First timer, whaddya think

[JohnnyFox]

So I bought a still like this on Fleabay...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... %26fvi%3D1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

My best guess is that you would call it an internal reflux column still.

I scrubbed it, ran water through it for an hour at high temp. Last night I tried 1.75 gallons of cheap wine through it. I used copper mesh in the column.

I didn't get any distillate until the thermometer read ~188. f. I collected ~100ml of the 'foreshot' (smells nasty) until about 191f.

I then collected about 40 ozs as the temp rose from 191 - 200 over three hours. I kept the coolant water icy; I went through about 15 lbs of ice over ~ 3 hrs. After this point the taste was getting nasty. During the middle 'heart' of the run, using some imagination I could almost imagine a Brandy-like taste.

I don't have an alcoholmeter yet; The foreshot would burn blue on a q-tip. After the foreshot, it was not possible to light.

Questions:

1) Production seemed low. I expected something like 60 ozs of distillate. (1.75 gallons, 11.5 abv wine, ~60 proof distilllate). Is it better to run a 'stripping' run first without the packing? Maybe the ABV of the distillate is higher than I expected?

2) Why might the temp be so high? Could it just be the placement of the digital temp sensor?

3) The column is less than 18", with a 3/4" diameter. This seems to be small after reading about column stills here...
Is this still really usable at all with such a small column? Is it really a pot still?

I would really appreciate & respect any feedback from you old pros out there. I'm really excited to get started on this, but I'm wondering about the effectiveness of this still design...

Thanks in advance,

JF

[Dnderhead]

Could not really see good on EBay but looks like a pot still ? could not see any cooling for column ? 3/4 " column is going to be very slow. Id unpack and see what it does . and sounds like you mite have to run twice. 50%/ 100pr should burn in a spoon

[JohnnyFox]

Sorry, the picture is small. I'll have to take a better one myself.
The vertical column has no cooling; the downspout is 1/4", with a 3/4" water jacket around it. I put a pump in a cooler with icewater for coolant. MAN - does this thing eat ice!
There was condensation collecting on the outside of the downspout. I think this also dripped into the collection glass, which ultimately diluted the output distillate.

[Dnderhead]

that's why it runs at that high of temperature, it is a pot still. as before take out the packing . run it twice.
you should not have to run "ice" cold if the distillerent comes out worm its ok as long as no vapors

[trthskr4]

Is there any kind of a seal around the lid of the boiler? If not then you'll lose some vapor there and output will be lower than expected. Use a flour and water paste seal around the lid and then clamp it down. As Dnder said, "3/4" column is small and output will be slowwww". Don't worry about the temp when it starts making, just make note of what it is if you want to keep up with that and go on about your business. The temp on the other end of the run is more important, IMO, as it will help determine when to stop the run. Do get an alcohol meter though. I also agree with Dnder to take out the packing. Learn how much heat input is correct with that still to get a good flow and don't try to control the temp on the runs. Pot stills don't like that too much.

Welcome to the forums.

[Aussie Beamophile]

I'm with Dnder on the pot still evaluation.

It looks like a pot still to me also.

I am new to this but I run my pot relatively hard on the stripping runs and struggle to get the output to burn by the middle of the run also.

It's difficult to tell what you are getting out without the alchometer but do some searches here on "determining proof" as there are other ways of determining it with reasonable accuracy (ie shaking and analysing bubble size etc).

I can't imagine that you really need to be using all that ice either (unless it's readily available at low cost). If the output is somewhere between cool and skin temp then the condensor is doing fine without the ice.

Good luck and keep playing, you'll sort it out soon enuff.

[JohnnyFox]

WOW -
Thanks for all the help. This forum is wonderful.
My alcohol meter should be coming in the mail today.
I am convinced now that it is a pot still. I'm actually relieved because I do want to try some non-neutral spirits.
There is teflon tape around the seal between the lid and the pot. 12 clamps hold the lid on; I have no reason to believe any vapor is escaping. I am starting to wonder if the Teflon tape is the safest thing, health wise, to be using as the seal. Maybe I need to do the 'dough' seal...?
I got some more ice last night and finished the run; I took out the packing and ran about 1 hour, 202-206*. It seemed to be pretty much just water coming out at that point.
I want to measure the ABV of this 'stripping' run. Then I'll do a spirit run and measure the ABV. Should I put the packing back in for the spirit run? Kinda hate to do it, but I guess I need to throw out the product of this run. I'll chalk it up to experience, and be somewhat assured that my still works and is clean.
Then I think I might be ready for a 'real' first run. I'm looking at wineo's plain old sugar wash. As soon as I can get some DAP, I'll set up a 6 gallon carboy, and try to find the patience to wait 2-3 weeks...

Thanks again for all the input,
JF

[StabbyJoe]

Yep, DEFINITELY need the flour paste. The big clips are to hold the 2 parts together with flour paste between, I'm sure of it. Metal to metal won't be any good - beginning to worry that evaporating ethanol was escaping through the seal and the cold water inside your condenser and the warm vapor would meet causing ethanol to condense on the outside?
Lots of people recommend that your first run is part of the cleaning process and not to drink it, anyway...

Looks like your probs are pretty sorted from here and your first run on a home made wash should go well

[trthskr4]

Make a mental note of the last bit of that run as it should be almost all tails at those temps and low abv. That mental note will help you later making tails cuts.

[JohnnyFox]

So I got an alcoholmeter last night and measured my stripping runs - 43%.
I want to do a spirit run next. Should I leave the packing out?
Kicked off a batch of wineo' plain old sugar wash last night - it is plopping away...
I might have put too much sugar in, the SG was 1.082, slightly higher than the 1.080 max that wineo suggests. Will that cause any problems?
Thanks,
JF

[Dnderhead]

id say yes leave packing out next run should about double the percent

[trthskr4]

43% sounds about dead on what others get on a strip. I don't think that extra sugar in the wash will hurt too much but Wineo has been doing this a long time and he's probably figured that after 1.080 you start to get off flavors or it takes too long to ferment or something like that. Your spirit run will probably run between 70-75% starting abv with those 43% low wines maybe upwards of 80%.