Building my first copper still

[DBCFlash]

I just ordered a 100 watt ultrasonic transducer and driver board so I can build a rapid aging device. I've done a lot of reading here on HD and some research other places and I want to see if this device makes a difference in my whiskeys and other spirits. I also have the itch to build something else. I'll need to find an appropriate container in stainless as I've been told that the energy from a good ultrasonic device can easily break glass. I figure a half gallon sized stainless jar with a lid would be a good size. I think a stainless steel rod sticking up through the bottom might disperse the ultrasonic energy more evenly so I'll try that first.

[skow69]

Running as a pot still with the valve closed I saw the difference after the previous run with the reflux valve open. With the valve open, the temperature stayed under 180 degrees and held there for about twenty minutes with careful power management until I let it go. In pot-still with the valve closed the vapor went past 180 pretty early. I have a 5500 watt element so a RC to keep that at bay would have to be massive. The top of my column isn't open so there's no chance of losing any vapor whether it's being knocked down or not. anything that isn't knocked down by my RC goes right into my Liebig so nothing is lost. I'm not really interested in a self-driving still. I'm perfectly happy managing my input power to hold reflux. I knew my little reflux coil was considered undersized when I built it, but I also was pretty sure that it would provide some reflux if managed very carefully. Holding my vapor temperature under 180 for as long as I choose is a success in my eyes. I am considering improving the transfer of heat to my coil with some internal tubing, but I'm not quite ready to start cutting this thing up yet.

It's hard to tell, but I think you might have fallen prey to the Magical Boiling Myth which holds that you can control the purity of the distillate by controlling the temperature, when, in fact, the temperature is a function of the alcohol content of the mixture being boiled. Actually I should say the maximum temperature is a function of the wash constituents. You can always hold the temperature to an artificially low level by depriving it of heat and thereby preventing it from reaching a full boil. The problem with that procedure is just the lack of efficiency and the time required. Less heat means less distillation going on and consequently some very long runs.

[DBCFlash]

It's quite possible that is what was happening, but I was certainly drawing heat through my coil as the exit temperature of the water was much higher than the water going in. I'll have to do a lot more experimentation to know just what the coil is and is not doing. The pot was definitely boiling during my reflux attempt and the temperature difference between the bottom of the column and the top was significant. I didn't measure anything other than the upper vapor temperature so I guess I need to invest in an infra-red thermometer to find out what's happening where. All I need id an excuse to buy more toys...

[DBCFlash]

Got nothing done. I was in a car accident Tuesday. Totalled the wifes new Lexus when a 17 year old girl T-boned me. Smacked my coconut on the door frame and found myself in the back of an ambulance. Took a few hours to start speaking properly, and now I'm so dizzy all the time I can't drive. I'm stuck on the couch and I'm going stir-crazy.
I reckon I should start another Birdwatchers, but I doubt I can do all the lifting and carrying I need to. Got grains on order to try Honey Bear again and some rye for an all rye whiskey.

I'm a little apprehensive about running the still while I'm compromised like this. Haven't experienced any black-outs, but this dizzy crap makes everything tough.

[yakattack]

Rest up bud. You're gear will be there when you're ready . Better to be safe

[Shine0n]

DBC, glad you're still on this side of the dirt brother!
As yak said, rest up and come back when your nugget isn't having you see double.

Rest up, don't make any dizzy decisions.
Shine0n

[Shine0n]

DBC, how's the coconut? Hope allz well with you and you're doing well.
It's been raining here for 3 days and all the people are crashing like mad people. Still texting and still crashing...

Hoping for a speedy recovery

[DBCFlash]

DBC, how's the coconut? Hope allz well with you and you're doing well.
It's been raining here for 3 days and all the people are crashing like mad people. Still texting and still crashing...

Hoping for a speedy recovery

Feel like I'm drunk all the time. Vertigo, ears ringing, still can't drive. No drinking either. The girl that hit me was 17 and never even touched the brakes, but she didn't get hurt and I'm glad for that. I thought things would be getting back to normal by now, but every morning I stagger when I get outta bed. Going to the doctor today for a follow-up. I hope she has some good news for me.
On the positive side, I have good insurance so the cars getting replaced. My wife has been a real trooper through all this and my boss has been very understanding about my absence. I've got tons of sick leave saved up so there won't be a financial hit.
OMG I'm just so freaking BORED!

[DBCFlash]

Started a Birdwatchers yesterday and making a Rye whiskey mash this morning. I find this hobby to be peaceful and relatively uncomplicated so it isn't really taxing my bruised thinker. I simply cannot sit for the next two weeks doing nothing. If I don't occupy my skull with some sort of activity, it finds more complicated issues to focus on.
Can't just sit still for days on end.

[skow69]

Get outa yer head!
Been there. Your own mind can be your worst enemy. Keep moving. Don't stop and dwell on anything. We are all pulling for you, man. Speedy recovery.

[skow69]

Can you do puzzles? Crosswords? Play chess? Paint? Make clay stuff? Draw hentai pornography?

How fuzzy are you? I mean, are we talking like 4th stage Alzheimer's here, or just get confused easily?

How is the vertigo? Have you tried riding a bicycle?

[Pikey]

You cn play online poker for free - who knows you might get good enough at it to Buy your booze !

[Desvio]

My last medical downtime I spent making a new controller, kinda went overboard but if kept me occupied.

[DBCFlash]

I thought about making a PID controller for step mashing with my still pot. I have many of the components to build an ulra-sonic aging device in the mail so that might be a cool thing to build. I want to build a thumper, but getting the copper is a real pain in the ass since I can't drive now.
My energy level runs out real quick and I have to nap a couple of times a day. I still have a bad ringing in my ears. Doctor says I have to try to not think. That's a helluva lot harder than it sounds.

[DBCFlash]

My Rye whiskey mash has gone from 1.052 to 1.00 in two days. TWO DAYS! I thought I had another stalled ferment, but when I check the gravity it was floating right around 1.00. I had no idea it would finish so fast. I reckon I'll try to run it tonight.

[DBCFlash]

Just as I was reaching boiling, my element blew. Drained off my rye wash into a bucket and waiting for a spare to arrive. I suppose storing it in an airtight container after it was boiling will lessen the possibility of infection.

[Shine0n]

Glad to see up to no good again. Hoping for you speedy recovery brother.

Now make another mash!!!!!

[DBCFlash]

I'm back! After blowing up two elements I finally ran my Birdwatchers. I've come to realize that my still element gets VERY unhappy when there are any solids at all in a mash or wash. My Honeybear all grain blew the first element and my rye blew the second. I thought they were "clear enough" but there is a little burned on crud on both of the blown out units. I think I need a better method of filtering (lautering) my all grain before it goes in the pot.
I'm starting another UJSSM but I'm trying UC 1118 yeast instead of the Fleischmans bread yeast I've used to date. I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I keep detecting a slightly yeasty taste in everything I've made so far. Just the slightest hint of it. Perhaps aging will diminish that, but I'll try the champagne yeast this time to see if it changes anything.
SG 1.06, ph 5.4

[jb-texshine]

Bakers yeast does throw esters but not yeasty tasting ones. More borderline fruity grapeish or grapenut cereal like. Ec1118 dont throw esters but if you taste the wash or mash itll have a yeast taste.
Cooked yeast on the element could be the culprit.

[DBCFlash]

Bakers yeast does throw esters but not yeasty tasting ones. More borderline fruity grapeish or grapenut cereal like. Ec1118 dont throw esters but if you taste the wash or mash itll have a yeast taste.
Cooked yeast on the element could be the culprit.

That damned element again! I need to start clearing everything more carefully before it goes into the still. I've been looking at those conical fermenters that are designed to remove trub and yeast lees through a valve/jar contraption in the bottom. I suppose that slightly off odor I've been picking up could be compared to Grapenuts. Just a little sweet whiff when I open my jars.

My EC 1118 yeast took an entire day to start bubbling nicely in my latest batch of UJSSM, but it's percolating along now. We'll see if that nose is gone soon.
I'll run this at a lower amperage to avoid cooking anything on the element. Running the still is a little more complicated than just kickin' th' tires and lightin' th' fires...

[Pikey]

Ec 1118 is not quick like turbo or bread yeast, but it's thorough and will do higher abv then bread without stressing. Often takes me several weeks to ferment out - but economical in that you need to do less runs for the same product volume.

Is ther any way you can lift the element away from the bottom of the boiler an extra half inch or so ? So as to get it a little further away from any heavy solids.

[DBCFlash]

Got my ultrasonic high speed aging device up and running. Sounds like an angry metal bee. You can see the various wave patterns across the surface of the whiskey. I am running a quart of my UJSSM through it in 20 minute cycles. First cycle I could detect a slight improvement in smoothness. It's running another cycle now so lets see if that does anything good.

[DBCFlash]

So after two sessions, 40 minutes, there is a definite improvement in smoothness and mouth feel. I'm actually quite surprised. I had done a lot of reading about this technique, and I started this experiment on the skeptical side, but after 40 minutes of ultrasonic bombardment my whiskey has changed for the better.
I have an all rye that bites like an angry dog aging in the basement. If this contraption can tame that beast in 40 minutes I'll be burned for performing witchcraft.
I guess I'll get started on it.
The biggest drawback I've noted is the incredibly irritating noise it makes. Might have to make some sort of soundproof container if I want to maintain the tiny amount of sanity I have left.

[der wo]

Do you know, how much you loose within the 40min? The weight before and after?

[DBCFlash]

Do you know, how much you loose within the 40min? The weight before and after?

I didn't think to measure it, but I doubt I lost anything at all. There is almost no heat added so the evaporation shouldn't be much.
I'll note the beginning and ending weights on my next run to be sure.

[Pikey]

Do you know, how much you loose within the 40min? The weight before and after?

I didn't think to measure it, but I doubt I lost anything at all. There is almost no heat added so the evaporation shouldn't be much.
I'll note the beginning and ending weights on my next run to be sure.

If you're going to do that, can you check the abv's at the same time please ?

[DBCFlash]

Do you know, how much you loose within the 40min? The weight before and after?

I didn't think to measure it, but I doubt I lost anything at all. There is almost no heat added so the evaporation shouldn't be much.
I'll note the beginning and ending weights on my next run to be sure.

If you're going to do that, can you check the abv's at the same time please ?

Wow! You guys want EVERYTHING! Should I mail you a dram as well?

Just kidding! I'll get out the notebook and get serious about this project. You'll be at the mercy of my sloppy scientific method and tainted taste buds though.

[Pikey]

Hi DB - the questions indicate that we are INTERESTED !

Heat is not neccessary for evaporation (Think "angels share") It does take "energy" to evaporate though - and you have added "energy" in the form of USonic, so wanted to see how much alcohol has gone - i presume der wo was wanting to know how much total has gone - maybe he has a "calculator" for losses due to "Angels share" and can tell us exactly how many years of ageing you have done in those 40 minutes !

We will be demanding your Exact process in due course - so be warned !

[Edit ; re "The dram" - yes please ! ]

[DBCFlash]

There's more people watching this than I expected! I have a half gallon of UJSSM just waiting for the ultrasonic treatment. It's just a few weeks old, it's been oaked and it tastes pretty good already. I'll pour a dram, set it aside and start the procedure. Starting ABV, temperature, measured volume, weight and my own personal evaluation of the taste and texture. I have some Birdwatchers neutral to try as well.
I hope this is just a pass/fail lab...my GPA can't take another big hit.

[DBCFlash]

The rye was a lost cause. 40 minutes in the Ultrasonics, five passes through the charcoal filter pot and a session in the microwave and it just sucks. It was what I ran when the element blew out and the burnt taste just won't let go.
I guess I'll save that one for the in-laws...