Heating element control

[rbsc]

I know there are a million variables and in the end I’m just going to have to experiment, just looking for a little guidance here. I started with a crappy little 2 inch still with a tiny little condenser from brewhaus. After much trial and effort, I have finally finished a Samohon build (thanks to the boys in the build forum) with a 4 foot condenser. And it has the copper wire spiraled around it to boot. Stripping run today on eight gallons of Jimbo’s all grain. 15 gallon boiler with two 1500 W heating elements. The bottom one is on the controller and the top one is not. Since this is such a better condenser I thought I could let both run until it got going and then see how it went from there. But for the first time ever, I got a major puke, wash was just shooting out the output end. I had had a few drops of foreshots just before this, so I thought I was condensing all the vapors, and all was good. I took my mirror to check for vapors and as soon as I started to do so, the puke started, so it came on really fast. Obviously stopped it and started over.

But here’s the thing, when I am only on the bottom controller, even at max power, I cannot get a steady stream. I was really hoping to so I could speed the stripping runs up, I thought with such a nice condenser I could go a little faster. I just now got brave and plugged the top controller back in and turned the bottom one on the controller down to a little less than half. After a minute or so I started hearing that very familiar churning sound that came right before the puke. So it’s almost as if even though I have a better condenser I don’t have a configuration that gets me a steady stream without the threat of a puke. Do I need to just stick with what I have and watch the steady drip all day, or is there something I’m not thinking of? TIA

Edit: it takes six gallons to cover that top element. So maybe with only eight in there that element is just too close to the top and that makes it more likely to puke?

[NZChris]

A knob of butter should help tame the puke.

6 gallons to cover an element is very high for a 15 gallon still. Miscalculate and you will blow the element. It'll be a PITA until you fix it. My top element is covered by just over a gallon.

I give the top element full power and control the bottom element,

[rbsc]

A knob of butter should help tame the puke.

6 gallons to cover an element is very high for a 15 gallon still. Miscalculate and you will blow the element. It'll be a PITA until you fix it. My top element is covered by just over a gallon.

I give the top element full power and control the bottom element,

Dang it. Not sure why brewhaus would set it up that way. Not sure I trust myself to go drilling into this thing, though. I’ve got yellowish distillate with particles now, too. Not the run I anticipated but at least the still isn’t leaking anymore.

[NZChris]

A bit of puke on a stripping run isn't a problem. Quite a few of us hold back some fresh wash to add to the spirit run, even more do 1.5s. Those tricks add a lot more wash than you got from a puke.

[Ben]

NZchris nailed it, no reason to sweat a little overflow in a stripping run.

It sounds like you just need some practice driving this still, once you have some success it will become second nature for you.

Congrats on getting your home built still to process something, I know it was a struggle!

[Salt Must Flow]

As NZ said, butter works as an anti-foamer. I've heard people have used Vegetable Oil too. Once you've got that foaming tamed down, it should behave better so you can play with the controller's settings. Hopefully you can crank both elements to 100% during the stripping run.

[Steve Broady]

Not sure I trust myself to go drilling into this thing, though.

Go buy yourself a cheap stainless pot. I’m not sure where I’m the world you are, but here in the US I can find them for a few dollars at virtually any grocery store, dollar store, or similar. Use that to practice on. Put a few holes it, solder in some fittings, do whatever you like to it. The nice thing about soldering instead of brazing or welding is that you can remove the fittings and reuse them if you like.

[rbsc]

A bit of puke on a stripping run isn't a problem. Quite a few of us hold back some fresh wash to add to the spirit run, even more do 1.5s. Those tricks add a lot more wash than you got from a puke.

So maybe just filter out the particles but otherwise don’t worry about it and run it again?

[rbsc]

NZchris nailed it, no reason to sweat a little overflow in a stripping run.

It sounds like you just need some practice driving this still, once you have some success it will become second nature for you.

Congrats on getting your home built still to process something, I know it was a struggle!

Sure was, man. But worth it in the end.

[rbsc]

As NZ said, butter works as an anti-foamer. I've heard people have used Vegetable Oil too. Once you've got that foaming tamed down, it should behave better so you can play with the controller's settings. Hopefully you can crank both elements to 100% during the stripping run.

Great advice, thank you.

[rbsc]

Not sure I trust myself to go drilling into this thing, though.

Go buy yourself a cheap stainless pot. I’m not sure where I’m the world you are, but here in the US I can find them for a few dollars at virtually any grocery store, dollar store, or similar. Use that to practice on. Put a few holes it, solder in some fittings, do whatever you like to it. The nice thing about soldering instead of brazing or welding is that you can remove the fittings and reuse them if you like.

Now that I’m a master copper solderer I just might try it. Thanks.

[NZChris]

A bit of puke on a stripping run isn't a problem. Quite a few of us hold back some fresh wash to add to the spirit run, even more do 1.5s. Those tricks add a lot more wash than you got from a puke.

So maybe just filter out the particles but otherwise don’t worry about it and run it again?

If you were ok with having the particles in the pot for the stripping runs, why would you need to filter them out for the spirit run? I never have. My strips go in with fruit flies and puke, often with some added fresh wash.

[rbsc]

A bit of puke on a stripping run isn't a problem. Quite a few of us hold back some fresh wash to add to the spirit run, even more do 1.5s. Those tricks add a lot more wash than you got from a puke.

So maybe just filter out the particles but otherwise don’t worry about it and run it again?

If you were ok with having the particles in the pot for the stripping runs, why would you need to filter them out for the spirit run? I never have. My strips go in with fruit flies and puke, often with some added fresh wash.

These particles, I’m assuming, were created by the puke. I let the fermenter sit and racked through a grain bag into the boiler, so the wash was clean when it went it. So I guess I figured these were created during the puke. I just now finished and it was super grimy with little black, burnt smelling particles. Last night I did one hour vinegar run, one hour sacrificial run, then one hour steam (water only) run so I think the still started super clean also.

[NZChris]

I just now finished and it was super grimy with little black, burnt smelling particles.

You need to know how that happened.

Have you done a starch test?

Can particles get trapped in your elements?

Had particles had time to settle before you put the heat on?

[rbsc]

I just now finished and it was super grimy with little black, burnt smelling particles.

You need to know how that happened.

Have you done a starch test?

Can particles get trapped in your elements?

Had particles had time to settle before you put the heat on?

These are great points and questions. I wasn’t happy with my ABV outcome of this massh, maybe I had more issues with it than I realized. I have been home brewing for years and have never done a starch test, but it sounds like maybe I need to start. I did move the fermenters this morning, whereas normally I would let them sit in their new position for 24 hours before wracking into the boiler. I guess I thought that racking through a grain bag would be sufficient, but maybe I moved them too soon before I racked into the boiler. Turned the heat on pretty much immediately, so no, the particles didn’t have time to settle to the bottom I’m sure. Heating elements are solid, nowhere for particles to get trapped there.