Turbo Air Still 1st run Observations

[rabbit_]

Nah, it's fine. Haha, I appreciate your concern.

I'm studying/working 36 hours a week and tend to have a fair bit of free time. Time is another reason I am not so keen on investing larger amounts of money into a still.

As for quantity I'd like to produce, it'd be about 3L of 40% a week. Although that is the dream amount, I could easily settle for 1-2L.

[rad14701]

Welcome to the forums, rabbit_...

If you want from one to several liters per week then you'll definitely need a larger still, trust me... I am currently running an 8 liter stove top combination still and it seems like I'm married to it at times... At about 3 hours from initial setup until stored away for under a liter of neutral spirits, it's obviously a labor of love... Strip runs go faster but you still have the setup and tear down time... Add onto that the fact that I only have free reign of the kitchen when the little woman is at work and my time becomes more precious... I just finished a run and I'm beat... I've run larger stills and I can't wait until I can to do so again...

Good luck...

[Ayay]

Last week my wife sold my Air Still on E-bay for 1/2 the price I paid for it and I still reckon I'm in front.....The quality of my grog is 100% better

Fine wife! I'm glad I missed the Air Still step and it still ain't that easy. Been drinkin some good stuff lately but my early stuff would have been the same as the airstill..nah, it's the carbon. Carbon makes the Air Still good, and carbon will make your mistakes with a home-made still good too.

[Ratty]

Ah, oops, OK Ive actually drunk three bottles (over a a decent space of time) of my finished product.

As I dint discard the first 50 mils of each run will the spirit do me any damage?

Now Ive added the flavoring essence (Gin, Absinthe and Whiskey) can I run it through the air-still again? If so do i just fill the still with spirit or mix it with water?

Or should I just bin it and start a fresh batch?

Aces High... Many thanks for the comments. If I just use 5 bags (kilo's) can I do that with the turbo yeast? I will try a bakers yeast wash one week soon but as a newbie I'll give the turbo one more bash first.

Sorry for bombarding you all with questions guys.

A fellower UKer?

I have bought the exact same air still and am just experimenting with it. Found the same as you that there is a distinct smell/taste to it that is particularly noticable with the gin. The bourbon covers it up better. I'm going to try (tomorrow) running it through the still twice to see if I can get a higher percentage alcohol out of it that way and reduce the taste. Also I think that I am going to throw away the first 50-75ml.


I'll let you know how it works out. (Assuming you are still around - this was April!)

[belandaaron]

Also I think that I am going to throw away the first 50-75ml.

Ratty,

Dont just think about throwing away that first 50-70ml. I'm always inclined to ditch more than that. You dont want to be drinking that stuff, its really not good for you......

Cheers.

[plonker]

I tend to do this by smell.. I run a reflux, but the first 50ml give or take 50ml has a nail polish remover smell. That gets put aside for cleaning... (nails maybe)
With a good clean ferment, I wont get any.. with some dirty champagne yeast and white sugar I will get 100ml plus....
I run a 25L pot. And I get at least the three litres of 40% you want from one run... although having said that all my stuff is neutral... pretty flavourless, but no hangovers which I love....

[Husker]

NOTE, he is working with a 4L boiler, and probably only 3.5L in there. Thus, discard much more than 50ml, and there is not much left.

H.

[kakoljunior]

hey guys,yer i bought one of these air stills off a friend,and so far my first batch i wouldnt even put in my mower lol, so im trying agan,this time getting rid of the first 50 or so mills,and gona try leave the wash a bit longer so its not to cloudy when it goes in the pot,as last time even using turbo clear,and leaving it for 48 hours,just didnt seem clear enuff,was still cloudy and let off a horrid smell as it stilled,stunk the house out..now bottled even with essence, it has a horrible smell,only bottle that smells good is the midorri lol,let ya know how the next batch goes! just on the bubbbler tonight:)

[Ratty]

Thanks Husk - that's right . I think that 50ml is quite a big percentage of 600ml or so of collected alcohol! I'm hoping that it contains most of the crap!

[kakoljunior]

hey ratty,how much do you let still out? i let still out 900mil,anymore and the percentage drops dramaticly,so 50 ml out of that isnt to bad,it does add up tho over 21 ltrs,thats where the reflux stills are good i gues,only have to do the first 50 or so and thats it!!.. oh at 900ml its at 60%

[Ratty]

hey ratty,how much do you let still out? i let still out 900mil,anymore and the percentage drops dramaticly,so 50 ml out of that isnt to bad,it does add up tho over 21 ltrs,thats where the reflux stills are good i gues,only have to do the first 50 or so and thats it!!.. oh at 900ml its at 60%

I ditch the first 50-75ml then keep the next 550-600ml (around 60-65% alc). (Sometimes run it a little longer and keep the next 200ml as tails for the next run). I have started distilling that 600ml again - it comes out around 85%+ alc - I find that the rank smell and taste, from the turbo yeast if you use it, have largely gone and don't need to bother to carbon filter it then.

Works fine - just takes a long time to get a small amount.

[paulieg2609]

Why does using an air still matter, so long as the wash is of good enough quality wouldn't the type of still make little difference, except for quantity of course.