Smaller batch in big still?

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Demy
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Re: Smaller batch in big still?

Post by Demy »

homebrewer25 wrote: Thu Apr 01, 2021 1:33 pm I'm not sure what you mean, but maybe I wasn't real clear that the inner kettle has no liquid in it. Its purpose is to displace some of the low wines so the depth is greater (it pushes the liquid into a doughnut shape).

Think of the 4 gallon kettle as a 10" diameter by 12" tall solid cylinder of stainless steel. Put 4 gallons of wash in the 15 gallon kettle. Now put the solid SS cylinder in the middle of the kettle. The displaced liquid has nowhere to go but up. The heating element is in a semi circle in that space between the inner and outer kettles (the 'doughnut').
I understand what you want to do but consider that the volume of low wines will always be that that is, you must evaluate that part of that volume will then be collected after boiler. I simply use a small pot, the lid is a stainless steel bowl, the heat source an electric plate that works well for small lots.
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higgins
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Re: Smaller batch in big still?

Post by higgins »

This isn't something I want to do ... it is something I have done. I've done 2 batches this way and it works just fine. I could build another still to handle small batches, but why?
These 2 batches each yielded about 75-80 oz at 125p. I get to make a small quantity to try out before making larger batches, and I don't need any more equipment.
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Yummyrum
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Re: Smaller batch in big still?

Post by Yummyrum »

Sounds like a good work-around Homebrewer .

What do you use as a weight ? I’d imagine that upturned pot would be doing its hardest to bounce around .
OtisT
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Re: Smaller batch in big still?

Post by OtisT »

I have done something in the past similar to what homebrewer did. I placed a lot of rasching rings in the bottom of my boiler to displace some liquid at the bottom of my boiler. This decreased the minimum volume needed to keep my element covered throughout the run.

I didn’t notice any problems with the product I made with this setup, and I did do a few things to minimize what I saw as a potential problem. I wanted to ensure the mass of rings and the liquid surrounding them were not cooler than what was boiling off, so I did a slow warmup and I put the still under 100% reflux for a spell to give the extra mass time to come up to temp. Over a multi-hour run, I was not concerned with lack of liquid flow in the bottom.

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higgins
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Re: Smaller batch in big still?

Post by higgins »

Yummy, the small pot sets upright and I place 4 bricks inside it. I then cover it with an inverted SS bowl that is a bit larger, so nothing drips back into the small pot.
Toxxyc
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Re: Smaller batch in big still?

Post by Toxxyc »

I would rather build a smaller still with the smaller kettle.
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