safety and collection tube questions

[oldpot]

I have the Mile-Hi 3 gal. pot still and parrot. Both are stainless steel. What type tubing should I use from the condenser to the parrot? Aquarium type tubing OK to carry spirits?

One reason I got the parrot was to move the money piece away from the heat source. Assuming any alcohol vapors are released, do they rise or sink? If I use a mason jar to collect, will vapors be released from the distillate? I assume both vapors and liquid spirits are flammable? Vapors more so? Is it true that the alcohol flame is barely visible?

Are hot plates or electric stove tops safer than propane or charcoal?

So far I've only done a single water run. Waiting for a new flat bottom boiler to use on my electric stovetop, then I'll distill some cheap wine just to learn how to use the equipment. I won't be drinking any of the distillate.

Just taking one baby step at a time. Thanks everyone for your expert advice.

[Vodka_Master]

Don't use aquarium tubing. The problem is, it might be safe with water but high abv. alcohol leeches plastic, even if it is food-grade.

Alcohol vapours are heavier than air, so they will tend to go downwards. But they will also dissolve in air. Think of having a bit of salt in water. The salt is heavier, but once dissolved, its spread in the liquid. So the real answer is, neither. Just try to get any liquid/vapour not too close to an open flame. Both liquid and vapour are flamable. The flame is invisible in broad daylight. If you were to light a shot of 95% on fire outside on a sunny day, you would not see the flame.

[oldpot]

Thank you, Vodka Master. Much obliged.

[rad14701]

+1 on not using plastic/rubber tubing...

[oldpot]

OK, I'll get some soft copper tubing and clamp it to the stainless steel ports.

I thought I was real smart last week and bought a coil of tubing to make a worm for a five gallon bucket. That went fine, since copper is so forgiving even old granny can work it. Since the inner lumen looked brown, I decided I needed to pour a couple cups of Lime Away inside. Despite vigorous flushing, none of the fabled brown oxidized crud came out. At that point I decided not to trust my little experiment, and cut into the coil with tinsnips to see what was going on. I learned...wait for it...that tubing is dark inside.

Back to the plumbing store!

[Vodka_Master]

Well it's better for you to find out now rather than having problems with cloudy spirits or nasty tasting spirits and having to troubleshoot and rebuild the whole still. Hope everything goes well after this for you.