Still error or operator error

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rtkimble01
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Still error or operator error

Post by rtkimble01 »

Tried making a run earlier and wasn’t sure if I was doing something wrong. My thermometer read around 205 for quite sometime and I never got a drop of anything out of the worm. No leaks the I could find. Didn’t know if my thumper wasn’t warm enough yet or if something was malfunctioning. Had ice water circulating through my worm box so I know that wasn’t the issue, maybe i didn’t run long enough? Noticed that when I took things apart to clean that most of my water inside the thumper had disappeared. I have spent some time reading articles and aren’t sure where I messed up. I’m thinking I wasn’t patient enough
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still_stirrin
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Re: Still error or operator error

Post by still_stirrin »

First thing …. tape over the thermometer so you’re not distracted by it.

Then, turn up the heat (power input). You probably had some product in the thumper when you shut down, but it got sucked back into the boiler when it cooled, hence the dry thumper.

You shouldn’t need ice water in your worm box (flake stand). Just cool water should do it.

Got a photo of your rig? That might help with troubleshooting it. In the meantime, study as much as you can.
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Yummyrum
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Re: Still error or operator error

Post by Yummyrum »

Did you hear any “plunking “sounds from the thumper ? Assuming you prefilled the thumoer with enough to cover the inlet , that should be an indication that the boiler s producing vapour . The “plunking “ sound will get noisier and eventually become a smoothe bubbling sound as the liquid in it boils . Then you will start to get your first few drops cme out the end .

Agree with SS on the suck back emptying your thumper .This will happen every-time you shut it off . So if you have to shut down before its finished , you need to break the connection between boiler and thumper to let air into your boiler.
cob
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Re: Still error or operator error

Post by cob »

Have you ever successfully made alcohol with this still as it is set up? sacrificial run or otherwise.
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Truckinbutch
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Re: Still error or operator error

Post by Truckinbutch »

Stills pretty much run consistently until the operator fucks it up .
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SmokyMtn
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Re: Still error or operator error

Post by SmokyMtn »

Truckinbutch wrote: Mon Oct 25, 2021 8:04 pm Stills pretty much run consistently until the operator fucks it up .
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