It is alive!

[corene1]

My new column is finally running and I must say it is a blast to play with. Did all the cleaning runs and did the sacrificial run today . I can't believe how efficient these columns really are. Yes Jimbo and all you others are spot on with your advice. I started with some feints and about 5 gallons of wash and some water to make about 7 gallons of 10% ABV charge. Double checked all the seals and connections and turned on the heat wide open. That big boiler makes some neat noises as the boil starts to develop almost like an alarm letting you know to pay attention. As soon as the thermometer under the Reflux condenser started to climb I turned on the coolant water until I had all the plates loaded and working . All you have do then is back the coolant flow down til the thermometer above the reflux condenser starts to rise then control it with heat input. This thing is putting out 95% at close to the same rate my old potstill would run on a stripping run. Absolutely amazing. The fores are all compacted and easily taken off and the hearts seem to last forever, no tapering of proof then the heat starts to rise and there are the tails. Cuts are very noticeable and distinct. I am so happy with it. Thanks for all the encouragement.

[Jimbo]

Outstanding! Nice video. You on banjo?

[woodshed]

This is great to hear. Cool thing with a flute you can get it to pull any abv you desire by hitting the right combo of sweet spots at the right time. One and done. Very nice corene.

[corene1]

Outstanding! Nice video. You on banjo?

No not yet, but I am working on it. That is a fella named Mark Johnson.

[GrassHopper]

Outstanding! My wife's jaw dropped when I told her you built that! Well, to be honest....so did mine. I hope to someday build something like that.

[corene1]

Outstanding! My wife's jaw dropped when I told her you built that! Well, to be honest....so did mine. I hope to someday build something like that.

Thanks, It took quite a while to build since I made most everything from scrap pieces. I bought the clamps, the glass for the sight glasses, the copper tubing and the thermometers, I have maybe a couple hundred dollars in the whole thing. Everything else was built from scratch. Here is a link to the original build thread if you are interested. http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 50&t=49366

[MichiganCornhusker]

Beautiful! Video really brings it to life. Must be very satisfying to run it after so much time building.
Like Jimbo, yer gonna need to learn how to make your whiskeys all over again.

[FreeMountainHermit]

Can you tell us which therms you chose . I'm looking at them now for my flute and don't know if I should buy basically a kitchen digital or a K type with a Thermocouple probe.

The thing I don't like about the kitchen digitals is they have a default shut off around 20 minutes.

[Yummyrum]

Oh what a feeling Corene .....that's the proof in the pudd'n

When all those sight glasses you toiled over show the goodness and don't leak and all the welds hang in there ...(and don't leak) . ......and the gold pours out the end ....Beautiful

[googe]

Nice work corene . Until you run one yourself, it's hard to explain to other that havnt run one, how good they are. Wait till you do a big low wines run, you'll think the hearts will never end lol.

[Ridgeville Runner]

Beautiful! Video really brings it to life. Must be very satisfying to run it after so much time building.
Like Jimbo, yer gonna need to learn how to make your whiskeys all over again.

MC, is there a video I am missing? I've been following all the flute builds as I want to make one . Thanks from fellow Michigander

[yakattack]

I can't seem to access the video either I'm on my phone but not tap talk.

Corene1 can you post the link itself?
Yak

[heartcut]

Beautiful build.

[LWTCS]

There was once 3 or 4 fellers here and about that would just about accuse olddog of lying when the very first bit of info was released.

Then gradually (rather quickly actually ) more and more people started to echo the same report.

I find it particularly gratifying to hear this type of feed back.

[corene1]

I can't seem to access the video either I'm on my phone but not tap talk.

Corene1 can you post the link itself?
Yak

I posted it on you tube, I t is just a short clip of the plates running.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdV6pVQkkSk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[corene1]

Can you tell us which therms you chose . I'm looking at them now for my flute and don't know if I should buy basically a kitchen digital or a K type with a Thermocouple probe.

The thing I don't like about the kitchen digitals is they have a default shut off around 20 minutes.

I used the standard bi metal thermometers from Moorebeer. with a 2 inch stem.

[heartcut]

I like the condensate dripping off the twisted copper, nice visual.

[Halfbaked]

You are a stiller, a still builder, a welder, an artist, and now a videographer. Is there anything you can't do? excellent job Corene!

[T-Pee]

Excellent, Corene! I see you put that piece of twisty copper to good use!
That's one helluva liebig too. You can put all the heat you want to it with that bruiser.

tp

[firewater69]

nice job Corene, I am impressed!

[Jimbo]

[quote="Halfbaked"]You are a stiller, a still builder, a welder, an artist, and now a videographer. /quote]

+1

...and a friend.

[corene1]

You are a stiller, a still builder, a welder, an artist, and now a videographer. Is there anything you can't do? excellent job Corene!

I can't do computers. I have absolutely no comprehension of how and why these things work. The best is when it says "file not found" Or that it has something somewhere but it won't tell you where it is at or how to find it. These things are a blessing and a menace all at the same time.
Oh! And I forgot to add I don't do windows.

[Oldvine Zin]

Beautiful build corene - the third flute to go online this week

[raketemensch]

We should play a concerto.

[Oldvine Zin]

We should play a concerto.

flute trio?

[corene1]

That would be cool, They do make a really harmonic sound when they are running. That short fat boiler I made almost has a thumper sound to it when it starts to boil. I am excited to learn more as I know all of you are as well. It is a different animal from the old pot still that is for sure. I did my first real run today and it is strange putting in 8% and getting 85% whiskey out in one pass, and I only ran it with 2 plates. Fun stuff ahead!

[raketemensch]

Isn't it, though? I was used to the sit-back-and-wait pot still run, this one is a lot more "active," but it's fun to have something to do the whole time. That's some beautiful work you've done.

[corene1]

Thanks for the compliment. The funny thing is the more you build the more things that you would change on the next one. Do you think we will ever have the last still we will ever build. I think not.

[GrassHopper]

Outstanding! My wife's jaw dropped when I told her you built that! Well, to be honest....so did mine. I hope to someday build something like that.

Thanks, It took quite a while to build since I made most everything from scrap pieces. I bought the clamps, the glass for the sight glasses, the copper tubing and the thermometers, I have maybe a couple hundred dollars in the whole thing. Everything else was built from scratch. Here is a link to the original build thread if you are interested. http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 50&t=49366

Thanks Corene, I appreciate that. I am definitely interested and will study it and other flute builds as well till I know it by heart.

[corene1]

Outstanding! My wife's jaw dropped when I told her you built that! Well, to be honest....so did mine. I hope to someday build something like that.

Thanks, It took quite a while to build since I made most everything from scrap pieces. I bought the clamps, the glass for the sight glasses, the copper tubing and the thermometers, I have maybe a couple hundred dollars in the whole thing. Everything else was built from scratch. Here is a link to the original build thread if you are interested. http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 50&t=49366

Thanks Corene, I appreciate that. I am definitely interested and will study it and other flute builds as well till I know it by heart.

As I mentioned above there are things I would do differently next time. Not to say I am not proud of this column but there are little details that could make it more simple. I have seen so many good ideas on all the build threads here. So read them all and glean as much as you can.