I built my first still and need help!

[Crazyb]

I built a new still from scratch on a tight budget. It doesn't look great, but it's been working. How well, I don't know and I was hoping you all could help me with!

I have only run one type of mash through it so far, but plan on distilling a second type this week. The first is 710ml of Molasses in a little less than 3L of water. I used bakers yeast, and let it sit until all of the bubbles stopped (which turned out to be about 10 days). Because I have a gas stove in a small apartment, I was worried about the possibility of a fire so I purchased a hot plate, which I used for heating.

My final product, after about 2 hours, was 300 ml of flammable liquid (burns blue). It tastes really strong, so I'm guessing its about 50-60%. This brings me to my first question: Is that a small amount of product to be getting? What should I expect from 3L of mash?

Later this week, I'll be trying out 3L of water with 3lbs of sugar. I used distillers yeast, and it has been taking longer to ferment. I'm expecting a higher yield because it will be a higher % before I distill. Final question, what is the chance I get methanol? A lot of people keep saying they're afraid to try my stuff because they don't "want to go blind". My understanding is that there is little or no chance of that since I'm only using molasses and sugar.

Also, this is my first post on here and I wanted to ask if anyone had thoughts about my still (photo attached). Also, thanks for everything so far... I've been reading a lot and appreciate all of your advice!

[Hawke]

Please go resize and rotate that pic.

[Crazyb]

Whoops! Sorry.. I'll see what I can do.

EDIT: Done!

[Oaty]

Welcome to the forum. Your in the right place. Lots of nice people here to help you out.
First you need to read, Read the home-site read the forums. All your questions have probably been asked an answered 6 times this week alone. A good place to start is the Novice FAQs and Stickies the answer to this question is there. Particuarly Taters' thread Distilling Advice...Taters said

"as long as it lights easily in a spoon it's over 100 proof.
When it won't light in a spoon but will light on a plate it's under 100 proof but over 75 or so.
If it burns clear and blue and steady with a flame you can't see in sunlight it's very pure.
If it burns with a yellow "beard" it's got some fusils and impurities... the bigger the beard the more off it is."
"See how much liquid is left in the spoon after the burning stops."

What kind of column are you running? You said

The first is 710ml of Molasses in a little less than 3L of water. I used bakers yeast, and let it sit until all of the bubbles stopped (which turned out to be about 10 days). Because I have a gas stove in a small apartment, I was worried about the possibility of a fire so I purchased a hot plate, which I used for heating.

My final product, after about 2 hours, was 300 ml of flammable liquid (burns blue). It tastes really strong, so I'm guessing its about 50-60%. This brings me to my first question: Is that a small amount of product to be getting? What should I expect from 3L of mash?

It's hard to say. If you a beer of 10% with 3L wash 300 ml is a reasonable output for a 90% abv. 10% yeilds 10% of 3L @ 90% which is exactly 300 ml.

You said

don't "want to go blind". My understanding is that there is little or no chance of that since I'm only using molasses and sugar.

Blind... No chance. Though if you don't make proper cuts you'll get a very nasty taste and a hell of a hangover.

And finally, that's a still? Oh yeah. You need to resize your pictures to no more than 1000 pixels before posting here. That picture is enormous. From the little I first saw of it I thought it was a tun. Looks like it would work fine, but there are a few better mini's designs here that are better. Are you sealing your boiler?. You can loose a lot of alc. at the lid.

[Crazyb]

Wow, thank you for the post! You helped a lot. I've been reading a lot, but will keep on learning and reading. I'm the type that learns from doing and from mistakes.

Anyway, it burns blue in a spoon for a long time, with just a little left when it's done. There is a little "beard" but it isn't there for the majority of the time, only sporadically. I've also been discarding the foreshots and aftershots, to keep it clean.

I seal my boiler with flour mixed with water on the rim and a lot clamps, and tested by running water through... no leaks. I get product when the boiler gets to about 185-195 degrees F.

I think the pictures fixed now... and thanks again for your help, I know these questions must get boring and redundant, but I guess it helps when you hear people discuss your own particular set up.

[Hawke]

At 10% the 300ml would be about right. It doesn't matter whether it's a sugar wash or grain mash, there is some methanol produced in the ferment. I would toss the first 25ml on any run. With that small of batches, I would suggest a ferment of 20-25L and do several stripping runs, then do a final spirit run with everything collected.

[Crazyb]

Ok, that's encouraging. I was worried, since some people on here say they get 1 L for every 4 they ferment. I guess I need to just do more runs until I get a higher capacity distiller... I'm fermenting 9L now, will start 6 more today because of your post.

Man, I need a basement and some space... then maybe I can get make a distiller out of a keg! BTW, the molasses tastes great... very pleased with the product, just wish there was more of it.

Oh, and I just burned a half a tablespoon of it and there was no beard at all. Left a drop or two when it was done. That's a good sign.

[Oaty]

So, what did you learn from that? It burns blue in the spoon. Indicates good abv. It has a beard not pure. Your cuts are off. Read the Distilling advice Sticky and throw your thermometer away. Temperature is a good guide, but temperature is effected by many things: your particular rig, thermometer placement etc. Use it as a guide only. Taste the product . At first it will give an off taste on the sie of your tongue that foreshots to the heads nasty stuff. Then, it will start to be neutral with even a slight sweet taste. That's your run. Afterwards it'll start to taste bitter all over your mouth more nasties. That's your ends. Easy as can be...Just collect in small amounts so that you don't contaminate your good run. And when it's all said and done, if you spoil a run, just run it again. Don't worry, be happy...have a drink

[Crazyb]

Now that you've gotten me thinking about flames, I went and burned some Everclear (90%) in a spoon to see how it did. It lit much easier, but had a huge yellow tip. Kind of explains a lot of things, and a couple rough Sundays of recovery. After trying mine, it has no beard, but doesn't burn as well (which makes a lot of sense, it is probably roughly half the percentage of Everclear).

Thanks again for your suggestions/comments. I'm glad I joined this forum!

[HookLine]

Wouldn't ditch the thermometer. It is very useful when you are first learning about stilling. These days, I go mostly by sensory info (taste, smell, feel between the fingers, sound dropping into the collection container, burn test, etc). But I also still use the thermo as a general guide to where I am in the run.

Also, thermometers with programmable alarms are VERY useful for safety reasons.

[hoochinoo]

It tastes really strong, so I'm guessing its about 50-60%.

My advice, please do not try the raw hooch if you don't have an alcoholmeter. It can burn your insides.
If you want to keep it cheap and simple, for less than $20USD, you can purchase a meter and a glass container and test your hooch as you go.

Your setup looks cool.

[Crazyb]

Thanks! I'd never heard that before. What will burn me though, just the high %? I'll look into the alcohol meter.

Sorry for the simple question, I'm just curious!

[Oaty]

Think about it Evercleer will kill ya' High ABV need to tone it down a might. Without an idea of what abv your drinking you could hurt yourself. Licking some off your fingers to get the taste won't hurt though.

[BW Redneck]

If you potstill, there is little to no way of getting rid of that "beard", since you will never get it super pure. A little bit of yellow at the very tip is fine, though.

[Crazyb]

I appreciate all of your posts. I'm more than impressed with the support and suggestions I've received!

I don't want to get over confident, but it sounds like I'm getting a good product, at the right yield. I think it would help if I insulated the copper tubing that comes off the boiler... any suggestions? It gets pretty hot, so I think a lot of things would melt. Right now I've been using t-shirts wrapped around it, which might be the best solution.

The only other problem seems to be the high temperature reading I start getting distillate at... ran pretty smoothly at 193 F, although I had to keep heating and cooling to get it consistent. It would go good for a while, albeit sputtering at times, then stop. I think it may be my heating source (a GE hotplate), which turns off an on. When it's on I get product and off I don't. I haven't figured out a solution yet. If I went up to 200 F I got a lot of distillate but it tasted watery. I guess I could use my gas stove, but I'm nervous about leaks... even though I don't think I have any.

[Oaty]

Be nervous about leaks. With your set-up be very nervous about leaks! I'd play around with this set-up for a while and have some fun. In the mean time read ...There's alot to learn here. You might start in the Novices stickies. As small as your set-up is ya' might just pop it on the stove- electric stove. Give ya' a bit more control