Getting the most out of an Air Still

[alenub]

Hey guys! Long time reader first time poster.

I've owned an air still for about a year now because I have been fascinated with the science (and art) of distilling and wanted to start off with something very accessible to me here in Australia. I live in a very small apartment and host lots of company, and I chose the air still to keep in the kitchen without getting dirty looks It was enough to learn the basics and no matter how often I strip washes I am amazed at what comes out of the other end, even if it smells like the missus' nail polish remover!

What I wanted to ask you gurus is, what's the most I can expect from this 4L air still in terms of alcohol quality? I've ran things through it from old leftover wine to batches of Birdwatcher's wash, and I can get fairly clean-tasting spirit eventually... but it takes me several runs and even then it's not quite as clean as I'd like. I know plenty of you might tell me simple facts - if I want cleaner alcohol I have to get a better still. But I'd like to see how much I can get out of this bugger whilst it's in my possession.

As of this writing I am stripping the last of my 22L BW wash and will then begin distilling the stripped wash. I have been collecting 600-700ml of the 4L depending on taste, when I believe there's mostly tails left and it starts to taste "dirty" and diluted like there's water starting to come through. But from there I feel I could be doing better. I can identify the nasties, the foreshots, the tails and I'm getting better with practice, but I can't identify a stage (even after 2-3 distillations) where pure hearts are coming out. Maybe it's the small still (4L) or the fact it's just an air still, but I feel I won't be getting clean alcohol without being extremely strict with heads/tails and doing it over and over again.

Any advice for me?

[Dnderhead]

first its a pot still .this means there is no sharp cut points.its more like a big hill.you go up one side getting rid of heads somewhere at the top its pretty flat(harts) then you start down the other side increasing in tales.

now with such a small still you have more like a bump.by the time you git to the top of the heads you start down the other side with tales.and no or little across the top "harts"
if you need a demonstration .draw a "mountain" on paper.the more "nasties"in your wash higher you make the Mountain. now mark heads going up,,harts on the top.. and tales going down,,this is what you have..
now cut your "mountain" in half.spread the two halves.now this is what you have with a bigger still.sort of goes up flattens out then back down,the bigger the still the bigger the on top "flat" (harts")

next you dont have the right still to make "clean" alcohol,in one run.a pot still is for flavored ,this is to say a pot still carries flavor over with the alcohol.so you need a "good" flavored wash. if you want "clean" alcohol then a reflux still is much better suited.a reflux still makes the heads and tales much sharper.

[alenub]

Thanks Dnderhead that was exactly what I needed to hear very much appreciated!

Just a few more questions:

What sort of alcohol styles would be best suited to the limitations of a small pot still such as this 4L air still?

Is there anything I can do to my current low wines (add sodium bicarbonate, dilute with water, etc.) to make cut points clearer on this still, or should I just not attempt to make neutrals with it?

Is there anyone else in my situation who has maximized the potential of this still? Any washes or recipes that an air still does particularly well with? I've done a casual search in the forums but most of those have moved on to bigger and better stills, and while that will be me in a few years I'm stuck with the one I've got as I can't move on to anything more conspicuous.

[Dnderhead]

you cant make a "neutral" with a pot still.but you can make a vodka.this will have a slight flavor.
and pot stilled vodka is made just as you have been doing ,,multiple runs.doing this you should have a good tasting wash/mash to start with.

[Usge]

first its a pot still .this means there is no sharp cut points.its more like a big hill.you go up one side getting rid of heads somewhere at the top its pretty flat(harts) then you start down the other side increasing in tales.

now with such a small still you have more like a bump.by the time you git to the top of the heads you start down the other side with tales.and no or little across the top "harts"
if you need a demonstration .draw a "mountain" on paper.the more "nasties"in your wash higher you make the Mountain. now mark heads going up,,harts on the top.. and tales going down,,this is what you have..
now cut your "mountain" in half.spread the two halves.now this is what you have with a bigger still.sort of goes up flattens out then back down,the bigger the still the bigger the on top "flat" (harts")

next you dont have the right still to make "clean" alcohol,in one run.a pot still is for flavored ,this is to say a pot still carries flavor over with the alcohol.so you need a "good" flavored wash. if you want "clean" alcohol then a reflux still is much better suited.a reflux still makes the heads and tales much sharper.

Dunder...that's probably the best description of the issues with cuts involving a smaller volume potstill Iv'e ever seen

[Odin]

I started this hobby with an airstill and tried to make neutral. It works, but you will have to take wide, really wide cuts. And distill 4 times (diluting to 40% after each run). This can only be done with a pretty plain sugar wash like BW. Still, after 4 runs and diluting to drinking strength again, you need to air out a lot, even distress age to get rid of more (off) tastes. Lots of work.

I remember doing 6 first distillations on my 24 liters. Than 2 second distillation rounds, and so on.

Is your airstill manageable? How much watt does it have. If it is like 750 watts on 4 liters, you really cannot make any cuts at all. Heads will smear into hearts will smear into tails. If you have like a 300 watts version, it is already better. A 300 watts version you can regulate back is even better. Run it at 60 to 70% to get better results.

Over here, in Holland, we found out that some airstills have holes in them. Since they are originally water distillers, the hole is there for chlorine gasses to evaporate out of the system. When used in an alcohol rich environment, this gives big safety issues and low yields (in your collection cup that is). You mite want to take the head section apart to see if yours is flawed or okay.

Mine is okay. I like it. I make gins (hot compounding, berries and herbs in the wash) from a neutral vodka with this small distiller.

Odin.

PS: Dunder that IS a great explanation!

[rad14701]

I'm sure I've said this somewhere before, and maybe right in this very topic, but here we go again for those who haven't read it... Brew shops push turbo yeast along with air stills because they can convince novices that they can get a fair amount of medium to high proof alcohol out of the little pot still in a single run...Clearing agents and carbon filtering help convince said novices that they are expert moonshiners... Turbo washes should be run through a reflux column so that the nasties can be stripped out, if they can be... So an air still is a pot still and turbo yeast is not the right choice for use in them... Run it as a pot still using a decent recipe and you will have greater success - at least until you decide to scale up...

Now, repeat after me, "An air still is a pot still"... And again . . . . And again . . . .

[Odin]

I couldn't agree more, Rad!

Odin.

[alenub]

@Odin – Great post mate, thank you for your input. It’s good to hear experienced distillers still use their air still for something so I can get an idea for what recipes work. I’m willing to drink anything that tastes good so I’m not worried about styles (gin, vodka, etc.). My air still is a Still Spirits brand so it’s a hole-less 700mL variety. I want to maximize its potential since I’m stuck with it for a while.

@Rad – I’ve been brewing beer for many years and I have never advocated turbo yeast. I bought the air still strictly for its inconspicuous design and getting into the hobby of distilling, not for magical promises of instant drinkable alcohol. However, as I was reading your comment I stumbled upon Photonic’s response to your All Bran Recipe in tried and true (he tried it in his air still and loved it) and I’d like to give it a whirl.

After reading everyone’s responses and doing a bit more research on the forums, BW wasn’t the best choice of wash for my pot still and I've learned a lesson.

[alenub]

Now what to do with all my low wines while I start a batch of all-bran

[aegean66]

Well I've been using an air still for more than 12 months now, and I love it.

I've used bird watchers recipe, I've used triple distilled turbo yeast, i've used 24 hour turbo yeast. Basically after many distillations I simply cannot tell the difference between recipes. So basically, if I want alcohol fast I'll use 24 hr yeast, if i'm just doing another batch I'll use birdwathers (due to its low cost).

I produce a neutral spirit, and to do so I do this;

I ferment out a 25L wash, I'll leave it for a day or so, I don't even use clearing agents

I'll rack off into another container with a tap at bottom and pour directly into air still

I've used my wash crystal clear (using finings) and cloudy, but from what I can tell no difference, so clearing to me is over emphasised

Once I've distilled 700ml, I dilute to 1L and pour into a bottle with three or four teaspoons of granulated carbon and shake up a few times a day for 3 or 4 days.

I then strain this using a funnel with cotton wool and re-distill

Result clear spirit, no taste.

I've got myself inot a routine with this and never run short of alcohol. If I want something other than vodka I'll use commerical flavourings.

Because it is a pot still I didnt think I could get something so clean, but hell it is clean.

Would like to try a whisky recipe for something different but haven,t ventured there yet.

I can hear everyone saying (get a real still)... but my air still is great, its inconspicuous, looks like a normal kitchen appliance, and after a few experiments and getting into a routine it is all you need. 6L per week (that's enough for me with plenty left over to share on occasions).

[rad14701]

aegean66, what you are doing may work for you, but you aren't making neutral spirits with an air still... An air still is just a simple pot still and nothing more...

That being said, you can't get the %ABV of the distilled spirits up into the "neutral spirits" range even with multiple dilutions and distillations... It's also no wonder you can't tell much if any difference between wash recipes if you aren't properly racking to eliminate the trub but, rather, just pouring the wash into the air still... Perhaps you just haven't made and tasted good spirits yet and the excitement has your taste buds fooled... You wouldn't be the first person who thought his home distilled spirits tasted better than they actually do...

I'm not knocking you, I'm just a bit surprised that you are getting far better results than everyone else with such a lack of effort invested... But, hey, if you're happy and are staying safe then I guess that's all that really matters...

[Odin]

Aegean,

I do not know your type of airstill, but I know mine works. One of the good things about mine is it has a power regulator. I can reduce energy input & up reflux. Getting me from 40% low wines (or diluted double distilled "low" wines) to 80%. And it is 4 liters which is more than 700 mls. My experience is that you can make a descent neutral with an airstill, but you have to distill a lot. Like 3 to 4 times. And take wide cuts on all your distilling rounds. The problem with making whiskey might be that the content is so small that it is easy to miss transition points. A very narrow cut on whiskey distillation may give you a less tasty product. And if you cannot regulate power on your airstill, you might push in too much watts and getting head & tails in your middle run.

For me the airstill was a first step. I loved it for learming about distilling, since they are pretty fool proof to run. I loved even better to upgrade from there to other equipment. Try a boka if you are after neutral or VM. Nowadays I use my airstill like once a month when I make me (& friends) some 3 to 4 liters of genever.

When you want a "hot compounded" gin and you are after no more than 3 to 4 liters in one go, an airstill (or at least mine) is a great addition. But running like 24 liters of wash thru it, is a pain. 6 first distillations, 2 second distillations, 2 third distillations. Kept me busy for a week or so!

Have fun, stay safe!

Odin.

[retlaw]

first its a pot still .this means there is no sharp cut points.its more like a big hill.you go up one side getting rid of heads somewhere at the top its pretty flat(harts) then you start down the other side increasing in tales.

now with such a small still you have more like a bump.by the time you git to the top of the heads you start down the other side with tales.and no or little across the top "harts"
if you need a demonstration .draw a "mountain" on paper.the more "nasties"in your wash higher you make the Mountain. now mark heads going up,,harts on the top.. and tales going down,,this is what you have..
now cut your "mountain" in half.spread the two halves.now this is what you have with a bigger still.sort of goes up flattens out then back down,the bigger the still the bigger the on top "flat" (harts")

next you dont have the right still to make "clean" alcohol,in one run.a pot still is for flavored ,this is to say a pot still carries flavor over with the alcohol.so you need a "good" flavored wash. if you want "clean" alcohol then a reflux still is much better suited.a reflux still makes the heads and tales much sharper.

well put, i have a question if you don't mind ,
in a large pot still (150L) with plenty of head space does the amount of harts depend on how big and long the copper pipe goes from the top of the pot to the downward decent of the condensing coil?
also does a longer length in the copper coil make for larger volume of tails?
would a thumper make more harts?

[Dnderhead]

how much fores heads ,harts and tales depend on how much wash/mash,how much there is in the wash/mash and how concentrated they are. these very that is why there is no set amount.

[aegean66]

Rad,

I said in my post that I have racked off properly in the past, I've cleared the wash to clear as water, and racked off to a new container. What I am saying is that I can't tell the difference whether I rack properly or not, so hence I no longer bother as it doesnt give me any better results.

I may not be technically producing neutral spirits, however the methed I use I cannot tell the difference between commercial vodka and my own product. The secret seem to be in the carbon. The combination of sitting on carbon for a few days and two distillations gives me a no taste spirit.

cheers.

[monkeyboy]

I've had my air still for about 6 months now and i find it takes forever to get through the 50L batches i make.. so I've gone and got myself an 8L tea urn off ebay (not much of a size upgrade i know) and modified it to fit the condenser from the air still on top.. It heats up in about half the time, then i turn the power down using a 1kw dimmer switch to around 450w - i can get through my 50L wash in about a day, then i run the low wines back through on the second day. 10L of 40% after diluting and thats me sorted for a couple of months.
I find that for those 2 days u have all sorts of ideas to upgrade to a reflux still or a bigger pot still, but when its all done and bottled up i just chuck that thing under the sink and forget all about it till next time.

[blanikdog]

... if you need a demonstration .draw a "mountain" on paper.the more "nasties"in your wash higher you make the Mountain. now mark heads going up,,harts on the top.. and tales going down,,this is what you have..
now cut your "mountain" in half.spread the two halves.now this is what you have with a bigger still.sort of goes up flattens out then back down,the bigger the still the bigger the on top "flat" (harts") ...

Magnificent explanation, Dunder.

[gumbl]

Hey guys.
Just to be sure, when using my air still, I should not distill anything stronger than 40%?
I am planning on making some absinthe, so I really need the strong stuff . So far I've only managed to get to about 79%.

[Durace11]

Hey guys.
Just to be sure, when using my air still, I should not distill anything stronger than 40%?
I am planning on making some absinthe, so I really need the strong stuff . So far I've only managed to get to about 79%.

That is correct, you really don't need more than that, even for absinthe. Most of the commercial examples have been getting higher and higher proof in recent years. If you look at old bottles of absinthe they are mostly below 65% ABV, some as low as 45% ABV so you should be fine at 79%. If you feel you really need 95% you need to reflux. Right tools for the job and all.

[gumbl]

That is correct, you really don't need more than that, even for absinthe. Most of the commercial examples have been getting higher and higher proof in recent years. If you look at old bottles of absinthe they are mostly below 65% ABV, some as low as 45% ABV so you should be fine at 79%. If you feel you really need 95% you need to reflux. Right tools for the job and all.

What about the maceration? Isn't it needed to have atleast 85% for that part?

Thanks for the answer.

[Prairiepiss]

You will just have to adjust to the ABV you can get. There ain't much more you can do. If you can't make it with what you have. Or get a reflux still that will produce what you need.

[gumbl]

You will just have to adjust to the ABV you can get. There ain't much more you can do. If you can't make it with what you have. Or get a reflux still that will produce what you need.

Wish I could get a reflux.. Just isn't available here and I sure can't build one

Glad I found this site, else I would be distilling 79% this weekend

[Dnderhead]

its not just having a reflux its having something bigger. putting a reflux head on a 4 quart/liter still is not worth starting up.

[Prairiepiss]

If you can get an air still. You should be able to get a reflux still?

[gumbl]

No where I know.. Got the air still from a guy selling it behind the counter. Could probably get someone to make a reflux still, but I guess it'd cost a fortune

[Usge]

edit: Sorry...see you are in AU. There are plenty of shops and people selling complete distillers in AU that can ship to you. Our own Olddog here...(he's not around much but you can PM him) can make just about anything. StillDragon.com sells and ships in AU. There are plenty others...I'm sure. And plenty of members here from AU who might be able to point you in the right direction.

[gumbl]

edit: Sorry...see you are in AU. There are plenty of shops and people selling complete distillers in AU that can ship to you. Our own Olddog here...(he's not around much but you can PM him) can make just about anything. StillDragon.com sells and ships in AU. There are plenty others...I'm sure. And plenty of members here from AU who might be able to point you in the right direction.

I'm not sure if this was meant for me or not, but I'm in Iceland. It's not legal to own the equipment needed for distilling, so I think it's not possible to get one shipped over. For now, the airstill has to do the job

[Durace11]

What about the maceration? Isn't it needed to have atleast 85% for that part?
Thanks for the answer.

I have done macerations at 50% for gin so you should be fine. You can just let it sit longer if the spice needs more time to get to the flavor profile you want.

[gumbl]

Ok, thanks! Will try it out