Pot still Temp control - Why?

[pochine]

I have read so many posts about controlling the output rate of a still but no reason why.

I have a 50lt keg boiler and a 2400w heating element with no controller.

I have made 2 rum washes and the results were not what I expected. Most of the cuts smelled and tastes of tails.

Does the heater controller reduce smearing?

[T-Pee]

Does the heater controller reduce smearing?

Exactly. A lower takeoff rate will help accomplish this end.

tp

[S-Cackalacky]

2400W is much more heat than you need for a spirit run. I run on 120VAC at 1375W. I can do stripping runs without a controller, but have to use the controller and back the heat off slightly for spirit runs. The more heat you put to it, the faster the output and the more smearing you will have.

[MitchyBourbon]

+1 for both previous posters.

If your going to do a strip followed by a spirit run a controller is very important to have. The strip can be run as fast as you can make it run. The spirit run needs to be run a little slower. A controller is also important if you only plan to do a single run. Sometimes I will do single runs on bourbon. When I do, I run a little slower than what I would do for a spirit run.

[rad14701]

When I do pure pot still runs for flavor, I use the same techniques as MitchyBourbon...

[Brutal]

Time to build a controller.

[pochine]

Time to build a controller.

Looks like it...... I know there are many posts regarding controllers but any recommendations? ?

[The KYChemist]

I recommend Jimbo's electric controller, especially if you're electrically ignorant, like me. Super easy to wire up. Read through his thread, and you'll see you can make them as basic, or as fancy, as you want.

[Bushman]

Mulekicker also has a very good thread on building controllers, before he dropped off the grid he made a lot of controllers for members here.

[thatguy1313]

A note on the title of this thread: its important to understand we're controlling output, not temperature in a potstill. Temps will be variable based on wash/mash. Most run a small, pencil lead sized stream. I opt to go a little slower (very broken stream/several drops per second) on single runs.

[Brutal]

I'm with thatguy, lol. I run just a little slower than most unless I'm running with the thumper.

I built my controller using a solid state relay (ssr) and I think most use something similar. It's not hard to build and it's a pleasure to use.

[pochine]

Thanks guys. Yeah, I have been reading a lot about it. I understand the reasoning behind the temp & output. It must take considerably longer to run if its a broken stream? But its quality we are after, eh.

[hamshine]

Thanks guys. Yeah, I have been reading a lot about it. I understand the reasoning behind the temp & output. It must take considerably longer to run if its a broken stream? But its quality we are after, eh.

you can always run faster for the fores and heads and turn down when you get to hearts and turn back up for tails once you have an idea of how your cuts go on a specific run

[thatguy1313]

Takes me 5-6 hours for a 4-5 gallon charge. Not too bad. I do turn it up once I'm obviously in tails. You can run faster if you plan on doing multiple distillations, but I often only do a single distillation and running slower decreases smearing which makes cuts easier and seems to slightly increase abv.

[LWTCS]

Thanks guys. Yeah, I have been reading a lot about it. I understand the reasoning behind the temp & output. It must take considerably longer to run if its a broken stream? But its quality we are after, eh.

you can always run faster for the fores and heads and turn down when you get to hearts and turn back up for tails once you have an idea of how your cuts go on a specific run

Actually, I'd be more inclined to collect fores and heads on the slower side then turn up the heat for hearts.

[Brutal]

Thanks guys. Yeah, I have been reading a lot about it. I understand the reasoning behind the temp & output. It must take considerably longer to run if its a broken stream? But its quality we are after, eh.

you can always run faster for the fores and heads and turn down when you get to hearts and turn back up for tails once you have an idea of how your cuts go on a specific run

Actually, I'd be more inclined to collect fores and heads on the slower side then turn up the heat for hearts.

I'm with L. Going fast during the heads will smear hearts into them more than necessary. You want to go slow and try and isolate the heads as much as you can.

[pochine]

Hhmmmm, mixed views. So im best to run slow throughout to be safe.

[Prairiepiss]

Going to slow. Can also be a bad thing.

[thatguy1313]

+1 I tend to turn up the flame throughout the run. Starts with just drops for fores and most of heads, then turns into a broken stream for hearts and finally a solid stream for tails.

[LWTCS]

Going to slow. Can also be a bad thing.

+1
Can make the finish product a bit more on the astringent side.

[hamshine]

if you run the pot still too slow I feel it makes the likker kind of mean. I was just saying during a striping run I turn down to a twisted stream for my few keeper jars I pull out of the middle. The rest except fores goes into the spirit run later.

[Tater]

Going to slow. Can also be a bad thing.

explain please

[bellybuster]

personally i have done allot of experimenting and found the sweet spot for my rig, any slower has zero added benefit, any faster and smearing becomes an issue.

5-6 hours for a 4-5 gallon charge would force me to quit distilling

I do 12 gallon charges in under 4 hours including heat up and clean up. I actually measured my takeoff rate once for another similar thread but forget, running a 1.5" electric pot still with 1/2" leibig

[thatguy1313]

Yeah guess that 4 hours includes set up, which can be a pita in my case since the wife makes me hide the still in the woods out back ...

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

5-6 hours for a 4-5 gallon charge would force me to quit distilling

That's a very unfair statement. That has no factor of time value. I personally run the same rate, same charge. And have very clear cuts. Almost can find them by the jar number every time (same wash helps).

I do 12 gallon charges in under 4 hours including heat up and clean up.

For a spirit run? I do strippers in 2 hours including warm up, which would equate to your 12 gallon in 4. To each their own, but a twisted stream is a twisted stream, regardless of charge size, correct?