6 Month Old Sugar Wash

[Thegekko77]

Hi all. Well after dealing with getting a new business off the ground this year, I finally have enough time in the next few days to run 10 gals of a sugar wash I made in the spring.
I have had it in sealed buckets and it appears with sight, smell and taste like it made it through the summer relatively unscathed!
I measured it to be about 10% ABV so I plan to do a stripping run with it today and make another wash of the same recipe. My end game is to make a smooth vodka. I am running a 4 plate SD still.
This will be my first stripping run, so I have a few questions.

1) Should I use all 4 plates/bubblers?
2) I am hoping to make a wash with 30% ABV out if this. What should be my volume yield from 10 gals of 10% wash?
3) From what I have read here, I am going to remove the first 75-100ml's. And run it to about 20%. Is there any other cuts I should make?

Any help would be appreciated!
G

[cuginosgrizzo]

Hi thegeccko

1) sorry cannot help you there, I use a potstill
2) Assuming it is 10% (how did you measure?) you have 1 gal 100%ABV alcohol, which translates into 3,33 gals 30% low wines
3) no cuts on the stripping run, only fores. Run until your total collection has the target ABV (stopping at 20% is a little early)

[Thegekko77]

2) I used an alcohometer.
3) Thanks

[still_stirrin]

...a few questions.
1) Should I use all 4 plates/bubblers?

Well, you can...but it'll slow you down.

Since your intention is to "strip" the wash, collecting the low wines for a secondary "spirit" run, I would say remove all plates...well, you could leave one plate in just for good measure. Most here strip using a potstill, including me. Your flute would be just fine, however. But loading the plates and running reflux will be slower than an all-out strip.

Again, you said you were planning to do a separate spirit run, so this run doesn't have to be a high degree of separation, or reflux. You won't even make cuts on this strip run, just a little foreshots cut, if anything.
ss

[cuginosgrizzo]

2) I used an alcohometer.

then it's probably not right. With an alcoholometer you can measure the alcohol content in a mixture of water/alcohol only. Your ferment has other components that are likely to screw up you measure

[Thegekko77]

Point taken, Thanks. I did the measurement by using OG and final and came up with 8.5%

[Thegekko77]

...a few questions.
1) Should I use all 4 plates/bubblers?

Well, you can...but it'll slow you down.

Since your intention is to "strip" the wash, collecting the low wines for a secondary "spirit" run, I would say remove all plates...well, you could leave one plate in just for good measure. Most here strip using a potstill, including me. Your flute would be just fine, however. But loading the plates and running reflux will be slower than an all-out strip.

Again, you said you were planning to do a separate spirit run, so this run doesn't have to be a high degree of separation, or reflux. You won't even make cuts on this strip run, just a little foreshots cut, if anything.
ss

Thanks for the info!

[Danespirit]

I'd also say...throw it in a pot still and strip it as fast as your condenser can handle it. (throw some foreshots).
As you're aiming for Vodka, I'd say you should run all four plates...
As from what I've read four plates may not even get you there...but it's up to you if you are pleased with the result.
However, there is always the option of running it again.
It's hard to say if 75-100 ML, are enough on the spirit run. It depends on how your ferment is.
As you've already thrown some foreshots on the stripping run, there will be less for the spirit run.
Smell and feel what's coming off the still, that's the only sure process.

[Thegekko77]

Thanks, Dane...
I will run the plates when I do the spirit run. I am just determining what is the best way to do the stripping run.

[spiff]

why not run the extra plates on the stripping run? I do, figuring those extra plates add up to the total plates ran for your final product so you'll be going into your spirit run with that much better of a product in the first place.

Regarding time, how significant is it? If say it takes a hour to heat your boiler up, what does the extra plates contribute to overall time? Another 15 minutes to heat up that extra column height? That seems worth it.

With 6 plates I can still strip 20 gallons in under 4 hours vs the 12+ spirit run. Maybe if I push too hard I might have to back off and let the plates drain if they start to flood. But usually with right modulation I can run it straight through uninterrupted and usually end with the plates just on the verge of flooding. To me that seems like a perfect stripping run. Right around 20 amps.

The second reason I do it is to get the height above my kitchen counter so that the parrot can drain straight into a carboy which is handy.

[Thegekko77]

Thanks, spiff for the ideas.
I ended up using 1 plate and left the plates out of the other sections. I did not use the deflag and ran straight to the condenser.
I ended up with just over 10 liters of 30%. I don't know if that was a good yield from 10 gals of 8% wash, but that's what I got running it down to 10% or so.
I took off about 150ml's of fores but did not do any more cuts.

I think I need more information during the run so I can more accurately control it. I think I need a thermo right before the condenser and also one in the kettle.
I also need a better cooling setup. I am looking into a chest cooler with ice water and a pump to help control the condenser temp.
I also need more run time!

[spiff]

I forgot to say I even run a tiny bit of reflux too. That's what helps load the plates. I tried the fastest stripping configuration before and it only seemed to save me 25-35% at most on time.

Then there is the water use.. for any given power delivery I found a very tiny bit of reflux saves a LOT of water on the shotgun vs running the shotgun alone. This might be the main reason this works for me, I can push much more power when running both condensers in conjunction than just the shotgun alone.

When you factor in the better overall product at the end of the strip when going for a clean vodka to me it just makes sense. Then again I don't have a pot still either.

[still_stirrin]

I ended up with just over 10 liters of 30%...from 10 gals of 8% wash, but that's what I got running it down to 10% or so.

I'd say, "you got it all".

Potential alcohol = 10 US gallons x 8%ABV / 30%ABV average collection x 3.785 liters/US gallon = 10.093 liters

Considering you disposed of 150ml of foreshots and you stopped collecting when the runoff was 10%ABV, there probably wasn't much alcohol left in the boiler. That's a "good day" for a stripping run.

How long did it take you?
ss

[Thegekko77]

Thanks. That makes me feel better! It took about 3 hrs from start up to shut down.
G

[still_stirrin]

How long did it take you?

It took about 3 hrs from start up to shut down.

Success! Good job.