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Newbie just starting out

PostPosted: Fri Sep 27, 2019 10:06 pm
by Mattstapo
Hey there everyone!

So I starting small. Have bought myself an airstill to begin with and upgrade as life goes on and I get better at this.

Have got a standard 10l turbo yeast wash on with everything that came with the airstill. Had a fermenter left over from brewing beer and have got a TPW cranking at 27ish litres and 6 kgs of sugar.

Have only scraped the surface of cuts by reading info on here but honestly I think right now it's info overload haha

I'm in Townsville so I'm thinking of Setting up the fridge downstairs for my fermenters soon.

Anyway peace out and stay safe!! :text-thankyoublue:

Re: Newbie just starting out

PostPosted: Sat Sep 28, 2019 5:46 am
by The Stig
Welcome.
Sorry to say but TPW and the air still don't really go together, your going to make a really weak tomato soup alcohol.
You would be so much better doing one if the cereal wash's

Re: Newbie just starting out

PostPosted: Sat Sep 28, 2019 6:36 am
by Mattstapo
Been reading all about the tpw. First I have heard about a cereal wash. Any links to a good thread on them?
Happy to experiment with any suggestions. I'll eventually move on from the airstill.

Re: Newbie just starting out

PostPosted: Sat Sep 28, 2019 6:40 am
by The Stig

Re: Newbie just starting out

PostPosted: Sat Sep 28, 2019 8:14 am
by woodduck
Welcome mate.

Definitely try one of the cereal washes mate, it will be way better than the turbos.

Good luck

Re: Newbie just starting out

PostPosted: Sat Sep 28, 2019 10:41 am
by Professor Green
Welcome mate.

A big +1 on what the others have said. The air still is a pot still which won't strip much of the flavours from the washes you're distilling. If you're going to have flavours, a nice wheat or corn flavour would be preferable to a nasty tomato flavour.

It's also worth reading the thread on how to get the best from your air still here.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

Re: Newbie just starting out

PostPosted: Sat Sep 28, 2019 9:58 pm
by southern45
Run that turbo wash through the AirStill as a cleaner and to get a hang of how it operates, don't drink the product. ;-) Then ditch at the turbo and charcoal and filers and rubbish that the HBS set you up with. Get on a WBAB or Corn Flake Wash! Welcome to the rabbit hole of Aussie Distillers. Many hours of reading, head scratching, more reading, research, even more reading and also a few hours of actual distilling await you! Enjoy!

Re: Newbie just starting out

PostPosted: Sun Sep 29, 2019 9:14 am
by dans.brew
Welcome Mattsapo!
Mattstapo wrote:Have only scraped the surface of cuts by reading info on here but honestly I think right now it's info overload haha

As a newbie i would really take the time to read through the process of doing cuts through a spirit run. Doing correct cuts and to your taste is something that comes with time and experience, but at least having the process correctly in your mind your off to a great start.
It's amazing how often it comes up in convo of people doing a bit of home distilling, but its even more amazing how many of them look at you blank faced when one mentions the term 'cuts'. So if you can get this down pat after time, your going to be ahead of a lot of people. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Re: Newbie just starting out

PostPosted: Sun Sep 29, 2019 11:29 am
by Mattstapo
Thanks all for the info. Well I'm glad I'm here. Reading and going through this huge learning process with all of you guys and gals steering me in the right direction.
I'm gonna get me another fermenter and get onto these alternative washes.

Thanks everyone.

Re: Newbie just starting out

PostPosted: Mon Oct 21, 2019 5:36 pm
by Mattstapo
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have a question to pose.
I'm running the airstill and with my 25l washes in doing stripping runs then spirit runs.
I have 1750ml of heads and I'm diluting it to 40 and throwing in the airstill. I'm wondering considering I collected foreshots already do I need to again?

And how should I stage a heads run? Do I also take heads, cut and tails from it too?

Thanks all

Re: Newbie just starting out

PostPosted: Mon Oct 21, 2019 9:39 pm
by woodduck
When you say heads are you talking what you've cut from other runs or are you talking low wines which is the uncut spirit from the strip runs? I guess either way you should take a fores cut, just a small one, it's only heads anyway and you should do cuts on any spirit you want to drink. You don't need to cut on strip runs.

Re: Newbie just starting out

PostPosted: Tue Oct 22, 2019 10:29 am
by Mattstapo
This is how I'm going about things with the airstill

Re: Newbie just starting out

PostPosted: Tue Oct 22, 2019 9:01 pm
by woodduck
Ok so yes on the "heads" run you should definitely cut as there will be a lot of heads and you will only get a small amount of hearts out of that I'm guessing.

That is a pretty good guide to running a air still but please remember that each wash is different so don't just use the measurements for cuts, use your taste and smell as well. It will take some time and practice but doing cuts properly will make a world of difference.

Re: Newbie just starting out

PostPosted: Wed Oct 23, 2019 5:37 am
by Mattstapo
Thanks a plenty woodduck :-)
Have been using the honker to sniff the cuts.
I'll keep on practicing and perfect it soon :-)