Filtering question

[junglejuice]

Hi all, I am new on here, I recently purchased a Still Spirits brand Turbo Airstill (before anybody says anything I am not selling it) as well as the Still Spirits brand carbon filter unit. I am trying to make some nice drinks with it, I like bourbons, Southern Comfort, butterscotch schnapps etc.
My question is after the filtering process I am left with a perfectly clear liquid that I measured at 63%, the only issue is that it smells like metho or something similar, once it is mixed with concentrates and brought down to a finished 40% it is less "smelly" and when added to coke it is less again but I want to try and remove as much of this smell as possible, any suggestions (apart from selling it)?????

Cheers, JJ

[Ayay]

First off, no selling. Mistakes can be fixed by stillin again. Carbon filters have their uses but they should never be the primary fix. Carbon will not make an air still better. Your primary fix is found in the information contained within this site and it's available to all who take the time to sift through it.

You have achieved a notable benchmark...identifying heads in your hooch! Carbon cannot remove heads. Heads must be removed by careful stillin and airing the hearts...provided you found the hearts in the first place.

[junglejuice]

First off, no selling. Mistakes can be fixed by stillin again. Carbon filters have their uses but they should never be the primary fix. Carbon will not make an air still better. Your primary fix is found in the information contained within this site and it's available to all who take the time to sift through it.

You have achieved a notable benchmark...identifying heads in your hooch! Carbon cannot remove heads. Heads must be removed by careful stillin and airing the hearts...provided you found the hearts in the first place.

Hi Ayay, thanks for the response, I don't supose you can point me in the direction of said reading material relevant to an airstill user noob????

I was "instructed" by the homebrew store on the usage of this airstill and that was basically put 4l of wash in and get 800ml of alcohol out, pass through the carbon filter, water down and add concentrates to taste and viola!!! Down the hatch!!!!

Cheers, JJ

[rtalbigr]

I was "instructed" by the homebrew store on the usage of this airstill and that was basically put 4l of wash in and get 800ml of alcohol out, pass through the carbon filter, water down and add concentrates to taste and viola!!! Down the hatch!!!!

So, ya gotta keep going back to him to buy the concentrates.

New Distiller Reading Lounge is where you need to start. Parent site reading is second.

Big R

[Dnderhead]

sounds to me your not making cuts,and just taking all as it comes off the still.
with a pot still you need to do this by "SMELL,FEEL,TASTE". I beleve there is a
post on recommended way to run one of thoes stills or similar, look an new distillers
reading lounge,I beleve it got moved there.

[Ayay]

Hi Ayay, thanks for the response, I don't supose you can point me in the direction of said reading material relevant to an airstill user noob????

I was "instructed" by the homebrew store on the usage of this airstill and that was basically put 4l of wash in and get 800ml of alcohol out, pass through the carbon filter, water down and add concentrates to taste and viola!!! Down the hatch!!!!

Cheers, JJ

Click the Parent Site, it can be downloaded and kept in your computer because it is worth reading. It's not up to date but it gives a very good outline of the basics of a wide variety of stills and brews.

This forum originates from the Parent Site. Some of the concepts in the parent site have been proved ineffective and much better concepts are developed and proved here. The knowledge contained in the parent site is far beyond what is available in the brewshop.

I was lucky, my online path led to the parent site and then to this forum. At that time LM was the cutting edge and it remains very good, but things have advanced further to VM, and now the Flute.

This hobby has a bewildering array of different ways to achieve a common goal. Your path is completely valid and I wish you success!