StillSmart

Posted: **Sun Apr 09, 2017 2:57 pm**

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrCjMhF-U_o&t=6s

What do you guys think about this still?

120 quid.

Marc.

Posted: **Mon Apr 10, 2017 6:28 am**

Depends what you want.
There is nothing wrong with the pioneering spirit. Have a GO and let us know how you get on.

If you want a dependable, quick, handsfree still get an AS. They often come up preowned at £80-100.

If you want volume, make room in the freezer.

Go large and buy a second AS.

Posted: **Mon Apr 10, 2017 7:42 pm**

I'm looking for a cheap upgrade of the AS.

It just takes too long to process a wash.

At 120 quid plus about 50 for the smart looking pot it looks a bargain.

I need to do 9 runs of the AS....9!! That's 36 hours For a decent product.
I could achieve the same with 2 two runs on the gin still.

I just want to know if any of the more experienced folk on here see any obvious problems
with it. Not that you aren't one of those folk, Mash.

Thanks, Marc.

Posted: **Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:43 pm**

Duffer

Seriously consider the freeze distilling before you buy anything else. I have been researching it ever since I heard about it from Mash.

I know that I bought a T500 even though I own an Airstill but that is just down to the amount of friends and family I will be supplying in the future. Even so, all my stripping runs will be done by the freezing method as it will double the life of the still, its a no brainer really.

Brewdog freeze distill only and they sell their high gravity brews all over the world. They must be popular as they have just sold a proportion of their soul to an American private equity firm.

Give it a try. If it doesn't work for you consider going bigger.

Posted: **Mon Apr 10, 2017 9:30 pm**

I don't have room for a chest freezer.

Has Alan Manning done something to upset you'all on here?

Yours curiously, Marc.

Posted: **Mon Apr 10, 2017 10:51 pm**

Marc

No mate. There are not many people that upset me. Might be an age thing as I'm mid forties and settled into family life. Personally, I know nothing about Alan Manning, his stills, practices or anything he does.

I Know very little about stills, still making and the terminology associated with it. I'm new to all of this but have spent many, many evenings reading up on this forum, Home Distiller and other smaller forums here and abroad, including sites like Youtube and the usual browsers such as Google.

One thing I have learnt is this. Experienced members on this forum share their knowledge with all. They repeat answers to the same old questions time and time again without getting pissed off, without directing us to the search bar and without leaving questions unanswered.

They could turn around and just say 'Yeah, buy it, it looks good', but they won't. No doubt there are many still makers around the world like Alan Manning who are making a pretty packet by supplying kit like this. What I think they are doing is getting you to use the equipment you have, to do the same processes and to save you money.

If you haven't the room for a chest freezer, maybe consider an undercounter freezer which could be doubled up as a fermentation cabinet as well.

The gents here only mean well and want to save you money, nothing else. It took me nearly 18 months to buy my T500. I had to sell a lot of unused kit from another hobby I have, otherwise I would have had no chance buying it.

Posted: **Tue Apr 11, 2017 6:27 am**

If you haven't the room for a chest freezer, maybe consider an undercounter freezer which could be doubled up as a fermentation cabinet as well.

What he said

Nothing against AM. I just don't think you will get what you what.

If you "want" a copper still to fiddle with, and there is nothing at all wrong with that. Treat yourself. You will learn loads.

If you "want" to up your volume and reduce time spent. Get a timer and a freezer. I really really think that for minutes spent you can't beat an Airstill without significant ££'s

Posted: **Tue Apr 11, 2017 6:19 pm**

My recollection from the knowledgable but incredibly unfriendly homedistiller.org forums is that they hate his use of non teflon bungs/tubing and consider the cooling going through the middle of the pipes as inefficient.

He didn't help himself by setting light to product right beside the working still in an early video, but I certainly considered buying some of his kit as I can't build my own and thought his prices are fair.

Edit : on watching that video, he has removed the soft joints and bung from the design, so it would now pass the other site's safety requirements except maybe for the lid seal on the pressure cooker. I've always thought that my liver will fail from booze long before leaching from plastic becomes an issue.

Posted: **Tue Apr 11, 2017 11:22 pm**

Chubbs wrote:Marc

No mate. There are not many people that upset me. Might be an age thing as I'm mid forties and settled into family life. Personally, I know nothing about Alan Manning, his stills, practices or anything he does.

I Know very little about stills, still making and the terminology associated with it. I'm new to all of this but have spent many, many evenings reading up on this forum, Home Distiller and other smaller forums here and abroad, including sites like Youtube and the usual browsers such as Google.

One thing I have learnt is this. Experienced members on this forum share their knowledge with all. They repeat answers to the same old questions time and time again without getting pissed off, without directing us to the search bar and without leaving questions unanswered.

They could turn around and just say 'Yeah, buy it, it looks good', but they won't. No doubt there are many still makers around the world like Alan Manning who are making a pretty packet by supplying kit like this. What I think they are doing is getting you to use the equipment you have, to do the same processes and to save you money.

If you haven't the room for a chest freezer, maybe consider an undercounter freezer which could be doubled up as a fermentation cabinet as well.

The gents here only mean well and want to save you money, nothing else. It took me nearly 18 months to buy my T500. I had to sell a lot of unused kit from another hobby I have, otherwise I would have had no chance buying it.

Chubbs has become my own poster of the month for this post..

Curmudgeon also earns a tip of the hat.

And for another time Mash wasn't talking bollocks.

Robert.

Posted: **Wed Apr 12, 2017 5:46 am**

Nah. Still found a typo

Posted: **Wed Apr 12, 2017 8:51 am**

Ok, Thnaks everyone again for your input.

A special note of appreciation goes to Curmudgeon for actually answering my quiry.

HOWEVER! After mulling this over and taking into account all that's been said I have
decided to slow down and maybe borrow my brother's chest freezer.

As with any new hobby I undertake, I always go at it at 100mph.
I want to know everything, and I want the best kit I can afford.

It's a frantic learning curve that consumes my life and gives me restless nights.

I've learned that if I simply wait for this period to pass I seem to level off
after about 8 weeks. This saves me money more than anything else.

So. I'll give this freeze stripping a go.

And start to think about a new still when I have the space in my new home. (moving soon)

Off I go down the freeze stripping rabbit hole. See you in 8 weeks. Remember me.

Thanks, Marc.

Posted: **Wed Apr 12, 2017 9:48 pm**

Mash wrote:Nah. Still found a typo

Get back in y'er box bad boy.

I freely admit that freeze stripping is not a route that I can, or would follow.
But until you have tried it, how can you diss it?

Wishing you well duffer.

Robert.

Posted: **Wed Apr 12, 2017 10:46 pm**

I'm an apartment liver with a well hammered liver. I wish I had the room to freeze strip without my nipples breaking off.

Posted: **Thu Apr 13, 2017 7:12 am**

Thats a horrid thought Mr C.
Do you mean you were topless

Posted: **Thu Apr 13, 2017 7:44 pm**

Or merely legless...

StillSmart

Alan Manning's jin still.

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