StillSmart

HI ALL new to this site. Just dug out my air still and ran 25L cane sugar wash through and the end result was not so good. Discarded the first 50ml of every 4L batch the first 100ml yielded 70% . second 68%. third 67%. fourth 65%. fifth 63%. sixth 60% Discarded the 7 and 8 100ml as they where nasty the hole batch was diluted to 45% and its still a bit harsh on the mouth stuck it in a barrel with some toasted JD chips may that will mellow it a bit . the wash was 10kg cane sugar 1 small tin of black treacle cup of activated charcoal and one alcotec 48 turbo 8 days from start to finish?

Welcome

Hope you enjoy the forum.

I am not an Air Distiller but I think that this post will help you improve the quality of your product.

http://www.stillsmart.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=765&start=15

Have a read, many others agree that the process is a vast improvement over the method published with the still.

hi thanks for that link, a bit heavy on the old wallet will try a different yeast or more carbon in the wash

dirty,dirk wrote:hi thanks for that link, a bit heavy on the old wallet will try a different yeast or more carbon in the wash

I think you missed what YHB's reply was pointing you to when you said "a bit heavy on the old wallet". Have a look over this diagram

Diagram created by mozr.
This shows the basics of how to properly process a 25lt wash through an Airstil and it doesn't cost anything!

Your description suggests that how you're running the wash is causing of the probs you're having.

AM

Ive found that the 48 yeast gives too many off flavours so i dint use it anymore. I Know youre using activated carbon, but try again with the still spirits triple distilled yeast.

ive never had a problem with it.

MM

Yep! Metalmickey's suggestion is on the money! or why not try a non-turbo yeast. Vodka Star from Alcotec says turbo on the pack but its not really a turbo. It does do a nice clean job - just put some copper in the still when running final spirits run!

AM

aidanmac wrote:Yep! Metalmickey's suggestion is on the money! or why not try a non-turbo yeast. Vodka Star from Alcotec says turbo on the pack but its not really a turbo. It does do a nice clean job - just put some copper in the still when running final spirits run!

AM

Hi Aidan
You say put some copper in the still. Can you explain a bit on this. Ta Norm

Hi Normski,

I've discovered recently just how much difference a little copper can make even in an Airstill. You didn't say what kind of still you're running, or if you did I missed it, but if you go to this link http://www.stillsmart.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=956 read the posts there and click on the pictures and take a good close-up look I think you'll understand what I mean.

I don't put copper in on the stripping run but every spirit run has a handful of copper rings and a section of copper mesh to strip out sulfides and other nasties that might otherwise end up in your final spirit.

Let me know if you need anything else.

AM

BTW the copper rings are just some old half inch copper cut into short pieces about 10mm each and flattened slightly.

After each run you should put them in a little Citric Acid to get rid of the deposits.

AM

Hi Aidan
Im running an Air Still, I thought the copper was for the column on a T500.
Do you think putting some copper rings in the Air Still will do anything.
Norm

Definitely will make a difference Norm, check out that link I posted and you'll see for yourself.

AM

Hi Aidan
Ta, I'll be giving that a go then. Norm

arrr after all that , i forgot to add the oak chips into the still ,so ran it through again and job dun, now enjoying the fruits of my labour. tastes mellow strait out of the still picked this up from pussers rum who use a massif wooden still to make there rum got to go my glass is getting low. arrrr

glass has been refilled. the alcotec i have found gives a very high yield at lest 20+ the wash tastes ok, i have even bottled some and saved it for a fortified wine to serve to unsuspecting guests before giving them some of the hard stuff