I scaled a batch of birdwatchers wash with the tomato paste and sugar to 6 gallon but, used a wine yeast. It took a while for the yeast to finish thier work but, it also took a while to build all my gear. Mashed a piece or two of quarter inch copper trying to wind a condencer then I checked my pride and filled it with salt. It worked like a dream; well, a dream that ended with us beating the salt out of a wound piece of copper for an hour but still!!!
I went with a boka head that is around 18 inches long with aproximately 12" on the up side to contain the condinser. I liked the modguliar extender scrubber packed tube idea so it isn't fixed to my turkey frier's lid. And it blows steam before I blow up the garage. I stuffed 5 copper scrubbers in the bottom and went to work. I cooked the h**l out of it and got scared so I cut my flame and regrouped.. Brought it back online and trickled the heat to it. pretty soon it was producing nice six to ten drop burst every two to three seconds. Low and slow. My product smelled like hot death. I think I was doing it wright!
I ended up maintaining a steam temp of aprox 185 until I ran out of time and had to go to work. Not a failure at all; I learned a ton.
I produced around 70 oz of very clear spirits and I know I left a good deal of it behind (no biggy).
I have looked high and low for a 101 on how to run these kinds of psydo pot still/reflux as pot stills and haven't found it. If you know of a thread I'm missing, please hit me off with a link. I have a sweet feed wash and a sortof rum I'd like to try to not turn into vodka.
Thank you guys for the hobby.. Those stove top, disaster waiting to happen, stills on youtube looked appealing until I found this board. Oh, and sorry about the spelling... I'd spell check it but, my microsoft word is acting up.
Swifty
