StillSmart

Hi there everyone. I'm a newbie and looking into buying an EasyStill v soon, hence being here! I like to dabble with brewing, ciders, wines and the occasional beer (mainly ginger lol!) but i'm a novice when it comes to distilling so forgive me if my question seems daft. I've wanted a still for a while now and i've been doing plenty of research on the web and various forums but this seems to be the place for info on the airstills. Truthfully I would like a bigger traditional pot but being new I figure i'll start small and then work my way up. Unfortunately cost implications and space are an issue so starting with an easystill seems logical to get to grips with it all (and the fact my partner in crime is going halves with me on the cost!). What do i want it for, well my preferred use will be for fruit mashes, brandy's i suppose and my mate, well neutral spirit - vodka! I'm glad to read in previous posts the still is more than capable of producing a good brandy, i shall come back to a question in regards to this later Firstly I have read through AidanMac's very informative PDF Airstill, best practice and results (thanks for such a hands on, easy to follow instructable - much needed!) but it does leave me pondering a question on the very first stage the stripping run lol. The annotated diagram describes running with no cuts but continuing until your alcometer reads 20%. Yet i would be aiming for 50% to dilute to 30%. So maybe daft to ask but I presume i would towards the end of the run start testing samples of the distillate going into the pot for the 20% mark (without taking cuts per se) and then stop and chuck the remainder in the still? I just need to check haha!!! I was also gonna ask about tails but I've now read in previous threads the answer to my question about when to stop collecting the tails - my sense of smell is useless but at least my taste is good and any excuse to drink a little alcohol eh Also coming back to the brandies, I figure the last thing you would want to use with a fruit mash is Turbo yeast?!? Also can a better tasting neutral be obtained by using a high % alc. yielding yeast over turbo yeasts or does this not really matter if you will be double/triple distilling and carbon filtering? Something like Lalvin EC-1118 the sugar eating monster. I don't have a problem waiting longer for a mash if there is improvements to be had over turbo yeasts..... Just a though and I know a much more educated distiller will be able to answer this question Oh, one last thing haha. Would you Act. carbon filter a brandy mash? I presume you wouldn't to keep in the good congeners but i've not seen mention of filtering with or without in relation to fruit mash/brandy's on this forum - but I could be looking in the wrong place! Thanks in advance for your help, all advice and pointers into where i should be looking on this forum gratefully received, I look forward to your replies. Thanks, Smiler

Welcome! Slow down man!

For size and stealth, an Airstill is a good place to start. You will need to carbon filter to make an acceptable Vodka and it will still have a sweet edge (to my tastes) if your mate is overly picky and drinks it neat.

For the stripping run, you stop when the latest 100ml is at 20%, not the entire combined output. The ABV will drop as the run progresses until it becomes nearly water. Myself, I stop a lot sooner than that. The smell and slowness make me just want to start another wash. Each to his own. Whatever is left in the still is called backset or, darn I forget the other name now. Anyway, it goes down the drain unless you are making something like sour mash whiskey in which case you want to save a bit for the next generation.

I am not going to take a strong position on turbo yeasts. There are several kinds and some use them to good results. I think there are easier, cheaper ways of getting good results. For a brandy, you want a good wine. A turbo yeast would not be my choice to achieve that.

EC-1118 is used by a lot of distillers. But... my opinion is that a better tasting neutral will be obtained by using a lower % alc. wash rather than chasing a high yield. Yeast does not like being stressed and the resulting flavours can be tasted. You are far better off making another wash than a stronger wash. I'd say 12 - 14% max.

Do not carbon filter anything other than neutral washes. A carbon filtered brandy is just an expensive vodka!


Chuck

Hi Smiler & Welcome.

Chill has this one sown up..from reading your post you seem to have a good idea of what is expected when it comes to this hobby.

As for the cuts....don't get too up tight about it.. .it'll all drop into place as you do a strip run and then a spirit run, catching your grog in small jars, yours and your mates nose will sniff out the good stuff.

It's all a steep learning curve mate, we've all been there in the beginning...and the forums here to help out... any Q's just post as much info and if possible a photo of the problem.

Good answers Chuck.
"I think there are easier, cheaper ways" Agree. Certainly.

If you are not in a rush the best neutral I have found is this..

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=3542

Thank you Chill, Icefever and Mashy for your replies @ Chill you've confirmed what I thought but best to double check these things! In regard to a high % vol mash I was definitely going to avoid this and aim for 14% even if using EC-1118. 14 definetely seems to be the magic number and I've also read if making a fruit mash for brandies aim on the lower side I.e 8-10%! Just from my experience with EC-1118 I know this is a good clean yeast in relation to others I've used over the years with good alc tollerence and capable of working at low temps. Damn the stuff keeps bubbling away when I'm trying to crash it out in the fridge lol @ Icefever Thanks for the words of reassurance, I'm sure my taste testing will get me there in the end with cuts. I can think of worse things to be doing >:D @Mashy that's an interesting PDF!!! Chicken, like real chicken?!? I've heard stories of cidermakers adding the odd rat or side of meat but I thought it was b%$&@x. I'm certainly intruiged and will consider giving it a go when the weather gets cooler (can't see the missus being too pleased putting a 25l of wash in the kitchen fridge lol). I think my first port of call will be abusing the glutton of free blackberry's about to be available. I live on plenty of fields covered in them so wine will be made and washed and me Apple trees are looking good too. Can't wait!!! Hopefully I'll be reporting back my endeavours here soon Thanks for all the advice guys. Much appreciated!

Like real chicken?!?

nah. I know this hobby can be a bit strange at first but fermenting chickens. Thats said I have and idea for .... no not chickens.

Wheat - the sort you feed to chickens. I have updated the PDF to avoid any confusion.

Phew, I did find that a little strange Mashy but you knever know Thats cool, I keep chooks so do actually do have access to feed wheat. Is this picked over say Durham wheat (cracked wheat readily available in the supermarkets) due to its high amylase content? Usually why it ends up as feed in the first instance (I used to work in mill labs!)

LOL. I stopped at using the term feed wheat, because I thought it would just raise more questions.

Yes indeed. Feed wheat is fine.

Smiler wrote:I used to work in mill labs!

I nominate Smiler as our 'Go To' Grain Guy for All Grain technical questions

BTW Welcome aboard! What part of the planet do you hail from - roughly?

Welcome indeed Smiler.
It seems that you may have more knowledge about wheat and other grain than some of us old farts here.
That simply makes you doubly welcome,as this site thrives upon symbiosis.
Help us brew it and we will help you still it.
Can you walk away from an offer like that?
ATB with your new activities.

Robert.

Hi AidanMac and Easydrinker, thanks for the welcome. I hail from the UK, currently Manchester but I'm a cockney as they call me up here lol. A southerner haha, a go to guy on grain I like it. It was a while back mind but any questions you may have if I can help I certainly will! From my perspective back then crappy wheat for flour making is quite probably a brewers best friend lol. High amylase = digested starches which is ideal. Probably why Mashys chicken wheat works well in the wheat mash. If it was a wet summer loads of good wheat (for flour) gets rejected as amylase is high so no good for flour making and ends up as feed wheats so easily obtainable and cheap to you and I Saves some of the boiling up at x temp or soaking for a few days when creating mashes for beer and the like! swings and roundabouts!