1st Distillation with Air Still

[ToySS]

Of course being a n00b I forgot to take an OG reading when I started my first wash. But the FG was constant at 988. I dunno if it's possible to work backwards and figure out what the OG was after the fact from my alcohol percentages. Oh well...next time.

I brazenly attempted hic52's Experiment results with extending still time (Smart still) but could not replicate those results with my Air Still (are they the same specs?). First 4L distillation yielded 1300mL at what I guess must have been around 30%, so the 2nd 4L distillation I ended at 800mL (I am assuming at 60%) and mixed the two together and got 2100mL @ 41%. I didn't realise til after I'd mixed them that a 1L bottle would have been tall enough to test them both separately with my alcometer first, until I get myself one of those test columns. Oh well...next time.

I decided on both passes to line up 10 plastic shot glasses and check the forshots and heads at 5mL increments. First 5mL definately smelled like Acetone, next 20mL varied but was unnoticable after that. So the first 25mL of each pass was disgarded.

Second wash is down now, and the gasket I cut for the 10L fermenter is sealing, making the carbon filter work properly, so it's less smelly now than the first attempt. I wonder if I should try VodkaStar cos it's been described as not producing that smell. Oh well...next time. I'm using white sugar this time around, not dextrose. And the OG was 1092 for the second wash.

Cheers,
ToySS.

[ToySS]

Ok I should have pointed out for people that don't have the 10L Air Still Companion Pack, that this produces 9L of wash from the Air Still Ingredients Pack. 1L is wasted with sediment when you use the Turbo Clear, leaving 8L to be tapped off and distilled. Which means 2 x 4L uses of the Air Still. I haven't redistilled anything, just combined the 2 outputs.

Cheers,
ToySS.

[mozr]

There is a reason why Still Spirits only tell you to collect 800ml.

Anything past that and you are getting into heavy tails/dunder and you are asking for poor tasting/smelling spirit full of stuff you don't want to be drinking for your health or hangover.

They decided to ignore the foreshots/heads (beginning) part of the run as well as they must have considered the chemicals collected within safe boundaries for consumption, and this makes it easy to sell. Collect 800ml then water down.

It's easy, but not a good method to pull good spirit in my opinion.

I would either follow the instructions as stated (and put up with the quality) or look into double distillation (stripping and spirit runs).

[nathanfromal]

Mozr,
Just got my 1 gallon capacity airstill tues night and my bran cereal & sugar wash is bubbling away nicely. However, I need lots of advise I'm sure. I've got a hydrometer and that's about it. I'm attempting to distill it a few times and make a neutral spirit I can flavor with something. I expect it to be ready Sun/Mon so I need a crash course. I can hit the brew store before then if need be but please provide any pointers asap...thanks