Complete Still Spirits Air Still Starter Kit Guide

Now you have the best starter kit around, here’s what you need to do:

  1. Check to make sure you have received everything that is on the enclosed kit list.
  2. Assemble the buckets with the airlocks fitted into the lid. Mark these clearly on the outside with a black marker pen at 25 litres (if the bucket is not already marked). The easiest way to do this is to measure it out with water. This you will need for later.
  3. While the bucket is full of water we would recommend that you have a trial go with the siphon. As it's only water you can practise until your heart’s content.
  4. Give the bucket a good rinsing and then you will be ready to start the fermentation.
  5. You will need 6 kilos bags of white granulated sugar or 7 kilos of brewing sugar(dextrose). Any make will do.
  6. You can now start the fermentation. Simply follow the instructions on the packet of Pure Yeast. It is important to massage the smaller carbon sachet well before opening, as the carbon will have gone firmish and this needs to be mixed up before it is emptied into the bucket. You will know once this has happened as it will feel soft and there will be no hard lumps.
  7. Temperature is another important area. If you get your wash too warm you will kill the yeast so be careful. It’s much better to be constant even if this is slightly cooler as this will lead to a good fermentation and not harm the yeast. It will however mean the fermentation will just take longer to finish. You can check this with your thermometer. Airing cupboards are the worst place that you can choose as the temperature is nearly always too hot and they fluctuate like mad unless your cylinder is well insulated.
  8. To get the maximum alcohol from your mix it’s important that the fermentation is left to completely finish. So don’t rush it. If it’s left an extra 2 or 3 days it won’t harm things. At the end of fermentation, you should have the same reading on your hydrometer for 2 days. If you are unsure of how to use a hydrometer, we have written a Hydrometer Usage Guide to help.
  9. Once you are sure fermentation is complete, you can add the Turbo Clear finings which will remove all the black from the liquid. It is again really important that the liquid is really clear before it is added to the Water Distillation Unit. You might need to carefully sieve off any black bits from the surface.
  10. Siphon this now clear wash into the second (clean) bucket. Having a second bucket will make it simple to take off small amounts of wash to be run through the Water Distillation Unit. If the last bit is disturbed, transfer this to a tall container and let it settle out. Then add the clear liquid to the bucket.
  11. Open the lid of the still and place the ceramic boil enhancers and one cap full of Distillers Conditioner inside. Now pour 4 litres of the ‘wash’ into the still. You will see an indentation on the inside which denotes 4 litres. Put the top on and connect to the mains. It will take around an hour for the still to heat up to operating temperature. Once the still is up to temperature, alcohol should start to drip from the spout. This should be collected in the small collector pot provided. Collect approximately 800ml (this should take about 2 hours). More detailed instructions are included with the still.
  12. Take the 800ml of spirit and dilute this by adding 400ml of water, increasing the volume to 1200ml or 1.2 litres. Now soak the carbon cartridge (it's like a rather chunk, black polo mint) in hot water. Assemble this onto the bottom of the shallow container between the foam washers and in turn, sit this in the largest container. Pour the spirit into the top container and allow it to trickle through the carbon cartridge into the lower container. This will remove certain impurities and give that final polish to your spirit. This step can take up to 6 hours, but if it takes slightly longer, don’t worry as this will mean that the filter is working hard to remove more impurities.
  13. We would always suggest that you run the whole lot through as soon as you can. The alcohol at 60% will not go off, but the alcohol in the bucket will be only 14% and this is liable to get an infection if it's left around. It’s also a lot more convenient as the concentrated alcohol will take up less space and you can use this when you need it.
  14. When mixing your flavourings it is always best if you can allow the flavourings to blend in for a few days before drinking them. With the Liqueur, Schnapps, and Cream flavours it is a must to use these with the Sugar/Cream packs. These contain essential thickening agents which give them the right mouthfeel. These should always be topped up with water to the 1.125 litre mark. This will then give you the right alcohol content. You will also have exactly one and a half wine bottles. The half for trying and the bottle for saving!!! If you have any problems please call us on 01246 279382 or Contact Us