Surging

Jed · Post by **Jed** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 4:42 pm

Before my last run I repacked my colunm with copper mesh and did away with the marbles. With 12 gallons of wash going, 7 1/2 hours later I had a gallon of over 95 ABV and the temp didn't rise over 176F before I stopped. (It was 1:00 am and I was getting cold). I think this was some of the best I have ever brewed.
The problem was the whole time it was surging.
The reflux colunm has the lower and upper cooling lines through the colunm, (I know bad design but I built it before I knew better).
Do you think it was the packing, (too loose/too tight?)
Do I need to do away with the lower 1/2 inch cooling line through the colunm?(Cut it on each side and cap it off?)
Could it be a combination of both?
Maybe not keep the water temp so cool going through the colunm?
It turned out great but from burner ignition to shutdown was 8 1/2 hours for a gallon and I think that's a little long.
Any feedback will be greatly apeciated.

TRANSPLANTED HILLBILLY · Fri Oct 27, 2006 6:06 am

Are you still using the hotplate you referenced in another post. If so, I would bet that is your surging problem. A source of steady heat is a must. Hotplates have a thermostat that causes them to cycle off/on.

PROPANE RULES!

Jed · Post by **Jed** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 9:08 am

No...I use propane with the 15 gallon keg.
I quit using the hotplate with the small still, for me, gas is just easier to fine tune.

sherriff Buffoerd pusser · Fri Oct 27, 2006 9:17 am

I have same design its on 1500 watt element it surged before on gas but now it has nice steady drip.mine will 94 per but it takes about 5 hours to run 5 gal. wash.But it is very steady.

LeftLaneCruiser · Post by **LeftLaneCruiser** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 1:43 pm

You say you collected about a gallon over a timespan of a bit more than 8 hours..
That's 4 liters in 8 hrs, is about 500 mls/hr. That doesn't sound very bad.
Keep in mind that quality takes time. I take my good stuff at abut the same rate. You can go faster, but you'll find that back in the quality.
So basically it is the one or the other: good quality product which doesn't neet carbon polishing, or fast(er) take-off rate and foul vodka. It's your call...

KJH

Jed · Post by **Jed** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 3:08 am

Yea, I don't think I'm going to try and change anything, the product was worth the wait. I just need to start earlier and plan on a long run.

hornedrhodent · Post by **hornedrhodent** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 7:39 am

Hey Jed - did you kill off grannie?

Jed · Post by **Jed** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 3:10 pm

No, I didn't kill her, but I did mount her, from the rear. She hollered like I was killin her though.