First distillation

[Corps012588]

Hey guys.
Took the plunge and distilled the wash I had going for one
Of the prohibition whisky kits. It was just 1600grams of sugar
5 litres of water and the yeast and nutrient packet supplied.
I waited anxiously and then drops started falling from my airstill
(With new copper spout) I discarded the first 50ml and it smelled disgusting!
Then collected 800ml. Checked it with my alcometer and nearly fell over,
It was 70%!!!!!!! I then collected another 250 ml which was at 60%
But had to stop as it was getting late. Both batches were watered down to 50%
And 40% respectively and then tasted. Oh my god is it strong! Clear as a bell too.
Does what I've described here sound ok for a beginner or am I missing anything?
Thanks

[John51]

That sounds ok, you're hooked now.

[Almanac]

.....Then collected 800ml. Checked it with my alcometer and nearly fell over,
It was 70%!!!!!!! I then collected another 250 ml which was at 60%
..... or am I missing anything?
Thanks

OK, let me preface this by saying, you can drink that stuff but I wouldn't if I were you, and this is based on years of experience using an Airstill.

So, PLEASE, do not drink any of the stuff you've collected so far.

Regardless of what the manufacturers and sellers say, the distillate from the first run from the Airstill is not fit for drinking .

It will not kill you, it will not make you blind but it will almost certainly give you awful headaches, stomach rot and runny bum

This comes up every so often and it always annoys me that the manufacturers and resellers of the Airstill continue to make their ridiculous claims that you can make safe drinkable spirits in a single run from the Airstill.

Quite simply, and this is from an experienced user, you cannot!

I am writing to them, for all the good it will do , to ask them to stop this and tell buyers the truth of the absolute need to do stripping runs to clean the wash then a spirit run to make drinkable spirits at home with their equipment.

I own and continue to use my Airstill from time to time for recipe tests where I want to be able to make small batches and I know the Airstill is a brilliant piece of kit if used properly but I wouldn't even smell the product from the first run

Please read the Airstill Guides posted here by Mozr and myself. Either will guide you to safe drinking spirits

Be safe out there

AM

[Corps012588]

No worries aidanmac. So I now have approximately 1.25lt
Of first run one litre at 50% and .25lt at 40%.
What would you recommend I do with what I have?
Sorry to be a pain

[chill]

Water it down to four litres, run in through again, and make the heads cut. You stopped at 60% so you likely have very little tails in there. I have no experience with stomach rot and runny bum but the heads do give a rather profound headache.

Chuck

[Almanac]

download/file.php?id=60

Here's a copy of my Airstill Guide. If you follow the guide, until you have more experience, you'll be able to make some really nice spirits while you learn to run your still and how to get the very best from it

As Chuck said dilute it all to 4lt, don't worry about the strength and run it with the cuts as Chuck said.

AM

[chill]

I ran my airstill following the instructions from Brewhaus the first couple of times until I found this site and Aidan's instructions. They make a world of difference. Aidan, my thanks!

Chuck

[KerryW]

I to ran the Airstill following the manufacturers directions,, then I fell into this site, and will never do it that way again,,,

[Corps012588]

Thank you guys. I set off a alcotec 48 wash yesterday morning
I know they are frowned upon but I had already ordered it before I found this site.
It took a while to get going but it's now bubbling like a machine gun!
The temp is up to 26c is this ok?
I'm going to follow the guide by you aidanmac and see what I produce.
You are all so welcoming and approachable on this forum and I thank you.

[Almanac]

26oC is fine. Temp is only a problem if it gets too high. I always think of "too high" being anything near or over 35oC so you're doing OK where you are.

We're all friends with a common cause and interest here.

To me, being a friend means lending a hand whenever you can and as often as you're asked...regardless ... and if we, as a group, ever stopped being helpful and friendly to each other, (cue Star Wars Theme ) and especially to newcomers to our happy band of distilling warriors, that would be a very, very sad day and we would then be no better than those other sad distilling forums that live out there in that galaxy far, far away...

AM

[chill]

As a general rule, higher temperatures result in faster fermentations. Until the yeast gets too hot and starts to die. That results in slower fermentations. I think it can also result in off tastes, but I have not yet over heated a wash. In summary, there is a fairly wide temperature range over which the yeast will work, the difference being primarily in speed and flavours produced.

Chuck

[Gaztops]

I ferment sugar washes with bakers yeast at 30c and everything is ok, but i think this is as far as it's going to go before the yeast get stressed and causes off-flavours.

[Easydrinker]

We're all friends with a common cause and interest here.

To me, being a friend means lending a hand whenever you can and as often as you're asked...regardless ... and if we, as a group, ever stopped being helpful and friendly to each other, (cue Star Wars Theme ) and especially to newcomers to our happy band of distilling warriors, that would be a very, very sad day and we would then be no better than those other sad distilling forums that live out there in that galaxy far, far away...

Aiden, I have read most,if not all of your posts here,and while some of them waffle,as may some of mine,(and what's a waffle shared between friends?),this one is so to the point,and so true,that if there were a Booker prize for posts,I would name you for it.
I came here to learn,I signed up that I may try and help.
As I tap this,I get a slow understanding of the stagnant chatbox.
Wafflers of the world umite!
Robert

[Almanac]

As a Scot and an Irishman you and I have more in common than you might realise
am

[Frank]

As a Scot and an Irishman you and I have more in common than you might realise
am

what...you both stick it to the POMS?

@Corps
mate, its all a learning curve. You are already asking good questions,trying to take cuts and use proper ferment temps.... and such...thats a whole lot more than I first did

IMHO, what you may want to try for (working with the excellent Mozr/Aidan guide)is to determine a 'process' that works for you, then stick to it for a while until you get it 'refined'.
So.....once you get a result that is 'ok',try to run a similar ferment and strip/spirit run and maturation process a few times, varying things only sightly (if at all). That way, you will be on a winner, experienced in 'quicktime' and more likely to try/succeed with further experiments.
Oh....and have fun too, (that's a key success factor).