Air Still Pro Unboxing / Set-up / Review / Air Still Pro in Reflux Mode / Air Still Pro V Air Still

Air Still Pro: Unboxing, Opening, Setting-up and Review / Air Still Pro in Reflux Mode / Air Still Pro V Air Still / Making Gin with the Air Still Pro:    • Air Still Pro Unboxing /  Set-up / Review ...   .

Hey folks! An extended film today and a bit of a special one at that as I got to road-test the Air Still Pro, which has been loaned to me by the wonderful people at http://www.brewathome.shop .

The film features me opening the box to reveal the contents, the air Still Pro drum, head and the other smaller accessories.

The Air Still Pro is an upgraded version of the traditional Air Still and allows you a choice of distilling in reflux mode or pot still mode, read more about this below.

Reflux mode: https://help.stillspirits.com/hc/en-u... .

Pot Still mode: https://help.stillspirits.com/hc/en-u... .

Once I've got the equipment out, I run a cleaning cycle with water in pot still mode, I do this as the equipment hasn't been used before.

Once I've done this, I then fill the drum with 4 litres of 10.8% tomato paste wash and do a stripping run in reflux mode, at the same time I also do a stripping run using the same wash in my traditional Air Still.

The Air Still Pro is slower to begin than the Air Still and it produces 50% less output, however the strength of the output is double that of the Air Still and the quality is vastly superior.

After the stripping run, I run a couple of spirit runs in the Air Still Pro in reflux mode to make two different gins. I make a citrus and hops gin and a citrus, hops and ginger gin.

The quality of the spirits produced in reflux mode without taking any cuts is vastly superior to anything that I've ever made with the Air Still. The reflux mode has an auto shut off when the outputted alcohol falls too low, it tends to output between 87% and 60% giving a good average around 80%, which is then easy to dilute with spring water.

At the end of the film I summarise the pros and cons of the Air Still Pro, these are as follows:

Pros:
The Air Still Pro has a foreshows collection jar, which automatically takes the foreshows so you don't have to, this is a brilliant idea.
*The auto shut-off on reflux mode is hugely convenient, it means that if you don't want to take shots that you can just leave it running and walk away.
*The head unit of the Air Still Pro fits the base of the Air Still.
*It runs both reflux and pot still modes.
*The output nozzles splash much less when they drip than the Air Still.
*It produces a much higher ABV and better quality spirit than the Air Still, there is no comparison there really.
*The Air Still Pro has an in-built botanicals basket, which is a great idea.
*This makes a better entry level still than the Air Still due to the advantages that reflux modes offers.

Cons:
The Air Still Pro is expensive, £449 for the entire thing or £299 for just the head unit.
*The Air Still Pro is physically quite large and the head unit is very cumbersome.
*The is a lack of explanation as to why you might choose one mode over the other.
*When using in pot still mode, you need to empty out some small steel and copper pieces, people will forget to do this, also it doesn't explain why you should do this.
*When switching modes from pot still to reflux or vice versa you have to change the output nozzle, which I think people will forget to do, there is also no explanation as to why you should do this.
The nozzles are small and could be easy to lose.
*There is no physical off switch on the unit.
*Pot still mode needs shutting off by turning off at the electrical supply.
*The drum could do with alignment markers for when putting the head onto it as there is only a short and quite inflexible cable to connect the head unit to the drum.
*It is a slow still in terms of outputting.
*The botanicals basket is difficult to get properly clean.
It needs a drip tray for the foreshows collection jar as it spills out and dribbles down the still when you remove it.

All in all, I won't be rushing out to buy an Air Still Pro, but I will say, that if I didn't have a still and I wanted to get into distilling, then this device is the one I would choose over the Air Still.

Some stilling sites to recommend:
Air Still and Air Still Pro Beginners for Beginners (Facebook):   / 2228609310614075  
Air Still Spirits For All (Facebook):   / 545848482619401  
Still Spirits (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/@StillSpirits...
Still It (YouTube):    / @stillit  
Still Spirits Frequently Asked Questions: https://help.stillspirits.com/hc/en-u...
Still Spirits Air Still Pro instructions: https://help.stillspirits.com/hc/en-u...

Hope you like the film, Cheers!

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