Still Smarter

Ok, so I recently found out about this concept and I’m intrigued by it so I may give it a go, does anyone have one?

If you aren’t familiar with it the idea is you have a bottle that you fill with all the ‘leftovers’ from bottles that don’t quite have enough for a drink in them so it is always getting topped up and evolving.

I know I have one with a couple of table spoons is Jim beam honey in, I may start it with that and see where it leads.

Sorry . . . you lost me at 'leftovers'.
They're just a bigger last measure!!

Really not familiar with the idea is you have ‘leftovers’. Let alone a bottle to put them in.... Or is this a loving term for the wife.?

I don’t know why but I always seem to leave a tiny bit in the bottom of a bottle. I had - and I’m not joking here - about a teaspoons worth of oaked cfw sat in a 1l bottle on the side for 3 weeks.

That's a disgusting thing to do and not the sort of behaviour that should be condoned

I guess I just find it hard to let go.

No, tried. Doesn't work for me.

I wake up each day (currently), if there is wine left in a bottle (I only allow red in the house), I drink it, one of 5 (or maybe more each day), saves drinking juice which could damage the enamel on my teeth and the kids might drink anyway.

Spirits, it's either there to consume or gone and more has to be made or acquired.

Real ale, either quofed or awaiting consumption.

Leftovers, yes, ingredients for bubble and squeak, or a sandwich filler.

No. Can't get there, the concept or the eventuality. I would not be considering manufacturing a 25ltre Air Still if an 'infinity bottle' was a likely event.

Regards WelshGin.

WelshGin wrote: Wed Mar 09, 2022 12:20 am No, tried. Doesn't work for me.

I would not be considering manufacturing a 25ltre Air Still if an 'infinity bottle' was a likely event.

Regards WelshGin.

Are you thinking 2 or 3 airstill lids might fit on the lid of a 25l boiler? I am...

3 risers. And a gently sloping SS gutter to catch the product?

I have an infinity bottle of Bourbon, but I run it quite the other way.

When I have a new bottle which is opened (quite rare now), I add 1-2 measures into the infinity bottle.
Never enough to overpower it, and the taste changes over time based on what's going in, but it's a fun concept.

I like my Airstill, the simplicity and consistency of operation is wonderful. I put in 'X' amount of alcohol units, I measure the volume and Abv in, I get out , consistently, 94 -96% of that alcohol, if I run the Still for the necessary time.

I produce triple distilled spirit at 77% Abv and above. I have a copper Sputnik to infuse the spirit to create Gin.

I am contemplating the system to do it quicker. Mmmmm, that is not strictly true, same time is OK, just a greater volume so that I can complete the operation less frequently. Once a month or so rather than each fortnight.

The Airstill is I believe much more consistent that many other stills. If you run it at the same ambient temperature, with same input fluid temperature, with the stills cooling coil in a clean un-dusty state.

I like it, I switch it on, connected through a digital timer and get on with my day. No messing about with running water, parrots or other variables , or monitors you have to watch or adjust. If you adjust it, you will create a different product next time.

So, not Stainless Steel, I have a copper pot (yes it is a pot-still, I am making GIN), 3 mm thick flow formed, holds approx 30 Litres, I have a lid with seal similar to the Airstill, I have a small wattage, probably app 120w cooling fan pulling ambient air over a copper 15mm diameter condensing coil that has cooling fins. The heating element below the base and up app 150 mm around the external side is up to a max of 1500w, but has a rheostat power controller. I am just experimenting, I will see.

It will be June before I have all the funds and parts to complete. Until then I enjoy my Airstill.

Welsh Gin.
Still Dreaming.

Slow is good for spirits. So if you can walk away. Bingo.

Can I read that back to you. You have an airstill at the moment. But you are planning on build a 30l copper boiler and transplant the airstill fan? Or just build another?

First thoughts. Put 2 x 1500w elements in. One wired straight through. One on a power controller. This will give you a get to boil temp quickly option, then just turn the uncontrolled element off.

I think the air still condenser (fan) is quite clever, but it only works well at certain ratios. 30l I reckon will be closer to the the size of a dustbin. Even gently powered 30l on temp will release a lot of vapour. I have gotten close a couple of times to making something myself.

Best idea I had was a spiralled shotgun condenser, inverted and fanned from above, in a barrel.

Mmmmm. Love you all. There is always more than one way. One way may be better considering certain parameters than others, only.

30 litres, my wash drum, sits on my utility worktop. One single 1500w heater as I accept the time will be an hour before ethanol boiling. I don't want any localised hot spots. Fan, I can manufacture with 3D printer after viewing and determining heat extraction and loss through an energy extraction algorithm.

Vapour it's just liquid x app 300 vol. Alcohol, the various forms, work on 300x too many at their initial Vap point to consider.

Lid just sits above the fluid, held by the seal only, that really is the safety mechanism. Ideally there will be no differencial pressure between inside the pot and ambient outside. Do it slowly.

I am there don't worry. There are times when I think I am sober.

You want to hope so, you may be driving a car that I had a great deal of engineering input into.


I will work on it. What is a spiralled shotgun condenser?

Still Dreaming.
WelshGin.
I accept some cars are sh***.

Just throwing in a bit of caution here. I have no objection to the air cooled stills but they are slower than liquid cooled ones.
For You can only put power into the boiler at the same rate as your condenser can remove it. It really is worth designing a system from the condenser backwards. The condenser is usually the limiting factor.

I can run faster, but the quality drops off.

For sure, air cooling slows you down, but maybe Greener?


Robert.

Thank you for the above. All this information is invaluable.

Is the Still insulated/jacketed, more than one wall/container thickness?
Is the condensing tube/coil tapered or a uniform internal diameter along its length?

I started looking at Still manufactures specifications after Mash's comments. I appreciate I need to go and suck some more eggs before breaking too many.....

Again thank you for all of your advice.

WelshGin.
Still Dreaming.

You do seem to have a good grip of the build and there always more than one way.

Another egg for the brekky..... I considered a water mister (spray) for the coil. That, combined with the fan would have a swamp cooler effect. Increasing the efficiency of the condenser. Just a thought...

Please tell me you didn't have anything to do with the new disco.

No not JLR, although the new Disco is pretty from a distance in the dark, but can it fight? It does like something Robocop would drive.

WeshGin

Phew.

I like "pretty from a distance in the dark". You are not wrong.

Just throwing in a bit of caution here. I have no objection to the air cooled stills but they are slower than liquid cooled ones.
For You can only put power into the boiler at the same rate as your condenser can remove it. It really is worth designing a system from the condenser backwards. The condenser is usually the limiting factor.

I can run faster, but the quality drops off.

For sure, air cooling slows you down, but maybe Greener?


Robert.

Definitely easier to run.

I think they are greener too (less waste water) but do they use more power, because they are on for longer? Or do you need the same (or very similar) ammount of electric to boil a fixed ammount of alcohol regardless of speed ? Immediately I am thinking insulation!

My infinity bottles go for slug bait in the PT.
When I make beer, the dregs from the boiler get poured into tall jugs, and get poured into the main brew the next day, having settled.

I have a litre bottle of beer which fizzed at the before pouring stage.
I have no idea what wild, escaped, (tame), yeast or bacteria colonised it and took it to conclussion.

It is ready to be tested, I am being a complete wuss.
I need to man up and try the devil's brew!

Robert.

Well sought of.

I have my rumtopf, i have been charging it with fresh fruit, not too much sugar and 60% Abv Rum for approx 18 months. Taking out fruit and spirit, mostly as the base for fruit crumbles. Sometimes just a small amount of fruit to liquidise and add to gravy.

It is a 5 litre kilner jar, I keep it in a wooden box to exclude light. I notice now it is about 40% full of liquid with very very little fruit. The liquid tastes of sweet Rum, probably about 30% Abv. I am considering taking remaining fruit out, one final crumble for Easter Sunday dinner, course filtering the liquid and? Then I can use this large sealable jar for making modified versions of Odin's.

What do I do with the liquid from the rumtopf? Save and add to my morning coffee for the next year or so? Should I run it through the Airstill? Can I run it through the Airstill has it has extra sugar in? What would the result be, just spirit, or would it have a rum carry over?

Mmmm, the guidance of a sage please.

WelshGin

You can use airstill as a separator.
Thin it down a bit.
Run it and collect the alcohol.
What is left is sugary water. And does referment. Add it to a sugar wash...

I find the spirit comes out with a nice fruit flavour, oaks nicely or junkahol.

I occasionally tidy up the pantry, and referm any old sugary product (jams, pie filling, tins of fruit etc) works well.

Works well.