My "Still Tutorial" CM

[T-Pee]

I know there are a few of these still heads out there and I wanted to share what I've done with mine to make it work much better. Granted, CMs aren't the greatest and they are a bit fiddly but I like fiddly (gives me something to do besides watch grass grow) and this style actually can be pretty versatile if you overlook its shortcomings and make a mod or two to it. Here are a couple stock pics of the still head being discussed:

still tutorial 10.jpg

still tutorial 11.jpg

I've been running this CM pretty much as a pot still with a copper scrubber-packed tower until recently. I had tried using the reflux coil with mixed results on the run before this last one then had an epiphany about the heat transfer from the reflux coil to the tower. I got out the mapp torch, heated up the reflux coil, hit it with some flux and soldered the coils to the tower. Much better. After incorporating Prairiepiss's mods (http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 17&t=25732) and reading Kiwistiller's thread about modding/operation of the Brew Shop CM (http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 17&t=11265) I took a crack at actually running the reflux coil to jack up the ABV.

Up until this time my highest acquired ABV was 72% with a fast heatup (propane, btw) and then back off to a slow broken stream. On this last run, once I started getting fores output I slowly opened the needle valve on the reflux coil and watched in amazement as the output from the parrot drain valve completely stopped. Remembering an earlier thread on equilibrium (http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 15&t=44263) I left it like that for fifteen minutes or so, closed the needle valve and took off about 200ml of fores then closed the parrot valve. The parrot filled and the alcometer hit 83%...a new best! (head slap ) Ok. Now I understand how this works. I'm sure on this next run I can do even better now that I've run this rig as it was intended. Next goal is clearing 90% on a BW wash. I can hardly wait!