this is a S L O W hobby !

Other discussions for folks new to the wonderful craft of home distilling.

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Cornbread
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this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by Cornbread »

I guess EVERYONE that buys a small still wishes they had a bigger one. EVERYONE........ I can't make it fast enough (picture me lying on floor on my back with the drips falling into my mouth instead of a container). Can we say "damn"? The ONLY advantage is - "when I pass out, I don't fall"
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Dnderhead
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by Dnderhead »

You thank this is slow you want to try making wine !!!!
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by Cornbread »

Dnderhead wrote:You thank this is slow you want to try making wine !!!!
I can't take it anymore......and wine takes longer? Crap! I'm going to have to buy a larger still or make a run to the liquor store. This staying sober part of each day is killing me. (maybe you can adopt me Dnderhead and I will be your taste tester?)
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plonker
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by plonker »

Yep, 50L aint enough for me.. Im thinking how I can get more in a single run.... damn this hobby.. :)
BBQKing
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by BBQKing »

That's why I'm doing a 3" column with a 100L boiler. If I need more than that can produce, I'll have to start attending meetings. :shock:

But one thing that isn't slow is the drain on my bank account. Anyone checked out the price of 3" copper pipe and associated fittings lately? $23 per foot for the pipe, in 20 foot lengths. Ouch!
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by Cornbread »

BBQKing wrote:That's why I'm doing a 3" column with a 100L boiler. If I need more than that can produce, I'll have to start attending meetings. :shock:

But one thing that isn't slow is the drain on my bank account. Anyone checked out the price of 3" copper pipe and associated fittings lately? $23 per foot for the pipe, in 20 foot lengths. Ouch!
What do you bet he uses moonshine flavored bar-b-que sauce? Yummmmmmmm
Moonshine ain't nothing but lots of love and goodness distilled into liquid. It will love you like a big woman wearing a straw hat
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by Cornbread »

turned burner on at 8am......making strip run.....4:45 pm now, I have 1/2 gallon !!!!!!!!!!! can we say "damn"..........THEN, I gotta run it again in this little 2 1/2 gallon pot still? Oh Lordy, Lordy_____ I am buying a 500 gallon one next LOL
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by rad14701 »

If you want almost instant gratification, masturbate... :twisted: The best things in life don't come quickly or easily, aside from premature orgasms - which ain't necessarily one of the best things in life... :| Not that I have any personal experience... :roll:

But seriously, it is because home distillation isn't easy, and takes time to master, that it is considered a craft... Making cheap rot gut is a hobby... Making fine spirits is a craft... A quick and easy drunk simply takes a trip to the liquor store... Anybody can do that... Where you want to be within that range of possibilities is up to you...
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by Dnderhead »

crank the heat up man,, stripping 2 gal. should take about 1 hour,,,maybe.
what the heck you got for a still?
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by Cornbread »

Dnderhead wrote:crank the heat up man,, stripping 2 gal. should take about 1 hour,,,maybe.
what the heck you got for a still?
Are you lying to me? Damn. I am going to enclose a picture of my still. It is called 11 liters, but holds 2 1/2 gallons. I have it running 209º F on a wide open 1000 watt electric burner. MAYBE it is a friggin' toy and not a still !!!!!!!!!
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Moonshine ain't nothing but lots of love and goodness distilled into liquid. It will love you like a big woman wearing a straw hat
Cornbread
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by Cornbread »

rad14701 wrote:If you want almost instant gratification, masturbate... :twisted: The best things in life don't come quickly or easily, aside from premature orgasms - which ain't necessarily one of the best things in life... :| Not that I have any personal experience... :roll:

But seriously, it is because home distillation isn't easy, and takes time to master, that it is considered a craft... Making cheap rot gut is a hobby... Making fine spirits is a craft... A quick and easy drunk simply takes a trip to the liquor store... Anybody can do that... Where you want to be within that range of possibilities is up to you...
VERY well said...............I am just not a "sit down" person.........OK....need mental rest or bigger still or play with myself or read book or something. You said "Making cheap rot gut is a hobby... Making fine spirits is a craft." .....I can't even get rotgut..................LMAO
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by rad14701 »

With my 8 liter stock pot running in pot still mode it takes longer to warm up to temperature than it does to collect the product... Less than 2 hours from start to finish, including setup and tear down... And that includes using reflux mode for foreshots, heads, and tails... If it was 12 liters it wouldn't take much longer... The biggest problem is making sure not to run too fast due to the small size...
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by Cornbread »

rad14701 wrote:With my 8 liter stock pot running in pot still mode it takes longer to warm up to temperature than it does to collect the product... Less than 2 hours from start to finish, including setup and tear down... And that includes using reflux mode for foreshots, heads, and tails... If it was 12 liters it wouldn't take much longer... The biggest problem is making sure not to run too fast due to the small size...
So....is my still basically a piece of crap? Why so damn slow? PM me if you know of a small pot still that will do it faster--please (& thanks so much)

PS (it did take 2 hours and 35 minutes for the first dripping to start)
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by Dnderhead »

git more heat to that thing and run as fast as you can, without gitting vapors.at least for heat up.
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by rad14701 »

Dnderhead wrote:git more heat to that thing and run as fast as you can, without gitting vapors.at least for heat up.
+1 - You sure aren't over-cooling with such a small liebig...

My insignificant other always complains about how long it takes for a small pan of water to boil yet never turns the electric stove up past between Medium and Medium-High and throws a hissy-fit every time I suggest turning it up higher... For a full pot of water, forget about it... When I have control of the kitchen I crank up the heat and water boils in as little as 90 seconds for the same small pan... Go figure...!!!
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by blind drunk »

You thank this is slow you want to try making wine !!!!
Just started drinking my 2005 red wine. Got some from 2004 that I just "found." It's best to make it and just fuggeddaboudit :D bd.
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by Dnderhead »

git a camp stove, or simler. even at 1000w that stove shuts off when it gits so hot. then turn back on when cools.
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by Cornbread »

+1 - You sure aren't over-cooling with such a small liebig...
I try to keep my water (with the pump in it) cool........maybe that is wrong. Just adopt me........I'm like a baby (no teeth, no hair, shit in pants & cry about distilling)
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by blanikdog »

plonker wrote:Yep, 50L aint enough for me.. Im thinking how I can get more in a single run.... damn this hobby.. :)

My still is a fifty litre pot still, 2" lyne arm and 3/4" coil in a bucket condenser, single run only. Very seldom do I ferment any more that twenty five litres. I give it lots of heat until the lyne arm is too hot to touch and then run sloooowwwly. It makes much more than I - and my mates - can drink. I shudder to think how much is sitting under the house just waiting to be drunk, some of it has been there for well over two years.

I don't usually take any notice how long it takes, but I just started a honey run and I'll take note of how long it takes. I have to add that it did take a bloody long time when I ran with a 3/8" condenser, something like seven hours. Probably more than double the time the of the 3/4" condenser. I'll come back with time taken later in the day.

blanik

EDIT: Took 3.5 hours from 70abv - my best ever - down to 40abv and got five pints which should give me around seven pints when diluted I reckon, maybe a bit less. Not bad from twenty litres of wash.

EDIT: oooops pints should read quarts :oops: :oops: :oops:
Last edited by blanikdog on Wed Nov 25, 2009 8:08 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by Cornbread »

Dnderhead wrote:git a camp stove, or simler. even at 1000w that stove shuts off when it gits so hot. then turn back on when cools.
OK...............thanks a lot guys...I was getting frustrated. It hard to stay sober this long.......
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by goinbroke2 »

You need more heat.
When you can crank out steam from a water run, with the condenser going full blast, THEN you have enough heat.
Little pot like that should crank up in minutes.

My 58L keg takes 40-60 minutes to heat depending on weather. (temp as well as humidity and barometer)
When you have so much heat you can boil it in a couple minutes, build a bigger condenser. :wink:
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by LWTCS »

Can't put it on the stove top primary burner? Should be rated for about 2500 watts.

My old 8 quart rig was just a bout an hour startup to clean up on strip runs.


BTW, thats a purty lil unit. Why haven't you posted on the full frontal thread?
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by olddog »

At least when you get a bigger still, you can use your original one to make a nice thumper. :mrgreen:
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by Hawke »

With the Blockhead, I can strip a 10 gallon wash in 3 hours or less, from light up to shutdown. Put some more heat to that thing.
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by Captain Morgan »

olddog wrote:At least when you get a bigger still, you can use your original one to make a nice thumper. :mrgreen:
Can I get a "hell yeah"!?

That'll make a great thumper :D
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by Hack »

I put my vote in with the "you need more heat" crowd. You should be able to get much quicker stripping runs out of it.

That's a nice looking still, by the way.
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by Dnderhead »

If it was me,, id make a biger still for stripping, then use that one for a spirits run.
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by Cornbread »

Dnderhead wrote:If it was me,, id make a biger still for stripping, then use that one for a spirits run.
Perfect idea ! Thanx
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by Captain Morgan »

Cornbread wrote:
Dnderhead wrote:If it was me,, id make a biger still for stripping, then use that one for a spirits run.
Perfect idea ! Thanx
As long as that suits you tho! I know you want more booze, but remember, you have a nice little still there. Maybe another fermenter will get you to where you wanna be? I'd just hate for you to spend money you dont have to. Your still is a great little unit
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Re: this is a S L O W hobby !

Post by Cornbread »

Geez.thanx.. blush...blush
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