First Air Still run report
Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 4:38 pmI've now completed the first run and I thought I'd report back here since it's thanks to this magnificent forum that I've ended up with a very acceptable final product.
I doubt there's much of great interest here, mainly I'm just repeating what's already been said elsewhere, but maybe there's something buried in here that someone may find useful.
I bought the Airstill from Lovebrewing without knowing about this forum, and was planning to blindly follow the instructions. So, it was a sugar/carbon/turbo yeast wash.
Fermentation
------------
After about 2 or 3 days it developed a very strong eggy smell. I've only had this once before, about 30 years ago when I was making dandelion wine. The dandelion ended up down the drain [in hindsight, a lucky outcome] so I feared a similar fate for this batch!
Searching for answers led me to here, which was a very lucky break. Lack of yeast nutrition seemed to be the general answer, but really the problem cleared up by itself with no further action from me.
But by now I'd read this forum in detail, and the awful Still Spirits instructions were consigned to the bin.
I decided to proceed with the wash I had, but
Lesson 1: no carbon in wash next time. I suspect that is total snake oil and a nice money spinner for Still Spirits.
Lesson 2: use better yeast and nutrition. Either kale wash or a sugar wash with Vodka Star.
Clearing:
---------
After fermentation complete (after 9 days, fg 0.980), transferred to cold area and used the turbo clear. No problems here at all, next morning I could see easily to the bottom of the bucket and after siphoning it was fairly clear. Some small traces of carbon and a general but very pale off yellow colour.
The final wash had a sourish wine smell and taste, reminiscent of the kit white wines I used to make as a kid. By this point I was reasonably confident the fermentation had gone ok despite the bad eggs problem.
Lesson 3: the turbo clear works well. This is the first clearing product I've ever used in brewing, I've always assumed that they strip out taste and flavour. However, I've been assured on the forum that it's fine to use turbo clear even when making a non-neutral [I'm planning a malt whisky run next - something that the manufacturers and love brewing claim is not possible on this still - I trust this forum's judgement much more and I'm looking forward to trying].
Strip Run
---------
I followed the guide from Mozr pretty much to the letter. Two sessions spread over two days. I did hot swaps between runs to save time (start warming up the next 4litres in a pan about 10 minutes from the end of the run). Be careful not to heat up so much that you're seeing steam.
I can see a hot swap is by far the most dangerous part of the entire operation. Not really recommended but I thought the time saving was worth the risk. Be especially careful when removing the still lid - the stench from the backset left behind in the still is appalling on the stripping runs. Another clue that double distilling is a must.
I'm baffled why Still Spirits persist with the rotten instructions to do a single run. It's patently obvious after doing the strip run that the resulting low wines are pretty much undrinkable. It retains the sour wine smell. I didn't bother tasting.
Richard's videos on Love Brewing are well regarded and he seems to be a passionate distiller. Yet he keeps talking about "beautiful, clear spirit" at this stage. Why doesn't he do a video of double distilling? It's not much harder at all.
At this point of course with the supplied instructions this would have been the final product [I accept there would have been a filtration step here but I doubt that would save the day], horrible.
Spirit Run
----------
I was expecting this stage to be complicated, but with a good collection of glass jars at the ready, both runs were very straightforward.
When you're disposing the foreshots, ask yourself would you have wanted this stuff in the final product?
On the first run tails were identified 200ml earlier than on the second run. I found it very easy to spot the start of tails. I can't say it smelt of cardboard or wet dog, more a return to the alchoholy smells that are striking in the fores and early heads.
Airing
------
I left the jars overnight on a window sill - the angel's share business. A definite drop in the level. On both occasions I didn't change my opinion of where the tails began. I can't say the smell or taste was improved by this part of the process, but I think that may be my underdeveloped vodka palette. I have a strong feeling this is a valuable step and I'll keep doing it.
Filtering
---------
The kit was supplied with the carbon filter thing in jugs which I now know are almost universally dismissed as rubbish here. On reflection I decided not to bother with filtering at all, given that the hearts I'd been sampling through the spirit runs seemed perfectly drinkable to me. Plus I don't want to be sitting on plastic overnight.
I'm sure filtering would give more polish, but I'm not investing in a more expensive filtering system. I'm happy to leave filtering out of my future workflow, for now at least.
End product
-----------
I suspect that a vodka/neutral expert would reject my final product. As I'm using flavourings and I don't have a refined palette, I've found the end product to be very acceptable, especially when mixed with essences.
I've decanted the final 40% into a collection of small 200ml hip flask bottles and I've tried a wide range of the still spirits essences. I haven't tasted all of the results yet, but the malt whisky is more than passable, the tequila is about on the mark and the vodka is going down well with 'er indoors. The American Bourbon (Jim Beam?) was a bit flat but still ok.
[Edit to add I forgot I also tried the Gin Essence. Again, passable and tastes like Gordon's. I'm less interested in this as I want to do proper botanical runs, but the fake gin will do in the meantime].
The difficulty is when you know you're drinking your own product it's likely you're going to be picky. However, if I'd been handed any of these drinks in a pub I wouldn't have quibbled, so I consider that a result.
All in all, delighted with the Air Still but it's only because of this forum - if I'd never found this place I suspect the still would now be listed on eBay.
Future plans - I'm looking forward to trying a non-neutral in the form of the Barrel 674 which is nearing the end of fermentation. I've enough vodka to be going on with for a while, so I think this will be the last neutral I run this year.
Many thanks to everybody here for the many hours they've put into helping the community!
I doubt there's much of great interest here, mainly I'm just repeating what's already been said elsewhere, but maybe there's something buried in here that someone may find useful.
I bought the Airstill from Lovebrewing without knowing about this forum, and was planning to blindly follow the instructions. So, it was a sugar/carbon/turbo yeast wash.
Fermentation
------------
After about 2 or 3 days it developed a very strong eggy smell. I've only had this once before, about 30 years ago when I was making dandelion wine. The dandelion ended up down the drain [in hindsight, a lucky outcome] so I feared a similar fate for this batch!
Searching for answers led me to here, which was a very lucky break. Lack of yeast nutrition seemed to be the general answer, but really the problem cleared up by itself with no further action from me.
But by now I'd read this forum in detail, and the awful Still Spirits instructions were consigned to the bin.
I decided to proceed with the wash I had, but
Lesson 1: no carbon in wash next time. I suspect that is total snake oil and a nice money spinner for Still Spirits.
Lesson 2: use better yeast and nutrition. Either kale wash or a sugar wash with Vodka Star.
Clearing:
---------
After fermentation complete (after 9 days, fg 0.980), transferred to cold area and used the turbo clear. No problems here at all, next morning I could see easily to the bottom of the bucket and after siphoning it was fairly clear. Some small traces of carbon and a general but very pale off yellow colour.
The final wash had a sourish wine smell and taste, reminiscent of the kit white wines I used to make as a kid. By this point I was reasonably confident the fermentation had gone ok despite the bad eggs problem.
Lesson 3: the turbo clear works well. This is the first clearing product I've ever used in brewing, I've always assumed that they strip out taste and flavour. However, I've been assured on the forum that it's fine to use turbo clear even when making a non-neutral [I'm planning a malt whisky run next - something that the manufacturers and love brewing claim is not possible on this still - I trust this forum's judgement much more and I'm looking forward to trying].
Strip Run
---------
I followed the guide from Mozr pretty much to the letter. Two sessions spread over two days. I did hot swaps between runs to save time (start warming up the next 4litres in a pan about 10 minutes from the end of the run). Be careful not to heat up so much that you're seeing steam.
I can see a hot swap is by far the most dangerous part of the entire operation. Not really recommended but I thought the time saving was worth the risk. Be especially careful when removing the still lid - the stench from the backset left behind in the still is appalling on the stripping runs. Another clue that double distilling is a must.
I'm baffled why Still Spirits persist with the rotten instructions to do a single run. It's patently obvious after doing the strip run that the resulting low wines are pretty much undrinkable. It retains the sour wine smell. I didn't bother tasting.
Richard's videos on Love Brewing are well regarded and he seems to be a passionate distiller. Yet he keeps talking about "beautiful, clear spirit" at this stage. Why doesn't he do a video of double distilling? It's not much harder at all.
At this point of course with the supplied instructions this would have been the final product [I accept there would have been a filtration step here but I doubt that would save the day], horrible.
Spirit Run
----------
I was expecting this stage to be complicated, but with a good collection of glass jars at the ready, both runs were very straightforward.
When you're disposing the foreshots, ask yourself would you have wanted this stuff in the final product?
On the first run tails were identified 200ml earlier than on the second run. I found it very easy to spot the start of tails. I can't say it smelt of cardboard or wet dog, more a return to the alchoholy smells that are striking in the fores and early heads.
Airing
------
I left the jars overnight on a window sill - the angel's share business. A definite drop in the level. On both occasions I didn't change my opinion of where the tails began. I can't say the smell or taste was improved by this part of the process, but I think that may be my underdeveloped vodka palette. I have a strong feeling this is a valuable step and I'll keep doing it.
Filtering
---------
The kit was supplied with the carbon filter thing in jugs which I now know are almost universally dismissed as rubbish here. On reflection I decided not to bother with filtering at all, given that the hearts I'd been sampling through the spirit runs seemed perfectly drinkable to me. Plus I don't want to be sitting on plastic overnight.
I'm sure filtering would give more polish, but I'm not investing in a more expensive filtering system. I'm happy to leave filtering out of my future workflow, for now at least.
End product
-----------
I suspect that a vodka/neutral expert would reject my final product. As I'm using flavourings and I don't have a refined palette, I've found the end product to be very acceptable, especially when mixed with essences.
I've decanted the final 40% into a collection of small 200ml hip flask bottles and I've tried a wide range of the still spirits essences. I haven't tasted all of the results yet, but the malt whisky is more than passable, the tequila is about on the mark and the vodka is going down well with 'er indoors. The American Bourbon (Jim Beam?) was a bit flat but still ok.
[Edit to add I forgot I also tried the Gin Essence. Again, passable and tastes like Gordon's. I'm less interested in this as I want to do proper botanical runs, but the fake gin will do in the meantime].
The difficulty is when you know you're drinking your own product it's likely you're going to be picky. However, if I'd been handed any of these drinks in a pub I wouldn't have quibbled, so I consider that a result.
All in all, delighted with the Air Still but it's only because of this forum - if I'd never found this place I suspect the still would now be listed on eBay.
Future plans - I'm looking forward to trying a non-neutral in the form of the Barrel 674 which is nearing the end of fermentation. I've enough vodka to be going on with for a while, so I think this will be the last neutral I run this year.
Many thanks to everybody here for the many hours they've put into helping the community!
