Airstill, Best Practice and Results

[Frank]

quick answer....keep this portion (aka heads) SEPARATELY to the best part (aka hearts)....and the heads can be used (again) at a later time mate.

[Spirits4BB]

quick answer....keep this portion (aka heads) SEPARATELY to the best part (aka hearts)....and the heads can be used (again) at a later time mate.

Thx Pal, I've put 250ml to one side.. Even as a novice I can smell and taste that the Hearts is better than earlier stuff.

[Spirits4BB]

So at the end I collect 100ml of hearts and 100ml of tails before it all goes tits up and stopping at 30%... Can I add the combined 200ml to the quantity of hearts?

I now know I've ended up with around 10 litres of low wines instead of the 12 that AM worked around in his "How To"!!
I've got my second 4 litre run on now so was wondering whats the best thing to do with the remaining 2L? Can I put 2 litre in on it's own and run it using same cut measurements? thin down with water to 4 litre and do a run or save for next time?

Question, question, questions...SORRY!!!
S4BB

[Almanac]

No probs, If, after doing all your stripping runs you are a little short of the 12 litre mark just make your total volume up with water. The measurements in the guide are representative only as every wash differs to some extent.

You'll still make your cuts by smell and taste and end up with very clean spirits. You may have marginally less final spirit but nothing worth talking about.

On this occasion I would make the remaining 2lt up to 3 and run it.

Don't worry you're making great progress

[Spirits4BB]

Thx AM,
What do I do with the Heads from the spirit run?

[optic]

quick answer....keep this portion (aka heads) SEPARATELY to the best part (aka hearts)....and the heads can be used (again) at a later time mate.

Thx Pal, I've put 250ml to one side.. Even as a novice I can smell and taste that the Hearts is better than earlier stuff.

So you can now at this early stage see why most of us are not keen on Turbos, you can imagine what you would end up if you followed the still spirits blurb to the letter and collected everything and only did one run.....tramps juice . I can guarantee that you are going to be pleasantly satisfied with your spirit because you've done it the right way, enjoy .

[optic]

Thx AM,
What do I do with the Heads from the spirit run?

I would mix them in with your next wash on the stripping run, ultimately very little goes to waste in the long run .

[Spirits4BB]

Would this 500ml of heads be undrinkable? Smells nice!

[chill]

Sure, you CAN drink it, it is liquid after all. I reckon you will get an absolutely cracking headache out of it. Some people add a small measure of it to whiskey to get a more commercial flavour profile.

Myself, I save up about 2L and water it down to 4L and run it. You get a lot of heads at the start and some very nice hearts at the end. I used to save up 4L and run them at full strength. That seemed to give better separation but a little voice in my head always worried about the sense of boiling 70%+ flammable liquids. In the end, I opted or less product and a house that was not burned to the ground. I suspect the missus would support that decision but I decline to discuss my activities with her.

Chuck

[Spirits4BB]

I see... So the heads are drinkable but it's not advisable...
Now at the moment I've got a lentil wash going for next time so I can use the heads and tails in the stripping run??
Do I just bung it in the wash before the stripping run?

Nearly there lads.

[Anavrin]

One of the main compounds found in the heads is Ethyl Acetate, here's a snip from wiki that might help you decide too, or not too, as the case may be, to drink it.

Ethyl acetate (systematically, ethyl ethanoate, commonly abbreviated EtOAc or EA) is the organic compound with the formula CH3-COO-CH2-CH3, simplified to C4H8O2. This colorless liquid has a characteristic sweet smell (similar to pear drops) and is used in glues, nail polish removers, decaffeinating tea and coffee, and cigarettes (see list of additives in cigarettes). Ethyl acetate is the ester of ethanol and acetic acid; it is manufactured on a large scale for use as a solvent. The combined annual production in 1985 of Japan, North America, and Europe was about 400,000 tons.[2] In 2004, an estimated 1.3M tons were produced worldwide.[3]

[Spirits4BB]

GULP!! Pass on that mate, in with the striping run it goes... Lol.

[chill]

IMO, tails are OK in a stripping run, but heads are high ABV and with an AirStill are best saved and run separately. And adding a lot of heads and tails will (I expect) throw off the point where the hearts start in the Best Practice guide.

Chuck

[Spirits4BB]

IMO, tails are OK in a stripping run, but heads are high ABV and with an AirStill are best saved and run separately. And adding a lot of heads and tails will (I expect) throw off the point where the hearts start in the Best Practice guide.

Chuck

So going by what you mentioned before I'll be better off saving 2L then add 2L of water then run it through the AirStill?
Do I still adhere to the same cuts? ie.. 50mm Foreshots, 250ml Heads then collect a 1000ml of Hearts?

Cheers.
S4BB

[Almanac]

+1 with Chill. Save your Heads for separate running but add any tails you have to cleared wash just before your stripping runs.

I always run my collected Heads in my airstill and I reduce the ABV to 30% for the purpose. Big Heads cut but the Hearts is worth it