StillSmart

Just a cautionary tale of an unattended airstill:

I set the aparatus up and unfortunatley had to go out to a firework display with the kids, so eventhough id only collected 500mls i turned off the airstill and off i went.
I returned about 2 hours later and figured that since the wash was still warm id simply turn the machine back on.

After about 20mins the still must have overheated and started spewing hot wash out onto the kitchen table. I wasnt watching the still at the time, but came back to a wet kitchen.

I guess thats the reason why you shouldnt pre heat your wash to shorten the running time. I figure that the machine had 2 settings which are a hot pre heat and a stable 80 degrees for the distailation process.

I was using rachid rings.

learn from my mistake.

MM

I suspect that there was a different reason for the over boil, and not the pre-warm of the wash.

While there doesn't always seem to be a reason why they over boil sometimes, I find it pays to not only have a handful or two of rings in the bottom of the still, but also to use distillers conditioner, as it's an anti-foaming agent that seems to help prevent it making bubbles big enough to lift the lid when they rise to the top of the boil.

Since I started using both rings and conditioner, I haven't experienced any over boils - but I still try and put the still out of the way when it's running to make sure that there's no chance of kids/pets/etc walking past just in case.....

I did also hear that a knob of butter will do the same thing, never tried it though!

Jimmy wrote:I did also hear that a knob of butter will do the same thing, never tried it though!

Though whether that would mank up the inside of the still over time is anyones guess Jim.....