StillSmart

Hi Folks,

Pleased to have found a nice site with a fair bit of info on Air Stills. Ive been lurking for a while and ive finally decided to buy a SS turbo air still. Im new to distilling but not fermenting and have produced many wines and beers over the years. Anyhoo

Ive got my first wash on at the moment. I decided on the alcotec VodkaStar based on the reviews ive read. Can someone kindly tell me if the process below sounds about right

1. Satrt the wash (VodkaStar + 6kg Granulated sugar)
2. When ferment is finished rack off into another bucket leaving lees behind.
3. De-Gass thoroughly
4. Add turbo Klar and let stand for 2 days.
5. Siphon 4 litres into still containing boil enhances and conditioer (read on an american forum that some folk use copper washers in the airstill to take impurities/sulphur out??????)
6. Discard the first 50ml of product and collect the next 750ml.
7. Water down to desired %ABV and put through the charcoal filter thats supplied.

Does this sound about right chaps??

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Hi there, welcome!

That's pretty much it, yes. There is a more detailed breakdown of the process here - viewtopic.php?f=3&t=765 - the only other thing I would say is make sure you collect into glass containers rather than any plastic you might get with it, and also the filter that you get is pretty poor so you might want to either look at getting/making something else or else pay close attention to making cuts instead, there are details on how to do this on the forum.

Good luck, and enjoy! If you get stuck there's always someone lurking about on here who can help.

Cheers Jimmy. Very informative that link. Will definitely collect the good stuff in a glass container. Has anyone a good recommendation for a filter?

This seems to be the one

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=244

I quickly found that conditioner (anti foaming conditioner) left a distinct smell & taste so stopped using it.

Makum101: If you're using an Airstill you need conditioner when stripping the wash but it serves no purpose on the Spirit Run

If you got a smell & taste it's unlikely to have been the conditioner unless you used far too much or it was contaminated.

Still Spirits make an excellent Conditioner and I always used it when stripping wash in my Airstill and definitely no taste or smell. You should only be using about 3ml per 4lt wash. Stripped wash from the Airstill smells and tastes pretty awful until it's been put through a second run and a proper activated carbon filter.

You may get away with not using conditioner in 99 out of 100 washes and then one, with a bit of unfermented sugar, goes into a surge boil and blows the top off the Airstill and you or someone near the still gets seriously scalded - just not worth the risk.

AM

Hi aidanmac

It was still spirits conditioner I used. I never still twice. After 3 years of trial and error Ive settled on a formula that works best for me - 6Kg Sugar, Alcotec 24 yeast & a pouch of Still Spirits Active Carbon, finally cleared with Still Spirits double pouch. I chuck the first 20 mil then collect to 700 and its clean enough to drink after one run if its filtered slowly.

I had a sample analysed at Teeside Uni and it came out cleaner than the shops own brand vodka they compared it to (they did find a trace of plastic in it that I assume will be coming from the air still head seal as they shrink over time).

As for blowing the head off, I've never had that experience thankfully. I use ceramic boiling thingies and that has been fine over the 3 years I've had my still.