Home Distiller

G'day guys and girls, I am new to this forum and thought I would say hi..... HI

I am new to the home brew scene so I will most likely ask a few questions to get me under way, sorry in advance for being a noob

I like bourbon, especially Wild Turkey and Jim Beam as well as Southern Comfort and Butterscotch schnapps.

I have a 4 litre Still Spirits brand Turbo Air Still and am looking to make some nice drinks.

If anybody has any advice or tutorials etc for making nice bourbons etc I would love to here about it....

Cheers, JJ

You wont be able to make what you want with an airstill. Do a search for airstills and find out why.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 4#p6904064


OD

Hey JJ and welcome. No problem being a noob here, this is a gold field and there is plenty for all, but each of us has to do their own panning...aka reading. Go for it and ask questions, but the asking will reveal the depth of the reading. The response will most often be quite appropriate so keep going and ride the wave

So far I can't even work out what type of still I have (ie CM, LM or VM) cause with the airstill I have no control, I pour in wash turn it on and out comes alcohol, it is the filtering of this output that I am wanting to improve to remove the odour (if possible) and if I can't then cest la vie.....
I am finding it very confusing so far as to what is relevant to my still process and what isn't and then there is the terminology.... boy talk about jumping in at the deep end!!!!

JJ

Yes this is the deep end, much more satisfying than the shallow end. You got an air still...it can be made to work but how good? An air still is simply a toy that will produce the desired flavour and a huge hangover if you go more than one standard drink. Here you can get pissed proper and wake up amazed.

Is that because of methanol in the output? I was told by the store that airstills don't produce any methanol......

Welcome JJ. That's the first thing that you have learnt. Never believe the local home brew shop,

They're there to take your money as easily and as fast as they can. They'll tell you that you have to buy this product, then you will need that product and then some of this and on and on it will go. They have more than likely never made any spirits mainly because they are too busy taking your money.

Read the topic that OD posted for you and you will see why you can't make what you want to make.

Most of all, STAY SAFE and you can't do that listening to a HB shop

blanikdog wrote:Welcome JJ. That's the first thing that you have learnt. Never believe the local home brew shop,

They're there to take your money as easily and as fast as they can. They'll tell you that you have to buy this product, then you will need that product and then some of this and on and on it will go. They have more than likely never made any spirits mainly because they are too busy taking your money.

Read the topic that OD posted for you and you will see why you can't make what you want to make.

Most of all, STAY SAFE and you can't do that listening to a HB shop

I am thinking that I am going to have to try a different HB store which is a pity as I go right past it to and from work, I tried the link just after it was posted but something went wrong (stupid computer or too much homebrew) and it just sent me to another part of the forum....
I am going to have to look into the wash side some more before I make any more, lucky as I was going to stop in there today and part with some more $$$ but I forgot.....

Cheers, JJ

junglejuice wrote:I tried the link just after it was posted but something went wrong (stupid computer or too much homebrew) and it just sent me to another part of the forum.

That other part of the forum you refer to is the New Distillers Reading Lounge, which is essential reading to give you a better understanding of what you should be doing. It should be compulsory reading for all new distillers.


OD

First! Welcome to the forum!

Now the hard part. Go dig a hole in the back yard. Wrap the air still in some old newspaper.
Place in pre-dug hole. Play Tapps on rented buggle. Cover hole and go to local hardware
store and buy materials for a pot still.

With a little reading on your part, you can make all your favorite drinks.
Be SAFE, my friend. Especially when digging the hole.
ArkyJ

ArkyJ wrote:First! Welcome to the forum!

Now the hard part. Go dig a hole in the back yard. Wrap the air still in some old newspaper.
Place in pre-dug hole. Play Tapps on rented buggle. Cover hole and go to local hardware
store and buy materials for a pot still.

With a little reading on your part, you can make all your favorite drinks.
Be SAFE, my friend. Especially when digging the hole.
ArkyJ

This isn't going to happen....

olddog wrote:

junglejuice wrote:I tried the link just after it was posted but something went wrong (stupid computer or too much homebrew) and it just sent me to another part of the forum.

That other part of the forum you refer to is the New Distillers Reading Lounge, which is essential reading to give you a better understanding of what you should be doing. It should be compulsory reading for all new distillers.


OD

Here was me thinking I was asking a simple question, by what I was told by the store it was supposed to be a simple exercise as I had fermented in the past and made some drinks that I was reasonably happy with (different store supplied ingredients), if I had realised that it was THIS complicated I somehow doubt that I would even bothered.
I am starting to realise that there is quite a lot involved, but as a noob when you ask what you think is a simple question you kinda (incorrectly) expect a fairly simple answer and not expect to have to trawl through what appears (most likely incorrectly) excessive and/or unrelated info for what I am trying to acheive.

I am a long term member of other unrelated forums and often get asked questions by noobs as I have been on there for a long time and I try my best to help, I am not used to being the noob!!!!!

I appreciate any guidance offered, JJ

junglejuice wrote:

This isn't going to happen....

good luck with the airstill , if you can't bother to read then there is no bother to distill . . this craft is not that difficult

The simplest answer is probably to find out what a pot still is.
You have been pointed to some reading areas so that should help.
Then you might make one for yourself, or there are some members in most countries who would be willing to do it for you at a reasonable price.
That would give you a good start without too much cost and even if you later get a more advanced still you will find a lot of use for the old pot still.
It can do things the fancy ones can't do as well, too.

junglejuice wrote:Is that because of methanol in the output? I was told by the store that airstills don't produce any methanol......

If airstills 'Don't produce any methanol', it means they don't SEPARATE any methanol. You will be drinking the meths along with the eths.

The most basic pot still, when run correctly, will take out the meths first for you to discard with confidence. If a still can't produce meths in the initial output then it's a health hazard. Your airstill can do it but it's harder to achieve with poor equipment and bad advice.

Welcome, junglejuice...

Air Still = Air Cooled Pot Still

Ditch ALL of the brew shops... They aren't your friends... All they want is to keep a hand in your pocket for as long as possible... Now that you've found your way here, sever the bond... You've already learned more here than you ever will at the brew shop so don't stop now... Head on over to the New Distiller Reading Lounge for starters... Then head for the Tried and True Recipes forums and find an alternative to the turbo washes...

Good luck...

Thanks rad, thats the sort of thing I was looking for.....

Cheers, JJ

All great advice about Brew shops JJ, I only buy some bags of malted barley and some glassware when I get the chance...
They dont even know I'm a stiller. I never make any reference to the aitstill/easy still, ect; fear I give some thing away...

Good to have ya, have fun with the hobby and stay safe mate...

""junglejuice wrote:
Is that because of methanol in the output? I was told by the store that airstills don't produce any methanol......""
this statement is correct,,,but,,no still produces anything,it concentrates alcohol .so what you
put in comes out the other end just stronger.contrary to popular belief there is not much
methanol in most washes/mashes.but there more are in some like apple.but there are other chemicals that should be removed.this varies with the wash/mash.making "cuts" removes
most,but then those distilling 4l dont like to see the there product dwindle to 200ml or so.