Hello All, some friends and i are going to try making an amazing still and i have a few questions, is it ok just to use tap water and plain white sugar for the mash? do i need to do any thing to the mash after it is done fermenting? also, how important is carbon filtration? I plan on being on this forum a lot so if anyone can help me get started, hopefully i can return the favour some day. Thanks!

Hey Matthew, Jeff is right about the need for nutrients. Since you didn't say what kind, if any, yeast you are using, please allow me to reccomend 'Prestige Vodka yeast' ,from 'Brewhaus', for a simple sugar/water wash. It makes a super clean wash that will produce 15-20%abv vodka in about 6-10 days ,more often 6 or 7 days, and it is super easy to work with. This is the yeast that was first recommended for the 'amazing still' and it comes with all the nutrients needed. It is better to use with this type of still since you don't need to be concerned about methyl alcohol. That's because it dosen't make any ,or so little as to be virtualy insignificant,! You DO want to heat the white sugar sufficiently as to thouroughly desolve it in the water though, otherwise the heavier grains will settle to the bottom making it harder for the yeast to reach them and convert all the surar. Just be sure and wait until it cools before pitching the yeast. If you are in a warmer climate, your fermentation vessel can be covered with just a clean muslin or cheese cloth ,or anything clean, secured with an elastic band, during fermentation. The turbo type yeast generate a lot of heat so don't add any unless it's snowing where you are. The carbon filtration is a good idea with the 'amazing still' because you get everything, foreshots, middle and tails in your product. If you run this through a more effecient still, you won't need to do anything but 'age it a few minutes' and enjoy it. Seriously, you can add different kinds of essence to flavor it or add s few ounces of oak ,also from Brewhause,. Personally, I add a tiny bit or carmelized sugar ,white or brown, depending on what I'm trying to imitate, to mellow and color my 'hootch'. Dark brown sugar imparts a slight flavor that makes a pretty passable dark rum.
Also, in a pinch you could use a couple ounces of plain old tomatoe paste to provide netrients for a different yeast. No it does not impart any flavor, it really works.
Lotsa luck, an enjoy th fruits of yer labor mate!
Spiritmaker

Carkox: If you wait about 10 days for your wash to finish completely, it will clear somewhat. But dont expect it to look like tap water, it will always be a little cloudy or milky colored. You don't really need to worry too much with the 'Amazing Still' except that you do want to get the most abv you can! Go for it and enjoy th fruits of yer labor matey, ya deserve it!
Spiritmaker

I have a question about the Amazing Still as well, the pictures in the instructions don't make it too easy to see whether or not you place a lid on the 10L mash bucket... and if so, how do you vent it? If anyone has any pictures of a finsihed product, please let me know!

Thanks!

Hello jonny Digital, I think you asked a similar question on another postng elsewhere on this forum, but I will try and answer you here anyway. If you are building the original ,simple, model, you won't need to add the 'second' lid ,to the 10-liter located inside the primary fermentation bucket,. This second lid is only needed if you want to modify you rig to increase alcohol production. What you are essentially doing is, holding the vapors in the 10-liter pail a little longer thereby allowing some reflux effect. The small holes ,one located lower in side of 10-liter pail, but above level of liquid and one in the top of the 'second lid', cause a thermal siphoning effect that draws the vapors out into the larger ,condenser/collector, bucket where they condense and fall to the bottom of the bucket for collection later. The now condensed vapors are kept in liquid state in the bottom because that first modified lid you placed UNDER the 10-liter pail, keeps it a little cooler than the environment in the upper part of the ,main, bucket. If you opt to make these modifications, there are additional steps you should also take, such as wrapping some type of netural ,food grade?, insulation around the outside of the 10-liter pail to help keep it warmer than the vapors that are condensing in the larger bucket ,where your 10-liter pail is located,. You probably know these things already but if not, you can look them up on the Brewhaus America homepaige where they have a very complete set of plans you can download. Hope this helps.
Spiritmaker