AirStill spirit run

[Fastham]

Sorry newbie question
I am following a couple of threads on 2nd distill with AirStill.
from stripping run I now have watered down 9 litres at 30%

Question
All threads talk about from 4 litres discard 50 ml Foreshots and 250 ml heads.
So, if I use 3 runs of 3 litres does Foreshots and heads alter accordingly , as in 37 ml and 187 ml

Or does it still stand as it was original figures due to 25 litre sugar wash?
Alternatively should I water down to a lower abv to get 12 litres and then do 4 runs of 4 litres.?

Sorry forgot to mention this was sugar, water and turbo yeast, products as this is my first attempt.

Thanks in advance

[still_stirrin]

...2nd distill with AirStill...this was sugar, water and turbo yeast...

I don’t have anything productive to add to your post unfortunately.

Airstills are not particularly favorable here and Turbo-charged high gravity sugar washes are a disaster, especially through an Airstill.

I guess...get what you can get and dispense with the rest. Collect your product off still in a dozen, or more (small) jars and make the best cuts you can. Chances are it’ll all be pretty much crap, but at least you made it yourself.

Pour yourself a cup of coffee and start reading. And you can start with Cranky’s Spoon Feed thread hotlinked in my signature.

Be safe, responsible, and discrete.
ss

[Fastham]

Thank you for replying.
Yes I’m aware the above is quite frowned upon, but I have been lent an Airstill so just have to start somewhere. I was hoping to attract answers from the people who wrote the info on 2 runs through Airstill.

I have been out this week, bought some flaked maize and champagne yeast, so hope to start a uncle Jesse mash next.

I am well along in reading all the newbie posts, I am an avid learner.
I’m interested in the chemistry and the fact that some more experienced have written that the figures for Foreshots and heads are based on initial volume of the wash, not the individual runs.

I’m looking forward to practicing and honing my tasting/smelling skills and then cutting.

Thank you replying

[NZChris]

Study Kiwistiller's guide to cuts and follow it.

[Fastham]

Study Kiwistiller's guide to cuts and follow it.

Brilliant thanks NZChris, that’s the post I’ve been searching for but didn’t know who posted it.

I’m looking forward to practicing the smell/taste cut and blending, but as this is my first attempt I have no idea what it’s going to be like. Read expressions of nail polish remover, wet cardboard, burning on side of tongue etc.

Thanks for your help

[still_stirrin]

Study Kiwistiller's guide to cuts and follow it.

Brilliant thanks NZChris, that’s the post I’ve been searching for but didn’t know who posted it.

I’m looking forward to practicing the smell/taste cut and blending, but as this is my first attempt I have no idea what it’s going to be like. Read expressions of nail polish remover, wet cardboard, burning on side of tongue etc.

Thanks for your help

My suggestions for this process are:

1) collect your product into at least a dozen (ideally, up to 24) appropriately sized vessels/jars,
2) cover each jar with a coffee filter or paper towel for 24 to 36 hours at room temperature,
3) when making cuts, first start with the middle jar and work towards the tails,
4) smell the sample and make detailed notes, with descriptors of paradigms for the senses, ie - sugary, fruity (apple, orange, banana, etc.), grainy, milky, perfumery, or whatever you smell. Have your SOH help with this. Be very specific and descriptive as possible.
5) dilute a spoonful to 40%ABV, as applicable, and taste. Like the aroma, note the tastes, sensations, and perceptions. Be detailed and very specific with your perceptions. Sensations like, burning tongue, dry mouth, chest-warming are important. Also, note the flavors such as fruitiness, solventy, sweetness, etc. as well.
6) after working from the middle jar down to the tails, go from the middle jar up to the heads, repeating the smell and taste perceptions.
7) always drink a swallow of fresh ice water between samples to flush the palette.
8 ) also, I like to observe and comment on the appearance and mouthfeel of each sample too..just like when judging beers. It’s what I do.

With the notes, you will have a good degree of the samples from top to bottom, with the good samples standing out in the middle. The tough part will be where to cut heads to hearts as well as where to cut hearts to tails. Some of the early tails may contribute a lot of desireable flavor.

But the heads to hearts will be tough because of the typical new-to-distilling hobbiest’s paradigms of commercial products, which are driven by economics more than quality.

Ther, that’s a suggestion. Add that to what you read in Kiwistiller’s Guide and you’ll soon be an artist in the art of blending.

Again, the more jars you have, the better your “comb” will sift through the product. Take good notes...they’ll give you documented feedback as you learn.
ss

[Manc]

Hi Fastam

There's some great advice from still stirrin. I just wanted to share a previous discussion on this I think you might find useful.

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=71009

Good luck with your endeavours and please try and get away from those turbo's there's some great recipes in tried and true.


Lee

[Mikey-moo]

Best summary I've seen for new Airstill users:

Check out how this user was getting the best from their airstill http://www.stillsmart.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=765" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[Fastham]

“My spirit run is as follows.
There is no need to use Distillers Conditioning in the spirit run.
50ml foreshots - discard
250ml heads - normally at 78-80% - are put in a container labelled 'heads'.
500ml hearts - normally about 74-75%
then I collect the tails down to 60%.
I calculate this by collecting the tails in 100ml batches, kept in wine glasses, measuring the ABV as I go.
Once it goes below 60% I collect about 300-400ml more I put it in a bottle (I chuck it in the next wash after fermentation and clearing to bring the ABV up a bit, and also to make it easier to get 24 litres off the yeast cake (lees).
The tails above 60% I smell and taste test, adding what I want to my hearts.
Usually, I can collect 700ml of tails above 60%. Dependent on smell (sometimes the last 100ml stinks rotten), I add the lot to the 500ml hearts, dilute down to 40% and carbon filter.
This normally adds up to 2.1-2.2 litres of 40% ABV per spirit run“
###################
Quote above

Lol what great fun.
I followed the topic above.
Yes I know its basic but I now know what nail varnishes remover smells like from my heads
I now know what people mean when they say “wet dog, wet cardboard” smells like, from my tails I collected.
I now know when people say , burning on side of tongue means or is like.

Did I take the easy route, did I take too narrow cuts, did I find out I need more small collector jars, did I do it all wrong “YES”
But did I have fun? Oh yesss!!
Did I learn from it Yesss!
And I certainly now appreciate all the people that have replied to me and helped me along.
Many thanks !

I have chucked first 50ml, I have 1 jar of 250 ml heads ( stinks and is 78% ish
I have 2 500 ml jars of heads 1 at 75% ish 1 at 71% ish, one smells sweet one is slightly stronger smelling.
I have 2 tails jugs 1 at 200 ml at 66% ish has strong smells and 1 at 250, 59% which stinks.
Kewl , did I do it too quickly with not enough cuts ? Yes!!, did I light spoonfuls and see some nice and blue, some flickering yellow yes!!
Was this my very first attempt !
All good fun and a learning curve!

[Mikey-moo]

Excellent - glad we could help.

Now do it all again... except the lighting stuff on fire part... no need for those shenanigans - safety first!