I'd switch to jars again when what is coming out of the still gets to be 70%ABV. If your hearts were 65% when you switched to tails collection, I am pretty sure you missed the transition from hearts to tails. That would explain why there is little taste difference.

I would not worry about the OG. The wash is what it is. You can't do this by numbers any more than you can garden my numbers. You have to do it by taste. Once you have run the same wash many times you can get closer to doing it by numbers.


Chuck

[Anavrin]

Sounds like you've made cuts by numbers here, the problem is this numbers used on the Airstill guide where for a much cleaner fermenting wash like lentils, and won't be accurate for a turbo wash, to start with, the turbo wash will have a much higher head production.

I've followed the guide in the past and with a lentil wash and found at least 350ml of heads, the only way to predict cuts is to repeatedly make the same wash and run it a few times collecting in small jars and tasting them at drinking strength.

You don't need to taste them all, you can smell heads in the first few, but then there will be some jats you can't smell but will taste shit before you find the cleaner tasting ones, the same applies to tails jars on the other end of the scale but it's normally a lot easier to find the tails cut.

It doesn't matter too much because the beauty of it is if your not happy with your cuts, you can always put it all back in the still and go again, you could even make some more wash, strip it and add it to the mix to give you a full charge next time.

[Mash]

+1 with Ice try a bakers yeast brew. Lentils are OK you also also do wheat or kale. There are many others too.


Note: Preheated batch two on the stove and it actually boiled for a few minutes before I pulled it off.

This comment concerned me. You boiled some on the stove top. This will reduce the yield. The Alcohol will boil away.

Also consider when you are stopping. I think it might be too soon.

[chill]

And when tasting your sample jars, use hot water to dilute (1 tsp of distillate and 1 tsp of hot water). That makes it easier to taste the heads and tails. My guide for heads is, "does it make my tongue burn?" Ethanol should burn your throat not tongue. Heads also have a sweetish artificial flavouring taste. Tails are easy, it tastes and smells disgusting.

[Echo4golf]

Well done E4g you look like your getting there, it all take time and learning.

Thanks! This was a much more comfortable run.

When I started I was told never try for an high ABV from a sugar wash...aim for 10& +/- 1%...don't stress your yeast, if fact I was told not to use turbo.

Again, thanks. I've heard the same thing but I'm not sure what "stressing the yeast" means. Yeast is yeast. OTOH, you lot have much more experience than I, so I think I should pay heed! In terms of the yeast, I bought a package of turbo to get started with and rather a 5 or 6 (US) gallon batch, I've been doing 2 gallon ones, with 1/3 of the yeast. I have one more on now and that will finish it.

May I suggest trying a Lentil wash, with bakers yeast, nice and slow..get the feel of the wash....ferment for a week or so..keep an eye on the temp...then run that and you will see a difference...

That's in the cards very soon. Maybe even this weekend. I did wind up starting a batch of cornflake beer but I've go an extra fermenter and may as well fill it up.

Best,
e4g

[Echo4golf]

This comment concerned me. You boiled some on the stove top. This will reduce the yield. The Alcohol will boil away.

Agreed. I have similar concerns. The take from batch two was very close to that from #1 though, so I may have dodged that bullet,no?

Also consider when you are stopping. I think it might be too soon.

Stopping, as in shutting down the run? Stripping or spirit? I was trying to stick to numbers in Almanac's brief. I felt that I had to reduce them for the spirits run in ratio to the actual take from the stripping run. Is that incorrect?

e4g

[Echo4golf]

And when tasting your sample jars, use hot water to dilute (1 tsp of distillate and 1 tsp of hot water). That makes it easier to taste the heads and tails. My guide for heads is, "does it make my tongue burn?" Ethanol should burn your throat not tongue. Heads also have a sweetish artificial flavouring taste. Tails are easy, it tastes and smells disgusting.

Thanks Chill,

I'm off to try them now in fact and will use your tips. I have 250ml, 750ishml, 100ml, 100ml, and 100ml samples so I'll see what I can taste.

Best,
e4g

[Echo4golf]

Sounds like you've made cuts by numbers here, the problem is this numbers used on the Airstill guide where for a much cleaner fermenting wash like lentils, and won't be accurate for a turbo wash, to start with, the turbo wash will have a much higher head production.

I've followed the guide in the past and with a lentil wash and found at least 350ml of heads, the only way to predict cuts is to repeatedly make the same wash and run it a few times collecting in small jars and tasting them at drinking strength.

You don't need to taste them all, you can smell heads in the first few, but then there will be some jats you can't smell but will taste shit before you find the cleaner tasting ones, the same applies to tails jars on the other end of the scale but it's normally a lot easier to find the tails cut.

It doesn't matter too much because the beauty of it is if your not happy with your cuts, you can always put it all back in the still and go again, you could even make some more wash, strip it and add it to the mix to give you a full charge next time.

Thanks for this too! You're absolutely right here. I did try to go by the numbers. I think that once I noticed that the take from the stripping run was incorrect I should have switched up and pulled 100ml samples as suggested. This would have given me a better range to sample from. As it is everything, except the 250ml after the fores smells the same to me. I'm going to try tasting in a couple of minutes. As I've got another wash going, I might just wait and put everything together in one full spirit run but we'll see. What I've got smells pretty good. I might also just filter it and give it a go.

Thanks!
e4g

[Easydrinker]

Echo4golf,
Guides are guides, and evermore will be so.
They are good, in that they help a novice feel their way around a new subject, they are not a Bible.
If they help you produce some safe to drink spirit, then they have served their purpose.
And I would hope that with a little guidance, that you will soon be flying and producing excellent spirits of your own.
Fergot to say that the previous responders were posting top advice too.

Oh,and a BIG welcome.

Robert.

[Echo4golf]

Hi folks,

Final report on this batch... I wound up with about a liter of 50%abv liquor and about 500ML of feints (heads and tails, both). I'm going to let it sit for a bit but I tried a bit tonight and it's nice. There is no real taste to it but perhaps a bit of a sweet mouthfeel that I don't get from vodka, in my -- admittedly limited -- experience. Well, theoretically, I'm going to let it set for a bit anyway.

Best,
e4g

[chill]

The sweet taste is the result of running a sugar wash in the AirStill. It will never be quite a dry a real vodka. Good carbon filtering will get the result quite close once you dial in your cuts.