My second. Lol

[TaterSmasher]

First batch came out ok, this time? Not so nuch. I used %25 backset, ran it thru the still and it al came oiy cloudy, like the mash itself were comin out...assumed I was too hot & it was vomiting my mash back out, so I poured that back in, slowed it down and got back at it...but it keeps doing the same thing..what am I doing wrong?

[jholmz]

sounds like it puked on you. you need to take it apart and clean the still thouroghly youve probably got some crusted inside the copper. youll need to clean all the way through your condenser. how full is your boiler and what wash/mash are you using (recipe)? if the boilers too full and you have a foamy wash it will just keep overflowing

[bellybuster]

Tatersmasher, even in your other thread before you never ever went thru your process with us. Tell us how you run it, do you use a thermometer? Do yo crank the heat to 'er? Etc etc. we'll get ya makin fine hooch

[TaterSmasher]

Idk what to tell ya really, bro. I use 5 lbs sugar & 5 lbs cracked corn, in a 5 gallon container. It holds a little over 4 gallons of water, including 1 gallon of backset from last batch. Brew it til it stops bubbling, and it reads 1.000
My set up is a 5 gal SS container used to pasturize milk. 1/2" OD copper tubing coiled into a 13 gallon trash can filled with cold water. A thermometer on top of the Container, set so that it dips into the mash being distilled. I use a fish fryer as my heat source. last time I went much slower bc no thermometer. Took 5 hours to start producing. This time it took about 2 hrs on medium flame. I thought that was too fast, so I lowered the flame a bit.

[bellybuster]

Ok, are you looking for certain temps with the thermometer or is it more just there for looks.
Even 2 hours is incredibly long to start producing. If it were me I'd have quit by now. With a turkey fryer you should be producing inside thirty minutes from lighting the burner. Turn that heat up fairly high until you get your first drops, then dial it back so that you take off rate is part way between really fast drips and a broken stream. Don't even look at the thermometer. As the run progresses, you may have to add more heat to maintain the same takeoff rate.

[TaterSmasher]

Hmmm. Yah I was shooting for 170. So just crank the heat really high then dial it back til it's flowing as you described...nice. Man my first time isn't produce a steady output ...it came in spurts...

[bellybuster]

spurts tells me your coil may have some low spots. Readjust it so the entire run of the coil is "downhill". Don't put ice in your worm barrel and put some black tape over the thermometer reading, they work better that way.
You aren't the first to try and run on temps, it's a common misconception. try try again my man.

just to explain further...
ethanol and all the other components in a wash/mash do have individual boiling points..that is until they are in solution like they are in a wash. Then the entire wash has its own boiling point. That boiling point will get higher throughout the run as the different alcohols get boiled off. Water is also boiled off with these alcohols, that's why the ABV will not ever be 100%, more like 50-60% with a pot still, depending on your wash.

[irishpoitoin]

I was just wondering I am going distilling and I want to know what size worm I should be using I have a 11 gallon beer keg for the still but I want to use a worm/flake stand I was going to buy 1/2" copper pipe and coil it but how long worth of copper should I need for this or would it be better if I used a smaller radius of copper and more length I appreciate any advice ?

[royB]

I'm still very new as well, but what has been said above works,I turn it up about as hot as it will go without the flame going up the side of my pot, then once the stream starts I turn it back a little at a time till I get the broken stream - drops. (unless it is a stripping run then it stays higher) It doesn't take long to see the change.

irish - there is a ton of info on what size and length in the mother site and the forum. Search is your friend...

[irishpoitoin]

thanks !