I have been madly reading everything I can find on the net “free” and just keep coming back to this site coz it has so much information. You guys rock!!!

I am new to all of this and have been using a friends stillworks reflux still for some months now but I am after a much better product, hence all the reading.
Like many others I started thinking down the LM path and from all the reading on this forum I have switched over to building a VM column with a twist,
Under construction:
Emersed electric heater and voltage supply control in the boiler, Ø3” X 48” column packed with SS pot-scrubbers.
The top of the column reduces to Ø2” and goes to a Tee, one side goes to a 38” long “liebig” down one side using a ½” SS ball valve to control product take off. On the other side of the tee it goes up to a coil condenser for reflux. The condensed reflux then drips down, through a glass viewing tube and back to the top of the column, well above the packing but the height from the bottom of the reflux condenser to the top of the packing is not any higher than if I had have made it inline. I have gone this way for 3 reasons 1, I think the Tee at the top of the column will give an even distribution of vapour to the reflux side and the product side. 2, I really want to be able to see how much reflux is being returned to the column. 3, I think an offset head looks cool (yes I am shallow

I hope to have it all finished and running this weekend, I intend running stem through it for a day and then a 50% striped mix through it to hopfully get rid of all the nasties before firing it up in anger a week later
My question is how and when will I know that all the foreshot is out of the head of the still. Then, how do I determine where the heads finish and the body of the run starts? Then how can I pick the tails and stop them from contaminating the body of the run I have read the post’s about taking off product in very small containers and smelling it a day later, is this truly the only way coz if it is I am screwed, my sense of smell is buggered.
P.s. I don’t care if a run takes a long time, I just want the best product I can get.
Thanks for your time FREAK..............................................OUT!