First spirit run issues
Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2018 8:16 pm
So I have been combing the forums for a long time now and finally have
decided to have a go at making my own UJSSM. For my Still I have a 8gal keg
with a 1'' column about 30'' and a liebig arm about 26'' (1/2 with 3/4
jacket) Using propane heat.
So I have done a few stripping runs now with no issues (getting about a
gallon in 2 hours 65% down to 20%). I have saved up enough to do my spirit
run 5gal of 50% (I know I'm an idiot and i will not be doing that again) so
i started off very slow taking my fores off and then turned the heat up a
little to get a broken stream or kinda fast drips and on my 3rd jar the
drips stopped and i wondered wtf and then it blew out a bunch of vapour and
hot liquor (vapour lock I'm assuming) and the huffing sound which i heard
in my stripping runs and thought nothing of and didn't seem to cause any
trouble (no vapour lock or vapour lost).
Now i've looked into this huffing sound and i understand it is the vapour
collapsing and I'm assuming having just circulating ice water thru my
condenser (33degrees) that this was my issue so after a long hall i decided
to shut down on jar 13.
Woke in the morning and rigged up the garden hose and just had the water
trickling out of the top hole on initial start up no huffing but started
shortly after. The water was cold coming in and warm going out. I played
with my temperature/water flow and could not seem to get the huffing to go
away. Im wondering if my column size is too small but it seemed like i was
running slow enough i was running about 1/4 gallon in 45mins. Also maybe
charging my still with such high proof. Also the jars coming off abv seems
crazy that it doesn't drop off quicker in a pot still.
Used pint jars
Took 1.5 pints (fores) 85%
1-4- 85%
5-9- 83%
10-12 - 82%
13- 79%
SHUT DOWN
14- 79%
15- 75%
16- 71%
17-18 - 67%
19- 59%
20- 42%
21- 31% (quarter jar seen oil on 19-20)
Just seems weird to me. I have all the jars airing out they don't smell bad
to me lol maybe ill have the old girl have a whiff here in a few days.
decided to have a go at making my own UJSSM. For my Still I have a 8gal keg
with a 1'' column about 30'' and a liebig arm about 26'' (1/2 with 3/4
jacket) Using propane heat.
So I have done a few stripping runs now with no issues (getting about a
gallon in 2 hours 65% down to 20%). I have saved up enough to do my spirit
run 5gal of 50% (I know I'm an idiot and i will not be doing that again) so
i started off very slow taking my fores off and then turned the heat up a
little to get a broken stream or kinda fast drips and on my 3rd jar the
drips stopped and i wondered wtf and then it blew out a bunch of vapour and
hot liquor (vapour lock I'm assuming) and the huffing sound which i heard
in my stripping runs and thought nothing of and didn't seem to cause any
trouble (no vapour lock or vapour lost).
Now i've looked into this huffing sound and i understand it is the vapour
collapsing and I'm assuming having just circulating ice water thru my
condenser (33degrees) that this was my issue so after a long hall i decided
to shut down on jar 13.
Woke in the morning and rigged up the garden hose and just had the water
trickling out of the top hole on initial start up no huffing but started
shortly after. The water was cold coming in and warm going out. I played
with my temperature/water flow and could not seem to get the huffing to go
away. Im wondering if my column size is too small but it seemed like i was
running slow enough i was running about 1/4 gallon in 45mins. Also maybe
charging my still with such high proof. Also the jars coming off abv seems
crazy that it doesn't drop off quicker in a pot still.
Used pint jars
Took 1.5 pints (fores) 85%
1-4- 85%
5-9- 83%
10-12 - 82%
13- 79%
SHUT DOWN
14- 79%
15- 75%
16- 71%
17-18 - 67%
19- 59%
20- 42%
21- 31% (quarter jar seen oil on 19-20)
Just seems weird to me. I have all the jars airing out they don't smell bad
to me lol maybe ill have the old girl have a whiff here in a few days.