Still is producing a very small amount of hearts

[Deuce67]

Mile High 3" combo tower limited packing, I also have a 5500 watt heater with a keg as my boiler on a controler. I have run 3 runs of ujsm I seem to be getting more heads then hearts, I start at around 186 proof it will produce 1000 ml of product, it drops to 184-172 for another 1000ml of product. After that the bottom falls out on my run and I get 200 ml at 150 proof and 100 ml at 110 to 100 then I'm done. also my proof drops pretty fast after 140 proof on my cuts, another problem is run times, it takes like 10 hrs to do a run.

Thanks for any input

[skow69]

It's hard to tell but it sounds like you are trying to make cuts by temperature and/or ABV. That would be the first problem. Read Kiwis' guide. http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 15&t=11640

While you're there read everything else in that section as well. That will probably answer the rest of your questions. If not, post a picture of your still, tell us about how you run it and how you ferment and we can take it from there.

[cranky]

I was thinking the same thing. You can't make cuts by proof and we don't know much about your still other than it is 3". What size is the boiler? How much wash did you put in it? What was the ABV of the wash? How did you do cuts? How did you collect? What was your take off rate? How much packing is "limited packing"? Lots of questions need answered before your question can be. A picture will also help.

Another thing, it seems you posted this question twice, there is no need to do that, your questions will usually be found and answered, it may just take a little time.

[DAD300]

If the still is making 90% it's not the stills fault you're getting lots of heads...sounds like a bad ferment. Tell us about the ferment.

Totaling it up you're only getting 3 liters of product from a keg? 12 gallons in the boiler?

You should be getting more than six liters.

Collect in smaller cups...air for a day...then decide what is hearts.

[thatguy1313]

I'm also wondering about the "limited packing". You may not be getting good separation if you don't have much packing or pot quality packing. I also agree with DAD about the ferment. What is your process? Yeast? Temps?

[Deuce67]

Its a 15 gallon keg I've done 10 gallon mash's and 5 gallon mash's I use everything smell,taste and abv and temp. But I concentrate on smell and taste. The first 6 jars all smell and taste the same. Same I can defiantly smell the change and taste for the first jars to the hearts where the bite is a little less and the taste is sweet. My mash starts around .40 on my hydrometer ends up at around 1.000 it has a sweet smell and taste. It's an uncle Jesse sour mash 7 pounds of sugar 7 pounds of cracked corn from tractor supply. 25 percent backset

[skow69]

Its a 15 gallon keg I've done 10 gallon mash's and 5 gallon mash's I use everything smell,taste and abv and temp. But I concentrate on smell and taste. The first 6 jars all smell and taste the same.
How much in each jar?
Same I can defiantly smell the change and taste for the first jars to the hearts where the bite is a little less and the taste is sweet.
Is that jar 7? How many jars, total?
My mash starts around .40 on my hydrometer ends up at around 1.000 it has a sweet smell and taste. It's an uncle Jesse sour mash 7 pounds of sugar 7 pounds of cracked corn from tractor supply.
How much water?
25 percent backset

I'm really not just being a jerk. It matters. Like if that is a 10 gal wash, then you had about 73 oz. of pure ethanol in the wash. Now if we knew how big your jars were, the ABV, and how many you had we could figure out what stage of the run you were in and start to make sense of it.

Etcetera. You gotta help, too. Eventually, we'll get bored with dragging it out bit by bit.

[Monkeyman88]

With 10gal of wash at 5% you have less then 1/2gal of ethanol. So about 1gal at 40%. With very wide cuts, probably around 1/2 gal for keeping.

[Deuce67]

Mile High 3" combo tower limited packing, I also have a 5500 watt heater with a keg as my boiler on a controler. I have run 3 runs of ujsm I seem to be getting more heads then hearts, I start at around 186 proof it will produce 1000 ml of product, it drops to 184-172 for another 1000ml of product. After that the bottom falls out on my run and I get 200 ml at 150 proof and 100 ml at 110 to 100 then I'm done. also my proof drops pretty fast after 140 proof on my cuts, another problem is run times, it takes like 10 hrs to do a run.

Thanks for any input

I thought I had addressed the amount in this post

[Deuce67]

With 10gal of wash at 5% you have less then 1/2gal of ethanol. So about 1gal at 40%. With very wide cuts, probably around 1/2 gal for keeping.

Your correct I get 7-8 jars at 200ml around 2 cups a jar. Like I said before the last jars have less of a bite and a sweeter taste like the should as the run goes. But the middle of the run stays very hot tasting with a high abv.

[Monkeyman88]

Do you water down to 40% or below when tasting? What % do you stop collecting at?

[Deuce67]

My mash has 7.5 gallons of water 2.5 gallons of back set 14 pound of sugar and it started with 14 pounds of corn. I now just scoop out the floating corn an replace that with new corn and add 14 pounds of sugar for every new wash. And your not being rude. When you guy make your runs do you have a lot of bite in your product does, you abv hold through the run and then drop rapidly at the end of the runs. I'm thinking I should change my tower to a traditional pot stil top.

[Deuce67]

Do you water down to 40% or below when tasting? What % do you stop collecting at?

Yes 1/2 water on a teaspoon and I spit it out..

jar 1-2 was 186
jar 3 was 184
jar 4-5 was 182
jar 6 was 180
jar 7 was 172
Jar 8 was 150
Jar 9 was 110

Then it started to smell like dog hair...

[T-Pee]

I run a CM. That said, I always run flavored drink at 80% or thereabouts. Running higher will require a lot more blending back of the low heads/high tails and that gets tricky...especially for a new stiller. Above 80% and the hearts won't have a whole lot of flavor/nose. Your hearts will be compressed as will the rest of your cuts. Air for >24 hours then make your cuts/blend.

tp

[Deuce67]

I run a CM. That said, running I always run flavored drink at 80% or thereabouts. Running higher will require a lot more blending back of the low heads/high tails and that gets tricky...especially for a new stiller. Above 80% and the hearts won't have a whole lot of flavor/nose. Your hearts will be compressed as will the rest of your cuts. Air for >24 hours then make your cuts/blend.

tp

So I should stay away from the combo tower, until i have more experience. The standard pot still tower should give me a lower proof product witch in turn would give me more pronounced fractions correct.

[Deuce67]

It's hard to tell but it sounds like you are trying to make cuts by temperature and/or ABV. That would be the first problem. Read Kiwis' guide. http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 15&t=11640

While you're there read everything else in that section as well. That will probably answer the rest of your questions. If not, post a picture of your still, tell us about how you run it and how you ferment and we can take it from there.

if you read my post I'm using everything smell, taste and abv what I'm saying is the taste and smell doesn't change until around 150 proof then the abv drops two fast to be in the hearts. I think the still is more of a fuel still then a pot still. and because the abv is so high i cant taste or smell the fractions like you would with a lower abv product.

[T-Pee]

A reflux tower will give clearer cuts if run properly. Lots of good info on running various stills in their respective forums.

I would say you need a lot more reading before experience.

tp

[Monkeyman88]

When I run my reflux my heads, hearts and tails are all the same ABV.
Stopping at 110 proof is leaving a lot of good stuff in the boiler. Most run down to 40 proof.

Are you doing strip and spirit runs or just single runs?

[Deuce67]

When I run my reflux my heads, hearts and tails are all the same ABV.
Stopping at 110 proof is leaving a lot of good stuff in the boiler. Most run down to 40 proof.

Are you doing strip and spirit runs or just single runs?

Thanks for the conformation on the high abv,

I haven't tried a striping run yet, will that give me more flavor? I have re-run some of the product through the still up to 3 times, like a couple jars at the beginning and end of the run. I will run a small 5 gallon run and try the striping run. when you run your still how long are your runs times? hrs wise and how much packing do you use?

[Monkeyman88]

My strip runs are 2 1/3 - 3 hours for 45L. Spirit runs are 3 - 3 1/2 hours for the same amount.
1m of SS scrubbies for packing.

[Deuce67]

my runs are taking 8 hrs basically an hr a 200ml jar I may be running to slow..lol

[T-Pee]

Deuce, PLEASE take a bunch of time and read the links in my signature thoroughly. You are asking basic questions that would be answered if you did. It will also help to keep you in good graces with this membership. Ok?

Btw, if I had to run at 200ml an hour I'd stab myself in the eye. I run my CM at 250ml every 7 minutes.

Now, go read.

tp

[Deuce67]

When I run my reflux my heads, hearts and tails are all the same ABV.
Stopping at 110 proof is leaving a lot of good stuff in the boiler. Most run down to 40 proof.

Are you doing strip and spirit runs or just single runs?

Thanks for the help sorry I asked to many questions for the admin, I will never ask another one. And by the way I did read what i could find and it did not tell me what this gentleman just did..

Sorry to ask question in a forum..

[skow69]

Calm down, dude. You just need a potstill. You want flavored product. You got the wrong tool for the job. Take the packing out, lock the valve open, and run it like a pot.

It sounds like you could use a cleaner ferment, too. And BTW 14 lbs of sugar in a 10 gal ferment is more like 1.070 than 1.040, so you might check your instrumentation. Tried and true recipes is a good resource and Wyeast's website is excellent for education.

[T-Pee]

Gotta love smartasses when you're trying to direct them to the answers for self-discovery and then some.

tp

[kiwi Bruce]

+1 TP... You can lead a horse to water, but it's a bitch trying to drown them.

[still_stirrin]

...Sorry to ask question in a forum...

Deuce67, I'd say it's time for a little "two wheel therapy". It always calms my tensions down. Nice ride(s), BTW.

But seriously, when a novice posts that they've read the mandatory reading and couldn't find the answer to their question...it makes it very evident that they haven't actually done the required reading, because almost every question has been asked and answered (many times) before...including "how to search" for your (specific) question.

So, don't take it personal. Dig in...search...and discover. You'll find the answer to your specific question (it will take a little effort on YOUR part), but you'll also learn MUCH MORE than you thought you needed to know along the way.
ss

[jb-texshine]

Without reading through all the answers and saying go read sumpin.....
if you got a shit load of heads ,the problem ain't the still its ferment. Wasn't the still. Excessive heads is a product of a ferment that is pissed off and shittin in yer drink. Check your ferment temps. Or the alc tolerance of the yeast your using.
Jb

Edited for drunken typing....
All fixed now...

[T-Pee]

Wow.

tp

[skow69]

jb I think you passed that half-a-drink mark a ways back. I need to catch up!