New still, new recipe, newbie, need help!

[barbasol]

Hi guys, looking for some advice please. I'm trying to think through why my Abv is so low when distilling

Here are my notes

Mixed 12lb flaked maize, 10lbs rye malt and 6 lbs 6 row together and added 6.5 gallons of cool water. Stirred and mixed. Added 8 gallons of boiling water and stirred. Covered with a sheet and sealed the lid. (fermenter not airtight)

Next day Opened lid and wash was stinky!! Sour kinda like vomit. Grain had formed a cake at the top. I stirred, added 3tsp enzymes and 2 packs of Lavin 1116v. Covered with sheet and lid. Og was 1.040

Week later checked gravity again. 1.020. Started to strain off and saw bubbling occuring so decided to give it another week.

One more week later Sg 1.014. Chraged still with about 11 gallons of wash and fired up. Collected about 2 liters at 38% abv after discarding first 500ml. Ran hard for another two liters of distillate for future runs.

Why is what I am collecting only at 35-40 Abv after discarding first 500ml? This is a keg still with the brewhaus.com pot still column. I heat up full blast until I start seeing liquid condensing and then back heat off until I'm collecting 2-3 drops per second and keep monitoring output like that. I don't understand why my distillate isn't starting off at 85%-95% Abv. Am I heating to fast? Is my initial was Abv to low?

Thanks all. Trying to get this setup dialed in

[just-a-sip]

Hi guys, looking for some advice please. I'm trying to think through why my Abv is so low when distilling

Here are my notes

Mixed 12lb flaked maize, 10lbs rye malt and 6 lbs 6 row together and added 6.5 gallons of cool water. Stirred and mixed. Added 8 gallons of boiling water and stirred. Covered with a sheet and sealed the lid. (fermenter not airtight)

Next day Opened lid and wash was stinky!! Sour kinda like vomit. Grain had formed a cake at the top. I stirred, added 3tsp enzymes and 2 packs of Lavin 1116v. Covered with sheet and lid. Og was 1.040

Week later checked gravity again. 1.020. Started to strain off and saw bubbling occuring so decided to give it another week.

One more week later Sg 1.014. Chraged still with about 11 gallons of wash and fired up. Collected about 2 liters at 38% abv after discarding first 500ml. Ran hard for another two liters of distillate for future runs.

Why is what I am collecting only at 35-40 Abv after discarding first 500ml? This is a keg still with the brewhaus.com pot still column. I heat up full blast until I start seeing liquid condensing and then back heat off until I'm collecting 2-3 drops per second and keep monitoring output like that. I don't understand why my distillate isn't starting off at 85%-95% Abv. Am I heating to fast? Is my initial was Abv to low?

Thanks all. Trying to get this setup dialed in

your problem is not in the %abv your getting off your rig... the problem is that your expecting a pot still to produce 190 proof on its first run... you may be needing to do a little research on the principles of basic rigs. if thats what your shooting for you need to go reflux or run it a second time.

[barbasol]

Obviously this is a whiskey and I'm looking for flavor which is why I chose a pot still vs a reflux still. I originally started with a 3 gal pot still and had no problem collecting distillate starting in the 80-90% range. My current setup is basically 5 times bigger than what I started with. After reading Ian Smileys book I came away thinking that I could collect up to 95% on my first run. Are you saying that with my setup that is not possible?

[just-a-sip]

Obviously this is a whiskey and I'm looking for flavor which is why I chose a pot still vs a reflux still. I originally started with a 3 gal pot still and had no problem collecting distillate starting in the 80-90% range. My current setup is basically 5 times bigger than what I started with. After reading Ian Smileys book I came away thinking that I could collect up to 95% on my first run. Are you saying that with my setup that is not possible?

well let me say this it is impossible to get in the 190 proof range with a basic pot still it is super difficult. there are many factors that affect the % like how fast you run and collect, the rig set up itself, the wash, the temp. but from my experience what im saying is more often then not a pot still will not produce that %ABV on a single run. that's why almost all pot stillers do a cleaning run and a spirit run. the % on the second time around will be much higher, like what your looking for. not sure what you ran before this set up but you were really doing something special if you were getting that %ABV.

[OBX Phantom]

Like just a sip said you will have to be summn special to get that high of proof out of a pot still no matter what design. The other problem is the ABV of your wash at 1.040 is only about 6% with that low of an ABV you will never get that high of a proof on your first run. Most people around here shoot for 10-14% and 14 is really max. I ussually shoot for 12% and the highest I have ever gotten on a first run is 76%.
The higher the ABV you start with the higher you will get, but anything much over 80% I would have to say is damn near impossible out of a pot still.
Also 11 gal. of 6% ABV. would give you just over a 1/2 gal. of 100% ABV or in liters about 2 liters. So at 38% 4 liters would be about right including heads and tails.
Next time shoot for a higher ABV. in your wash and you will get a higher ABV. in your distalate.

[Prairiepiss]

There is so Mich wrong with this post. I really don't know where to start.

First we need to look at your mash you did. I'm really surprised you got an OG of 1.040. You will need to spend some time researching proper good mashing techniques. Not sure where you got this method from. I don't think it sounds like something that would be in that book your reading.

Now a 1.040 finishing at 1.014 will only have 3.34 % ABV.

Not to mention if it smelled bad. You mite have had an infection. That mite have made it lower.

Now a pot still works from the ABV you charge it with. A low ABV charge will give you a lower ABV coming out. A higher ABV charge will give you a higher ABV out.

Charging it with a 3.34% charge. Will give you a low ABV out. Most get closer to 6% with an AG which would get you closer to 40 or 50% on the first run.

Running it to fast would also make it low.

80% ABV could be done with a pot still on two to three runs. 90% you would need a reflux still to get this high.

My suggestion would be. Put the book down. And start reading as much as you can here. Start in the new distiller reading lounge. And work your way out. Not just skimming over it. There is a lot more to this then throwing some grains in a bucket of water adding yeast and boiling it. And until you understand all the theorys. Your just wasting your time and money.

And also maybe you should start out with a sugarhead to learn on. Until you get everything down good. At least go to the tried and true recipe section for a good recipe. And follow it.

No offence. But from your post it doesn't sound like that book has taught you nearly enough. And you only got little bits and pieces of the information you really need. Leaving out much of the needed info.

Please take the time to research more. So you can safely and successfuly make a good product.

[barbasol]

Thanks for the replies fellas. I have been reading here for quite a long time. I have done 4 or 5 sugar washes with great success so I decided to upgrade to a larger still and try my hand at AG with a bigger batch. I've also done 6 or so partial mash beers. I have a little experience but not enough to really identify where something has gone wrong. I am sure this comes with experience.

I got the "mash" method on the main homedistiller page. It didn't require cooking so I thought I would try it out. The boiling water added to the cool water in theory would have brought the water temp to mashing temps around 150 but I did not verify which i should have.

I also did not have an airtight fermenter which I have never done before. The bucket I have does not seal air tight. I am sure I had an infection based on the smell.

I am going to do Nchoochs NC Bourbon or maybe the UJSSM next and follow it to a T. I think I will add some packing to my column and see if that helps on the run. I will also turn my burner down when it starts to approach 150 or so and then finess it up.

Thanks for the help. Just trying to work through all these little specifics.

[OBX Phantom]

Packing won't really do anything for a potatill so theirs not much sense in spending your money on it.

[rad14701]

Was any of the grain malted or did you use enzymes for conversion...???

EDIT: Duh...!!! Rye Malt...