StillSmart

Hi Everyone,

I've been brewing my own beer for a while now and finally decided to learn the dark arts of distillery. I've read a gazillion or so threads and write ups on my options and have decided (hold your cries of vitriol) to start with the Still Spirits Air Still.

Due to a lack of space, time and to some degree, funds, I feel the Air Still will provide me with a good base with which to experiment. They have a reasonable resell value on the old eBay, and so I'm hoping to tinker for a year and then upgrade to a turbo or something down the line.

I'm hoping to document my progress and post it up here. I know others have trod this path ahead of me, but I'm hoping to maybe find a twist or turn of my own to add to the story.

For my first run this weekend I intend to run half the wash through the exact instructions provided with the Airstill. Having worked in the wine industry for several years, I hope to be able to write up some amusing, if not informative tasting notes.

The other half I will strip and then double distill. Then as described on this very website, break down the heads, hearts and tails into 100ml beakers and discard, decant or diffuse as necessary. Again writing up tasting notes on my discoveries.

I will also be making a couple of home made charcoal filters. One from a cut wine bottle as again learned from one of your impressive alumni, and another from a converted copper wine heater. I will report on my successes and failures there too.

I'm sure my first attempts will provide the plentiful filling in a sandwich of disappointment, but I also intend to persevere. I hope very much to make some friends here, to help fill in the inevitable potholes on the road to success.

Cheers,

Beaye.

P.S. for anyone who bothered to read this far into my witterings, I have a couple of questions.

1) What is a good cheat essence to turn reasonable spirit into a reasonable bourbon?

2) For my "good" spirits, I'd like to oak or potentially sherry cask age them to make some semblance of a scotch. Buying wood chips from home brew places seems pricey, options?

@Beaye: It will be interesting watching you morph as your experience grows.

On that note: I dont carbon filter anything. Put together a decent wash and distill it properly. No need to carbon filter.

When you start making good alcohol, I doubt if you will be interested in essence.

Welcome!

These tastes better to me than any bourbon essence that I have tried (all were nearly undrinkable straight)
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2034&p=13258

For Oak, if you have a saw and propane torch, you just just buy a plank of American White Oak and cut and char your own. I toast some too in an old toaster oven. For Bourbon, that is what you want. For Scotch and Rum and other liquors transitionally aged in used barrels of various sorts, you can try adding a bit of sherry etc when you start aging.

And while RumJohn is right in general, I think you will find that the AirStill does not exactly "distill it properly" and that carbon filtering can be of a benefit. I don't filter everything that I make, but I do filter what I want as "neutral".
Chuck

Thanks Guys. Amazing to get such insightful feedback so quickly.

RumJohn, I love the purest approach and will certainly be trying that to the best of my abilities.
However for experiences sake I will also be trying a few of the other less traditional methods to see if the reports are true.

I love @Chill's Nuclear Bourbon method. I have no more fear of microwaves than I do of incandescent light bulbs, so will enjoy trying this out. I'll get myself some oak and start toasting. I'm in the UK so American White Oak isn't the easiest to get, but I'll find an alternative and record the results.

Again thanks for the advice.

Beaye

Probably the only place you will fine American White Oak is a hardwood lumber dealer who supplies the woodworking trade. That is where I get mine. You can often find boards that the woodworkers don't want and get a deal on it. If you can locate any furniture making shops around that use white oak they are usually delighted to have someone take away some of the offcuts for free (less rubbish for them to dispose of). You may also find some on ebay, but the shipping charges are likely astronomical.

Other commercial products could be an option but cost and shipping could be a killer. These are in the USA and their post office has flat rate (e.g. weight not part of the cost) international boxes that can be a very good deal when crammed full of something heavy.
http://www.stilldragon.com/oak-adjuncts.html

As a final option, French Oak is likely easier for you to source locally. It is the wood traditionally used for French wine and spirit (Cognac) barrels. I've never used it, but it is likely to produce a different taste profile than an American bourbon aged in White Oak, but it may be pleasant none the less. I'd certainly try it if I had access to French Oak.

Chuck

I have just welcomed you in the newbie thread and am delighted to stumble upon this and see that you have done lots of homework,
RJ and Chill have given lots of of good advice,what follows is my two-penorth.

You are brave to consider once distlled air-still product.I was never tempted.The occasional licked finger was enough for me....
Essences can be OK for neutrals(especially sugar and/or turbo ones)that have been carbon filtered,that you then mix with coke etc.
My own preference these days is for experimentation with washes that ferment fast,either aiming for flavour or not;the neutrals then going for macerations etc.I have a box full of essences,and they are only used sometimes.
Find your own way.
Try,fail and try again.
It is all good.
Robert.

Welcome to the forum, and the very best of luck with your new toy.

Although I am a prolific home wine maker and occasional AG brewer, I do not have an educated palate, so I really look forward to reading your tasting notes.

One thing I will say is that after finding this forum myself and trying the DD method I would never go back to drinking Low Wines.

I do quite like the later part of the Heads and so only collect and keep separate the first 150ml (after discarding Fores), but I really do not like Tails at all.