Using an airstill for small scale recipe experimentation

[Rumblepants]

Hi Guys,

I am planning on building my own all grain recipe for making a peated whiskey and I was wondering if I could get away with using an Airstill to test out various recipes to find one I like?

Is there much difference between pot stilling in a 50L copper pot still over the Airstill?

Cheers
Rumble

[BigRig]

Sounds like a good idea to me. Make sure to get some copper in the still somewhere though.

[RC Al]

Not 100% up on the output volume of an airstill but have you considered ageing and different oaks in your planned process?

One n done or strip/spirit? If the latter, might be worth doing enough to use your big boiler to strip and the air still for spirit?

[The Stig]

You can’t really do good cuts with an air still , just saying

[bluc]

I do gin in one not sure bout whiskey...

[Rumblepants]

Not 100% up on the output volume of an airstill but have you considered ageing and different oaks in your planned process?

One n done or strip/spirit? If the latter, might be worth doing enough to use your big boiler to strip and the air still for spirit?

My loose plan is to make a few different all grain recipes and try running em once then using the nuclear aging to a approximate the flavour of the end product.

Then once I settle on a recipe I like will scale it up and do larger batches in the 50L pot still.

You can’t really do good cuts with an air still , just saying

This is a good point.

My plan is to try and save on money for grain and time by making small batches. Is it a wasted exercise?

Cheers
Rumble

[RC Al]

Run em all at a decent size so you have drinkable?

My problem is i want them all, picking one recipe to barrel seems an impossible proposition.

How nuanced are the recpies planned? I have been very handsomely gifted some 100% lightly peated malt scotch from on old timer, definitely not the ashtray ive heard described with peat in general.

[Rumblepants]

Run em all at a decent size so you have drinkable?

My problem is i want them all, picking one recipe to barrel seems an impossible proposition.

How nuanced are the recpies planned? I have been very handsomely gifted some 100% lightly peated malt scotch from on old timer, definitely not the ashtray ive heard described with peat in general.

I want them all as well!

I'm looking to make an Islay style scotch along the lines of Ardbeg 10 or Wee Beastie.

Is the Airstill to small to produce something drinkable at say 200 - 400 mls?

Cheers
Rumble

[peter01010101]

Is the Airstill to small to produce something drinkable at say 200 - 400 mls?

I own and regularly use an Airstill, usually re-distilling neutral to make gins etc.. where cuts aren't necessary.

As Stig said earlier, the biggest problem with Airstills is getting meaningful cuts due to the very small sample sizes and lack of control of output flow rate.
A way to lessen the impact is to do multiple stripping runs and a single spirit run (as per any pot still). From what you have said this does not really seem an option as you are looking at small batch / single runs.

With a single run I would suggest that you use a power controller to slow the output. You will need a second power cord to power the condenser fan separately. I use an old PC power cord connected straight to the fan cord. This allows you to slow the rate of boil but leave the condenser fan at 100%. I also have a copper scrubby over the condenser intake (using the Still Spirits gin basket attachment).

A long slow run will improve the output, though I really think a double distillation would really be benificial.

Hope this helps. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Moonshyner]

Is the Airstill to small to produce something drinkable at say 200 - 400 mls?

I own and regularly use an Airstill, usually re-distilling neutral to make gins etc.. where cuts aren't necessary.

As Stig said earlier, the biggest problem with Airstills is getting meaningful cuts due to the very small sample sizes and lack of control of output flow rate.
A way to lessen the impact is to do multiple stripping runs and a single spirit run (as per any pot still). From what you have said this does not really seem an option as you are looking at small batch / single runs.

With a single run I would suggest that you use a power controller to slow the output. You will need a second power cord to power the condenser fan separately. I use an old PC power cord connected straight to the fan cord. This allows you to slow the rate of boil but leave the condenser fan at 100%. I also have a copper scrubby over the condenser intake (using the Still Spirits gin basket attachment).

A long slow run will improve the output, though I really think a double distillation would really be benificial.

Hope this helps. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Thanks....
You've just answered a question I was going to ask.
I also use a copper scrubby in the gin basket but did not know I could use a power controller to 'slow the output'.
What power % should I set the controller at?

[Bob9863]

I bought an all copper bar still to do my testing on, for the same money as an air still you can get a little 5lt elephant trunk still or similar online.
Mine was stupidly expensive but when it's clean and shiny it's a great decorative piece, but running on an alcohol burner it it gets very dirty.
But I get one 750ml bottle of drinking spirits per run so it's perfect for experiments without investing a heap in mash ingredients.
My favourites have been quince, tequila from pure blue agave nectar, whey from non homogenised milk and coffee.

They are great to have as you can have a fully functional display piece.

But I have used an air still a lot, no mess, easy to operate and quick to clean.
But it's hard to get the true potential of a mash from one without doing 3 striping runs and a spirit run.

But you can still get an idea of what the taste will be from one, and if it tastes, good then you know it's a winning mash to go full scale on.



Excuse its messy state, I've done a few runs this week on it and it's been worked like an illegal immigrant this past couple of weeks.
It's going to get the vinegar and tomato past clean this weekend to make it all shiny again, well until the sorghum and rye whiskey batches are ready to run anyway.

[The Stig]

Hey Bob , you got a link to where that came from ?

[Bob9863]

Luckily I found one pretty easy, I got mine about 4-5 years back so I don't remember where it came from but they have them here.

https://homemakeit.com.au/products/copp ... hermometer

https://artisansbottega.com.au/italian- ... meter.html

If I find one again I will let you know, they are really well made with the thickest copper I've ever seen on a still that size.