Many Questions

[NevilleWickenshire]

I'd like to preface this by saying that I have done a good amount of reading prior to posting this so I think/hope I'll be asking somewhat informed questions. Anyhow, I'm still in the process of building a reflux still which leads me to my first question. I initially planned on using a 2" copper pipe but all the stores I've checked only have 1". Would it be worth it to put the extra effort into finding a 2" pipe or would it not make a big difference either way? I just don't want the production rate to be painfully slow. Secondly, I understand that most here are averse to using glass in any hot part of the still. Would you strongly advise against using the glass lid that came with my stainless steel stockpot? Now onto questions related to the process. If I'm using a reflux still, is it going to matter at all when I distill the mash once it's done? Even if the mash goes sour, I figure I'll get the same product but I'm inexperienced so I can't be sure. And if it's okay to let it sit, would it be a bad idea to dump it into a large plastic bin to free up the fermenter? It's only the mash and would have a pretty low % alcohol so I wonder if any leaching would occur. My last question is about cuts. If I'm using a sugar mash in a reflux still, I would imagine cuts would be less essential. I'd be getting little to no methanol and I would probably assimilate all the distillate into a single container so I would surmise the methanol levels would be negligible. Also, would I need to pay much attention to the tails if I'm going to end up diluting the whole product anyways? Sorry for the long post, I just wanted to all the questions out that manifested through my research. Thanks for reading!

[skow69]

I'd like to preface this by saying that I have done a good amount of reading prior to posting this so I think/hope I'll be asking somewhat informed questions.

Better reread, cuz you should have found all these answers in the beginners' posts.

Anyhow, I'm still in the process of building a reflux still which leads me to my first question. I initially planned on using a 2" copper pipe but all the stores I've checked only have 1". Would it be worth it to put the extra effort into finding a 2" pipe

Yes

or would it not make a big difference either way? I just don't want the production rate to be painfully slow. Secondly, I understand that most here are averse to using glass in any hot part of the still. Would you strongly advise against using the glass lid that came with my stainless steel stockpot?

Yes

Now onto questions related to the process. If I'm using a reflux still, is it going to matter at all when I distill the mash once it's done?

Not if you handle it properly.

Even if the mash goes sour, I figure I'll get the same product but I'm inexperienced so I can't be sure. And if it's okay to let it sit, would it be a bad idea to dump it into a large plastic bin to free up the fermenter?

Yes

It's only the mash and would have a pretty low % alcohol so I wonder if any leaching would occur. My last question is about cuts. If I'm using a sugar mash in a reflux still, I would imagine cuts would be less essential.

Wrong

I'd be getting little to no methanol and I would probably assimilate all the distillate into a single container so I would surmise the methanol levels would be negligible.

Irrelevant

Also, would I need to pay much attention to the tails if I'm going to end up diluting the whole product anyways?

Hell yes

Sorry for the long post, I just wanted to all the questions out that manifested through my research. Thanks for reading!

There are the answers, now your assignment is to find and understand the "why" for each one. HINT: They are all in Cranky's spoonfeed thread.

[skow69]

The glass lid thing will be misleading. Here's the deal. The lid is made of soda glass, which has a large coefficient of heat expansion. Consider what will happen when a drop of cold water lands on the 200 degree lid which is under stress from holding up the weight of the still.

The other Qs are garden variety stillin' issues.

[NevilleWickenshire]

Thanks guys

[Sff]

I couldn't easily taste the difference in cuts at first but after several runs tasting, smelling, and burning periodically threw the run I now know it's more important than I thought at first. The tails can still be very high proof an burn easy and not taste good to me. As soon as I get into the tails section I just collect into a large jar to add to the next run. I also take a large cut of foreshoots to use as cleaner, around 500ml on 3 gallons of low wines (under 40%) and another 500-1000ml of heads to add to the next run with the tails. I only keep the middle bit that comes to around a gallon, but don't make cuts to that section anymore.

The different portions smell different and since I've run the same mash my product smells similarly each time, it's gotten really easy to sniff out the portions.