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.
You ever think maybe leave the bits in a container and just put clean water into it a few times and just give the container a shake, this way water covers all the bits, instead of only partially if they are in your hand or a colander ?. Just a thought as being a Painter, cleaning a brush under a tap is ten times slower than cleaning it in a container of clean water a few times :)
I think this is a personal preference thing. If you fill lets say a jam jar with the bits, then fill it with water, give it a good shake and empty the water, you will need to fill it up and repeat this several times. But, if you rinse them in a colander under a running tap, you are getting the same volume of water going on and around the bits, but it only a few seconds per area. In all honesty, doing as you suggest may well be more than enough, and a colander is over-kill. I don't honestly know, and is just the way I like to do it.
One thing I noticed on my foreshot container , it had a stainless cap with holes in a circle as well as a black stopper ? You don't show this anywhere in this cleaning guide ?
This part isn't something that needs to come out of the boiler. In my unboxing video, when I took out the foreshot container, that part was stuck to the glass container, so I mentioned how if it does the same to you, just take it off, then push it back inside the boiler. If you want to, you could remove it, and clean it with the other parts, but it is difficult to know where to stop removing parts to clean them in different ways.
Since Air Still don't say to do a sacrificial, are they maybe saying the foreshots from the first Run are enough spirit to clean whatever was left over from the Vinegar and water wash ? Considering it would only be the COlumn and pathway from the reflux chamber and not the Stainless or Copper bits as they were cleaned very well with the Citric and Salt soak ? Just a thought as surely the manufacturer would or should know what was involved in the build and considering it wouldn't cost Air Still anything to say do a sacrificial wash first ?
So, yes, the manufacturer (Still Spirits) do know the manufacturing process, so should know what needs to be done to get it ready to be used by the customer. The Air Still does not (or at least it never used to, but I have not read any recent manual in case it has been updated) suggest a vinegar run is needed. The T500 boiler, the Turbo 500 reflux column and even the alembic condenser in their guides do not mention a vinegar run. Only the Air Still Pro talks about cleaning it before use. Some people will say doing a sacrificial run is not needed, but others will agree that it is required. Really, it is up to you. If you do not want to do it, then don't, but if you want to make extra sure that your new expensive boiler is perfect, then I would recommend it.
My Air Still Pro did come with the Ceramic Boil things in the Air Still package as well as another pack in the Essentials Box, I almost bought a pack as I had watched this video before opening the Boxes of my Air Still Pro :). not that they are expensive, just would have had more than I needed :). My pile of copper and Stainless pieces was about double yours ? I got out about what I saw in your video and there were still some in there so I gave it another shake and another handful came out followed by another handful, I would say four hand fulls came out, there were probably double the Stainless to Copper, I needed 500ml just to cover the two lots of bits that I put all in one container as I am retired and have the time to sort them :). Maybe different areas supply different amounts of accessories or they doubled up on mine ? Well at least cleaning these parts was easy and only takes time, now onto the Air Still itself :)
Wow, I feel ripped off by my supplier now! Think I will need to have a loud word with them ;-) Could I ask, @billybobjones4317, are you from the UK? I could understand different countries having different contents, but if you are from the UK, then I would be very shocked if different suppliers had different versions./ Since the Air Still Pro is still so new, I don't think there would have been time to make a newer version, but it is possible that they changed what comes in the box.
Sometimes just turning it upside down and shaking it is enough. Other times you need to pat the bottom of it, other times you need to assist them with putting something inside the column.
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.
I kept the botanical basket inside when I cleaned my air still pro. I did the same as you did, but I kept the botanical basket in the copper
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.
You ever think maybe leave the bits in a container and just put clean water into it a few times and just give the container a shake, this way water covers all the bits, instead of only partially if they are in your hand or a colander ?.
Just a thought as being a Painter, cleaning a brush under a tap is ten times slower than cleaning it in a container of clean water a few times :)
I think this is a personal preference thing. If you fill lets say a jam jar with the bits, then fill it with water, give it a good shake and empty the water, you will need to fill it up and repeat this several times. But, if you rinse them in a colander under a running tap, you are getting the same volume of water going on and around the bits, but it only a few seconds per area. In all honesty, doing as you suggest may well be more than enough, and a colander is over-kill. I don't honestly know, and is just the way I like to do it.
One thing I noticed on my foreshot container , it had a stainless cap with holes in a circle as well as a black stopper ? You don't show this anywhere in this cleaning guide ?
This part isn't something that needs to come out of the boiler. In my unboxing video, when I took out the foreshot container, that part was stuck to the glass container, so I mentioned how if it does the same to you, just take it off, then push it back inside the boiler. If you want to, you could remove it, and clean it with the other parts, but it is difficult to know where to stop removing parts to clean them in different ways.
Since Air Still don't say to do a sacrificial, are they maybe saying the foreshots from the first Run are enough spirit to clean whatever was left over from the Vinegar and water wash ?
Considering it would only be the COlumn and pathway from the reflux chamber and not the Stainless or Copper bits as they were cleaned very well with the Citric and Salt soak ?
Just a thought as surely the manufacturer would or should know what was involved in the build and considering it wouldn't cost Air Still anything to say do a sacrificial wash first ?
So, yes, the manufacturer (Still Spirits) do know the manufacturing process, so should know what needs to be done to get it ready to be used by the customer. The Air Still does not (or at least it never used to, but I have not read any recent manual in case it has been updated) suggest a vinegar run is needed. The T500 boiler, the Turbo 500 reflux column and even the alembic condenser in their guides do not mention a vinegar run. Only the Air Still Pro talks about cleaning it before use. Some people will say doing a sacrificial run is not needed, but others will agree that it is required. Really, it is up to you. If you do not want to do it, then don't, but if you want to make extra sure that your new expensive boiler is perfect, then I would recommend it.
My Air Still Pro did come with the Ceramic Boil things in the Air Still package as well as another pack in the Essentials Box, I almost bought a pack as I had watched this video before opening the Boxes of my Air Still Pro :). not that they are expensive, just would have had more than I needed :).
My pile of copper and Stainless pieces was about double yours ?
I got out about what I saw in your video and there were still some in there so I gave it another shake and another handful came out followed by another handful, I would say four hand fulls came out, there were probably double the Stainless to Copper, I needed 500ml just to cover the two lots of bits that I put all in one container as I am retired and have the time to sort them :).
Maybe different areas supply different amounts of accessories or they doubled up on mine ?
Well at least cleaning these parts was easy and only takes time, now onto the Air Still itself :)
Wow, I feel ripped off by my supplier now! Think I will need to have a loud word with them ;-)
Could I ask, @billybobjones4317, are you from the UK? I could understand different countries having different contents, but if you are from the UK, then I would be very shocked if different suppliers had different versions./ Since the Air Still Pro is still so new, I don't think there would have been time to make a newer version, but it is possible that they changed what comes in the box.
Do you add ceramic boil enhancers for the sacrificial run?
It is a good idea to yes as it will still help to keep the liquid moving.
Hi would have been nice showing how you got the copper and stainless saddles out but over all a good informal video
Sorry about that. To be honest, all I did was tip it upside down and then inserted a wooden chopstick and wiggled it around a bit.
I just placed mine upside down and gave it a few shakes, about a handful at a time came out and I just kept going till no more loose parts moving :)
Sometimes just turning it upside down and shaking it is enough. Other times you need to pat the bottom of it, other times you need to assist them with putting something inside the column.
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.