StillSmart

Do I chuck the first 50ml, and bottle the next 250ml for both the strip distill and the 2nd distill? And if I read correctly, only capture 550ml for consumption, after that its mostly tails?

This is using 4L of wash in my Smart Still.

And why am I bottling 250ml of heads? Can`t believe I have been doing this stuff backwards for the past 2 years and am still Vertical-lol

You need to go back a few steps. Try reading the guide here viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1216

If you follow this you'll be OK.....been there, done that!

AM

Thanks Amac--read the pdf. Now of course I have questions.

I have been clearing with sparkaloid, and then 4 hours later I clean with 5grams of kms sulphite. Is that degassing properly?

My regular supplier doesn`t sell distillers conditioner. The one that the pdf says to put in the still for the strip run. Do I really need it and will it make a huge difference?

And lastly--a local company is selling the Essencia Purifier for $215.00 cdn ($40) off regular price. Is it worth getting to use with my Smart Still?

This Forum is very helpful, and I hope I`m not becoming a pest with what might seem to be foolish questions.

ps--only had one belching episode and that was because I forgot to return the reisling rings into the still after cleaning them.

AdM--

Found one of your posts regarding the Essencia Purifier and the Smart Still.. Going to order it today.

OK,you seem to have gotten up to speed with making cuts,and the first and second run through the Smart still.
Just to say,you won't regret buying the Essencia.
There are other ways to do it,but that has to be the simplest.
And if you want to try distillers conditioner,send me a pm with your address,-I have a bottle that I have never used,or felt the need to.Or put a little butter or cooking oil in there,again,something that I have never found the need to do.
Sometimes the science here can be over thunk,or avoided.
And questions are good,don't be afraid of asking here.
One day novice Jedi,you too will feel the force!
And it is very good when you do.
Along with your Raschig rings,do try a few pieces of copper in there,it all helps.
May you continue to have fun,and the force be with you.

Robert.

Well I have ordered the Essencia Purifier and also 2 jars of Essencia Foam Stop. Thinking the latter must be the same thing as distillers conditioner?

I still can`t read anywhere what I am supposed to do with that 250ml of heads that I`ve been bottling.

If you save heads,when you have enough you dilute to around 30%,and do a heads only run.
This yields yet more heads,some drinkable spirit,ie good tasting,and no tails.
Try reading the following.
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=765#p6738
HTH
Robert.

Of, if you are brave and prepared run the heads without diluting. It is going to be very high ABV and hence very flammable. But with no ignition source in an AIrStill... Anyway, that is what I have been doing lately and I find the separation into heads and drinkable spirit to be far, far better than when diluting. More here:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3247&p=22106&hilit=heads#p22106

In the past I have also done the dilution with boiling water and baking soda to try and "break" the ethyl acetate molecules. While that might have happened, it also gave the spirit a slightly odd taste.

Or, you can toss the heads and just put on another wash.

And you WILL be getting a lot more than 250ml of heads contaminated spirit. The first 250ml is guaranteed contaminated. In my experience, the next 300 - 400ml on a spirit run is sufficiently contaminated to get bundled into the heads jar. I am not a fan of the taste of the heads, not at all. Your taste and / or greed may vary.

Chuck