StillSmart

I get all my starter Kits tomorrow cant wait to get my first washes going. Any tips or advice i have watched many many videos with some saying different things to others. I am well stocked up on essences think i have most things i keep in the home bar. Have 70kg of brewing sugar coming bout another 10 today as well. Have plenty of triple still sets coming with yeast carbon and finings. about 6 30 litre buckets 2 air stills,heat mats, heat belts,air locks hydrometers normal and spirit, liquid carbon,large EZ filter as well as still spirits filters,vin brite filters i dont think i have missed anything i hope. am i right in thinking no heads will need removing on this type of distilling? cheers guys

Wow, I love your style Will, going large, no half measures!

From my experience with the Airstill, even using dextrose and filtering, you won't get a perfect product by following the instructions that came with it.

But follow the advice in the Airstill section on this forum and the best practice guide and you'll be making great spirits in no time:

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1216


With a good neutral spirit, I think you can make great drinks easily with the essences. A lot of people aren't so keen but it's all personal taste.

The way you've gone large so quickly, I can see you doing what I've ended up doing and getting bitten by the bug and end up spending way too much!! But it's all great fun!

Welcome and have fun!!

Hey thanks for that will give it good read. I have gone so large for one reason really we have some pretty mad parties at my house and i am sick to death of spending a small fortune on restocking my bar each time lol. For me this is where i hope to learn and hope to advance further down the line. I am already learning a lot of things just going through previous threads like making blue WKD haha i have a ton load of the flavouring for it

If you ever find the secret to Red WKD, please please share it!

I love the stuff but hate paying the price for a 4% vodka premix! Despite many attempts, I just can't get that red flavour.

I have found that blue raspberry slush concentrate makes a great blue WKD though.

Once you get to grips with your new toy, it looks like your parties are only going to get wilder!

I predict you're going to have a lot of fun in the coming weeks

I hate to rain on your parade.
Unless you enjoy the splitting headaches that heads cause and the toilet visits that tails do, you should make cuts after double distilling.
The guide you were directed to should sort you out.

Robert.

Indeed. You will need to do cuts but it's easy to get the hang of.

Have you considered a freezer? It would reduce your run times to a single 4 hours for 23 /25 litres.

No tried it for whiskey & rums, but fantastic for neutral.

I'm a plus one with all that's been posted....you have gone big on buying all you think you'll need.

Also on the reading on the link posted...read it..read it again...then read it again...by now your head may be spinning, but it will start to make sense.

If possible print the chart out and keep it near the still, it's then there if you need it...and you will.

Heed ED's last post about fores, tails...otherwise you may be serving "nail varnish remover" to your friends at the next party. While we're on about partying with family & friends....DON'T ever think it's a good idea to tell anyone about your new hobby....remember a loose tongue is a dangerous thing.

It's all new to you, but with time you will get the hang of it....the forum is here for any questions that you will have..

DO separate fores, heads, hearts and tails. It's a little more trouble for much better results.

If you're too impatient at the beginning to make small cuts and want quantity over quality then use carbon filtering, but do chuck a bar measure or two down the sink, then keep half a pint or more of sharp smelling stuff for next run or bbq lighting/nail polish removal and do stop when it starts to smell manky.