StillSmart

This could be the most compact and quickest Air still setup. This was inspired by my trash can idea. viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4243

Instead of using a fridge as a fermenting cabinet - use a freezer !!

1. Ferment in the freezer - turned off - with an electric blanket / heating band as a heat source. Use a youngs wide mouth fermenter. Get carried away and fit an STC if you want to control the heating ONLY.

2. Once the ferment is finished. Remove the electric blanket / turn off the heating. Turn the freezer on for 2-3 day until solid. This is doing the work of 5 strip runs !!

3. Once frozen, remove from the fermenter and invert over a bucket. The bucket will collect 30% low wine. Leave what is left outside to thaw and then tip it away.

4. The contents of the bucket will be about 10/12 litres (2.5 Air Still runs) to get about 4.5 liters of good clean neutral spirit. You could keep the half in a scrumpy bottle - ready to make up a full run next time.

With a sputnik you could go straight to gin.

Once done you can store everything is the freezer so SWMBO is happy smiley. You could use a under counter freezer in the kitchen even (of is that as step tooooo far ) or the garage ?

This is the sort of freezer I was thinking .....

http://ao.com/pla/ZFG06400WA-Zanussi-Un ... 0wod2AsEhg

Edit:
This assumes there is no need for cooling during fermentation at 22-30c..... apart from one day in August the UK doesn't get hot enough in the first place.

Mash wrote:
Instead of using a fridge as a fermenting cabinet - use a freezer !!

1. Ferment in the freezer - turned off - with an electric blanket / heating band as a heat source. Use a youngs wide mouth fermenter. Get carried away and fit an STC if you want.

I like the idea, would it be ok to use standard fermenting buckets? I have a chest freezer that will take two buckets in the garage doing nothing...

inspector gadget wrote:
I like the idea, would it be ok to use standard fermenting buckets? I have a chest freezer that will take two buckets in the garage doing nothing...

Yes and no.

The youngs wide mouth invert well into a quality 15l bucket and then rest there while draining. Simple as that. Probably best to test your 'fit'. Open top fermenting buckets might need a funnel and some sort of frame.

25kg of slippery cold lump needs respect

PS take the handles off the YWMF before putting it in the freezer - they are NOT strong enough when frozen (I know). Lift it by the neck.

This is pioneering.
Personally I take it with a pinch of salt.
But that is me.

Robert.

No way. Your silly stills are pioneering.

This is just using standard stuff in a different order.

I have been freeze jacking for years.

ok so i'm a dummy, does all 100% of the alcohol remain unfrozen? and which one is on top?

ps did you get my reply to your email?

Yes indeed. i seems to hide in a channel and the centre of the wash and then pours out. Looks a bit like the center of an amethyst.

The rest drains in a few minutes. There is not noticeable loss of product.

Mash wrote:Yes indeed. i seems to hide in a channel and the centre of the wash and then pours out. Looks a bit like the center of an amethyst.

The rest drains in a few minutes. There is not noticeable loss of product.

Ok so just lets be hypothetical here, if you had 14 litres of 65% strip would you consider either a) freeze the lot in a wide top keg, b) dilute it to 40% and freeze that lot or c) run it at all 40% in your T500 ?

ps i was in a very poor EE area today when you rang and I got your message on the way home, unfortunately the number that rang me was 22248, I dont think that would get me to you if I dialled it lol...

I use freezing straight from fermentation 10-12%.
I am not suggesting it to replace a spirit run.

25l takes 5 runs to strip and 2 more to spirit run. This replaces the first 5 runs.

I want to post something so un PC here that I am biting my tongue, or at least my tapping fingers, Really, a Fermenting Stripper Cabinet?
Are they freely available?

Robert.

Mash wrote:I use freezing straight from fermentation 10-12%.
I am not suggesting it to replace a spirit run.

25l takes 5 runs to strip and 2 more to spirit run. This replaces the first 5 runs.

Ah ok I think I understand that now... its just that if there is 65% alcohol in there then there is 35% of liquid that might freeze..?

Not sure I understand why you would do it ??

65% - yes the 35% would freeze - never tried it - but you would need a sieve to separate it.

I think the two of you need to rethink the numbers that you mention.
They aren't working for me.
This thread is becoming more bizzare.
You don't need a sieve to pour the alcohol from a Jack.
Though I guess you may wish to if trying to skip distillation completely.
Confused.com

Robert.

Perhaps I was getting the wrong end of the stick. I thought Gadget was asking about jacking a 65%.
That won't freeze almost solid like a 12% post ferment will. The water will crystallize hence the sieving.

But I have to say I am confused.com to as to why you would do it?

GADGET! Help us out here !!

Sorry if i'm sounding weird but if alcohol wont freeze the logic tells me that if you can remove water using this method then what remains must be a product that we can then refine to remove the other undesirable nasties from. Just saying like

As Ron Dennis once said 'Is there a better way to do that' ?

Please resume normal service as soon as possible

I think I might just put a litre in the freezer to check it out.