Is there a minimum I can distill in my 15 gal. Keg Potstill?

markophonic · Post by **markophonic** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 9:46 am

I have a 15 gallon Stainless beer keg I'm using as a potstill. Is it ok to distill what I get from a 25L wash (I'm planning on using Uncle Jesse's simple sour mash method)...or do I have to start with more initial wash because of the capacity of the keg? I read, and read, and read some more but can't find anything that seems to address this (sorry if it's a stupid question!)

I currently only have enough equipment to do 25L washes at a time.

This is what I'll be distilling in.

Thanks in advance for any replies!!!

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Post by **Husker** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 11:09 am

a 15 gallon (55L or so I think), will process a 25L wash (or 20L wash), just fine.

However, if you are going to double distill (which MANY here will recommend), I would save up several strip runs to run a 2nd time. A strip run of 20L will produce about 6L of 35-40% low wines. Doing 6L of 35-40% to produce 2.5L or so of 65% "finished product" would NOT be wise to do in a 15.5 gallon keg. Save up 4 runs or so, then you will have about 25L (or more), then do your spirit run with this, to produce 10 or 11L of 65% finished product (and some heads and tails, then dump those into the next spirit run).

A 1/2 full keg will work just fine.

NOTE if you are using an electric element heater, and you are running a smaller batch of high proof a 2nd (or 3rd) time, then add water to your keg first, to cover the heater. THEN add your low wines to this. Doing this, will make sure there is enough water left over, to keep your heater coil covered. If your coil boils dry, it will burn out (and you may possibly have a MUCH more severe problem than simply a burnt out heating element!!) If you are using propane (or other external heat), then adding of water is not an issue.

H.

Elricko · Post by **Elricko** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 1:13 pm

markophonic:

Husker gave you the perfect answer and I can't add anything to that. however I do want to address something else you said.

"I read, and read, and read some more but can't find anything that seems to address this (sorry if it's a stupid question!)"

Man, that burns me up!

This is what this forum is for. Don't let anyone intiminate you from asking a question. There aren't any stupid questions, just stupid answers. And sometimes stupid people who don't want to help newbies.

We are all in this together and we all learn from your questions as well as everyone elses. Sometimes you don't want to read read read you just want a dad gum answer. So ask! If someone else thinks you should know everything or you shouldn't be on this forum well then the heck with them.

Okay I'll get off my soapbox, but I don't want anyone out there thinking they shouldn't ask a question when they have one.

Cheers

Ricky · Post by **Ricky** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 3:34 pm

i can understand how you could feel this question could be stupid but i cant say that i have heard much talk of a minimum quantity unless you were using electricity like husker said. if you do a coupla searches and dont find your answer then by all means ask. the questions that usually get called stupid are the ones that get asked weekly. these get redundant and try a mans patience. they also show up after a couple of searchs too. so continue to use the search function and if you cant find the answer then ask. someone will be glad to help.

Uncle Remus · Post by **Uncle Remus** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 6:58 am

I have run as little as 4 litres. This was a some rum that had been distilled twice already. I wasn't happy with the flavour so I ran it a third time and it cleaned up nicely. I use propane.

rangaz · Post by **rangaz** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:42 pm

Correct me if I'm wrong but I can't think of any logical reason why you couldn't do small absinthe batches in it other than the space it takes up.

possum · Post by **possum** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 11:45 pm

With electrical element, sure on the absinthe, as long as you filter it first.

stoker · Post by **stoker** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 3:53 am

last week, i did a 4-l distillation (only 4.5 % of my still filled)
it was a wash that hasn't been distilled before, and it came out ok.
(with propane)

goose eye · Post by **goose eye** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 4:19 am

you can always add water to the kettle.

stoker i aint good in math so can you tell me what 4.5 percent be in a 60 gal kettle. is that bout 2 an a half gal.

stoker · Post by **stoker** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 4:35 am

stoker i aint good in math so can you tell me what 4.5 percent be in a 60 gal kettle. is that bout 2 an a half gal.

that's correct
who has a 60 gallon still?

goose eye · Post by **goose eye** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 4:49 am

a friend of a friend

stoker · Post by **stoker** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 8:54 am

Samogon · Post by **Samogon** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 12:52 pm

goose eye wrote:you can always add water to the kettle.

I have a 5 gal still and would like to run <1 gal batches in it, if possible. It sounds like it's fine, as I have it in a water bath. But I'm curious, what effect does adding water have? A number of recipes call for adding water before distilling (notably absinthe), but it seems kind of counter-intuitive as the goal is usually to decrease the amount of water in the finished product. With a 'perfect' still it shouldn't matter at all, but with a real-world homemade pot still, I wonder. On a stripping run with approx. 16% abv, I see around 40% coming over. On a second run, I get from 85% down to around 40% at the end. Wouldn't adding a bunch of water to your boiler reduce the strength of the distillate in a pot still?

goose eye · Post by **goose eye** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 4:39 pm

not sure why other folks add water but im tole you can burn the bottom out of a copper kettle if you aint careful an it aint a good time when that happens

the likker is the same an that what you removein dont matter how much water you add. will take you awhile longer to cook

id be careful of runin by number an learn to use your sences more.
i heard tell about backins comein on at 90+ prof with cider .
backins in you likker barrel wills cause you to fire up the kettle again

so im tole