latest vm pot still run

peteturbo · Post by **peteturbo** » Wed May 06, 2020 11:48 am

yes, confusing title, confusing run.

So, if you go back a coupla years i converted my ring boka into a VM, Nixon McCaw head with a gin basket. Looking back i didnt do exactly what snowy69 suggested, but close. 2 inch column, one inch take off into 2 inch condenser area followed by generous liebig.

Anyhow, having left it mould for a coupla years, back again, go figure.

Thorough detergent clean, thorough rinse, vinegar run, sac run.

UJSSM, with rye grain first run. The beer is a bit bland, but quite a nice drink. ooops.

The column is 1.2m tall with copper scrubbies and 75cm ceramics in the middle.

Wanted to try 'one and done'; and fast, since rye blend. 7L in pot.

Into full reflux very short period, compressing heads for esentially a pot run. 10 minutes 100% reflux, then cracked VM valve very slightly. took about 50 - 10ml at a drop every few seconds. took three heads jars of 30cl. total possible heads from 7L = about 150ml. all at around 90%

Hearts about 300ml at around 80%

another jar of about 200 with abv dropping slowly, to about 60%

Then a small 100ml jar to about 40%.

Then tails crashed to 20% or lower (despite not possible with vm). Had a cooling issue.

So - 24hrs later, tasting.

heads pretty pure so compressed well, hearts pure, first tails ok, next tails icky, last tails orrible.

Conclusion. Fractioning column is killing all flavour during heads and hearts, compressing tails into horible shite very suddenly.

Cant use a fractioning VM in this way to act as a pot still.

I have 800ml of reasonably ok vodka at 40%. Backset is being used for next mash.

Tomorrow, i will try the same thing with a sugar wash. expect similar results but at least i will be shooting for a plain spirit.

Lessons learnt; progressing UJSSM - backset into next ferment. good. will run the vk in full pot mode next time with no packing in column. may try to find pipe to reduce column to 40cm.

All of this is in the form of scattershot immediate thoughts, any comments, help etc pls?

Thanks,

P