StillSmart

Hi all,

I have just finished my first ever run with my new airstill and after asking a few questions, I would like to share my results.

I followed the advice of everyone and went with a stripping run and a spirit run. I started with Vodka Star yeast and let it ferment for a week. After 5 days, I used a drill attached paint stirrer to de-gas it. Did this a few times. 25L was stripped into approx 1.2L batches and I removed the foreshot at this point. I then diluted down to 30% and re-ran the batches a second time. Saved the heads and after my entire run, was left with 6 x 750ml at 40% (after dilution).

3 bottles were left as is, 3 had essences added to it. They were Prestige Rum Spice Essence, Prestige Blueberry Vodka Essence and Artisan Crown Canadian Whiskey.

So, what do I think. The 3 bottles of Neutral are dangerous ! LOL. The taste is very clean, Very little taste in your mouth and no burning at all. Once swallowed, you get a warm felling in the belly and a few min later, it hits. I also think I'm a cheap drunk. You get a happy little feeling. Because of the lack of taste, I can see you getting into trouble with this.

The ones with the essences, I have mixed feelings. The Blueberry Vodka one just adds the smell and slight taste of Blueberries. Love it ! The Whiskey one adds a nice taste to it but if you are a serious whiskey drinker, it may not be for you. But I like it and will do it again. The Rum Spice essence. Don't care for it. To me, it has a strange almost chocolate type flavour. Even mixed with coke, it still has an off taste. Must be the essence because it is all off the smae batch.

So, I think it was a successful run. Gonna give some away and since I'm not a heavy drinker, gonna enjoy what I have. Many of my friends that tried my newly made stuff now are asking if I can make some for them. I think I'll starting giving away gifts to people and bringing some of my Jungle Juice to parties from now on.

On to the next Batch !

CMBTSMRF

Output's look okay.

I take the fores out on the spirit run not the strip run.

With regard to flavours there are plenty of posts in this forum on the good, the bad and the indifferent. Find what your happy with and stick to it.

Be careful on who you give gifts to. Tittle Tattle can be over heard a leave you in the brown and smelly!

I didn't see any mention of Carbon Filtering of your final distillate and take it from me with the Airstill you must, must, must, Carbon Filter.

I know there are people who don't filter but take this piece of advice and don't join them.

Start off as you mean to go on - safely

AM

Yep !

I agree about the carbon filtering. I didn't do it this time BUT I tried earlier today one of the unflavoured bottles through carbon and after about 4 hours, I did notice a difference.

Carbon Filtering WILL be added to my step.

CMBTSMRF

I am probably those "some people" that Aidan refers to. I filter if I want neutral but don't for brandy, rum, whiskey etc as it removes the flavours that I want too. I am pretty strict with my cuts. When in doubt, recycle it!

Chuck

The neutral can be dangerous. lol

imo it's the lack of 'noise' as in none of the side effects of increasing intoxication when drinking store bought spirits. No bees buzzing in my head type thing.

I don't care who knows about my hobby as imo the tptb aren't bothered either as long as there are no sales. I've come across just one prosecution in the last 5 years or so and they were commercial enough to be selling bottles to plain clothes officers.

We're allowed to make biofuel without a licence. No way are they going to spend £10k plus on a jury trial to prove that my booze isn't biofuel.

Hey Chuck, actually I wasn't referring to you at all. I know you are highly experienced and capable. I was talking about beginners who sometimes post here about not bothering to filter and I think all beginners should take the filtered neutral route to making spirits through flavouring, on Oak etc., or by maceration

AM

I absolutely agree Aidan. If you are not going to filter, you really have to know what you are doing and working with. Filtered neutral is how I learned much of what I know and you can make a lot of very nice drinks that way.

Chuck

Sounds like you did a nice job with your first try. Congrats on a successful first batch! Regarding the filtering. I am fermenting my first UJSSM right now and I was wondering about the filtering question this thread is discussing. I have been filtering my neutral spirit through copper pipe filled with activated charcoal and a bit of cotton wool and coffee filter around the bottom. I am worried about what the filtering will do to the corn taste of this next wash. If I filter it, will I lose a lot of the flavor? Will it still come out nicely after oaked? Thoughts from those of you who have done this?

Thanks,

Rhinus

With grain based washes like UJSSM it's the cuts that are most important because you can't filter this spirit without losing the flavour and character of the grains.

You can single distil with grain spirits but the heart cut is relatively small and not generally worth the work just on it's own.

Double distilling is the key, and nice and slow too, even on the strip. If you run too fast or hot you will lose much of the desirable esters and your Whisky will lack depth and character.

If this is your first generation of UJSSM I'd recommend recycling the entire collected distillate to the second generation's stripping run keeping just a small sample to compare to the second generation final spirit

The 'cleaning' of this type of spirit is done by the charred oak during ageing

AM

Thanks AM. That's what I thought. It's bubbling away now.

Cmbtsmrf...definitely worth filtering all your neutrals. It's amazing how clean it is if you follow the double distilling guides and carbon filter. Good luck!