first sourmash run a few ?

[booger68]

I did a stip run of about 10 gallons caught it all down to 25% alcohol then stopped i got about 8 quarts in about 2 hrs does this sound about right? I disposed of the first 400mill as forshots is that right? It taste pretty good all but the very end.Just did a little bit of tasting though I am wondering if my colum is too long though because it seems i read where the srip run should be a little faster?It is about 30 in long and reduces down to 3/4 at the top?

Also i had to turn my fire back pretty good i was getting a quart in about 8-10 min the stream comming out was the size of a pencil lead or a little smaller.

Do i have my incomming water at the top of my leibig or the bottom i had it at the top but i could not run it full blast.

This makes me want to do a 55gal ferment so bad this is going to take forever to get to enough for a spirit run.

thanks
booger

[rad14701]

The cooling water should enter the bottom of your liebig and out the top... It's called "counterflow"...

30" is a bit on the tall side for a pot still column, but if it works that's all that matters...

[HookLine]

30" is a bit on the tall side for a pot still column, but if it works that's all that matters...

A tallish pot column has its advantages. If there is no insulation on it then you get some reflux. By varying the amount of insulation on the column you can vary the amount of reflux, to some degree at least.

[booger68]

Thank's for the help Rad & Hookline,

Yes indeed it does work but i am wondering if i am loosing much of my flavours with the long column?i probably am so i amy make another shorter one mayby 12 in or so since i have some more 2in pipe.Thanks for getting me straight on the water flow this does make sense to me now.

What if any advantages to having the tall coumn uninsulated would there be in a potstill application?

Would it help with cuts or do you think i would be loosing too much flavour?

On my run i did kind of separate out my cuts too a degree in one quart jars but the tails and all where not real bad? Or it is probably just my inexperence shinning through.The last jar and a half or so did smell a little but you could definatly smell a lower alcohoul content.

Thanks folks for your help
booger

[rad14701]

A tall uninsulated pot still column will induce extra, possibly unwanted, reflux... It'll help if you're shooting for neutral spirits in fewer runs...

[booger68]

Thank's Rad,

I guess i may make a smaller column I dp have the extra pipe and about probably 6 or 7 days untill my next one is ready then i will see what the differance is. I do like the thought of less runs but i really do want the flavor.I wonder if i slowed it down a tad if i could have the best of both worlds with this head?

How tall would you recomend on the column?I have another 30 in section of of 2 in i could make a shorter column with nothing to loose.

I am Racking my head here just trying to figure all of this out? I wish i would have started a lot sooner than i have.

I wonder what i could use the tall coulmn for?Maybe fill it with copper scrubbers and make vodka out of the heads and tails?

Thanks Rad for all of your help
booger

[rad14701]

You really don't need ANY column on a pot still... Most of the pot stills you see on here with columns have them mainly to get the liebig up off the ground high enough for product collection without bending down to the ground for testing and changing collection jars...

Try making one as short as your setup will allow and see how much difference it makes... Then you have the two extremes and can consider whether you need something in between or not... Heck, you know you want to put solder to copper anyway and just want us to give you a legitimate excuse to do so...

[booger68]

Oh i love the smell of sizzlin flux and map gas in the morning...
I guess you knew what i was trying to deny!!!
Thanks Rad
booger

[HookLine]

A tall uninsulated pot still column will induce extra, possibly unwanted, reflux...

Some flavoured spirits, particularly brandies, benefit from a little reflux. That is what the expansion chambers on brandy stills are for, particularly useful for holding the tails back. I have also seen them on commercial whisky and rum stills too.

[booger68]

Thank's Hookline for that bit of information.

I am going to keep the long column as it is for now,but i have some extra 2in pipe i am going to try a shorter one also.The only thing i will be out is an 18 dollar reducer. I might try an elbow also i dont know yet.Or do you think it would be better to reduce it at the top?I will probably start a new thread with this question.

thanks
booger

[MashMan]

hi booger, been where your at, i kept cutting down my "column" looking for more flavour. now it consists of 4.5" of 2" tube into a 90deg bend reducing into a liebig condensor. this carries over so much flavour that i now have more flexability in controling my final product. i can do fast stripping runs (1.5 gal hour)carrying lots of flavour even from flavoured sugar washes, ujssm etc. then be able to do a nice low heat slow spirit run which gives very defined heads, body, tails seperation. i end up with a very "clean" spirit with great flavour.

just don't do as i did and end up with a pile of 4 or 5" bits of tube cluttering up the bench.

cheers.

[booger68]

Thnks Mashman,

You only use 4.5 in.Wow i guess i am still going to be pretty tall with 12 in then if i go that tall i may try about 5in then and see how that works.I still dont have enough for a spirit run only about a gallon and a half-2 gallons of strippped stuff.But i have been sipping on some of the 90 to 100 proof quart jar that i caught it aint bad but it does have a bit of a bite to it.I caught all of mine in quart jars so they are realatively sepparated some though.I hope it does get better when i do my spirit run though?

thanks
booger