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So I know this is an old post but having just read it and as Rum is my main libation, Googe, since you did loose some volume I assume your test jars were both left open to the air for the period of time you took to slowly add your water ?

Thanks

MrBee

I'm no expert but this is what I have found with my Rum. Going through the process of learning to make my cuts I was very conservative. As I started to work my way out from the middle on each consecutive run I would add the outer iffy jars to the hearts and see how that effected taste and nose after...

I realize that once it starts to boil that all the liquid will churn and combine . Based on what temperature the lower alcohols boil it would seem to me that some of the fores and heads would start to come over at 135 - 170f and at that temp the water in the bottom 3 - 4 gallons was still at 70 F so...

Good evening all , I m used to using a copper pot still with a hot plate under it so never had this issue before. I built a new boiler using a 1/2 barrel keg, pretty typical build with the heating element in the side as close to the bottom as possible, 4500 Watt. Today I tested the electric controll...

I really like the under the bench build. When I get my new set-up done I think I'll do something like that. I need a simple way to put things outa sight from the grandkids and others and that would be just the ticket. With a hinged top I could pull the tri clovers off and put all that stuff in a dra...

They make a tool for that but it is very pricy unless you were gonna use it a lot.
Looks to me like your method would work fine for anything I would need.

http://www.eastwood.com/tube-straightener.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow


MrBee

It will cost more to buy copper tri clover ferrules than the SS ones but it is whole lot easier to adapt copper tube and conections to a copper ferrule than a Ss one. Soldering is not the problem, it's matching the tube diameters. A small mistake i made cause I didnt know (but learned quick) also I ...

Prior to assembly ,"""""" i attached steel wool to a coat hanger""""", and ran it with my cordless drill, vinegar and water to clean all the pipe and fittings, prior to the cleaning and sacrificial run. Um, me thinks the STEEL WOOL may have some...

I hear you Blarney,
I work in industrial maintenance and have seen plenty of them OhShit moments that some folks didnt think could happen.

Didnt take you as confrontational. No worries.

MrBee

It's safe to PROPERLY cap the white wire in the four wire system if it's not used . If you want to use it then look at the ( white , black, green) as if it was the white black and green in a normal 120 circuit. You could choose either the Black or Red and just branch off of it. I would select to bla...

Well i suppose that would be like wearing a belt and suspenders at the same time. Lol.
I'm fine with it on my try clamp however if it eases your mind then a ground lug directly on the keg will be a good idea.

MrBee

Yup, that's correct for a basic wiring setup. Be sure not to skip the ground to the Keg! You mention grounding to your keg, I have a Triclamp flange cover for my element that has a ground in it. And I take it that it's grounding thru the actual clamp to the keg,should I weld a small bolt on and run...

This is my set up. I am in the process of building a set up with a Keg and hope to post that in the new build section.

Just trying to figure out the pic upload at this time.

Thanks
MrBee

Oh well then,
Thanks Rad, I never noticed the date and if he was still around.

Thanks Der Woo,
I'll have a look. just wanted to see someone forming various shapes by hand .

On the portugese Iberian copper pot web site, they show making their "onion" shaped pieces by starting with a cylinder and reducing the ends. Then they start with a frustum and hammer that into a bell that looks like a trombone and then attaching the two by rivets and braze. I believe I w...

I'm waiting on the Still Dragon element cover to arrive. I really like the looks and build of theirs.

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http://www.americankeg.com/index.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow They are the only American manufacturer of SS kegs as far as I know. They are located in Pottstown Pa. and will ship any number of kegs you want even if it's only one keg. I found t...

well I dont post often but I hang out in Amish Country.
S.E. Pa.

Have learn most everything I know about distilling from this site.
Read Read and Read some more.

MrBee

Just wanted to come back to this and thank every one for there input. The next few runs I did I kept a very close eye and nose on the system. I may have had a VERY small leak at the fill port on the thumper but I dont think enough to cause a problem. I believe Swedish Pride may have hit the right an...

Thanks Dfitz, I had found those on their site. Think thats where I'm gonna order the SCR Kit from also. Aint much more $$ than ordering parts and assembling myself. Yes Swedish pride I agree. My plan would be to install the Element from the back side so the front would still have that natural look. ...

Ok, This may have already been answered someplace, I am up to page 15 of Jimbo's electric conversion. I was wanting to do this for a while now, However, I have a Simple Pot still, old style, All copper. I figure I already know the answer but figure its good to check with the pro's. Is there ANY reas...

MrBee, your run times sound exceedingly long for a simple pot still... I can do a spirit run of 6 gallons on a stovetop in half that time, under 4 hours, and stripping runs even faster... What are you using for heat...??? Don't go through very much water with my pot still either... Just a trickle i...

Can only say this is what works for me. I have a 7 gallon pot still that i charge with 5 gallons wash, run to a thumper, then through my open top condenser. I have a 12 gallon poly drum with a pond pump at the bottom with a 10 foot garden hose. I just let the hose coil around a hanger on the side of...

Thanks Saltbush, I'll give that a try. Never thought it would make much of a difference starting fast or slow on the stripping run since I take a pretty good heads cut off the spirit run. But I'll give it a try. What is the purpose of starting slow on a stripping run ? I didn't mention but I do not ...

Thanks For all your the replies folks, I did for this as I do for Rum, Strip as fast as I can, dump 75-100ml fores, collect down to around 25% (stop sooner if it goes cloudy.). Water everything down to 40% then run pretty slow collecting in 100 - 200 ml amounts. I just did the spirit run yesterday a...

I am sorry if this has beem covered already. I run a pot still qith thumper. I am not totally new to making cuts. Have been getting better with each "RUM" run I make and I owe that learning to reading what a lot of you have writen. However today is the first time i'm doimg a spirit run of ...

Yes rgreen,

I used to ferment my rum wash at regular room temp but finally got a heater and now try to maintain the same temps that would be in the tropics. I just dont want to push ferments so fast that it effects flavor.

Lookin for quality .

MrBee

Thanks for the reply's,

Yes that did seem like a lot of yeast,
I use about a 3rd of that amount in my 10 gallon Rum washes.

I'll be running this thru my pot still with thumper in 3 stripping runs then a spirit run .
It should be pretty neutral by the finish.

MrBee

Thanks StillStirrin I kinda figured the best way would be to just go with the internal element. I can handle any of the mechanical stuff and cuttin and soldering but aint to good with the electrics for the controller thingy. My brain swims every time i start reading about that stuff on here. Guess i...

Sorry if I missed the answer in my search but I got a bit tired of reading. I use a copper pot still now and have been thinking of building a SS keg boiler. However I use a high end single burner portable electric stove top as my heat source and want to continue to use that. Are there any kegs that ...