Thermometer IN the wash? Yes? No?

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mannye
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Thermometer IN the wash? Yes? No?

Post by mannye »

I've been thinking about getting a thermometer in the actual boiler to monitor the temp of the wash itself. The still I bought has one right at the top to measure the temp of the vapor only.
Archee72
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Re: Thermometer IN the wash? Yes? No?

Post by Archee72 »

No
Any thermometer is unnecessary
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Salt Must Flow
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Re: Thermometer IN the wash? Yes? No?

Post by Salt Must Flow »

I have a thermowell in my boiler. I sometimes use it to monitor heat-up temp then I'll move the probe to the base of the column/riser, set an alarm for 100F so I know when the vapor is on its way up.
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NZChris
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Re: Thermometer IN the wash? Yes? No?

Post by NZChris »

I use one in the wash. It's handy when doing multiple strips of the same wash. I strip until the receiver is down to my desired low wines ABV for the type of spirit, record the wash temperature, then run subsequent strips to the same temperature. The ABV of the subsequent strips is close enough to the first that I don't have to check them.
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gurkan
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Re: Thermometer IN the wash? Yes? No?

Post by gurkan »

If you can do the math while watching the thermometer, you can simply place the thermometer on the boiler itself without dealing with any crews, nuts, or fittings and potential leaks. Yes, since the thermometer only touches the lid of your boiler what you observe will be lower than the actual inside temperature. But if you can figure out exactly how low by taking notes while running, it becomes easier.

As @Archee72 mentioned, thermometer is unnecessary and for this reason what I do only feeds my curiosity with almost no effort and no risk.
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NZChris
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Re: Thermometer IN the wash? Yes? No?

Post by NZChris »

Doing a small, experimental, feints recovery distillation last week in a still with no thermometers, I weighed the jars coming off the still instead of checking the ABV. The weights of the jars was just as indicative of where the heart cut was ending as any other indicator.
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: Thermometer IN the wash? Yes? No?

Post by Saltbush Bill »

My two bobs worth, its personal choice as many things to do with distilling are.....a thermometer in the boiler will tell you when the runs about done......how much alcohol is left................there are other ways of telling both of those things that are no harder than looking at a thermometer.
Personally Id rather take a sample from the spout and dump an Alcometer in said sample. When stripping you can pretty much feel when the strip is getting really low in ABV.....goes all slippery, slimy, oily feeling when ya rub it......then a quick test with the alcometer will verify what you already knew.
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Yummyrum
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Re: Thermometer IN the wash? Yes? No?

Post by Yummyrum »

I think Saltbush summed it up .
The important thing is what is coming out the spout .
Afterall ,thats what we are after .

Personally , I couldn’t care less whats happening in the boiler .
I don’t need to know what the temp of the wash or the vapour is .

On stripping runs I use the finger rub test and a taste test as well .
The Alcometer is a comfort reading backup my human calibration .

It takes a while to trust your senses . But when thermometers and Alco meter brake, the show can still go on .

T
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: Thermometer IN the wash? Yes? No?

Post by Saltbush Bill »

Yummyrum wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 4:36 am It takes a while to trust your senses . But when thermometers and Alco meter brake, the show can still go on .
Ya got that right Yummy ..when the thermometer is broken or the batteries are flat , the taste buds , fingers keep working.
The sooner ya train ya senses the sooner ya wont need to rely on thermometers.
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LWTCS
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Re: Thermometer IN the wash? Yes? No?

Post by LWTCS »

I don't understand the need (or want beyond a few runs)?
Even after only achieving a degree of intermediate experience doesn't one quickly learn to know what's what?
Notwithstanding the fact that it will be what it will be.

It matters not.
Trample the injured and hurdle the dead.
howie
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Re: Thermometer IN the wash? Yes? No?

Post by howie »

the only time i use a thermometer is on a neutral reflux run.
on a 2" CM, placed just before the RC.
i believe the 2-3C drop in temp after being a constant value for about 45 mins is a indication that the column is in equ.
happens every time.
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Skipper1953
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Re: Thermometer IN the wash? Yes? No?

Post by Skipper1953 »

Yes. There is no reason why you shouldn't.
mannye
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Re: Thermometer IN the wash? Yes? No?

Post by mannye »

Yeah. My still has a bung soldered in to screw in a thermometer. It’s just curiosity at this point. I have several runs under my belt at this point and I’m starting to be able to tell the difference between heads hearts and tails. Starting to. I have about 15 gallons of honey that’s destined to become lots and lots of mead and honey shine.

But it seems the boiler temp will be valuable if I’m doing a bunch of spirit runs with the same wash. Or who knows? I may just have to get a bigger still at this point. Lol.
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NZChris
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Re: Thermometer IN the wash? Yes? No?

Post by NZChris »

I always work out the boiling point of the wash so that I know when to expect it to start distilling. If the temperature goes much over the boiling point and there is nothing at the spout, there is probably a blockage somewhere and the heat should be turned off until you have checked that it is all clear.
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Re: Thermometer IN the wash? Yes? No?

Post by shadylane »

I check the pots temp when the condenser starts pissing alcohol.
Then use a chart to figure out the wash ABV.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=10158
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Yummyrum
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Re: Thermometer IN the wash? Yes? No?

Post by Yummyrum »

NZChris wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 6:12 pm I always work out the boiling point of the wash so that I know when to expect it to start distilling. If the temperature goes much over the boiling point and there is nothing at the spout, there is probably a blockage somewhere and the heat should be turned off until you have checked that it is all clear.
Thats a fair reason.

I can do that simply by running my hand up the riser as it heats up . I feel the wave of heat slowly make its way from top of boiler , up riser and down lyne arm to condenser .

I don’t need to know the exact temp . But I do know that it is burning hot to touch regardless of whether its a stripping run or a spirit run .
If the burning hot wave had made it to the top if the condenser , I’d expect drops in a few seconds , I also often sniff the output for apple smell before the heat wave had arrived and listen for the boiler gurgling sound at the condenser output . Sound travels through an unblocked system .

These all help to assure me things are travelling safely .
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NZChris
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Re: Thermometer IN the wash? Yes? No?

Post by NZChris »

I have had critters build mud nests in various orifices. Hose fittings are popular with the bugs around here and I have had a blocked condenser as well. If I remember, I block the holes, but I don't always remember. There was a post on a forum a few years back from someone who had some kind of mud wasp block a condenser and they didn't find it until investigating after the run wouldn't start.
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: Thermometer IN the wash? Yes? No?

Post by Saltbush Bill »

NZChris wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 10:02 pm have had critters build mud nests in various orifices
And that is why you should blow through every pipe and opening of a still before its assembled or you fire the boiler.
That habit has saved me some grief more than once.
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Re: Thermometer IN the wash? Yes? No?

Post by Bryan1 »

I just put my thermo ontop of the keg boiler and I know when it hits 60C the flow aint too far away and when it hit 80C the run is near the end. A easy way to monitor and the thermo is used for other stuff, so not essential to have a permanent one there
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Ben
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Re: Thermometer IN the wash? Yes? No?

Post by Ben »

I use a thermo in my boiler, just so I can preheat (electric) while I prep other stuff. I don't use the number for anything, it's just ornamental once preheat is done.
:)
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Re: Thermometer IN the wash? Yes? No?

Post by Jstroke »

It’s funny. I read a lot on here before I built my first pot still and many senior veterans on here kept repeating the same two things over many posts over many years. That thermometers have no business on a potty and belong to use your senses. I was just a touch nervous the first few times and I kept thinking about a thermometer to better “know” things were proceeding. I’ve been running without one since then and I’ll be a monkeys uncle but by jimminy, it seems to working just fine without one. I’m no wizard, but I can tell when she’s done on a stripping run by the smell and tell just before she starts her stream the same way. I can tell by the feel of her within a minute or so she is ready to go. If I monitor her spout and keep smelling and feeling and tasting it just seems to get easier. I have no idea why. So after thinking long and hard about half a second I decided I wouldn’t drill a hole in my boiler after all. What you decide it up to you. But I’m not gonna lie, makes me smile to know that I’m just starting to know, if you know what I mean.
If in doubt leave it out.
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