Air Still - Why 800 mL hearts limit?

[bystander]

Hello

On my gas heated 20 L pot still, I end my hearts cut when the ABV drops to 40%. I do not understand why I should cut off my air still when 800 mL has been collected. If the wash was 20%, then I could collect to 1130 mL before I hit the 40% mark. That is almost 1/3 of a liter of good alcohol wasted. Can someone explain Still Spirits reasoning?

Bystander

[Almanac]

Their instructions are rubbish. Look for Mozr's Airstill Distillation Breakdown here http://www.stillsmart.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=765.

If you were to follow Still Spirits' instructions it wouldn't be worthwhile running the Airstill at all.

AM

[bobnot]

I have tested the limits of my air still though and for a single distillation you really dont want to go much above 800ml if you want to see an example run the airstill with 4ltrs dispose of the first 20 ml then draw off 850ml and fill a 700ml bottle with that then after a couple of hours gently invert the bottle then put it upright again and you can see the oils that it disturbs in the bottom of the bottle those oils will really batter your head the next day.

Im not of the persuasion of double distilling with the air still as i find the time scale just too much to be of worth i now just tend to dispose the first 20ml and then draw off 750ml before switching it off. Doing that coupled with a double carbon filtering gives me a product im happy to drink.
I dont like pushing it any further as once you can actually see the oils swirling round in the spirit than that for me is too much your getting into crapping through the eye of a needle territory then.

That said mozrs diagram and method qouted above does undoubtedly produce a superior end result if you are willing to spend that amount of time on a wash.

[chill]

Another vote for Mozr's instructions. I drink only the hearts and find that no carbon filtering is needed. If you are disposing of 20ml and drinking the rest from there you are drinking heads. Drinking the hearts only I find that I get very, very little of a hangover even after, er, enthusiastic consumption.

Chuck