Airstill, Best Practice and Results

[chill]

See the diagram on the last page. 30%.

Chuck

[Almanac]

On the Spirit Runs the ABV is pretty unimportant. The cuts you make should be based on taste and smell only.

When I'm doing Spirit Runs I don't even use an alcometer to test ABV because it's irrelevant.

AM

[Frank]

Firstly, and most importantly, thank you Aidanmac for putting into diagrammatic terms what is a challenging process (for newbies especially). IMHO, it is a great contribution to the fine art of distilling as we know it and thank you too for predecent 'contibutors' here too.

I'd make the observation that the posted methodology holds true regardless of wash, it is basically the ABV/volumes that may vary...and I am now quite sure that there are certain other washes that provide the opportunity for a higher quality distillate than sugar-based 'turbo yeast' ferments....
eg partial grain or wheatgerm/liquid malt extract for instance.

I offer this as food for thought only and in no way wish to discount this thread.... to each their own.

[Robbo79]

Hey guys how long is a stripping run taking you to get to the 1350ml ?

[knobby]

Hi Robbo, and welcome.

It takes on average to 3hr 35 mins to do a stripping wash

[knobby]

Air still results
SG 1.090
FG 0.980
Wash - 14.19%

Stripping run

100ml 68%
200ml 65%
300ml 63%. 1hr 28mins
400ml 60%
500ml 56%
600ml 52%
700ml 46%. 2hrs 12 mins
800ml 41%. 2hrs 24 mins
900ml 33%. 2hrs 36 mins
1000ml ??
1100ml 15%. Overall 46%. 3hrs
1200ml 11%. 3hrs 13 mins
1300ml 7%. 3hrs 27mins
1350ml. Overall 40%. 3hrs 35mins

Spirit run

50ml foreshot discarded 1hr 7 mins

HEADS
250ml heads kept to one side. 1hr 26

HEARTS
100ml. 77%
200ml. 76%
300ml. 75%
400ml. 75%
500ml. 74%
600ml. 73%
700ml. 70%
800ml. 68ml
900ml. 66%
1000ml. 62%. 2hrs 47mins. Overall 70%

TAILS
250ml. 55%
100ml. 46%
100ml. 35%. 3hrs 34 mins


These are my results and will differ slightly depending on your original wash and strength, all with the help of Mozrs diagram

[chill]

Hey guys how long is a stripping run taking you to get to the 1350ml ?

Don't think about the amount collected. Think about the ABV. When the total result collected gets down to about 45% ABV, there is not much less to extract. The time that takes varies with the wash.

Chuck

[Robbo79]

thanks guys. do you still filter after 2nd run or is this not needed now?

[Magnu420]

thanks guys. do you still filter after 2nd run or is this not needed now?

when i did my spirit run i filtered mine

[Almanac]

My experience has been that all spirit from the Airstill benefits from serious Activated Carbon filtering. Having said that the 'filter' that comes with the Airstill is pretty useless for the purpose.

AM

[Robbo79]

Guys, im confused, i only seam to get 5 strip runs out of my wash, also a strip run once collected 1350ml give my 40% so im only adding a little water to bring this to the 30% ready for the spirit run, in do ing this im only able to collect a total of 2 Gallons ready of stripped low wines at 30% ready for 2 runs through the still, as to the 3 on the flow diagram, how am i so far out?

[chill]

Sounds like your wash has less than the 14% that those amounts are based on. How much sugar are you using? How much water? Are you sure it has finished fermenting? It should taste slightly sour like white wine, not at all sweet. Also to get six strip runs, you need to have 24L of liquid left after fermenting, clearing, racking off etc.

Chuck

[Robbo79]

im using 6kg sugar, and following the tripled distilled turbo yeast packet. Its fermented out as i leave for 14 days before clearing.

[John51]

Sounds like your wash has less than the 14% that those amounts are based on.

Isn't the guide based on 20%?

[chill]

I was thinking of Mozr's breakdown, which is what I started with. It is based on 14%. Aidan's is based on 7Kg of sugar in 26L, so 15.8% by my calculations. I'd be surprised if anything gets you 20% without off smells. For the yeasts that I use (note, EC-1118 not VodkaStar which we don't get over here), 14% is as far as I want to push it.

Chuck