Airstilling Recipes

[2deadly.308]

Hey lads

I am hitting the road and travelling Aus full time in a van for the next couple of years.

Very sad to have to pack away my 'proper' sized stills into storage, but have ordered an airstill to keep me going while on the road.

It's one of the classic pot still types, not the newer reflux types.

Just looking for any sweet recipes you fellas may have had that work well. I probably drink about a 700ml bottle @40% per month, so not looking for huge quantities, just quality little batches to swig away at, and maybe make some extra for the lady backpackers down the camp kitchen if ya catch my drift...

I cringe at my old sugarhead products, but dont suppose I'll have much luck doing AG washes on the road. Would be willing to give some crude AG recipes a go, although I figure I'll mostly be restricted to sugar washes.

Make a lot of all-molasses rum at home and figure they should be able to be made easily on the little pot still, probably running 2 or 3 times.

looking at wash sizes around 10L only, so will just use a 15 or 20L bucket for fermenting.

Would like to make gins on the go as well, but figure I won't be able to make a good neutral on the airstill. Anyone had any luck with neutrals on them?


Anyway, figured I'd throw it out there for discussion.

Cheers boys

[2deadly.308]

Is this forum still operational?

[The Stig]

Yes the forum is still operating and very active.
It’s just that you’ve asked a very open ended question.
Look at some of the recipes such as weet-bix etc for neutral then look at any gin recipe.
Also look at some of the threads on how to operate an air still for best results

[Wellsy]

Deadly given how low your consumption is, would you consider taking a corny keg of high ABV neutral,or even 2,
And then you would not need to do any washes at all. And just use the airstill to do gin runs

[The Stig]

That’s a great option Wellsy .
Fill 2 x 19L Corny kegs with 90+ and water down and macerate as needed , you could also use some of it for OP rums for those “navy” types found around caravan parks and truck stops

[Wellsy]

I stole the idea from a fellow member who did just that and is currently travelling around Australia.
Apologies to that member as I have forgotten his name. Don’t feel too bad as I have been calling my wife Darl for the last 20 years as I can never remember her name either :laughing-rolling:

[Choppadick]

I have an airstill for travel but also load a 19ltkeg with 96% & take that also. If you heat yourwash in a kettle plus boil water in the air still first you will cut the stilling time way back as element is hot & ready. Put a few mates onto this & they are so happy . Run a Kegomax CM Reflux at home getting 3lts an hr & now have a New Alcoengine Pot Still Distillation Condenser T500 Vodka Spirits Gin Making head coming in the mail to do some good pot work.

[Todd]

I'm not sure about recipes, but I have been using 10l HDPE containers that spring water is sold in for fermenters.

They might make a good size for travelling.

They seem ubiquitous, coles, aldi, star mart, etc all have the same containers just with different stickers on them for around $5.

You will need a funnel though to add ingredients through the small opening.

https://www.coles.com.au/product/coles- ... 0l-4874479

[2deadly.308]

Good to hear from ya's!

The bringing a years supply of neutral is probably the best idea isn't it...

I'm just having to be very anal about weight limits on my van, otherwise I'd throw a full sized keg of neutral in and have all the 'Navy' types offering their wives in exchange for my likka :teasing-neener:

A corny keg is probably going to be better than the usual 5L glasss demijohns I store my neutral in. Just thinking about 5L of 96% alcohol becoming a fragile bomb is concerning, hence my thoughts of wanting to make neutral on the go.

Although heck, lugging around a 10 to 20L wash while waiting for it to ferment out is probably going to affect my weights just as much as a stash of neutral would... Albeit, less likely to explode or have me arrested at the international border into the Socialist Republic of WA or any other controlled checkpoint for 'quarantine' reasons. Guess I could say it's my windscreen washing fluid?

Fuck, doing the maths now and even just 10L of neutral at 96% is going to dilute to 24L at 40%, even with some losses redistilling that should easily cover me and a few backpackers for a decent period on the road.

[2deadly.308]

Cheers for the ideas guys, all taken on board and appreciated

[harold01]

24L should do you 24 days at least

[2deadly.308]

Depends if I get stuck in Adelaide on the way or not :))