Hello from Belgium

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Michel
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Joined: Fri Jul 01, 2022 6:34 am

Hello from Belgium

Post by Michel »

Good morning all !
My name is Michel, I live in Belgium, and I have been considering brewing and distilling for some time as a hobby. My main motivations are learning a new craft, exploring the tremendous ingenuity available in the still space.. and drink a little of my own alcohol 😊
I just received a 8 gallons Mile Hi still, my first sugar wash is gently bubbling as we speak, and I built a PDI controller last night to add electronics “touch” to this art.
I would be very interested in sharing experience with fellow Belgian and French people.
Looking forward to learn from you!
Regards,
Michel
NormandieStill
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Re: Hello from Belgium

Post by NormandieStill »

Hello and bonjour,

I'm a brit living in Northern France. There are a few french-speakers on the forum, but not that many.

Your PID controller will be useful for beer brewing, but you'll want to use a simple SCR / SSVR "dimmer" to control your still. You can't control the temperature at which the wash boils so the PID controller will be useless. Don't forget your cleaning protocol. You don't want to drink the first batch of alcohol that comes out of the still, so you might want to get your second (and third and fourth) batches going soon.

En tout cas, bienvenue. Je vais passer une petite semaine en Belgiaue cet été. Ça me fait de bien de retourner à mon pays natal! ;-)
"I have a potstill that smears like a fresh plowed coon on the highway" - Jimbo

A little spoon feeding *For New & Novice Distillers
Michel
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Re: Hello from Belgium

Post by Michel »

Hello NormandieSt

Thanks a lot for the kind words. I had the impression that a PID could be useful to control the heater during the run, but I started to read that some people have... divergent opinions :). I have the basic module with an adjustable resistance coupled with a SSR, so I guess I will try both :)
Duly noted about the firsts runs: one with vinegar, then a throw away batch. And then we start the serious things :)
One of the many ideas behind this project will be to increase treat the many apples we have from our orchard. Based in Normandie, I guess you see what I mean. I have 2 more months to test and play, hopefully do my first gin for Mrs, and then we will talk about Calvados!
I hope you will enjoy a good week in Belgium. Which area will you be residing in? And then good luck for your trip to the UK.
Tale care, Michel
NormandieStill
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Re: Hello from Belgium

Post by NormandieStill »

Michel wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 2:43 am Hello NormandieSt

Thanks a lot for the kind words. I had the impression that a PID could be useful to control the heater during the run, but I started to read that some people have... divergent opinions :). I have the basic module with an adjustable resistance coupled with a SSR, so I guess I will try both :)
Duly noted about the firsts runs: one with vinegar, then a throw away batch. And then we start the serious things :)
One of the many ideas behind this project will be to increase treat the many apples we have from our orchard. Based in Normandie, I guess you see what I mean. I have 2 more months to test and play, hopefully do my first gin for Mrs, and then we will talk about Calvados!
I hope you will enjoy a good week in Belgium. Which area will you be residing in? And then good luck for your trip to the UK.
Tale care, Michel
We'll be not far north of Lille near Kortrijk. A week camping with my brother-in-law whos coming down from the Netherlands. And Belgium is my country of Birth. I was born in Liège to British parents.

Good luck with the apples. I'm hoping to scale up some apple brandy production this autumn. Sadly not from our own trees though.
"I have a potstill that smears like a fresh plowed coon on the highway" - Jimbo

A little spoon feeding *For New & Novice Distillers
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Buffalo
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Re: Hello from Belgium

Post by Buffalo »

I use a controller to run my pot still in the following fashion. I put the controller function in manual and set the output at 100% power. (1650 watt heating element) I listen and watch, when the very first drip starts around 45 to 60 minutes after turning the output on, I then turn the output down to around 30%. I then watch for the drips to become 2-3 per second if it isn't I turn up output power 1-2% until it is. I keep on slowly turning up power like this until I get 3-4 drips per second to a tiny stream which stops and then goes back to 3-4 drips per second. I keep watching and controlling the output of the controller for the entire run. Good luck in running your home made controller. Good luck Michel
Mr Jim
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Re: Hello from Belgium

Post by Mr Jim »

Salut all Belgium!
Welcome!
I am new too.
I wanted to also greet Monsieur Buffalo and thank him for that well condensed but revelatory tidbit of processing wisdom.

Nucleation Rocks!
Michel
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Re: Hello from Belgium

Post by Michel »

Buffalo wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 5:07 am I use a controller to run my pot still in the following fashion. I put the controller function in manual and set the output at 100% power. (1650 watt heating element) I listen and watch, when the very first drip starts around 45 to 60 minutes after turning the output on, I then turn the output down to around 30%. I then watch for the drips to become 2-3 per second if it isn't I turn up output power 1-2% until it is. I keep on slowly turning up power like this until I get 3-4 drips per second to a tiny stream which stops and then goes back to 3-4 drips per second. I keep watching and controlling the output of the controller for the entire run. Good luck in running your home made controller. Good luck Michel
Thanks a lot, Buffalo.
What size is your kettle? I assume that the drop rate is a function of its size, no?
I'll follow your advice on the first runes.
Take care, and thanks again!
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Demy
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Re: Hello from Belgium

Post by Demy »

Welcome!
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Buffalo
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Re: Hello from Belgium

Post by Buffalo »

I have a stainless Eight gallon pot still. I use copper mesh in the 2" vertical column about 8 inches worth. Interesting to watch with a sight glass above the copper. As the column gets hotter and hotter below the copper it finally gets wet on top of the mesh and its almost too hot then. It will begin to drip not to much later. I believe the output is probably almost too hot then. 1650 watts will make it puke so you have to turn it down pretty quick. I don't know if a bigger diameter vertical column would have a faster drip rate. I'm running it as a basic pot still without induced reflux like a dephlegmator.
Good luck Belgium
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Kareltje
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Re: Hello from Belgium

Post by Kareltje »

NormandieStill wrote: Fri Jul 01, 2022 11:36 am Hello and bonjour,

I'm a brit living in Northern France. There are a few french-speakers on the forum, but not that many.

Your PID controller will be useful for beer brewing, but you'll want to use a simple SCR / SSVR "dimmer" to control your still. You can't control the temperature at which the wash boils so the PID controller will be useless. Don't forget your cleaning protocol. You don't want to drink the first batch of alcohol that comes out of the still, so you might want to get your second (and third and fourth) batches going soon.

En tout cas, bienvenue. Je vais passer une petite semaine en Belgiaue cet été. Ça me fait de bien de retourner à mon pays natal! ;-)
A Brit living in France is scarce too. Les Brouilleurs d'Ecoutes, par example?
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