GETTING THE BEST FROM AN AIR STILL

[SBB]

I thought this illustration should have its own topic to make it easier to find for Newbies with Air Stills.
This is the best example Ive seen to date of how to run an air still, it shows how to strip your wash and then do a spirit run. It also gives a rough guide to cuts.
Anyone using this method will need to bear in mind that washes will vary in ABV depending on what wash you use. This will have an effect all of the total amounts quoted.
Thanks to Clunk for originally posting it on the forum

[620rossco]

Interesting idea SBB.
I had only really considered these stills LHBS system stills but Frank showed me what can be achieved.
Do you think that the quality is as good as a larger pot still?

[SBB]

Ive never used one myself Rossco, All I can say is that using the above method has to be a heap better than following the original instructions that come with the still.

[620rossco]

Agreed. But it looks like a hell of a lot of work.

[Clunk]

http://www.stillsmart.co.uk/forum/viewt ... ?f=3&t=765
This is where I got the diagram from, yes it may seem like alot of work but we all know the rewards for what extra you put in are worth it.Plus if someone was looking to quicken the process they would look at trading up from an airstill. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Lplater]

That is certainly great info to give you an idea of what to expect. I wish I had this when I first started as I had no idea of how it was all going to work & how much I could hope to get out of a run.
I have done about 15 spirit runs now & I think Im finally starting to get the hang of it.
The following as been my my experience using 25L TPWs and my Airstill and recording all observations after each run.
A run takes about 3 1/4 hrs to go through.
Most of my washes go in at about 12 point something %.
After reading some of the other comments by experienced members on here, I decided to do my cuts in 50,75,100ml cuts ( although now I will collect 150-200ml cuts during hearts & tails ). Yes its time consuming and a can be a pain in the butt but it does heaps for the confidence when you are a newbie and gives you a better understanding of distinguishing the differences between fores/heads/hearts and tails.
I now toss the first 125ml of every spirit run as fores.
Heads vary between 200-300ml
Hearts vary between 500-700ml
Tails vary between 400-700ml ( I usually only run it til it gets to about 25% ABV)
I usually end up with between 500-700ml hearts at approx. 66% ABV from each spirit run.
I save the heads & tails in large marked jars and do a run when I have collected enough. ( I have done a run with mainly tails and some heads added with no ill effect)

[Urrazeb]

Good stuff :handgestures-thumbupleft: Feints runs will see you right mate

[ruskie]

Hi All

With the heads run from the diagram do you discard any of it or as it suggests grab it in 100ml lots until about 55% ABV

[beardrinkshomebrew]

once you collect 1750ml of heads

place in distiller & add water to the 4lt mark

discard the first 150ml

collect 1lt after that

[Oldbowler]

I also enjoyed learning on my airstill and have since upgraded so that I can save time when making my favorites. These are my notes from one of my last batches - they may be of some help to someone starting off. I used a TPW with some barley added made up to 27lts. I added about 2.5lt of feints from the previous batch on the stripping run. So in total did six 4lt stripping runs, then did three 4lt spirit runs

Add 2kg sugar, 250g barley flakes ground in food
processor to boiling water & simmer for 10 mins.
Add 2.2kg sugar, 250g tomato paste & lemon juice (2) off
heat & stir to disolve. Into fermenter, last 2kg sugar
stir to disolve, make up to 27lt with cold water. 100g Lowans Baking Yeast
sprinkled on top, in @ 28 degC.

Racked to secondary fermenter after 1 week
approx 23.2lt. Let stand for another week beofre stripping.

Stripped with previous brew feints to 7.2lt @ 50.7%
watered to 12lt @ 30.4%

Spirits runs produced 2.7lt hearts @ 67.3%

I have also added an attachment of the data table for one of the spirit runs with temps & cuts etc.

Spirits run data table.docx

[AJH1]

Hi all, I see this is an old post but does anyone have the image that was linked please?

Delete reference it now loaded

[RobMichelle]

Hi all, I see this is an old post but does anyone have the image that was linked please?

Delete reference it now loaded

It’s a good guide but I never get anywhere near the figures mentioned. Check the abv from about the 800ml collection mark and it falls away pretty quickly, depending on the wash you made I get from 800ml to 1100ml collection on a stripping run with collection abv around 25-28% and off the spout it’s about 5-8%, good luck and enjoy :-B

[robtes]

I recently got a used standard AS 1/4 of rrp so thats why I am here.

My take so far

It a neat kitchen counter top device that can sit in a corner without too much real estate taken.

its popular to do small batch trials

Its slow cos the power for the boiler is only 350W afaik

A way to speed up this is to heat up the stripping mash on a stove to 60C then pour this into the boiler (saves at least an hour) but warning heating up the 2nd run on a stove is dangerous as your abv maybe 30% DONT USE GAS

A suggested mod was to dissemble the fan header and bring it out to its own supply cord (so it always runs at full mains power). You can then ran the kettle power through a dimmer to slow down the heart stage etc and optimise your cuts etc - this is for developers to improve product

Of course there is the AS pro model head unit which can upgrade your kettle as it includes a reflux column that will take you straight to 95% abv EB ca£250
Anyone tried that?

Any views please? ^:)^

[Wellsy]

I would have thought the best feature of the airstill was the simplicity of its runs.

If you start mucking around with increasing decreasing power you are probably better off taking the next step and getting a larger boiler and still.

[MarkChap]

I recently got a used standard AS 1/4 of rrp so thats why I am here.
Of course there is the AS pro model head unit which can upgrade your kettle as it includes a reflux column that will take you straight to 95% abv EB ca£250
Anyone tried that?
Any views please? ^:)^

Don't think you are going to get 95% from an air still
Even Still Spirits Quote - "The Air Still Pro enables you to produce clean, neutral spirits at up to 90% ABV in reflux mode"

[robtes]

Don't think you are going to get 95% from an air still
Even Still Spirits Quote - "The Air Still Pro enables you to produce clean, neutral spirits at up to 90% ABV in reflux mode"[/quote]

sorry my mistake - should be 90% - 95% is the max theoretical limit :violence-smack:

Ive only ever encountered neat spirit (Sid) in KSA. Gallon plastic pouch full rolling around in the boot of my car - very scary like a car bomb. I quickly diluted it 50:50 with water as soon as I got home. I remember the result was a litre of clean 50 %abv for ca $3.50 amazing against 75cl of sh8tty red label johnny walker £10 in UK taste like burnt rubber - never used it. A black market bottle in KSA was $50

Anyone remember Sid (Siddiqi - friend)

[robtes]

I would have thought the best feature of the airstill was the simplicity of its runs.

If you start mucking around with increasing decreasing power you are probably better off taking the next step and getting a larger boiler and still.

I wasnt suggesting increasing power definitely NOT, but decreasing is a very simple tweak suggested by others that may slow down the 2nd run to get more low wine. The idea being that you set a kitchen timer to collect the foreshot poison stuff for trash, then proceed with the remainder of cuts and set a digital temp alarm 95C to cut off tails These Ebay digital temp switches are very very cheap and work well ca £8.50 (£5.50 at 10 off)

note I think these operate a relay up to 10A ac resistive load only but we are only using ca 1.5A so well within. If going for higher load say 5A I would look for a thyristor model - as with all PRC kit always be very conservative with exaggerated ratings

Screenshot 2025-04-15 162311.png

[robtes]

FWIW guys and my contribution to the KB here, I ve used this thyristor type power controller aka dimmer. Its only for simple resistive heaters (incandescent lamps etc). Spec says 4kW but be conservative with PRC kit and high loads probably need a fan. So 350W is nothing. It sure works for me on a crock pot. The indicator is handy as it displays 0-100 % power using up down push buttons. It also remembers last setting on power off - great value
btw not pushing product here -

Screenshot 2025-04-15 164527.png

[Wellsy]

Simple rule here is always be by your still. Most of us have horror stories that did not happen because we were there to catch it. I think we lol know ppl that have fought with insurance companies to get paid, imagine what they would do if some one tried to claim because they were doing an illegal act.

Just rum smaller batches if you can’t be there to change things out when needed.

[robtes]

Simple rule here is always be by your still. Most of us have horror stories that did not happen because we were there to catch it. I think we lol know ppl that have fought with insurance companies to get paid, imagine what they would do if some one tried to claim because they were doing an illegal act.

Just rum smaller batches if you can’t be there to change things out when needed.

Indeed very sound advise NEVER LEAVE A STILL UNATTENDED.

In KSA it happened several times on rmco properties that a garage would blow up - lose its roof. The cause was invariable loss of water coolant, leaving the boiler to overheat and spread vapour thru the room - highly flammable.

Thats one of the plusses for the AS - no water coolant/pumping system to go wrong.