Question for other pot still users

[booger]

Hey all-

Doing my first run (other than water) through my new potstill (copper with a small expansion chamber) and it's coming off at 84%. I'm just curious what sort of percentage others out there are getting out of their potstills?

[Yttrium]

Well, you have to take into consideration your starting proof(4% wash vs 20% wash). In general with my pot still I usually get a wee more bit than one theoretical plate:

http://homedistiller.org/refluxdesign.htm#multi

[Professor Duck]

I get about the same, a bit more than one plate.

[booger]

So what is your guys methodology? Do you do stripping runs or just go for collecting at 84% in one run?

Or maybe the better question is will I see noticeable difference in quality if I first do a stripping run? I'm not trying to get a neutral spirit, but don't commercial distilleries do stripping runs at about 60% or so the first go 'round?

[Professor Duck]

I do stripping runs because I make vodka in a pot still which takes about 3 runs. I'd say you will get a noticeable difference in quality and probably less flavour. Just try it and see what you like better.

[booger]

Doing a stripping run right now...it's started at 70% @ ~188 degrees f (86.6 c) - and I have my electric therm set to beep at me when it reaches 197 degrees f (91.6 c). My next follow up question (and thanks for the answers) is how much do you dillute your stripping run to do a final (slower) run? Down to 30%, 50%? And what do you dillute with - distilled water? Filtered?

[Guest]

Doing a stripping run right now...it's started at 70% @ ~188 degrees f (86.6 c) - and I have my electric therm set to beep at me when it reaches 197 degrees f (91.6 c). My next follow up question (and thanks for the answers) is how much do you dillute your stripping run to do a final (slower) run? Down to 30%, 50%? And what do you dillute with - distilled water? Filtered?

I don't dilute it at all. I do multiple strippin runs till I have enough to run through for a final run.
For my Strippin runs, I usually collect til the product is commin out of the still at about 20%. Then for my final run, I collect til the product is comin out at about 40% or so.

[Professor Duck]

I don't dilute either. Higher proof means better seperation of distillate.

[booger]

If you don't dillute, don't you worry about not enough liquid being left in the boiler at the end of the run?

[boozer]

Maybe these guys are using external heating, eg propane.
However if you are using electric internal elements you need to add sufficient water to cover your element.

Bottoms up; Boozer

[Blueraven]

I've been getting ard 50% to 60% on my first run. I pour it back in and do another one. The 2nd run goes faster than the first and ends up being in the 40%+ range.

Blueraven

[booger]

Blueraven, am I misreading, or are you saying that you end up with a lower purity the second time through?

[Blueraven]

booger,

1st let me say Im no expert on this and have done only 3 runs on my pot still. so i'm STILL learning like you..

anyway, on the last run(6/8/05). I started getting the % per glass, abt 13-15 oz.. 1st one was 53%. 2nd was 64%, 3rd was 58%, 4th was 59%. My first drops came out at ard 195.4 deg f and a steady at ard 197.4 deg f. The next day I got stream at 198.5 deg f. At 199 deg f I turned the eye down and was running good. I started at ard 10:15 on the 2nd day and at 11:15 got gurgling and huffing and puffing, the pot was breathing, and 11:30 at 199.7 deg f I was getting fast drips and streams. Didn't measure 1st glass % but 2nd glass % was 56%, 3rd glass was 54%, 4 th glass was 52.5%, 5th glass was 47.5% and 6th glass was 44%. I stopped at 3:52 pm at 206 deg at 40%.

So thats what I got cause i kept good notes as I did it. Anyway, I diluted it to 40% and filtered thru coofee filter twice and its good stuff. Hope to use activated carbon on it when i get it..

I really like it..and hope to flavor the next batch. Plus plan to build reflux when i decide which one to build.

Hope this helps booger..Oh yeah the orig wash was 10%.

BAYL = bark at ya later..<G>

[booger]

Got it, Blueraven - I misunderstood what you were saying before, and now it makes sense...I thought you were saying that on your second distillation run (redistilling the distillate) the purity came out lower than the original and that really had me confused there...not that it takes much.