Small Batch Proofing

[WestCoast]

I am running a Boka two-cup with a 3 gallon boiler. I ran it for the first time the other day and was happy with the results. I stripped down 5 gallons of wash and ended up with a little over a liter of 90 proof. I am planning on running this low and slow to see if i can clean it all the way up to 95%.

One of the issues i ran into was proofing while running the batch. I was thinking about making a parrot so that i can track the purity right out of the still. I am concerned that the size of parrot i would need to make to fit my alcoholmeter would be ineffective due to the size batches i am running. So I guess my questions are,

1) Is there as minimum batch size for an alcoholmeter to be effective, or am i making a false assumption?
2) Does anyone know where I can find a micro alcoholmeter (6" or smaller) or do they make a digital alcoholmeter?

Thanks for the help

-W.C.-

[T-Pee]

Here's a cool idea. We kinda thought it was a joke at first but it's a great solution for smaller rigs: http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... &p=7193903

White_Lightning_Rod called it a "parakeet".

Here's a link to the Ebay source: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ALCOHOL-HYDROME ... 1c38826fab" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

tp

[Bob Loblaw]

Here's a cool idea. We kinda thought it was a joke at first but it's a great solution for smaller rigs: http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... &p=7193903

White_Lightning_Rod called it a "parakeet".

Here's a link to the Ebay source: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ALCOHOL-HYDROME ... 1c38826fab" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

tp

That thing looks interesting, but it seems like it would bounce around a lot and be hard to get a reading. I'd love to hear from someone who has used it.

[T-Pee]

Well, I'd keep an eye on the linked thread for coming results.

tp

[WestCoast]

T-Pee,

Thanks for pointing me to the other thread, that looks exactly like what I have been searching for.

-WC-

[T-Pee]

De nada, seenyor!

tp

[NZChris]

I'm in my brewery playing with a laser, flat sided bottles, water and foreshots to test my theory that it is possible to home build a small volume laser 'parrot' using refraction. I've proved it works, but finding or building a suitable glass prism is going to be the key to success.

[WestCoast]

Ok, you have peaked my interest. Tells us more in how this works. And can't you but a prism? I remember having one as a kid.

-WC-

[NZChris]

The tricky bit is that the prism contains the liquid. I don't know if there is anything 'on the shelf' that will do the job.

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-f ... p028.shtml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

If you didn't mind sacrificing the cover of your refractometer, you could take readings of known %ABVs and make yourself a graph so that you could use it to measure droplet sized samples.

[T-Pee]

Somebody's been into that soured Vegemite again.

tp

[heartcut]

Cool idea. You could try a perfume bottle for the prism case. Might end up smelling good, too.

[Rivver]

What type of laser you looking at using? I worked in lasers for about 15 years.

[NZChris]

Currently playing with a 5mW 5v red Laser Dot Diode

[Rivver]

"5v Red" so I'm assuming it's a HeNe in the 730 nm range?

What/how is this supposed to work? Any prisms I've ever worked with will seperate the entering light (usually ambient light) into seperate wavelengths. A laser typically is only one wavelength of light so there would not be any seperation of the wavelengths. Does it bend it differently in a way that is measurable? The link about about determining sugar content is not too specific.

[heartcut]

A prism shaped mass of liquid will refract the light and the refraction angle is proportional to the density of the liquid. A laser is ideal because there's one wavelength and no separation. You still have to correct for temperature as it affects the density, but you could use a lot less hootch to get a reading than with a parrot.

[NZChris]

"5v Red" so I'm assuming it's a HeNe in the 730 nm range?

650 nm. Don't know about the HeNe. Probably not the best for the job, but it did demonstrate that I can put something together as long as I can get the optics good enough. Firing through a hexagonal sauce bottle isn't ideal as sauce manufacturers are not too worried about the optics of their bottles.

[Rivver]

"5v Red" so I'm assuming it's a HeNe in the 730 nm range?

Firing through a hexagonal sauce bottle isn't ideal as sauce manufacturers are not too worried about the optics of their bottles.

LOL, I bet they are not!!

That sounds pretty interesting. I might recommend trying a green laser pointer, not sure what wavelength that would be in a pointer, the ones I worked with were frequency doubled YAG's at around 532 nm. Anyhow, I have a green laser pointer on my AR-15 which I can see much better than the red as I'm partially color blind, but you can see the beam much more with a green vs. red rather than the point of where it terminates, and the green seems to be much more intense.

[T-Pee]

To take this further OT, a green laser also shows the shooter's exact location. Just sayin'.

tp

[Hound Dog]

To take this further OT, a green laser also shows the shooter's exact location. Just sayin'.

tp

Really? I did not know that one.

[NZChris]

Green might be a bit better because it's refraction is greater.

[Prairiepiss]

1) Is there as minimum batch size for an alcoholmeter to be effective, or am i making a false assumption?

As ling as you can get enough to fill your test cylinder. So your hydrometer will float.
If you can't float a hydrometer. You need to make a bigger batch. Because you wouldn't be able to make good cuts. If your not getting enough to test with a hydrometer.

A parrot on a 3 gallon boka would be worthless. Assuming its giving you 90%+ ABV.
2 gal at 10% would be around 1.6 pints of 100% ABV. So around 1.8 pints of product.just enough for a part to smear the crap out of. No mater what size it was.

Truthfully I would be working more about increasing the boiler and batch sizes. The trying to figure out how to test the small amount you get now.

[Jimbo]

Speaking of "proofing' and apologies for diverging a bit here but .....

Has anyone else noticed the dilute calculator at our parent site is off? I use a high resolution 30-60% trailles meter and using the calculator to cut, say 74% down to 62% for aging, I always end up a couple points high. Always. Same going from 62 to 45 for bottling.

Even if my meter's absolute accuracy is jacked, its relative. If it says 74 and should say 62 after but says 65, when I follow the dilute calculator to the ounce, somethings wrong in paradise.

Anyone?

[T-Pee]

Temperature adjustment?

tp

[ga flatwoods]

They are claibrated for normal use at 60 degrees f jimbo so probably doesnt work in the frigid hell you call home!

[Jimbo]

Temperature adjustment?

tp

nope, adjusted for. high res proof meter has a built in thermo and adjustment scale. -1 at 63F temp. But also applies to both readings anyway.

Rad?

PS: flatwoods, frigid hell yes, but adjusted out,

[rad14701]

Yes, I am aware of some skewed readings but have not taken the time to see if temperature correction resolves the issue... I know my alcoholmeter it accurate but it even shows commercial spirits in the 80 - 100 proof as actually being higher... Legally, they can be higher, just not lower... It's been nagging at me to look into this deeper...

[Jimbo]

Its not a big deal. Better that it under adjusts than over. Just be nice if it landed right on rather than have to dick around last couple points

[ga flatwoods]

Easy, just dont be so damned particular. WTF? you have OCD?

[Jimbo]

Can always count on you to be a ray of sunshine woods

[Cardinalbags]

I must only have a mild case of OCD.... I just water it down by calc and then drink it. I'm not too worried about final ABV as its all going to get filtered through my kidneys.