High temps. confusing, am I missing something?

[confederatecondenser]

Just running off my first all grain mash. The ferment was slower than what I am accustomed to but decided to run it off for the sake of not wanting to give it a chance to contaminate. The abv of the mash was low no doubt, the smell gave that away. Whats confusing is my temps.. I got the first drop of distillate at 150 f or so and went to high 180's before I had drawn off 200 ml of heads. I tested 100 ml at 200 f and was at 55 abv. I am now at 204 f and still drawing off good tasting hooch at 3 drops a second. My out put volume overall sucks, but that was expected due to the low alc. in the mash. Why r my temps higher than most I read about other people getting? I am talking about the temp at the top of the column, and running a reflux column set up like a pot still. C.C.

[Dnderhead]

I take it your running a pot still? if so the temps. will very with the percent of alcohol in the wash,, most do not use a thermometer in a pot,
just in a reflux still,witch will more or less hold constant. a pot still will start low and increase threw out the run as the alcohol is depleted in the wash/mash.

[confederatecondenser]

I am running a column condensing tower but i am not packing it and only running water to the condenser. Basically a pot still. At 206 f the tails came on heavy on that run. I have noticed my temps ran high compared to a lot of info i have been reading. The hooch seems fine, got flavor, a bit of bite but not too much, and running off at 50-70 % depending on what part of the run i am in. I am dissapointed at the low alc. in the wash on the all grain attempt. I added 30 # of sugar to the same grain and its on. Just short of blowing the water out of the vapor loc. I like that. Contaminates can not get in when so much is venting out, no room to pass!

I think i need to do a bit of research before another all grain attempt. I did not get it wrong cause some really good spirit came off, but i did not get it right cause i should have had more finished product. We are talking about 1.5 lt. of the primo out of 20 gallons of wash. Not satisfactory in my book.

[Dnderhead]

it will take about 2X the grain to equal the same in sugar.