Thermometer on a pot still?

Simple pot still distillation and construction with or without a thumper.

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kiwistiller
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Re: Thermometer on a pot still?

Post by kiwistiller »

:lol: God I hope we've found a better solution for that by the time I'm your age blanik
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Kiwi-lembic
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Re: Thermometer on a pot still?

Post by Kiwi-lembic »

blanikdog wrote:
LWTCS wrote:Kiwi,
Unlodge that bit of crisp by tossing back the entire beer.

Potstillers will more often than not gage their input against the thickness of their out put.

The rest is up to their wits. Least thats how I think I'm learning it.

Howz that for restrained use of punctuation kiwi :ebiggrin:

The thickness of my output indicated that I had an enlarged prostate.
bloody funny blanki..excellent... cant beat a good bit of humour ...still laughin ..p.s dont want lumps in me whiskey specially that type ..would ya call that tails ? or hearts mixed with tails
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Re: Thermometer on a pot still?

Post by ScottishBoy »

Kiwi-lembic wrote:
bloody funny blanki..excellent... cant beat a good bit of humour ...still laughin ..p.s dont want lumps in me whiskey specially that type ..would ya call that tails ? or hearts mixed with tails
Clots?
( ewwwwwwwww....)
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Re: Thermometer on a pot still?

Post by WalkingWolf »

Leave it to Blanik to infuse a bit of "reality" into a thread :shock:
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Re: Thermometer on a pot still?

Post by ScottishBoy »

blanikdog wrote: The thickness of my output indicated that I had an enlarged prostate.
Thickness usually just means Im either interested or could be easily persuaded.... :O
ScottishBoy
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Re: Thermometer on a pot still?

Post by Titus-a-fishus »

kiwistiller wrote:Well the punctuation was good, but buggered if I understand what you're talking about?? :lol: :roll: Am I precluded from being a 'potstiller' because I also own a column? 80% of my stuff goes through the pot, I just don't limit myself to it. Not talking about inputs or outputs either, but progress. Temp in a pot can't tell you input.

For the record, I run the pot completely without instruments, no thermo, no parrot, no chips, except for shutdown point which I check with an alcometer. Shit, it's just a keg and a pipe, see the link in my sig. I don't look at the ABV until I check the hearts blend for diluting to aging if nessesary. But I would like a thermo in the boiler, it would be easier to glance at that than fill up my trial jar and check the ABV for shutdown.
My Potstill has a thermometer because it was in the original crap design....
But have to agree with KS comments
You don't need one ..... once you have learnt to drive your still
Would I put one in as a newby Yes
Would I put one in again ... NO

Having said that :roll:
I use it for the start up and then watch the output
Would I remove it just to be a purist? Nuh
The only other thing I use it for is closing down the still when it reaches 90 - 91C
The cuts are made using jars
The purity is found using taste, smell, feel, burn on a plate, as per one of the posts on this forum.

It is also useful for something to look at while I spend six hours in front of that ...... still waiting for it to finish

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Re: Thermometer on a pot still?

Post by blanikdog »

Don't start me on clots, SB. I can remember walking through the ward with a clear plastic piss bottle, all smiles and shouting, "I've finally got it out" and showing all and sundry a clot abour an inch diameter and eight inches long. They didn't seem to be as pleased as I was. :roll:

What a relief it was feeling it coming all the way out. Ahhhhhhhhhh, I can still feel it.

This incidently, was one of my better experiences with retention and clots. lolololol

This is terribly off topic, Sorry mods, :)
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Re: Thermometer on a pot still?

Post by rubber duck »

blanikdog wrote:
LWTCS wrote:Kiwi,
Unlodge that bit of crisp by tossing back the entire beer.

Potstillers will more often than not gage their input against the thickness of their out put.

The rest is up to their wits. Least thats how I think I'm learning it.

Howz that for restrained use of punctuation kiwi :ebiggrin:

The thickness of my output indicated that I had an enlarged prostate.

Ummm it's probably not your prostate and there is a shot of it. :lol: :lol:
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Re: Thermometer on a pot still?

Post by HoBo Bill »

Has anyone ever told you there is one hell of a lot of useless, time wasting bull shit on this site? Sorry guys I did not come hear to listen to your blabber. I want to know about stills & such.
I would like to start at the beginning. I would like to have a knowledgeable person conduct a logical, reasonable explanation of the distilling process as well as equipment required. Why is it so difficult to find such a person that will share real beginner knowledge without having a financial interest in my decision? I just finished reading lots and lots of posts, from all sorts of people about having a thermometer on a pot still or not. Holy shit! Give me a F---- break. An hour later there is still no definitive answer. If you guys want to socialize and B.S. why not just join the Moose club or ? and hang out at the bar. Please stop wasting my time.......
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Re: Thermometer on a pot still?

Post by googe »

I find that rude and offensive to this site and its members. You want to start at the beginning?, do so then, like we all.had to, new distillers reading lounge. Most of the information here is not financially based!. If you can't find the answer to you question about a thermo on a pot your not understanding the process. As for threads with blabber, it's called going off topic cause the topic has been covered a million times. It's also called banter/fun/laughing, did you lose your sense of humour with your manners?. If I owned this site I'd bann your arse. If your waisting your time, go else were, good luck finding a better group of people to.help you :yawn:
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Re: Thermometer on a pot still?

Post by Prairiepiss »

Wow. You are just plain rude. Don't like how it is around here. Go find somewhere else to go. Instead of shiting on everyone.
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Re: Thermometer on a pot still?

Post by Hound Dog »

What's up with this guy whining about a three year old thread? Has he really read three years worth of posts and has not picked up on how a thermometer is not of use on a pot still? :esurprised:

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Re: Thermometer on a pot still?

Post by Roundyround »

A thermometer on a pot till is useful. It is a device to let you know vapor temp and that relates to the approximate abv of the product leaving the condenser, same as a parrot does. You use it to see what the temp of vapor is, the problem occurs when you then try to control that reported temp by adjusting heat input. A pot still's heat input should only be regulated by the output flow. It is a subtle difference, but a crucial one to understand. It is one of the many counter intuitive aspects of this hobby, some things you just have to take on faith until you see how it works for yourself. This chart will give you approximate temp = abv values. http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 58&start=0
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MitchyBourbon
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Re: Thermometer on a pot still?

Post by MitchyBourbon »

+1 Roundyround,

I too find my thermometer to be very useful. I'm glad to see I'm not alone.
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Re: Thermometer on a pot still?

Post by Truckinbutch »

Nothin left for me to say and that's probably a good thing . :lol:
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Re: Thermometer on a pot still?

Post by shadylane »

+2 Roundyround
A thermometer is only a tool. Don't blame the tool just because the operator isn't smart enough to use it.
That's like blaming the hammer because you smashed your thumb.
Having said that, the damned thermometer questions have caused the "sower thumb syndrome"
Makes you want to throw the thermometer on the ground and stomp on it.

Edited:
If you have to insert knowledge into some ones head one spoonful at a time.
Then you should first have the pleasure of making the extra hole.
My apologies for the rant, but I feel so much better now.
Last edited by shadylane on Mon Dec 02, 2013 6:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Thermometer on a pot still?

Post by Jimbo »

+1 shady. Cracked me up. I like my thermo on my potstill. For the reasons roundy stated, and more.

For Hobo, maybe he's stuck in an infinite loop.....
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