stainless steel turbo air still - help

[terrybl1941]

hi all, i'm new to distilling and would appreciate some advice.
i've made wine and beer many times from kits. also am currently brewing some home made carrot whisky - will know in September ( 1 year wait ) if this is any good. anyway - to the point.
i've got so fed up at the price of a decent bottle of whisky so i splashed out today on a stainless steel turbo air still .... cost a few bob but if it does the job at a reasonable price then what the heck.
i've just stripped off the packaging and read the instructions ... first problem right there... a Fermenter is needed to make the wash. okay but what kind? will it be ok just to use my normal unpressurised fermenting container with a lid as in wine making? the manufacturers are advising buying one of their Air Stil Fermenters which has a filter on the lid but i suspect i don't need to go to the expense frankly. any advice?
2nd problem ... reading through this Forum there seems to be a bias against Turbo yeast. naturally that is what has arrived with the Still. what is the view? shall i press on with the Turbo yeast or does it leave a yeasty taste as your Forum contributors seem to think.
3rd problem ''... the instructions are not clear as to water/sugar quantities. can anyone clear this up for me and advise if normal granulated sugar is ok?

any help will be most appreciated

terry

[rad14701]

Greetings, terrybl1941...

While several members have had success with air stills many folks tend to outgrow them rapidly... Take some time to read through the New distiller reading Lounge and many of your questions will be answered...

Any fermenter will work... As you will read, if you choose to use the turbo yeast, it works better of cut in strength between multiple washes...

I'll leave the rest to you to discover... Don't do anything more with your equipment before reading as you may decide to pack it up and take it back...

[likkerluvver]

Greetings, terrybl1941...

... Don't do anything more with your equipment before reading as you may decide to pack it up and take it back...

+1

I have an airstill - which I now use only for producing distilled water, so it wasn't a complete waste of money. It produced inferior likker to my previous primitive pressure-cooker setup. Stealth IS NOT a good reason to buy this still.

If a build is not possible, stills are available from several reputable companies. BUT do your research - many have been burnt by on-line cowboys.

BTW, Welcome to the site - lots of valuable info here. You just need 1000's of hours and a photographic memory to take full advantage of it.

[gwhunran]

I have the same kind of distiller and have been using it since the end of summer. It is more like a pot still than the other types. You don't need fancy fermenters. You just need containers with a lid, preferably air tight. I prefer to use an air lock because it gives a quick visual indication that fermentation is still taking place.
The inside of the pot has an indentation/fill to line. You can ferment larger quantities and just use the amount needed to make a run.
There are many recipes on the forum for different types of product. They call them "tried and true".
One of the reasons the air still is frowned upon is the low volume of the pot. Many on here shoot for mostly "hearts" in the keeper output, which is only a very small amount when your running one gallon of wash/mash. They make "cuts" as its outputting. Not drinking the foreshots or the first bit that comes out. Then comes the heads which is also not to desirable but can be saved and added to a future run. Then after the desirable hearts comes the "tails". Also not too desirable but can be added back into a future run. Its not exact but the output process looks a little like a bell curve with best in the middle with an inverted bell curve overlaying the first with the worst highest at the beginning and end of the run. All that being said, except for neutral alcohol, some amount of heads and tails along with aging/curing make for the best product, which makes this endeavor part art as well as science.
Also, don't expect much out of a gallon of wash/mash. You will have to do multiple runs. I am mainly the only one that samples my efforts so I am able to make more than I can use and vary the aging/curing.

[Popcorn Fan]

Welcome, where are you from? As per the other comments, I'ld pack it up and send it back. You could get something decent built by some-one for less cash that will work better or you could have a go at making something yourself????