StillSmart

Hi Everyone,

My husband and I are hoping in the next year or two to become reasonably young retirees (if all goes according to plan)we decided to start cutting costs now as a sort of lead up to being on a retirement budget first was e cigarettes which has saved us a fortune over the past few weeks, we then moved onto alcohol.

We decided on an air still, mainly because we plan to travel, and water and space will be limited. We threw ourselves into brewing , read the instructions and away we went !!!!! We distilled our first vodka last night, I was very excited, what a disaster, it was possibly the worst thing I've ever tasted, I was so upset

Anyway, I thought this can't be right, there must be a way of making a reasonable tasting drop. I have spent nearly all day searching the net, I found this forum, and I must say you have given me hope. I realise that we know absolutely NOTHING about brewing hahaha ... we've got approximately 18 to 24 months to learn otherwise our drinking days may be severely numbered, we're in Oz and I don't think it's possible to travel this country without the 4pm drinks in the caravan parks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm finding the jargon is like learning a new language, but I'm going to keep reading. There's so much info on here it's hard to know where to start, so any pointers in the right direction will be much appreciated.

My first of many stupid questions is what can I do with the 2 litres of rocket fuel we made last night ? we added some vodka flavouring. Do I clean the drains with it

Welcome to the forum and worry not. It will not take 18 months to get you making good stuff.

On this site there is an airstill guide. Read it and through away the instructions that came with the unit.

You need some bits of copper preferably coins.

You need a good recipe or a regular brand of turbo. I don't use turbo but a lot do.

You might need a carbon filter. Wait and see, you don't need to spend any more money until you have the basics cracked.

Do not throw away what you have done. It is recoverable.

What is it you want to make gin, whiskey, vodka?

Welcome to the forum....
I use an Airstill with good results after advice from the guys on here.....
Are you doing a stripping run then a spirit run??
The instructions you get with an Airstill are rubbish, there's a very good how to on here.

S4BB

Hi and welcome to the forum Vodka.
The link that will explain the airstill is...here

Thankyou for the reply's ... at this stage I'm happy to just make vodka(that's my favourite tipple)
Last night we just followed the instructions from airstill which I now know is completely wrong!
We have a new mash in the process at the moment, which we will hopefully have more success with. I've read so much today my eyes have gone square, back to reading tomorrow.
I'm have a Smirnoff while writing this, $49.00 a bottle over here on special, thought I'd be drinking my own by now hahahahaha ...

Once you have finihsed your reading the previous run can go through another spirit run - once diluted to 40% (and you have sourced some copper)

Vodka wrote:Thankyou for the reply's ... at this stage I'm happy to just make vodka(that's my favourite tipple)
Last night we just followed the instructions from airstill which I now know is completely wrong!
We have a new mash in the process at the moment, which we will hopefully have more success with. I've read so much today my eyes have gone square, back to reading tomorrow.
I'm have a Smirnoff while writing this, $49.00 a bottle over here on special, thought I'd be drinking my own by now hahahahaha ...

I know how you feel.... I'd been an homebrewer of beer for 30+ years but this distilling malarky blew my brains at first.. Foreshots, Heads, Hearts, Tails.... lol
But after a few runs and me admittedly still being a learning novice you can actually taste the difference on the various spirit cuts, especially the tails. Oh-yes the tails.... Don't get greedy by going for quantity, go for quality...

S4BB

Another stupid question ... the copper, we don't have copper coins over here, what are the alternatives, copper washers and how many ? and what does it do ?

Oh my goodness this is going to be a long process, I'm so sorry, I hope I'm not being annoying

Small Copper washers are great but bend them before use and use about 30 of them as boil enhansers.also at some later point you could try threading some copper wire through the condenser so there is some copper in the vapour path.As far as i am aware the copper helps remove sulphites

billmcc wrote:As far as i am aware the copper helps remove sulphites

+1...if you have or can buy a short length on 15mm (1 foot) copper pipe, cut it into rings...like wedding rings....clean them with lemon juice and throw them in the the still... job done.

Welcome Vodka, I think that you have been pointed in the right direction now, but don't hesitate to come back with more questions if you have them.
People here like to help.

Robert.

Back again ...

When we run our rocket fuel through the still again, I understand we have to get it back to 40% , is that all we have to do ?
Also, commericial vodka has very little smell to me, after the spirit had been collected should it also have very little smell, or does that happen after the filtering ?
Once again thankyou for all your helpful anwers, it's very much appreciated

Off smells and tastes are all about the heads and tails, this it why you take your cuts carefully, using mason jars.

It all comes with experience. Also I use a refractometer and a teaspoon. Catch a drip. Taste and test. Educate your pallette.

A refractometer is also the easiest way to test and dilute finished spirit. £15 well spent.

Yes a carbon filter will polish the product. It depends on if you think you need it and you don't know yet. It also depends on the quality of what went on the still. Old adage.. "Crap in crap out" applies here. This subject is marmite - this is my tuppence - let's wait and see.

If you drink it straight, in my experience you will want to carbon filter it. If you drink it with mixer you may not notice the difference.

Using my Airstill I thin it down to 40% with spring water then run it through the supplied carbon filter....
Good results, and as said before don't get any tails in......