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Originally Posted by: stupor 
Hi,
I've read many posts on the easystill, and I think I understand its pros & cons, but I do have a few questions that I haven't seen asked.
1. I understand that it takes many runs to make a neutral, but what happens if I buy a cheap vodka and run it through the easystill? What proof would the outcome be? Also, how much would the product would I have to toss (or reuse) due to heads and tails?
(I'm interested in doing this since I like infusions, but 100 proof vodka is a bit pricey around here).
2. Since the easystill is essentially a pot still, how does it do with brandy? If I distill 4 liters of a decent fruit wine, do I just have to do one run? Am I right that I'd have about 1 liter of brandy after distilling?
Thanks,
Stupor
Hi, Stupor...
I'm new, too, and have one of the units you referred to. You stated that it takes many runs to make a neutral. Well, IF you're looking for 90% (180 proof) product, it will take more than one run. However, IF you're just wanting 100 proof (50%), then you can do it on the first run. I've made a sugar wash, using Brewhaus' Turbo48, following the recipe on the bag. It takes more than 48 hours to work, though. I then clear the product with Sparkaloid. Placing the 4 liters in the unit, at the temperature my house is, it takes almost exactly 1 hour for the first 'foreshots' to come out. If your wash is always the same temperature, the unit will be very accurate on times that each step is accomplished. In just a few minutes, the foreshots have been collected, and I move the hose to a collection container. At 1 1/2 hours, I've collected 875ml of product
60% (120 proof). I then move the hose to another container, run for 1 hour 10 minutes, and collect 525ml, which comes in at about 20%. This last part can be re-run, later. This is a total of 1.4 liters. IF you just add the two times together, for a total time of 2 hours 40 minutes, and collect the complete 1.4 liters, it comes in right at 40%, the same as Vodka in the store. IF you wanted to fiddle with the times, you could get it to where you were getting 50% (100 proof, which you mentioned), which would be more than 875ml. I usually cut back my 60% to 50% with distilled water (which this unit will do, too,,, distill water, that is, not mix your product
). On a sugar wash, you'll need to count on running your product through an activated charcoal filter, though, because it IS a pot still, and the sugar fermentation flavor comes through to the finished product. IF you're trying to make a brandy, DON'T run the finished product through the charcoal filter, or it will strip out your flavor. On your fruit wine, you can get a brandy, BUT, I don't know how much you'll get from 4 liters of wine, since your wine will possibly be 12%, while my sugar wash is around 18%. Some math genius on the forum may can tell you, but I'd say something like 12% of 4 liters = 480ml of pure alcohol, getting a 50% product you'd theoretically have 960ml, just 40ml short of 1 liter. Hope this helps you... I've not been able to find a lot on the forum about the ES."
