Excited to be part of the discussions and learn more

[cubhalo]

Been there; done several things; liked them all , some other friends really liked them and some were just "home
distilled"
Used to make beer and got tired of washing bottles, head aches, hangovers, and requests for "Bud Light". Distilling is ahead of these three aspects and I am eager to learn more. I did the tomato and lemon wash but used frozen lemon juice and turbo yeast instead before joining. Couldn't believe it was so popular. Been distilling two years, a dozen or so washes. I need to fine tune nutrients, conversion, and ready to build a filter system.

[Hawke]

Welcome.
With proper cuts, filters are not needed. If you have brewing experiance, you are a step ahead of most. Do the sacrification rest, skip the protien rest and the hops, and you have the makings of Irish whiskey.

[rad14701]

Greetings, cubhalo...

You previous fermentation experience will serve you well here...

Good luck...

[cubhalo]

Read a lot of past posts last night. Maybe i push my yeast a little hard (12lbs sugar/6gal wash)and need to switch from Turbo yeast. I have a couple of batches started with Red Star now and the co2 is steady and constant. I will start a Gerber batch probably this weekend. I usually do 3/6 gal stripping runs, keep the hearts,toss the heads, rotate the tails and run the results again. A little wild wood honey 1 TBS per gallon really makes things smooth without any honey taste. Add a cup/gallon( 80Prof) call it Wild Wood honey, let it precipitate for a month, decant, bottle with a fancy label and good friends become "real good friends".

[LWTCS]

Need no filters with Gerber.

And if you rack to the fridge ( but not a requisite) it really cleans up.

[cubhalo]

Just finished running two batches of sugar (sugar, tomato, lemon) switched from Turbo, dropped the sugar to 10 lbs/ 5 gal, and the taste really smoothed out. Both batches ended up with 3 qts of 140 proof for the hearts and about a quart of heads and tails combined. Thanks for the suggestions on dropping back, not pushing the yeast so heard and Red Star instead of Turbo.

[blanikdog]

Welcome cubhalo

blanik

[Barney Fife]

What's your rig, cub? Sounds like you're after neutrals but using a pot still, is that right? If so, there are a few simple tricks(which one depends on your setup) you can use to bring the proof up higher and make it even cleaner.

[cubhalo]

I run a column without packing just a little copper wrap at the bottom. Got any suggestions for me?

[Barney Fife]

Yup, insulate the column, and add some packing, then find a way to choke the output to force more reflux. For pot stillin', take everything out and run it full bore; sounds like you have a perfect pot still setup as it is.

[cubhalo]

Barney: I see where some people shut down the output somehow but how do you do that with out building pressure and blowing apart the column or pot? My column is plugged at the top with a rubber plug for safety.

[Barney Fife]

Oy! Never, ever seal up a column! Leave it open to atmosphere! Nothing will "get out"; your condenser will knock down ALL vapors. There is no need to have it plugged like that. Take that rubber plug out right now and toss it as far as you can toss. Bad idea on two fronts; rubber is BAD, and sealing up a still head is way bad!

[cubhalo]

The "rubber" plug in the top does not seal off the column. It is at the top of the column and holds the thermometer. It is a safety measure in case the condenser gets plugged for some reason. What do you mean by "choke down the output to cause more reflux"? The condenser comes off right below the top at a right angle to the column. It is one of those chemistry type stoppers. Without that stopper the vapors would just go off into the air. I guess I could turn a plug out of white oak.

[Barney Fife]

Ah.. You have a pot still, not a column still!

Yes, please, turn a plug of oak, or maple, maple being non-porous makes a great stopper. It's what I used with my old thermometer. Make it tapered, and "cook" it at 250F for two hours in an oven to dry it completely out(bone dry), then quickly tap it into the hole, and it'll swell itself perfectly tight as it regains moisture from the air, and remain tight and leak free forever and a day.

To achieve reflux and raise ABV, chekc out the "simple 2" plate column" thread or olddog's "test" thread. We're hitting 80% with pot stills without trying for reflux.

[rad14701]

If you removed the stopper from the top of the column and replaced it with a reflux condenser head, and added structured packing into the column, you would end up with a somewhat functional VM column... The only part missing would be the valve in the take off branch...

[Barney Fife]

To clarify what I meant when I said to choke the output: with a reflux still, we choke the output to force reflux back down the column, either through a return line to the column, or because the condenser is in-line with the column(VM/Bok style).

[cubhalo]

I give up!!! So how do you get to "simple 2 plate column" or "old dogs test from here? I haven't figured how to get around from place to place.

[LWTCS]

Click "Board Index" at the top left on your screen. Its under the logo (the still).

Olddogs post is in potstilling and design module and simple plate is in reaserch and theory module

[cubhalo]

Hey !! How long can carboys of sugar wash set after fermentation without adverse effects? Maybe a couple of weeks?

[Dnderhead]

as long as you want,, as long as there kept closed and cool.