Airstill, Best Practice and Results

[tgeorge1]

Hi all,

Quick question, do you use Turbo Clear even when double distilling?

Thanks.

[Pyro]

I always use Turbo or Quick Clear before stilling, I don't want any crap in my still.

[Easydrinker]

Clear washes are safest in an airstill.
Time works as well as chemicals, just takes more time.
Dead yeast contain sulphur, cooking them in a boiler can add bad tastes to a neutral.

Robert.

[Dales59]

I do hope that I am not opening a can of worms.

I have read the entire thread of this discussion and I am still confused on the fores on a double distil run.

I am told that in any 25 Ltr mash there is 250ml of fores.

Using a single distil run method, we would distil in 4 Ltr quantities in our Airstill and take 50ml of fores.

6 runs to process the full 25 Ltr (24 Ltr after racking), so we take 6 x 50 ml = 300 ml.

So the 250 ml fores are safely removed.

All good so far.

Turning now to the recommended double distil method, we do not remove any fores during stripping, so the full 250 ml of fores are still in the mix for spirit runs.

There are 2 spirit runs, so I would expect there to be 125 ml of fores in each run.

But according to the well documented double distil process we only take 50 ml from each run.

So to me, this means that we are removing only 100ml of fores and dispensing with.

This must mean that we are removing the remaining 150ml fores as part of the heads eg 75ml in Heads of each of the two spirit runs.

So by throwing the two sets of heads back into the next mash (pre stripping) , we are introducing 2 x 75ml (150 ml) of fores into the next batch.

What am I getting wrong ?

[Brewhunter]

150ml from a 25 litre batch is fine
I guess 50mls from each batch was just a guide as collecting anything smaller could be harder to measure.

[Mash]

50mls from each batch is what I do (stripping run only).

TBH I collect 2 fingers in a tumbler.

[Dales59]

Mash,
Taking 50ml on each stripping run makes absolute sense to me, hence no need to worry about fores on either of spirit runs.

The only issue for me with removing fores in stripping runs is I cannot automate the stripping runs using a timing switch and would need me to monitor each run just to collect each 50ml.

I note Brewhunter comment that there is 150ml fores in a 25ltr batch rather than reported 250ml. At least I know that I am not going mad in trying to understand the double distill process and only taking 2 x 50ml out of spirit runs. I think I will therefore strip as per the guide, but remove 80-100 ml per spirit run, depending on smell.

[Mash]

I cannot automate the stripping runs using a timing switch

You cam semi automate - everything past that point. Also consider a webcam!

I do better.. freeze strip and go straight to spirit run. 2(~3) runs instead of 7 for 25l

[Dales59]

Mash, can you please explain freeze strip. I am keen to learn.

[Dales59]

mash, can ignore. just found your pdf on this in other section. should have looked first. i will digest tonight. thanks for help.

[hampk]

I don't bother removing anything in the strip run, therefore I can pretty much automate that.

Spirit run - I take 50ml fores and 250ml heads, then everything after that I treat as hearts as it smells and tastes fine to me until the tails come through.

What I don't do is recycle my heads into my next wash - I collect it until Ihave around 1.5 litres, dilute it down, and then still again but doing full cuts. It generally yields another bottle or so.

This is what Mozr described in the AirStill bible, and it works for me.

There are always other ways..!

Cheers

Hampk

[Mash]

good point - I don't recycle my heads into my next wash.
I use 'em in a spray bottle as a surface cleaner @40%.

I know when the kitchen is clean - it smells of gin.