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I can do that in warmer weather when the water temperature from the spigot is warmer with just the controls I have. But I am at the very lower end of the 1/2 inch gate valves adjustability when the city water is this cold. Unfortunately for me, Mars is right, and if I want to chase more efficiency f...

All great points Mars. More finite control would be needed before I can squeeze any more efficiency out of my condenser. Your point of a needle valve was something I chuckled to myself about as I was dialing in my water settings. :lol: some day, I'll grab a couple. Like you said, this is just one sp...

@SCD As I sit here sipping on a pinch from the middle cut to 50% I have to say this is a fine drop. Makes a fine white sipper right off the still. Should be really nice after some time in a in a barrel.

So I just finished a spirit run on some bourbon and decided to find out just how much cooling water my shotgun takes. I put the discharge hose in a bucket and tracked water usage over a 4 hour spirit run. Some details: Charge was 6.5 gallons of 28% ABV low wines, 13 gallon boiler, gas fired. 2 inch ...

StillerBoy wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 26, 2021 8:40 am

Demy..
...If to be used on a pot setup the shotgun will be of greater benefit over a liebig..

Mars

That is a very good point Mars.

I dont have anything to base it on but my own personal experiences with my equipment, but I think being able to maintain the same vapor velocity from the top of the boiler all the way to the point of condensation has improved the overall efficiency of my still, and character of my distillate. But wi...

Ive got 28 gallons of Shady's Sugar Shine to strip coming up, and I'll be doing the same thing with my chiller. I'll rack the first charge and get the fire going, rack the next charge into 5 gallon buckets and put them on a table next to the still, and put the wort chiller in each to get them warmed...

Thanks Mars. We're on the same page in regards to how the RC operated in a CCVM. The only difference is how we control the water flow to it. I control the water flow to each condenser separately from gate valves on a manifold rather than needle valves. Once I get the flow of water dialed in on that ...

I dont care as much about the temp of the water outlet temperature, I try to target a distillate temp based on the calibrated temperature of the alchometer I'm using. Because I'm not running a recirculating system, I added a pressure regulator to my cooling water manifold, and lowered the water pre...

TB, I can get a temp gradient on my shotgun, but I had to reduce the water flow down to a trickle. As you know, I have a good amount of product to run this weekend, so I'll try to get you some flow rates. I dont care as much about the temp of the water outlet temperature, I try to target a distillat...

It depends on how you store it. If it's in a clean storage vessel undisturbed and protected from the environment, it will last until you get to it.

It depends on how you store it. If it's in a clean storage vessel undisturbed and protected from the environment, it will last until you get to it.

On the subject of cooling water, I watched a video(shared on this forum) where the guy used a small chest freezer sealed at the seams, full of water. He turns it on the day before he begins running to freeze about half the water. Then just leaves it running through the run. I thought it was pretty i...

Well, as a lean master, you can continue to ask why until you arrive at the true root cause and alleviate that. There are many tools in the lean tool box to use. Seens the best for your predicament is the "fish bone" or Ishikawa diagram. Efficiency improvements are many, and in lean thinking, playin...

That's a fine peice. I'd have a hard time resisting the urge to file, sand and polish it. That will bring you a lot of fine spirits.

River Rat wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 24, 2021 9:33 am

I think he's talking about calcium hydroxide lime, not the fruit lime. I was confused at first too.

Thanks. I was

Just because you have a 50 gallon fermenter doesn't mean you have to fill it to the top. It also doesn't mean you have to strip it all in one day. That's what 5 gallon buckets and lids are for. Do 25 gallon ferments. You'll get 20 gallons to strip giving you 5 gallons for a spirit run. Thats essenti...

It can't be said enough. Read, read and read some more before you buy. Understand what spirits you want to make, and what it takes to make them. How much time you want to dedicate to tending the still. What volumes you want to make. Have a good idea of these will help you decide what still is right ...

You want faster? Get a bigger fermenter. Strip more every Saturday, and spirit run on Sunday. Start your next ferment while you tend the still during spirit runs.
5 gallon strips shouldn't take more than a couple hours heat on to recharging and turning heat back on.

There are two questions here. The answer to the first question you ask is "it depends". It depends on what you consider hearts cut for your aging cask. The answer to your 2nd question is also dependent on several factors. Such as potential abv of your ferment, how big your fermenter is, and how fast...

Nice. Hows the product taste right off the coon pecker?

Is it performing as good as you had hoped?

Do you have a suggestion for a high end bourbon you think I will appreciate that doesn't contain the heads? H_L check out Whiskey Tribe on YouTube for recommendations on store-bought stuff. When you see their whiskey vault, you'll be jealous... (I know I was) I haven't bought any for myself yet, bu...

If you plan to use that on the kitchen stove, the ceiling height is going to be your limiting factor on height. What do you want to make with this still?

So plastic is ok if it does not come in direct contact with the alcohol? I'm just kind of wondering what everyone is using to seal up their carboys during storage? I just put a peice of cellophane or foil over mine for storage. It's l only in there for a week or two until can get to the spirit run....

Lime juice is going to take it the wrong direction making it more acidic. Read up on pH crashes in a sugar wash. Use the Google search at the top of the page.
Read until your eyes bleed. Everything in this hobby takes time, including the learning.

That solder may be unsightly, but it's nothing you can't clean up with a file and some time. Nice work. I'm sure each peice will get progressively better looking.

Oh, one more thing. Put a peice of tape over that thermometer. Learn to run your still without it. Listen to your still, feel where the heat is in the column. Smell the spout, you'll know when its about to start producing. Then feel, and smell the out put. Rub it between your fingers, smell it, rub ...

Once fermentation is complete on a sugar wash, (noted by consistant readings on a hydrometer over a few days) the suspended solids will fall to the bottom of the fermenter. It will not get "clear". I let my washes sit a couple of days to settle out the yeast trub. AG mashes and sugar heads, sit long...

How big of a boiler? Im looking to build a mini version of my 2" CCVM on a 3 gallon boiler using 1.5 copper pipe, for making small batches in the kitchen, but I think column height required to reach azeo is going to be a constraint. A stove top still will be pretty limited in height. My 2" column is...

That is a good day! Hopefully neither of teh guns has been molested. M1 Garands in good shape are getting precious.