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TPW through Airstill

PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 6:49 pm
by zwagerman9
Nothing to informative yet,
But have just completed my TPW with 5kg of sugar as per recipe, OG 1.080 - FG 0.990 So rough ABV 13%?
Have just heated a pot and transferred to air still, to speed up the heating process a little,
Plan is to ditch maybe 100ml foreshots, ATTEMPT to figure out some rough cuts initially (will be more dedicated on my second distillation). Am going to attempt to use my alcoholmeter to get the right idea initially.
Plan is to double distill the batch.
Any advice?
I have read around a bit. Learning process

Cheers

Rae

Re: TPW through Airstill

PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 6:51 pm
by QLD.Andy
I only ever ditched the first 20 or 30ml, I think its enough.

Re: TPW through Airstill

PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 6:53 pm
by wynnum1
Save the 100ml foreshots .

Re: TPW through Airstill

PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 8:45 pm
by zwagerman9
How much would you collect on a first distill of TPW with plans to re-run. etc

Re: TPW through Airstill

PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 9:46 am
by wynnum1
If wash is 13 % and you put all first run into second run would be less then 26% second wash you run .

Re: TPW through Airstill

PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 9:55 am
by QLD.Andy
zwagerman9 wrote:How much would you collect on a first distill of TPW with plans to re-run. etc

Collect the first 20 - 30ml and save as window cleaner.
Then collect 1100 - 1200 to rerun.
On second run, collect first 20 - 30ml and save as window cleaner then collect 800 - 900ml and filter then drink.
Frank may have other ideas as he ran with the airstill longer than I did but the above is what I ended up doing.

Re: TPW through Airstill

PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 10:10 am
by wynnum1
put the heads and tails in with the next wash best to do all spirit runs after the original run .The higher % wash will give better results.If it tastes good keep it if not rerun dilute with wash.

Re: TPW through Airstill

PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 1:07 pm
by zwagerman9
Apparently Ive been a bit over the top with foreshots, taking 100ml foreshots, ive been collecting then another 700ml spirit. but after that i start getting red tomatoe specs in my wash anythoughts on that?
Cheers

Rae
(Pre heating wash in stock pot before airstill makes a huge difference in times, knocks nearly and hour off the process)

Re: TPW through Airstill

PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 6:18 pm
by Frank
Mate
if you are doing a strip run, its 'ok' to keep the foreshots...it matters not until the spirit run (ie consumption run) IMHO.
Also if you are heating the first wash/run in a pot to speed up things :handgestures-thumbupleft:, put some boiling water in the airstill and put the lid on at the same time; for the same reason.
Re TPW coming through the vapour path, yep, it happens a bit, but moreso if the TPW wasnt allowed to fully settle in the fermenter first and/or was extracted without racking first. Might be bullsh#t, but since I started putting copper pieces in the airstill, I have not had the TPW bits coming through at all (and, besides, the copper DOES assist re smell/taste etc).

OK if this is a 5kg sugar/25l wash, that'll equal 6 Airstill stripruns....
So...collect around 1200ml per run to get enough for 2 final runs.
Then on the sprit runs, exclude 50ml minimum foreshots and the rest is up to you but there WILL be heads in there.
I'm pretty comfortable with collecting about 200ml post foreshots, then (separately) all I can until the ABV settles at around 40%ABV again (just guessing but maybe about 800ml).

If you choose, you can then keep the next distillate separately until it gets to about skankyville (say, 20%abv??). That way, the first collect of 250ml and the last collect of about the same will be useful in adding to your next spirit run if you like.

Else just keep separate the first 200ml and decide, after airing, if its worth mixing with your best bit collected (aka 'hearts').

Please note: there are MANY diff ideas here and a PM request will allow me to crap on further :laughing-rolling:

Re: TPW through Airstill

PostPosted: Wed Nov 13, 2013 12:51 pm
by gtirdoc
Hi Guys
I want to try give Franks Method on cuts a try and wanted to know if he puts his wash into the air sill and his filling it to the level indicator and gets 1100ml or 1200ml out of his first run does he water that down to 40% and puts it back into the sill and then on his final run trashes the first 50ml and gets a nice clean 800ml out of it and waters it done for his final drink?

And wants a good amount of water to boil and put into the still to speed things up while you warm some of the wash on a pot?

Re: TPW through Airstill

PostPosted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 8:37 pm
by Kimbo
gtirdoc wrote:Hi Guys
I want to try give Franks Method on cuts a try and wanted to know if he puts his wash into the air sill and his filling it to the level indicator and gets 1100ml or 1200ml out of his first run does he water that down to 40% and puts it back into the sill and then on his final run trashes the first 50ml and gets a nice clean 800ml out of it and waters it done for his final drink?

And wants a good amount of water to boil and put into the still to speed things up while you warm some of the wash on a pot?

Hi Mate,
Firstly, welcome to the forum. As a rule of thumb, you should always dilute any spirit to a max of 40% before re distilling :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Now, how bout popping into the welcome center and introducing yourself :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Re: TPW through Airstill

PostPosted: Fri Oct 06, 2017 9:58 am
by ruskie
Frank wrote:I started putting copper pieces in the airstill, I have not had the TPW bits coming through at all (and, besides, the copper DOES assist re smell/taste etc).



Hi all I know this a very old thread I have a question on the cooper pieces Frank users. How manly and how big?

I am very new to distilling, bought an Airstill due to space issues, I have done my first run using the kit that came with it, still sitting in oak chips before I can sample it, but have been reading up on this TPW and think I want to give it a go. The airstill only came with a 10L fermenter, is it better to go get a 30L one?

Re: TPW through Airstill

PostPosted: Fri Oct 06, 2017 10:18 am
by The Stig
Copper needs to be in the vapor path to be effective.
So, dropping copper into the boiling wash "probably" wont do anything other than break up the bubbles just like the ceramic things they give you.

Re: TPW through Airstill

PostPosted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 6:50 pm
by ruskie
Frank wrote:Also if you are heating the first wash/run in a pot to speed up things


How much should you be heating the wash up in a pot, to just hot, simmering, boiling?

When putting boiling water in the still do you turn it on or just keep the water in there to heat the inside?

Re: TPW through Airstill

PostPosted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 7:05 pm
by Professor Green
ruskie wrote:
Frank wrote:Also if you are heating the first wash/run in a pot to speed up things


How much should you be heating the wash up in a pot, to just hot, simmering, boiling?

When putting boiling water in the still do you turn it on or just keep the water in there to heat the inside?


I don't think you want to boil the wash in a pot mate; that would be outright dangerous. :law-policered:

Personally I wouldn't bother pre heating the wash before distilling. If I did however, a fermenter heat belt, pad or aquarium heater is as hot a I would go.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

Re: TPW through Airstill

PostPosted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 7:16 pm
by bluc
Heating the wash will release ethanol vapour..wouldnt go above 40c :-B unless in the still boiler..

Re: TPW through Airstill

PostPosted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 7:27 pm
by ruskie
Thanks guys for the advise.

I was thinking that boiling would be too much. Based on what I have read in this thread I thought the pre heat was a good way to speed the overall process up. Putting a 25l wash through a airstill sounds like a bit of a marathon.