StillSmart

I read a lot of posts on here from experienced distillers who make great use of their airstills and make great spirits.

Since I bought my T500 and pot head, my airstill has sat in the corner unloved and neglected.

I was wondering what people who have the options use their airstills for. What advantages does it have over the bigger stills?

Guessing space saving, lack of requirement for water cooling are big ones.

Anything else I can be putting my airstill to good use for?

Thank you!

I use my airstill from time to time because I am happy to leave it on a plug-in timer in a corner of our utility area and let it do its own thing.

Running the T500 requires cooperation from other family members to look after the dog and maybe take care of a few of the other chores, while not taking showers or running too many taps. I seldom get this cooperation.

No other benefits I can think of.

I have a couple of times run bottles of wine which I've made from kits in the past. Just run them and see what comes out.. . I found some jam jars full of cuts from my early strip runs...so I've bang them in and done a small spirit run also.

If you want to try a recipe you can do a smaller wash...and then run it through the airstill to see if it's worth doing a full size wash.

Gin! Try making a bottle or two of gin in the T500!

I have to agree with all 3 above.

Gin
Whiskey
Ullage. I recycle a lot of alcohol.
Plug in and forget. I convert a 25l batch in 4 hours. Bingo.

I really cannot summon the need for a bigger still. Don't get me wrong I still want one

I have made a nice strawberry vodka from some fruit wine I made that was rank.

Read a lot about him on here and the mysterious sputnik things. Could be a fun experiment

Oh I want a bigger still too! One day I hope to have a Baby Dragon. It won't be this year. In the meantime, there is lots that I can learn with this still.

Mash wrote:I have to agree with all 3 above.

Gin
Whiskey
Ullage. I recycle a lot of alcohol.
Plug in and forget. I convert a 25l batch in 4 hours. Bingo.

I really cannot summon the need for a bigger still. Don't get me wrong I still want one

I can't agree with Mash's maths here but his points are valid.

Robert.

That's no surprise, Robert, you never agree with my maths

(Think twin tub - then it will nearly add up)

It must be something to do with your freezing/stripping method that I am missing here methinks?....

Robert.

Methinks you must be right ED - if Mash is freeze-stripping, then he is presumably getting around 9L of low wines without going near a still. By twin tub, I think he's alluding to two AirStills side by side, hence the 4 hour spirit run.

Am I close, Mash?!

Yeah pretty much. I get about 11-12l @30% after inversion. Yes I run 2 side by side on a webcam and save the other 2l for next time.

I am keep busy, so I am a time conscious, or you might say an idle distiller. Glass parrot will be BRILLIANT I normally time 40% and wait around a bit. I have be looking at a digital refracto but jeez they are expensive.

I started the webcam (with sound) project thing to monitor my beer, but I have used it more on the AS. So so easy - old mobile phone watches the event and I watch it on my new mobile with a free app. Brilliant. No money wi Fi module for your still !!