New Internal Reflux Still

[RefluxFan]

Hi everyone,

I've just built my first Still consisting of an old 30 litre hot water cylinder, which I cut top and bottom off, hammered the bottom flat and brazened back on and hammered a lip into the top and main body part which just clamp together using a clean strip of wet tea towel around the rim as a gasket, it now holds 25 litres, but I haven't filled it with more than 22 litres just in case.

The tower part was made using some free plans from the web and seems to work pretty well. I've done 4 batches so far and each time have slightly changed the stuffing/packing in the tower to see what works and how long it takes and so now i've figured I like to use 3 copper scrubbers and a box of rashid rings which gets me 3 bottles of 90% in about 5 hours from putting the still on the stove top to finishing the last few drops.
Oh and I do discard the first 150mls.

I hope this picture works

My wash is just the standard Sugar, Water, Turbo Yeast mix, but I might play around with that formula a bit as I have had a very slight "soapy" taste in a couple of the bottles after I watered them down to 40%.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

[Hawke]

Glad you are getting reasonable results from your rig. (Most don't)
The off flavors can most likely be traced back to the Turbo yeast. The off tastes come from the extra neutriants and pushing for more than about 12% ABV in a wash.
Look in the 'Tried and True' and 'Recipe Developement' sections for some non-Turbo washes, (Birdwatchers, Gerber and All-Bran, etc.)

[plonker]

Nice work RefluxFan, looks like an old design but nicely built...

If you really like refluxes, check out some Vapor management (VM) stills, very cool, 95% azeotrope on a single pass....

All you would need is a coil and a gate valve...

[RefluxFan]

Would I need to build a whole new tower or could I customise my one to become a VM tower?

[HookLine]

I'd ditch the cooling lines through the column, and use that one as a pot still. Then build a whole new VM column from scratch. Better in the long run.

[RefluxFan]

Ok, thanks.

I'll look for some plans and give it a go.....a bit later on, because the wife still thinks this thing is made out of Gold (Copper is VERY expensive over here, it cost me just under $600 to buy the parts to make the tower), but she's coming 'round a bit more with every batch!

[HookLine]

it cost me just under $600 to buy the parts to make the tower

Is the NZ dollar that bad?

[kiwistiller]

haha no its not toooo bad at the moment (too high really) but we're a looooong way from where the copper comes from. ~0.8 aussie, 0.7 us. hurting the exporters.

[Dnderhead]

make that one over .git all your parts together first. before taking it apart as you can use it.
you need a valve and a reflux condenser and a extension the top for the condenser.

[radio11]

RefluxFan,dont want to rain on your parade,but are u collecting your output right beside a gas burner in that bottle?

[RefluxFan]

Ummmmm.....yes.

It has been suggested to me that I connect up a hose and put the collecting bottle a few feet away from the still, which I see as good advice.

I have, in my defense, put a fire extenguisher within reach on the floor for the meantime, but the hose is a good idea.

[Hawke]

Don't use a hose.
Put a 45* elbow on the end of the condenser, then a run of 1/2" copper.

[RefluxFan]

radio11 - thanks for the concern, the catch jar is now 4 feet away from the flame (see pics)

Hawke - the plumbing supply shops weren't open today, so i've used a clear pipe in it's place. It should be alright, shouldn't it?

[HookLine]

the plumbing supply shops weren't open today, so i've used a clear pipe in it's place. It should be alright, shouldn't it?

No. Definitely not. Wait till you have some copper (or stainless). Sorry, I know you are keen to get going, but keep it safe.

[RefluxFan]

Is it not safer now that the alcohol is coming out alot further away? I did the smell test and there is absolutely no vapours escaping around the copper outlet where the hose is joined on to.

Not trying to be a smart ass, just genuinely interested why I shouldn't be using the pipe.

[HookLine]

Coz that plastic hose is almost certainly not resistant to high strength, high temperature ethanol (and acetone, methanol, propanols, etc).

There are two separate safety issues here:

1. Getting the output away from the flame.

2. Using an acceptable material to do it.

You pass on 1, but (currently) fail on 2.

Don't take my comments personally. It is strictly a safety issue.

[kingearwig]

I am surprised that the first safety flag that you were given was not about the plastic funnel. That is what I saw first then I saw that the collection was near the flame.
I would also be surprised if after a few runs you are not replacing the plastic hose or at least noticing that it is degraded significantly.

[kingearwig]

Oh and I would bet that the soapy taste is coming from the towel that you use as a gasket. your washing machine will never get all of the soap out of a rag. but I bet that ethanol vapors do a good job of getting any remaining soap out. Try the flour paste gasket and see if the soap flavor goes away.

[RefluxFan]

Ok, cool. Thanks for clearing up the safety thing guys.

[HookLine]

Yup, ditch the plastic funnel too. You can get cheap good stainless ones these days.

[Fester]

The good rule to follow is anything that comes in contact with your distilled spirit should only touch stainless steel, copper, flour paste or glass. And that's for vapor or liquid alcohol. It is just one of the guidelines to follow to be safe when buildind a still. All plastics are a no no in the alcohol stream. And putting a catch bowl of some kind under the collection jar is a good idea. At some point almost everyone will overflow the collection jar.
Your still is almost exactly like the first column still I built because I saw the same info on the web. I made lots of good booze with it. At least good for me.
If you did such a great job building this as your first still, I imagine your next one will be even more wonderful. Your workmanship is really super.
Fester

[RefluxFan]

Thanks Fester,

I would like my next one to be a Vapour Management Tower as I hear they are more precise when collecting, but for the meantime i'm having too much fun with this one.....that and I couldn't at this time justify the cost of another tower just yet.

If anybody would like to throw some diagrams or an info link to a VM system up on here, that would allow me to slowly gather the parts which I would really appreciate.

Cheers

[RefluxFan]

Hawke,

thanks for the info about using less Turbo Yeast. Since this was posted, I had to finish the wash that was already on the go, but then I tried guestimating about 3/4 of the packet in the next wash with 6.5 kilos of white sugar, which turned out pretty good....out of the 3 litres of 90% I got, I kept 1 Litre of Heart to be used as the base for some flavoured spirits and the rest goes into a big pot (all of which has been diluted to 40%) for some long term/storage Plum Dessert Liquer, so it doesn't really matter about the Heads and Tails, 'cause i'm hoping they will mellow and the taste will come good with time.

The second wash (which will be Refluxed tomorrow), I actually used a set of scales and measured 180 grams (3/4 packet) from the original 240 gram packet (chucked the rest out, dunno how long it stays good after opening), 6.5 kilos of white sugar and i'll post my results accordingly.

I hope to slowly get down to the desired 1/2 packet of Turbo Yeast when fermenting, I just like to do things a little at a time to find out what goes on.

Cheers

[RefluxFan]

Ok, I Refluxed yesterday in 500ml jars. I left the jars opened with a paper towel over them to air out and when I just checked them, I don't like what I smell......the first 4 jars smell VERY strongly of Acetate and the last 2 jars have a VERY distinct smell of tails, there is no middle jars that smell of neutral .

What's going on??

Should I just throw the whole lot back on the pot, water it down and re-still?

If I have to, I will, but I would like to know why I have to.

[RefluxFan]

Update,

The jars have been airing out for 3 days now. The strong acetate smell is only still in the first jar and faintly in the 2nd jar. Jars 3 and 4 are starting tro smell of heart now but still need another couple of days airing and the last 2 jars still have the cardboardy type of tails smell which I don't think will improve with more airing.

I understand that airing the product helps and is good for it, but not sure what is happening to it while it airs out. Can anyone give me a simple explaination as to what is happening to it when it breaths and why a few days of airing out gives it a better smell?

Cheers

[kiwistiller]

my understanding is that as it airs, some evaporation takes place, and the lower boiling point volatiles go first.