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Airstill and Birdwatchers Wash

Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 10:03 am
by zwagerman9
Ok a few questions relating down to the one topic, Spirits.
Been using a still spirits airstill running turbo-washes through it as per still spirits advice.
Currently been make 23litre wash and using both granulated carbon and multiple carbon filters with my spirits.
Wanting to attempt a birdwatchers wash and run it through my airstill.
First is a solid 23 litre recipe, will rack off the trub leaving my hopefully 5 runs of 4litre wash.
Do I do double runs through the still?
Do I attempt cuts (will need to re-educate myself again)
Or do I just take 100ml heads first and collect 600ml of maybe 55% spirit and re run and filter?
Currently with turbo I still my wash store in a 5 litre demijohn with granulated carbon shake daily - stored up to a peroid of a month whilst I also run through the stillspirits filter multiple times.
Id love to get a bigger still but I run into the theory of use, currently have 10litres of spirit from an airstill.

Any thoughts would be great.

Im receptive to any theories relating to the airstill and help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Rae

Re: Airstill and Birdwatchers Wash

Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 1:19 pm
by Prairiepiss
My theory on it is. It mite make a good door stop. But then again it mite be lacking for that too. But that's not important right now.

My question to you is. Your not making cuts now? Why would you not? Cuts should be made on all washes and or stills. No mater what the manufacture says.

Re: Airstill and Birdwatchers Wash

Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 2:08 pm
by Dnderhead
Your not making cuts now? Why would you not?"
most those with the little stills dont like making cuts.
when you only git a few ounces then have to make cuts you end up with very little for several hours of work.

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 46&t=17245

Re: Airstill and Birdwatchers Wash

Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 11:08 pm
by zwagerman9
Ive read on cuts, normally just take the foreshots and then collect and filter.
Im more curious with running the birdwatchers recipe through the airstill, as far as the wash burning in the still? how many times to run through the still? foreshorts and collection?

Cheers

Rae

Re: Airstill and Birdwatchers Wash

Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 11:26 pm
by Dnderhead
it depends on what you want,if you want flavor or less flavor,the more times you distill the "cleaner" your product will be.just dilut to 40% or less between each run.the same for cuts ,the more you remove in cuts the "cleaner" the product is..filtering does not remove the "unwanted" alcohols .carbon removes organic materials . this gives a cleaner taste.

Re: Airstill and Birdwatchers Wash

Posted: Thu May 31, 2012 6:08 am
by rad14701
zwagerman9, remember that your airstill is a simple pot still so you need to run it like one, from a theoretical standpoint... Contrary to marketing hype you can't get clean high proof spirits in a single run... The more times you dilute to under 40% and rerun the cleaner the spirits will become because water is the best filter for hobby scale home distillation...

Re: Airstill and Birdwatchers Wash

Posted: Thu May 31, 2012 9:04 am
by Odin
Make a birdwacher's. Run 5 times 4 liter, tossing the first 50 mls on each run. Collect 1.3 liters for every 4 liter charge.

That gives you 5 times 1.3 liters is 6.5 liters at around 35%.

Add water to get to 8 liters. Now distill this 8 liter in two runs again. And again toss the first 50 mls on each run.

Collect like 1.75 liters on each run. You will end up with 3.5 liters of around 70% probably. Dilute to 30% and run a third time. On that run take carefull cuts.

You will end up with a pretty okay vodka that does not need filtering. Well, when I was still using my airstill and using turbo's that is what worked pretty well.

But, reading your posts, I would advice you to first read the parent site and then read much more on this site. Especially on pot distilling and making cuts.

Good luck! :thumbup:

Odin.

Re: Airstill and Birdwatchers Wash

Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 2:06 am
by zwagerman9
rad14701, What dilutions would you recommend from the airstill for re-run, lets say I still TPW at around 50% abv, if i take 50ml forshots and collect up to 700ml?
Just put down two 25litre Tomatoe paste wash's and all goes well will be stilling 09/06/12.
Im wondering if anyone can give me step by step instructions to attemp Uncle Jesses Simple Sour Wash through my airstill as it will be 4litre runs at a time *sigh*.
Another question, I know ive probably had a bit of oversight and some one has already given me instructions somewhere but I'd like to attempt a stove top pot still using a 19litre stainless steel pot. very simple but usable.

Anyway any help is greatly appreciated.

Kind regards,

Rae

Re: Airstill and Birdwatchers Wash

Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 2:59 am
by zwagerman9
Or on that note do i work with what i have an attempt a bigger boiler on my airstill, which i have seen before.

Re: Airstill and Birdwatchers Wash

Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 6:43 am
by rad14701
zwagerman9, we always recommend dilution to 40% or below and if you don't want to have to dilute your final product to drinking proof then you can dilute to the 25% - 30% range... I'm fairly certain there is at least one good topic, perhaps by Husker, which covers efficient use of an airstill...

Re: Airstill and Birdwatchers Wash

Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 9:36 pm
by zwagerman9
Yes I have read some interesting things on the homedistiller main site. But feel a bit out of my field without Turbo products. Lol.
http://www.thepackagingshop.com.au/product-item.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Making a presumption the above mentioned is stainless steel,
Do you think it is possible to assemble pot still by adding a heating element and working on from their at all?
Take note of the lid, easier seal than a pot, also using a PTFE seal at the top, temp gauge and some ideas on copper to actually distill, cooling with bucket of water, ice and water pump to re-use water?

Re: Airstill and Birdwatchers Wash

Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 9:42 pm
by zwagerman9
Ok the link doesnt take you straight to the product, But search pacakaging, metal, and to the bottom, there are up to 25litre pails with sealable lids (essentially paint tins) I have emailed the supplier asking if its stainless steel.

Cheers

Rae

Re: Airstill and Birdwatchers Wash

Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 11:52 pm
by zwagerman9
Please have a look at base theory i have in my head. Laugh joke smile but help.
Cheers

Rae

Re: Airstill and Birdwatchers Wash

Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 12:12 pm
by rad14701
Ice causes shock cooling, as has been mentioned here in the forums... And if you were to freeze a worm bucket you would potentially end up with air voids as the ice melts, which presents a whole new problem... Scrap the ice idea from the get go... Just use a worm bucket the same size or larger than your boiler and you should be good to go for an entire run...

Not sure where you came up with the idea of double worm buckets but that is also a bad idea... There's no need to try to reinvent the simple pot still so just go with what you see here in these forums... I'm not even thrilled with the paint bucket and lid myself, but that's just me...