Help with new Reflux

Putting older posts here. Going to try to keep the novice forum pruned about 90 days work. The 'good' old stuff is going to be put into appropriate forums.

Moderator: Site Moderator

Post Reply
birdass
Novice
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2009 4:14 pm

Help with new Reflux

Post by birdass »

Hello all Iam new to the Hobby I got a 2peice 40in colume 8gal boiler reflux still i got from Mile hi distillers. I recently did a run with 5 gal of 15%ABV Mash and was only able to get 3 pints of finished product which came clear and had 180proof punch. is this about what i can expect or have i did something wrong. Also what kinda of pump so i be using now Iam using a sump pump that puts out about 1550GPH is this to muck or not
trthskr4
Distiller
Posts: 1324
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:55 pm
Location: South

Re: Help with new Reflux

Post by trthskr4 »

There was a total of 3 quarts of 100% in the boiler. You got 3 pints of 90%, it depends on what you stopped collecting at but you lost (or missed) alot of ethanol on that run. Have you done a leak check on the thing? Your pump's a little overkill depending on the condenser also. A submersible aquarium pump would be adequate on most condensers but your will work. If you have a valve to control the cooling it might burn it up though without having full flow, those pumps aren't designed to run with alot of back pressure on them.
15 gallon pot still, 2"x18" column with liebeg condensor on propane.
Modified Charles 803 w/ 50gal boiler, never ran so far.
Dnderhead
Angel's Share
Angel's Share
Posts: 13666
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2007 8:07 pm
Location: up north

Re: Help with new Reflux

Post by Dnderhead »

If for whatever reason you use a larger pump than necessary it is best to put in a bypass so excess water is returned to tank not just shutting it off
saves on the pump.
birdass
Novice
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2009 4:14 pm

Re: Help with new Reflux

Post by birdass »

3 Qts Holy S@## I Did something really wrong I mean I just quit putting out at three pints I didnt see any steam I guess I will have to keep trying untill I get it Right I am still learning about reflux I read That you should start refluxing at 60 degree is this right and also just what does refluxing do?
rad14701
retired
Posts: 20865
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:46 pm
Location: New York, USA

Re: Help with new Reflux

Post by rad14701 »

Read, read, read, birdass - Read, read, read... Start out by reading the parent site, using the static menu, three times... Yep, three times... First time might or might not make much sense, but will seem overwhelming... Second time through it will start making sense, but will also raise questions you didn't have enough knowledge to know to ask about before... The third time through, things will start to gel in the gray matter and you'll start connecting the dots... Then you can go back and look for more answers and come back here for answers you can't find there... Until till then you're just wasting your and, more importantly, our time with disparate questions and answers that don't congeal into anything substantial... You've gotta do the time and reading like everyone else has.. There's no free lunch here... You need to know the WHY behind the answers, not just the answers, and those answers might be like an onion skin - many layers deep...
violentblue
Rumrunner
Posts: 729
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2007 12:20 pm

Re: Help with new Reflux

Post by violentblue »

rad14701 wrote:Read, read, read, birdass - Read, read, read... Start out by reading the parent site, using the static menu, three times... Yep, three times... First time might or might not make much sense, but will seem overwhelming... Second time through it will start making sense, but will also raise questions you didn't have enough knowledge to know to ask about before... The third time through, things will start to gel in the gray matter and you'll start connecting the dots... Then you can go back and look for more answers and come back here for answers you can't find there... Until till then you're just wasting your and, more importantly, our time with disparate questions and answers that don't congeal into anything substantial... You've gotta do the time and reading like everyone else has.. There's no free lunch here... You need to know the WHY behind the answers, not just the answers, and those answers might be like an onion skin - many layers deep...
You've read the home site 3 times but you're still making wash out of baby ceareal and claiming it as earth shattering. You don't know enough to be chastising someone else for their lack of knowledge.
"best keep your mouth shut and thought a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt" - unknown
rad14701
retired
Posts: 20865
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:46 pm
Location: New York, USA

Re: Help with new Reflux

Post by rad14701 »

violentblue wrote:You've read the home site 3 times but you're still making wash out of baby ceareal and claiming it as earth shattering. You don't know enough to be chastising someone else for their lack of knowledge.
Not "earth shattering" - merely "easy"... The recipe you are referring to is meant to help novices get going without a lot of the fuss they end up encountering when they jump in and start with turbos... They are also better suited for my current living conditions in an apartment... Perhaps you should give it a try yourself, if for no other reason than to validate or invalidate the "easy" part...

I won't get into a pissing match with you but your comments were totally uncalled for... I've been doing this, on and off, for over 30 years and made a lot of both wine and hooch without help from the internet... I learned by making more than a few mistakes along the way, too... And I still spend time on the parent site on a regular basis myself, just to see if I can cull anything more out of what's there... If you have a better plan of action for gaining a wealth of knowledge about the craft, other than my advice, do share... No one was being chastised and don't recall anyone mentioning that they thought they were... The same advice has helped other novices which is why I, and others, give it every now and again...
punkin
Master of Distillation
Posts: 2711
Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2007 12:36 pm
Location: Northern NSW Oz Trail Ya

Re: Help with new Reflux

Post by punkin »

rad14701 wrote:
I've been doing this, on and off, for over 30 years and made a lot of both wine and hooch without help from the internet...


Really?

Have you really been distilling for over 30 years?
rad14701
retired
Posts: 20865
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:46 pm
Location: New York, USA

Re: Help with new Reflux

Post by rad14701 »

punkin wrote:
rad14701 wrote:
I've been doing this, on and off, for over 30 years and made a lot of both wine and hooch without help from the internet...


Really?

Have you really been distilling for over 30 years?
Yes... Really... Started when I was in my teens, like several others here, as part of a family venture... I've been drawn back into it and then distracted away again several times... But I don't need to defend these facts anyway... No need trying to stir things up and drift further off topic...
User avatar
Husker
retired
Posts: 5031
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2006 1:04 pm

Re: Help with new Reflux

Post by Husker »

rad14701 wrote:No need trying to stir things up and drift further off topic...
I agree with that line in WHOLE. No need to continue this beyond this post. It can stop now.

H.
Hillbilly Rebel: Unless you are one of the people on this site who are legalling distilling, keep a low profile, don't tell, don't sell.
User avatar
LWTCS
Site Mod
Posts: 12836
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: North Palm Beach

Re: Help with new Reflux

Post by LWTCS »

School colors and bad temper,
violentblue wrote:You don't know enough to be chastising someone else for their lack of knowledge.
Chastising? I didn't get that at all. Do you know Rad personally?

Seems to me Rad does a better job than most trying to help folks more often than not.

The cereal recipes work, they are easy and they render. Perhaps the traditional gents find these washes too basic? But I have read several times in the past where an experienced gent has recommended a cereal recipe.

I have enjoyed the majority of your posts, but this one seems like your just looking for conflict.

Sorry Husker. I know you Gents do a good job of keeping things on the straight and narrow.
Trample the injured and hurdle the dead.
birdass
Novice
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2009 4:14 pm

Re: Help with new Reflux

Post by birdass »

I just ask for advice and i got it iwill read I didnt want to start a pissing match here
violentblue
Rumrunner
Posts: 729
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2007 12:20 pm

Re: Help with new Reflux

Post by violentblue »

birdass wrote:I just ask for advice and i got it iwill read I didnt want to start a pissing match here
this particular pissing match was going on long before you came here.
theholymackerel
retired
Posts: 1432
Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2004 7:39 pm

Re: Help with new Reflux

Post by theholymackerel »

I don't know who pissed in yer Cheerios, but yer bein' asked to stop a second time, Violent Blue. I think a warnin' is in order.
User avatar
tipsy
Novice
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2009 1:22 am
Location: Vic. Australia

Re: Help with new Reflux

Post by tipsy »

Hi first time poster

I don't really want to take this thread off track :wink: but Dnderheads quote got me thinking
Dnderhead wrote:If for whatever reason you use a larger pump than necessary it is best to put in a bypass so excess water is returned to tank not just shutting it off
saves on the pump.
I will be moving to a house that will be using a large pressure pump, would i need a bypass before my 1/4" condenser or is this only for pumps without a pressure switch?
trthskr4
Distiller
Posts: 1324
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:55 pm
Location: South

Re: Help with new Reflux

Post by trthskr4 »

In the context that Dunder was talking yes. You still should always be mindful of you well's pump though, especially if it's your only source of water there. 1/4" isn't going to let alot of volume through it but it is still enough to keep your pump kicking on and off a good bit. Assess the situation and see if you'd be more comfortable putting in a recirculating system with its own pump when you get settled. Especially if you'll be doing alot of long runs. Either way it'll use electricity so it's just a matter of wear and tear on your main well.
15 gallon pot still, 2"x18" column with liebeg condensor on propane.
Modified Charles 803 w/ 50gal boiler, never ran so far.
Dnderhead
Angel's Share
Angel's Share
Posts: 13666
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2007 8:07 pm
Location: up north

Re: Help with new Reflux

Post by Dnderhead »

there's a couple ways that I have not seen on hear is 1) gravity feed ,fill a barrel mounted higher than still, gravity feed water threw condenser
into another barrel, when cooled pump back with sump pump. (pump whould not be running constantly/ no running pump when distilling)
another way that mite work if in a remote location (no electric/limited water)is thermal siphon.either way mite work with liebig condenser
and save water.
trthskr4
Distiller
Posts: 1324
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:55 pm
Location: South

Re: Help with new Reflux

Post by trthskr4 »

Good ideas Dunder. The gravity feed would work well for those without a pressure activated pump or a high volume low pressure type pump.
15 gallon pot still, 2"x18" column with liebeg condensor on propane.
Modified Charles 803 w/ 50gal boiler, never ran so far.
User avatar
tipsy
Novice
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2009 1:22 am
Location: Vic. Australia

Re: Help with new Reflux

Post by tipsy »

I will look into the gravity feed or a seperate pump than the one that runs the house hold.

Thanks
Post Reply