Air Still distillation breakdown

[mozr]

The essencia is the best filter on the HB market.

Not much more to be said.

[Admiral Toad]

So sez me too an ex Z filter man

[shawry99]

Thats quite expensive though isnt it.

Ive noticed that suddenly what I saw as a cheap hobby (if I got the starter set from wineworks), isnt quite so cheap anymore, especially as I dont really drink loads anyway.

[mozr]

Adverts tell lies.

You can not get 'alcoholic water' with an easy to use but inefficient pot still distilling once and putting it through two plastic bowls sandwiching a lego brick.

I wish you could. Read my early posts. I was in the same position as you.

I am happy with the set up I have now (before I buy or build a reflux).

Compare the price between buying retail booze and making your own. You are still golden.

The essencia is expensive. I agree. It probably costs about $10 to make. But it is a great system.

[shawry99]

Adverts tell lies.

You can not get 'alcoholic water' with an easy to use but inefficient pot still distilling once and putting it through two plastic bowls sandwiching a lego brick.

I wish you could. Read my early posts. I was in the same position as you.

I am happy with the set up I have now (before I buy or build a reflux).

Compare the price between buying retail booze and making your own. You are still golden.

The essencia is expensive. I agree. It probably costs about $10 to make. But it is a great system.

The problem is a single wash doing a SS style run of the air still will net me a few months worth of my own alcohol, ok friends and family will benefit if they want a little, but the expense initially of getting a decent filter is really hard to justify, especially as Im needing to invest in some additional containers.

I think I'll have to settle for double distilling and running through the crappy SS filter twice for the short term.

[shawry99]

Sorry Mozr, just kinda re-read my posts, and I think Im coming across as knocking the cost etc.

Ideally Id want a decent filter, and enough containers etc, and hopefully will soon, as I do want to make the best quality I can, however I think at this stage the guys I know who have done the SS method are happy enough due to them being occasional drinkers, Id put myself in this catagory, however, I want to double distill, and will get a better filter system as soon as funds allow (though that will be after getting my own air still, considering this one is borrowed )

On the plus side, this evening is about getting my wash cleared

[knobby]

Hi Shawry

I was made up with the air still and have drunk lots of spirit done the SS way......I have used a"Bitta" type filter (argos make) to charcoal filter the results and have been pleased with the results....... (let's not forget the air still has a huge plastic washer)

However after some time / research and the guidance of this forum I am now producing some excellent neutral that has been fermented with a TPW / double de stilled and charcoal filtered with a homemade filter that doesn't involve plastic......

I am in 2 minds to purchase a T500 but really can't justify it yet as the air still even on a double destill produces enough neutral for my personal requirements......I would love to purchase the essencia filter but again can't justify the need as the majority of my neutral is stored on JD wood chips

Just remember to enjoy your hobby and try different methods / recipes

Knobby

[danmiz]

looking online to buy an essencia and its not easy in usa. i guess i have to go through the dealer in canada.

[danmiz]

can only get my hands on the ez filter. is this a good choice?

[Admiral Toad]

Believe the EZ is pretty decent next best to the essencia
Anyone else concur ?

[shawry99]

Believe the EZ is pretty decent next best to the essencia
Anyone else concur ?

The Z Filter is supposed to provide better results, but is much more of a faff apparently, the EZ isnt far behind it though

(please note, that is through reading other site reviews, rather than personal experience)

[Jimmy]

The cheapest way to filter is to put your finished product into a demijohn/glass jar and chuck in a handful of activated carbon. Stick it in the fridge or a cool place, and shake it a couple of times a day. At the end of the week, pour it through a coffee filter in a funnel to collect the carbon (if the spirit is grey, put a small ball of cotton wool in the filter spout). It's not the best method, but it's better than the standard filter (which in turn is better than nothing!).

Or, for speed you can put a coffee filter in a funnel, fill with carbon, pour some hot water over it until it runs clear, then run your spirit through (don't forget the water trapped in the carbon will dilute your spirit and at the end you'll have trapped spirit in the carbon which you can 'force' through by putting a bit more water on top.

What people on here are basically getting at is that the sales pitch is saying you can make perfect spirit out of the box, and many people try it and find that although they make something that's just about OK, they thought they'd get better. With a little time, effort (and yes, probably expense) it's totally possible, but if you're happy with what you get, that's what matters. Try it and see!

[Admiral Toad]

Had a Z filter not bad but nowhere near as good as the essencia
It's cheap to buy and run but a swine to stop leaks, mine eventually wouldn't seal and I junked it for the posh kit
Oh that and bloody carbon everywhere no matter how careful you were

[Almanac]

Carbon getting everywhere was the driving force that made me find the cash to buy the Essencia and even though I refill my own Carbon cartridges it's a relatively clean operation and I wouldn't go back to filling pipes with carbon and trying to stop the incessant leaks

I like a handy life

AM

[Jedmau5]

Hey Mozr, just trying your method with my second tripled distilled turbo wash. I'm boiling my 4L batches first with a temperature controlled kettle @ 75C before dumping it into the air still this gets things going quicker and can pull off 1500ml of strip in approx 3 hours 10 minutes .

My question is, I've only just done the first run and collected 1500ml @ 37%, not 30%. Do I water down to 30% before doing the spirit run or can I just collect my 9L of strip at ~37% and run at that strength, would I have to make adjustments when collecting my cuts?

Many thanks