Hi @oxideblitz7283. Yes and no. Yes, it does click out so to reset it you need to push it in, but you probably won't visually be able to see any real difference is the switch. It won't be that you can walk past it and notice that it has tripped. When the switch needs to be reset, you only push it in a few mm, so it isn't that profound.
THAT was a bloody good video Everything I needed to learn. Must be a carpenter, NAILED IT. I’m still in the researching before buying stage. The T500 wouldn’t not have been a mistake to buy, but this looks to have a few extra things like the insulation jacket, the attached handles & full control of the power, better tap etc…all (I think) I could add to a T500 but it’s all here out of the box. If I find a 2nd hand T500 and it was dirt cheap I’d probably buy it & upgrade it (depending how old it was) but geez…pretty hard to not just get a new Love Brewing boiler. Don’t think I’d regret buying a T500 but Love Brewing kinda edges in front for me. Everyone’s different so I guess (?) there is no one perfect set up but gee you kinda showed the step up here & you were no BS, straight as unbiased & telling it like it is Hitting subscribe & line was super easy. Keep up the good work 😎 (I’m in Australia & still trying to find a importer/dealer here) Thanks for excellent video 😎😎😎
Hi @peterrobins666, I am so glad you found my video useful. I have two T500 boilers, and really like them. But having things like the handles at the top, that is a big thing for me for when I need to empty it. The metal tap is also far better than the plastic tap, but I know the new T500 model has switched over to a metal one as well (I wonder where they copied the idea from?). Also, the new T500 have two power switches for the two internal heating elements (again, wonder where they got that idea from? lol).
I'm currently fermenting two batches of the exact same Alcotec product and I appreciate you leaving up the video for the previous wash which you had to dump. This is my first time brewing so the information in the videos and the comments sections are invaluable.
Hi @redshiftdrifter, first off, welcome to brewing! I hope that you enjoy yourself and you continue for many years to come. Thank you for your comment. Take what I say and everybody else with a pinch of salt. What I mean is that what works for me, may not work for you. Same as, others may say in the comments what they do, and this may or may not work for you. Sadly there is no one set of rules or instructions that you can follow. Read and watch what people do (as you are), then try the different techniques and see what works for you. Then, try them slightly differently or completely new things to see if they are better suited for you. Don't do too much all at once as you are new and it may get too confusing. Take you time, and enjoy the journey.
Thank you very much @csandberg3026. Yes, when I first got my kits, I was very confused by the KegLand video on how to fit it. I then watched other videos people had done on how to fit them, then realised that there was a far simpler way to do it. I am glad this helped you.
I appreciate the fact that you left this clip up. Regardless of it being a success or failure the comments section is gold for a person like me starting out.
Hi @redshiftdrifter, it can be very difficult to know what videos could be removed, even if people disagree with you. I totally agree with you though, to read what people think I should have done, can be very useful to others.
Hi @davebower5904, sadly the only place that I could find good connectors from was AliExpress. Yes, you can find metal (well, brass coated) connectors on ebay or Amazon, but these are expensive, very heavy and they rust after a few months (well, they did for me). The connectors that I use are actually made for air, so you know they can take a lot of pressure. The link for them is below. If you are using 6ID 10OD tubing (like me), you will want the '30PP and 30SP' model. www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003017039024.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.95.5cf91802xn6eGq
I did my stripping run in my normal still and then poured two litres of 35 abv to the air still pro. It stopped after just starting pouring some miles. In regards of doing spirits run in reflux mode. There’s no enough instruction from the company and how much maximum can this still give me. Two litres of 35 should give 700 miles 90 abv. I’m really confused about this problem.
You will always lose spirit each time you run a still. I can't tell you the amount or percentage that will be lost as it will depend on the volume and ABV of your spirit and also what type of cuts you make. When you run in reflux mode for example, if you are doing your spirit run you will want to stop at or before it drops to 60% ABV as your tails will be soon behind it. If you do not make cuts and try to get everything out of it, you will get some nasty smells and tastes.
Agreed, many people love them for spirit distilling. It it is the same as somebody could slate Volvo cars (or any make) and many would agree with them, but many will disagree saying that Volvos are the best cars ever made. I personally do not like water distillers for processing ethanol. Since this video, I have used my water distiller twice with two different washes I made (one Kale, one Turbo Yeast) as some are right, how can I say they are not good when I haven't tried it myself. In all honesty, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but I did get a lot of off flavours (mainly from the turbo yeast) which I wasn't happy with. You could say that it is because I am used to the 95.5& ABV I get from my T500 column, so I am used to cleaner spirit. So, I compared it to the Air Still Pro running in pot still mode (which is the same as a standard Air Still) & the Alembic condenser on my 25 litre boiler. The water distiller did add in a lot more off flavours than I personally would be happy with compared to the other stills that I have.
Personally I think for stripping runs they will work a dream as it will get the ethanol out quick and fast due to the high wattage heating element they have.
Hi @mohammedabushoog4898. Each still has different abilities and suits different people. The T500 Reflux column is the only one that needs constant cool/cold water to allow it to work in reflux mode. It is though not automatic, you need to make minor adjustments on the amount of water going to it. The Air Still can only run in pot mode, but does not need a water supply, that keeps the condenser cool by a big fan on the top of it. The Air Still Pro can do pot and reflux modes, and like the Air Still uses a big fan to keep the condensers cool, it does not need a water supply. Does that answer your question?
Your T500 looks different. You changed the boiler. What is this boiler and in regard of T500 stainless column or copper column. Which one do you recommend
The large 25 litre boiler isn't a T500. Sadly Still Spirits named them badly. So, Still Spirits released a 25 litre boiler which is called the 'T500' boiler. The condenser on the top is actually called the 'Turbo 500', but everybody just calls it the T500. So now you have people talking about their T500, but you are not sure if they are meaning a boiler, a condenser or both! In my video, the 25 litre boiler is made by a UK company called Love Brewing (under the brand 'Spirit Works'). Like the T500 boiler it has 2.2kw of heating power. What makes this model different though is that it has a temperature controller computer built into it, so you can set a temperature and it will get the contents to that temperature, and hold it there. This is very useful as you can brew your wash in the boiler. To answer your other question, which T500 column should you buy, Stainless or Copper, that is difficult to answer. Getting as much copper in the path of ethanol vapours is always a good thing. But it costs extra money to buy the copper version. Personally I would buy the stainless steel one, and use the money you saved to buy some Copper SPP and put that in as packing instead of some of the standard stainless steel packing that came with the T500. That will give you more copper and will also help give you ever so slightly higher ABV (so purer output).
Everybody will have their own thoughts on this. Some will quote 'scientific facts' that they read on a web site. Personally I think that the copper should go in at the bottom, so the vapour hits it first, before it gets to the stainless steel. The T500 column and the Air Still are both loaded so the vapour hits the steel first, then reaches the copper last. This may be because they think this is the proper way, or could be because the copper is so small and they worry about them falling out when the customer opens the unit up. But, as I said, people will give their own thoughts of which way round it should be. I have not done a test spirit run with them in both directions to see if I could smell or taste a difference, and to honest, IF there was a difference, I don't think there would be much in it and my taste buds would probably not be able to tell the difference.
Hi there. During distillation of a sugar wash, my Air Still's lid is sometimes lifting off the unit with vapour shooting out the sides when it does so. This is quite alarming. In my latest run, I have: - Run hot water through the condenser tube several times before the distillation - Stirred the wash thoroughly to de-gas it - Added 10 ceramic cooking beads to the bottom of the still - Added a knob of butter to change surface tension So, I did everything "right", yet while watching there was a moment of several seconds where liquid stopped coming out of the nozzle, and this was followed by a pressure surge and the lid lifting off the still, with vapour shooting out the sides, followed by liquid resuming coming out of the nozzle. I switched it off and let it cool down overnight and gave the seal a wipe around with a dry paper towel. I have restarted the still now, but am worried it may happen again. I have had runs where this doesn't happen at all, without doing all the above steps. Yet in around half of the runs this will happen. Do you have any suggestions, please? Thanks. 😊
Hi, sorry for my late reply. I have three questions for you. 1. How old is your Air Still? 2. How often a month (or year) do you use it? 3. Where do you store the Air Still when it is not used? (meaning, in a shed, garage, loft, back bedroom...) The only two things that I can think of is that either the lid's rubber gasket is upside down (which will mean it can't hold in the pressure correctly), or that the rubber gasket needs replacing as it isn't rubbery enough (as rubber gets old it can start to get too firm). If the rubber isn't as rubbery, then it won't create a full and proper seal, so when the pressure builds up inside the boiler, it will not be able to hold the lid down. I hope that helps.
@@brewingadvice Thanks for your reply. I've had the Air Still around 5 months and had used it 10 times when I wrote this post. I have since just started running it with only 2.5 litres of liquid in it, and nothing else -- no ceramics and no oil. It's behaving itself now. So I'll continue to run it just with 2.5 litres. It's a shame it doesn't really do the 4 litres it's supposed to, but it is what it is.
As you have only had it for 5 months, I would highly recommend reaching out to Still Spirits. The still would come with a warranty and it is not working as it should. Personally I think being forced to run it with only 2.5 litres of liquid is not good and it will really slow you down if your washes are the standard 25 litres. Hopefully Still Spirits will be able to assist you.
@@brewingadvice I wrote to Still Spirits giving a detailed report of the problem. They replied that I should buy their distilling conditioner to reduce foaming. Do you think that would even work? It seems shady that their product does not run "off the shelf" without buying all this extra stuff from them. What's your experience?
Hi @edwardcottrill584, sorry for not responding sooner to you. Sadly yes, they are correct, you do need an extra product to stop foaming. The good news is that you don't need to buy it from them, you can either buy 'distilling conditioner' from any distributor, or do like I am many others by putting a small piece of butter or margarine in instead. As to how much butter to add, everybody puts different amounts. For an Air Still, I would say around 1/2 tsp (I don't know how much that would be in grams or ounces). When I add butter to my 25 lite boiler (which is 6 times the size), I add a little more than 1 tbsp, but I don't measure it, I just stick my knife in and cut a piece out. Don't worry, noting will happen if you put too much in. If you don't put enough in you will still get some foaming. So, why do you need it I hear you ask. The reason is that there will be some sugars left in the wash. This sugar will foam up when it gets hot, so you need something to help break up the surface tension to reduce the about of foam that is produced. Distilling Conditioner is a perfect product and it does the job very well. I used this myself for over 8 years and was very happy. The small bottles lasted me ages as you only put in a small amount each time you distil. After those 8 years though I bought more equipment and came away from Turbo Yeasts as wanted to try new tings. This is when I learnt about using butter (some use vegetable oil), and now will only use that.
That is an extremely good idea, and one that I wished I had thought about before I made my measuring jugs and made this video! ;-) So ironic as I make bread by hand every week and when I measure out the water, I always weigh the water, I never level it in a measuring jug! Many thanks for the comment.
You could actually keep the basket and the packing all inside if you wanted to, am sure many people have. My thoughts are how I like to do it. But, you need to find your own way and what you are happy to do. Hope you like your Air Still Pro.
@@mohammedabushoog4898 ah ok. So yes, I advise people to take out the stainless steel and copper packing that comes with the Air Still Pro, and replace it with Copper SPP (Spiral Prismatic Packing). Good quality Copper SPP will give you better quality spirit as when you run the still in Reflux mode, it will help with the refluxing. The extra copper will also help to reduce sulphur in your spirit. Lastly the ABV of your spirit will go up a little as a result. The down side of SPP is that it is expensive. While I do not know where you are in the world, an example of what it looks like and where you can buy it from is here (although, please note I do not know this seller, I do not know anybody who has bought from them, I found them after I just Googled Copper SPP) www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144076726074?chn=ps&_ul=GB&var=443378087612&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A17jhWgGV1QfedjpuKbV2IyA81&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=443378087612_144076726074&targetid=1647205088520&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=1006492&poi=&campaignid=21201249047&mkgroupid=169747432708&rlsatarget=pla-1647205088520&abcId=9406425&merchantid=6995734&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwvIWzBhAlEiwAHHWgvdfSb4xHGvBGvhfqf9OjaPVQxYbIPIyD62OC5WuYVKD4taVTnZQOjxoCgYMQAvD_BwE I hope that helps to answer your question.
In the pot still I have (same brand/model), the coil under the fan is made of copper. I only used the pot still once and HATED the flavour of the crap that came out. I then cracked the pools and went to the T500 and loved it. It's a PITA keeping temp at times but otherwise is great and where I've stayed. I'd love to see them do a UNO or arduino like project that manages the water off the temperature automatically using say a stepper motor. Given your other still is still using a T500 column, the PITA issue of keeping the temp in the column top still exists making it pointless for me. One of my runs did unfortunately get a cough spurt of crap wash come out toward the end (had a temp run for some reason) but that came out with the second run. It was the results of the outcome of the second distil run that got me doing double distil by default on ALL product now. I wash the packing every 5-8 uses and replace the copper saddles around every 20 uses as it's about knackered by then. 100% of my packing and the bits in the still are stainless saddles as they don't crack, wear etc and have been a great upgrade. One thing though a lot of videos fail to mention, that first 40-60ml they throw away, throw it in a metho bottle as it makes bloody brilliant window cleaner speaking from experience. The left over wash (including the solids in the fermentation barrel) make awesome food for the garden, the plants will go nuts off it. The only waste we have, literally is the water running through to cool the column and technically if we put the effort in we could redirect that to the garden as well with a gravity feed hose.
Hi @NullaNulla, I must admit I have not seen an Air Still that had a copper extraction tube. I wonder if it was a really early version. I wanted to create my own project where an ESP32 would monitor the temps, then control (as you suggest) two stepper motors to adjust the needle valves for the cooling water. It is still something that I want to do, but sadly I have other projects that are higher up in my priority list. Yes, to reduce the amount of waste is a very good thing. I pour my crud around my damson trees (I do the same with the coffee grind from my been to cup machine).
I've discovered different types of bentonite work better than others. The grey stuff isn't as good as the brown stuff (Not sure if any of them are calcium or not as the containers don't say). I've had great results with just one application (20ml in 1 litre of boiling water in a blender then leave for 1 hr). and add to the wash, mix with a paint stirrer & drill then leaving it for 48 hrs. The wash looks virtually like water. Unfortunately my supplier has gone into liquidation so I need to find another brand that works well. I tried some from a health food shop but it didnt clear the wash at all. For me, the yeast I use won't clear by itself even if I cold crash, so for those wondering why people use it, thats why. Also from my tests, a clear wash tastes better in a "One & Done" distallation scenario.Overall, I've tried three types of bentonite with three vastly different results. I need to try your cold water method. Its got me curious.
Hi @karlosss1868, thank you for your message. I use 'Fullers Earth' calcium bentonite which is sort of green/brown. Sometimes I need 1 dose, other times 2. When I first tried bentonite, I did use boiling hot water to hydrate the bentonite, but I then tried cold tap water, and found that I got quicker hydration rate with cold water. I haven't though tried using a blender. Yes, am sure that will speed up the hydration time as it it being moved around so fast. I brew out of a fridge, and have tried cold crashing to 3c for 5 days, but like you, not a great deal of the yeast fell.
@@brewingadvice Thx... Your video has motivated me to write down some future tests to do. Will drop you another message when I have any info. I've read some people add about 2 teaspoons at the very start of a wash. I haven't tried that yet and not sure I will if I can get the results I used to. I got onto bentonite when the Turbo Clear I was using stopped being anywhere as good as it once was.
@@karlosss1868, you are more than welcome. Many wine kits come with a small amount of bentonite which they say to at the beginning. I have not tried it myself with a spirit wash, but it would be interesting to see if it helps, and how much.
@@karlosss1868 thank you very much. When I get time to, I might do some small 3 litre washes in my glass 5 litre demijohns and add varying amounts of bentonite into them to see how much it affects them.
Hello, thanks for sharing, you have nice equipment 😁 , can i ask something, there is no different between with airlock or without it right? Because the manufacturer said ATTENTION! Do not use airlock. Im a little bit confused 🤔
Hi @iplayhertz. The reason why some Turbo Yeast manufacturers say not to use an airlock is because their yeast is so fast as producing CO2. The sheer volume of gas produced will push most (if not all) of the water in the airlock out the end. This then leaves you with an airlock with no water inside it. This will not only create a mess, but could blow the top off some airlocks, resulting in possible contamination.
I've found the alembic dome more stable than the SS head. I have column extensions, running on the floor in my basement, so without some sort of bracing, the SS lid caused me some concern. Pair the dome with a weldless triclamp bulkhead, and you make it modularized for very easy column switch outs.
Hi. I think the copper dome may be stronger as you say due to how much the dome has been pushed out. The steel lid only has a slight curve, so would not be as strong. I use both lids on my extended T500 column, and have never had no issues. But, it used to worry my that the standard stainless steel lid would cave in.
Depends on how good the advert is. For this video though, no advert. All my stills are mine, nothing to do with Still Spirits and I would be surprised if they even know my channel (or myself to that point) exist. I have never been given anything for free or at a discount to make a video or do a review on it. This and all my videos are my personal thoughts.
Thank you for your kind words. I am sorry though, when I started my voice was very boring. I hope that I am getting better! To answer your question, there may/will be small amounts of methanol in a sugar wash. It is difficult to say how much, so most people will throw away the first 100-250ml during their Spirit Run.
I know, I know. I am the same when I make bread, I like to be very precise over the ingredients. There is no need to be that concerned, it is just want I do!
Out of curiosity what percent does your hearts phase run on a spirit run? I have been getting about 800ml to a 1 Liter at 95%ish of a ginger beer wash I run with 500ml of heads/tails - the ginger comes in both sections in a nasty way...but makes it clear for both when your in heads or tails. Thanks for the vid on cleaning - I did the same thing at the start up and now just do the vinegar clean up runs - I soak my saddles in 1/4 vinegar, 3/4 water, some salt for an hour or so and the copper comes back shining. Cheers for the vid mate.
Hi Ryan, sadly I can't answer your question as it all depends on the ingredients used, the final ABV of the wash and the volume of the wash. It also depends if you are making a neutral spirit, or making a gin, rum, whisky or other flavoured drink. Then you have if you are running it in Pot or Reflux mode. Sadly, too many factors, so the hearts area will be different volumes for every different type of wash used.
@@brewingadvice Thanks for the reply and response - new to this and what you stated explains a few things I was seeing with different washes. I was referring to a clean up run in reflux of a ginger beer was I like to use - I strip in pot still mode then charge for a spirit run around 38%. I find the still shuts down with 10-20percent left in there most times . Not sure on the why - but has to do with the sensor it runs most likely. Anyway I appreciate the feed back.
Hi @RyanW20207, When you run in either Pot or Reflux mode, it will never extract 100% of the alcohol from your wash. I don't honestly know what percent will be left in the boiler as I have never tested it. The issue is that what is left in the boiler won't be really clean, so, an alcometer won't be accurate. If you are distilling a beer, the ABV would be around 4-6% ABV (on average). So, that wouldn't get you a great deal of spirit. Reading that you said the still shuts down, I am assuming you have the Air Still Pro, as that is the only still that I know that when in reflux mode, it switches itself off. If I am correct, then this may be a flaw in the still design rather than something that you are or are not not doing.
Thanks, mate, for your informative videos. One thing I noticed when I constructed my water flow regulator a couple of years ago was that the needle valve that comes with the T500 has a significant amount of restriction, resulting in an artificially low flow rate. I swapped out the T500 needle valve for a different unit with little to no restriction, and the difference when using a small low pressure water pump was significant. In fact, the entire T500 condenser plumbing is restrictive with only a 4mm ID. Cheers from Australia.
Very interesting. I wonder if the restriction is because it is a needle valve. Needle valves by design are very precise. What sort of valve did you switch it to?
Hi we recently discussed using the temperature controller to control the mash in a biab system. With a full pot of water set to 65c for one hour. I have used this temp controller recently and an alarm rang and I noticed a bell logo come up too as well as a warning from my rapt app that the controller was going over temperature. Do you think there is a problem with my controller or is it not effective for controlling the temperature of the mash at 65c? Any thoughts? Cheers
To be honest I don't know. Every temperature sensor has a minimum and maximum. I would be very surprised if KegLand used a temperature sensor that can't go over 65C. It might be a good idea to drop them an email to see if this is expected behaviour.
I hope you enjoy your new Air Still. Take your time, learn and enjoy the Turbo Yeasts. Once you are ready, do try a sugar wash like a Kale or Tomatoe Paste Wash, but take your time, don't rush it.
Some will do no cuts, while others would. I for example make my neutral spirit from my 25 litre boiler/reflux column. I then macerate my botanicals, then will throw them and the spirit into my Air Still and will power it up. The first part coming out will be too heavy, so will be thrown away. I will then take cuts every 100ml, and will do this until the ABV reaches 20% or when I notice there is no flavour. I then leave the cuts in sealed jars over night, then will sample them the next day. Sometimes all of the jars will go into the final drink, other times I may choose only 5 out of the 8. I think it all depends on what ingredients you use and the quantities.
@@brewingadvice soo, in other words while you may prefer additional flexibility, this would in fact be a perfectly reasonable tool to make a rather large range of redistilled products that don't necessarily require much in cuts, like geists, gin, absinthe, akvavit, ouzo etc? However, prob not well suited for making the base spirits. I think that's a rather important clarification one could have made.
Hi @AarreLisakki, I think it all depends on the wattage power of the water distiller and what you are happy with quality wise. Many people hate the Air Still as they say that it produces awful quality spirit and you need to go to a bigger 25 litre 'proper boiler'. I personally don't like the idea of a water distiller as the heating element are very high. But, as you can see from some of the other comments here, many people love their water distiller and are happy with the quality of spirit that it produces. Are you ask, the quality may be very noticeable on some drinks you produce and not so noticeable on others. While very random, I for one would never buy a brand new car. The cars I buy are typically 1-3 years old. I think it is a waste of money buying a new car as they lose value too quickly. Some of my friends will only ever buy a new car, and will do so every 3 years. Then, I have other friends who will buy cars that are 8+ years old. Which one of us is right and who is wrong? We all have different thoughts and reasons why we do what we do. What suites one person won't be right for everybody. So, to take this back to distilling, personally I wouldn't recommend a water distiller. If somebody is starting out and they want a small still, then I would recommend an Air Still (doesn't matter who made it, it could be Still Spirits, or could be a cheaper copy). If somebody wants to spend even less and buy a water distiller, then by all means do. I hope that you will be happy with the quality. I would though hate somebody to start this hobby and buy something that they are not happy with, and that they think that everything will taste that way, and then they never do it again. If somebody has a water distiller and loves it, then carry on. I am sorry that I am dissing what you like to use. I though have been contacted by too many people who asked me why their spirit smells so bad and how they can improve it to not say anything.
@@brewingadvice oh, agreed, warning people considering buying them that they run way too 'hot' and inflexibly for general usecase is important! But given the reaction, it may be that there's still a reasonable use for them for some of the drinks. I would hope people repurposing a device clearly not marketed for distilling any alcohol would understand they're taking a gamble as to how well that experiment might end up.
Hi @AarreLisakki, yes, I would have to agree with you. Most things in life can be used to do different things, but, as you say, you need to understand the limitations and issues as a result of using it for something that it is not intended for. While yes, I could have said that in the video, my issue is than so many people jump in and buy things like this without fully appreciating the problems, then shout at the RU-vidr that it is their fault as they said it 'should' be ok.
I'd be interested in your experienced technical opinion on the MyVodkaMaker, I have the pro version and it produces 92% ABV clean spirit with not much monitoring
Hi Andy, Sure thing. I think the MyVodkaMaker machine is outstanding. I have seen the design plan, or at least how it works (from a previous version). The science behind it, while I could follow it, I couldn't really comprehend how it could work so well. I think the down side is that it is very slow. But, to have a system that you can plug in and ignore it for a few days and know the end result is good clean spirit, well, you wouldn't need anything else. For somebody like me who likes to experiment, it is no good. For somebody who wants to make a flavoured spirit, no good. But, if you want a clean spirit to make a vodka, or to add flavoured essences (like Still Spirits make), then this is ideal. I think the distilling community is split between those who don't want to play or experiment, who just want to add a sachet of flavouring to get a nice drink (I did this for 7 years). Then those who want to make a drink from raw ingredients, or those who like to tinker with equipment. To sum up, I would very much like to have a MyVodkaMaker for a few months, to actually see it working and to taste the end result. I wouldn't though want to buy one as it isn't something that I would use once my initial testing has completed.
@@brewingadvice I can see where you're coming from on that one, the Plus model however, allows for more tinkering, and can allow for much lower ABVs and inclusion of fusel oils etc, it's specifically designed for whisky/rum/brandy etc. I have my plus running on a TPW wash right now, I'm getting 92% ABV although a 25 litre wash takes about 48 hours to run through, It produces approx. 1/2 a ml per second. I have a rum wash almost finished fermenting, and I plan on running than next to see how that works out. Bearded and Bored ran a rum wash through his plus model, and said it was good enough to drink straight from the still.
I looked at getting one when they first came out, but I thought them to be overpriced for what they are. I already use an air still and thought a T500 would be a better spend Ty for sharing 👍
I used my Air Still as my only still for over 8 years and loved it. I then moved to the T500 boiler with T500 reflux column. Now, I use the T500 for producing ethanol, then the Air Still when I make a gin.
@brewingadvice thankyou for you video. I am currently online trying to piece it together now. What would really be helpful would be a Parts list. Something along the lines off 2 mtrs of 12mm hose, 1 X 40PP Coupler Plug Socket and so on and so on. cheers. Keep up the good work.
Hi @sunsidejd, thank you for your kind words. I did write a parts list as had a few people email me asking for one. So, as you have requested it, I have added it to the description of the video. Can you please check the full description out to see the parts list.
I agree. What we want is a 25 litre boiler that has an air cooled condenser. I think one can be made, but the size of the heatsink and speed of the fans would be so great, it would cost a lot to run and be very load. Is a shame.
@@brewingadvice I almost think it could be possible but considering DIYing an air cooled solution would be a nightmare. I'm surprised Vevor hasn't come up with anything for it yet - they have dabbled into both air stills and pot stills. I have their 25L two pot distiller and it works fine for what it is, but again it's connecting the hob to the sink isolating anything useful in my kitchen. If Vevor still made the dirt cheap water stills you could add voltage controllers to, Id happily have an army of those right now instead.
I have a 4 litre water distiller that I want to install a 4,000W power controller to it. It would then be my dedicated gin still. I just need to find the time to do it.
Hi, that I am. I would like to apologise though. This video is over 2 years old and it was when I was just starting out. Boy am I monotone and boring! So yes, while I didn't explain it well, I had 6 odd litres of ethanol which was around 92% ABV. I then added around 14 litres of water so that it would be nice and diluted. You don't need to add that much water, as you mentioned, you just need to get it to or below 40% ABV.
How do you get so much production at such a low temp? Mine only gives a drop every 2 min when I’m running near 60 degrees C!! I didn’t do a stripping run, too lazy to unpack my column, and wanted to see how it turned out. I got excellent ABV - but lots of off-flavour (typical home still flavour. I ran at 65, because it would have taken 24h to run at 60, and at 55, NOTHING. I checked my thermometer against 2 others - seems to be on (or at least not THAT far off) . I’m wondering if it’s my water temp… the way the column is designed, there is a pretty touchy equilibrium between the column and the condenser and the output water temp. My water comes out at near zero C so wondering if that’s a bit to cold and condensing things too much in the reflux/fractional column? Maybe I’ll try a tiny bit of hot water, though I don’t know if that can be controlled at the tap with the needle valve as the cold water tap position makes little to no difference in water flow when using needle valve.
Hi @patrickandkennafenwick3958, Every column runs a little differently and is something you need to learn, how your still like it. Are you running with the T500 column? I assume you are. So, my copper T500 likes it a fair bit hotter than my steel one. The type of packing and how tight the packing also can alter how well it works. Generally though, if you pack it too tightly you will have more chance of a puke than it running slowly. My ground water is around 12c normally. If yours is 0c, then that is very cold indeed. I am not sure if it would cause a problem though. The water going through the product condenser doesn't care if it is 0c or 40c, as long as it is able to condense all of the vapours going through it. The coil inside the reflux condenser will be affected greatly by the temperature. The lower the temperature, the more refluxing and the less product that will be able to get to the product condenser. If though you say the output water temperature is 60c, that is in a good range, so is not too cold at all. You must though have the water going through at a very slow rate for it to go from 0c to 60c. While I am sure you don't want to, I think it would be a good idea to get all of the packing out of the column and then re-pack it again. When was the last time you cleaned the packing, how many runs has it been since the last clean? Good clean packing will help greatly in the quality of the product coming out. When you re-pack, don't tap, knock or hit the side of the T500 to try to get more packing in. You want it nice and loose. Often you will have some spare that doesn't want to go back in. This is perfectly normal, you never know, the next time you re-pack it, it might go back in again! Give that a try, then do let me know how you go.
You did not, as far as I recall, state what you intended to do with this wash. All looked fine to me and if you were distilling it, then the fact it was not completely clear was largely irrelevent. I have used this yeast for many years and not had a fail yet. I make the mix of sugar and water similar to you (9kgs sugar/25 litres water) and add the yeast when the wash is at 21 degrees C and keep it at that temperature (+/- 1 degree) without any immersion heating or cooling and I get over 20% alcohol. I used to use finings but largely, these are pointless and I do not wish to add chemicals to my wash. Leave it long enough and it will clear by itself if you really want that. Throwing it all away was very drastic and probably a perfectly good wash. The fact it bubbles for 2 weeks is a good thing - every bubble is more sugar being converted to alcohol, and that is the point of this process, isn't it? Mine bubble for up to three weeks. I use a plastic tube from the wash lid into a jar of water - much better than a 'bubble lock'. You can better tell what is going on without opening the lid, whch is the downfall of covering with a damp cloth.
Hi @Timbershades. To be honest, I made that wash nearly 3 years ago. I have learnt a lot since then, and if the same thing happened today, I would not have thrown it away. Back then, I was used to my washes clearing to look like water. So, when this wash would not clear, I believed that there was clearly (no pun intended) something wrong with it. If that happened today, I would throw in some bentonite and left it a few days to clear. If it still wasn't clear after 4 days, I may put more bentonite in (after racking it off), or I would just put it in my boiler and reflux distil it. My setup produces 95.5% ABV ethanol, so I don't need to worry about a wash not being perfect. If I run anything through it twice, it will be nice and clean. I didn't have this setup back then though, nor the experience that I also have now. Depending on how much you experiment when doing this hobby, you can learn a lot very quickly.
Yes temperature is a big issue. In the link you gave, Jessie explains that you can send too much vapour to the condenser (as a result of too much power/heat), and this can cause some vapour not to condense when it comes out. IF you have a water distiller that does not get too hot and can condense everything, and you are using this for stripping runs, then it will be fine. I personally wouldn't recommend them for spirit runs though as they usually run way too fast.
My vevor water distiller does a great job. You can adjust the temp. Once you learn the curve, it’s incredible. I think the fact that you can control the temperature gives you the upper hand. but do not recommend it and never even try it?
If you are happy with your Vevor and it works well, then that is great. You have saved a lot of money over buying an Air Still or something similar. No, I have not tried my water distiller with alcohol, the reason why is because I have heard far too many people who have tried and it failed badly for them. I have also been contacted by many people who bought one and who were very upset with wasting money over the bad quality ethanol that came out, and they asked me how they can fix it. I advised those who did buy one to run their spirit through it 3 or 4 times as after each run it will get a little cleaner. This is why I don't need to try it myself. My water distiller, I bought it so I could install an SCR and a microcontroller so that it would be my dedicated gin machine where I could program it to run how I want to distil gin.
I am not aware of any counter top distillers that are not made in China. Most things these days are made in China. Australia are very good at producing many things, but sadly it just isn't cost effective to make a lot of things locally compared to the lower cost in China.
I have used one before yes, about 5 years ago. It was advertised as a patio/shed heater. It was ok, but I found that it was a little slow to heat up and since it heated the air rather than the fermentation container itself, it took a long time to get to temperature. I think it all depends on where you are brewing and in what container. If for example you are doing it in a 5 litre glass demijohn, a heat pad will probably be best. If you are brewing in a fridge or other tight chamber, then really you can use anything, they are all much the same. My only two concerns are if the heater is to high a wattage, so may heat the wart too quickly, or if it takes too long to heat. It also depends if you are using a temperature controller to only switch on the heat source if it is needed, or it it is on 24/7.
Really, I have several in my brewery and find them ok. I will be interested to try the Kegland Heat Wrap. Did I hear you correct and say it can't be overlapped?@@brewingadvice
@@DrunkDelilahBrewery, heat tubes may be very good and perfect for brewing fridges. It is possible that the one I bought wasn't a good quality one. In answer to your question, yes, on the instruction sheet it does say that you must not wrap it over itself. I think they are worried about it over-heating. For a standard 25-30 litre brewing bucket or carboy, it should be fine size wise.
Just bought one of these and have yet to use it! Happy to see this review!! They also have a temperature controller for these as well. What do you think about using one of those?
Hi, I do have the RAPT Temp Controller from KegLand and was using it with the heat Wrap if that is the temperature controller that you are meaning. I am very impressed with the RAPT Temp Controller and also the PILL. If you use the PILL as the sensor, the Temp Controller as the controller and the Heat Wrap as the heater, the three together makes one awesome setup. The only way you can improve that is to put it inside a working fridge. That way it can cool and heat the wart and you can setup profiles of what to do and when, then for it to email you once your brew is done. I have two of all three units, and in the next couple of weeks will be ordering two new 6ft high fridges for them.