Nice going - good startup - the needle valve is touchy probably because of the low watts - at higher watts there will be more cw needed and valve should be less touchy
The cw exit temperature is in line ( around 130 F ) and the top plate is probably ok
Keep measuring the cw flow rate - get an average of a few readings
Here are my calcs for a 1.5 L/hr distillate rate - not too bad - says that about 0.35 Lpm cw gives the cw exit temp around 130 F
Here are some calcs for 1.25 L/hr distillate rate
A lot of process variables have to be at the right values - think the calcs are close enough - if the watts were 2100 the cw flow would be lower in the calcs
Thank you everyone for continuing to help. Haggy, you’re an absolute boss with the numbers.
I believe I’m into the hearts now. I wish I knew what Bills recipe SHOULD taste like off this still. I still taste weird floral and fruity notes, but I can say this… I can at least stomach it right off the still, so that’s an improvement.
I’m still baffled why this was so difficult. Idk if my deph had plugs of gunk or what. The cw seemed to hold steady this time. But I got wildly different numbers today. Yesterday 1.2 was its max capability and it couldn’t handle 2200 watts. Today it was nearly 2.5 LPH for the cw and had the right takeoff with only 1/4 turn open. Keeping the same power I had as yesterday the deph was easily capable of knocking it all back down in full reflux with a much low setting on the needle valve. Bizarre.
To summarize. 0.45 LPH on the CW. 1.25 LPH distillate takeoff. 2200 watts. Holding steady at 94% ABV.
I've got the same RC on four 4 inch plates. Is the CW hooked up to the bottom port on the RC with HW coming out of the top port? If not the RC may never stay full and won't knock it down like it should. Are you using one or two pumps to supply the PC & RC? It's always better to have separate water control valves and pumps so they can be controlled accurately and maintain steady pressure.
Are you sure the plates are right side up? Should be 5 bubblers up and one downcomer down. My neighbor had a plater for over a year and was wanting to sell it to me because he said he just couldn't get the hang of running it. When I went to look at it he had half the plates upside down. Once we put the plates right it ran a smooth as silk.
I know these are all beginner mistakes and I don't mean any offense. Sometimes it the little simple things we overlook.
I have a theory on what might be happening but will keep it to myself until you have a chance to answer back.
If it's got hide or hair, I can ride it.
Wheels or tracks, I can drive it.
Rotor or fixed wings, I can fly it.
And if it's grain or fruit, i can make a drop outta it!
Pure Old Possum Piss wrote: ↑Sun Apr 06, 2025 6:09 pm
I've got the same RC on four 4 inch plates. Is the CW hooked up to the bottom port on the RC with HW coming out of the top port? If not the RC may never stay full and won't knock it down like it should.
Ideally you want the water into the top and out the bottom for a defleg to keep the temp gradient right. Use elbows, or just lift the exit hose higher than the input to make sure defleg stays full.
Pure Old Possum Piss wrote: ↑Sun Apr 06, 2025 6:09 pm
I've got the same RC on four 4 inch plates. Is the CW hooked up to the bottom port on the RC with HW coming out of the top port? If not the RC may never stay full and won't knock it down like it should. Are you using one or two pumps to supply the PC & RC? It's always better to have separate water control valves and pumps so they can be controlled accurately and maintain steady pressure.
Are you sure the plates are right side up? Should be 5 bubblers up and one downcomer down. My neighbor had a plater for over a year and was wanting to sell it to me because he said he just couldn't get the hang of running it. When I went to look at it he had half the plates upside down. Once we put the plates right it ran a smooth as silk.
I know these are all beginner mistakes and I don't mean any offense. Sometimes it the little simple things we overlook.
I have a theory on what might be happening but will keep it to myself until you have a chance to answer back.
Yes the RC is hooked up correct. I have a needle valve on it and a ball valve on the PC.
That’s funny. Couple years ago a buddy I taught bought this set up to upgrade. Just found out last year his perf plates were upside down the whole time. I told him the downcomber goes… ya know… down. Not up like a mushroom.
No worries, you never know what kind of simple mistake I may have made.
fiery creations wrote: ↑Sun Apr 06, 2025 4:42 pm
I believe I’m into the hearts now. I wish I knew what Bills recipe SHOULD taste like off this still. I still taste weird floral and fruity notes, but I can say this… I can at least stomach it right off the still, so that’s an improvement.
Pack the hearts up and leave them for 12 months on oak at around 60 to 65. If your getting floral and fruity then you're in the right areas as far as I'm concerned, if it tastes OK now then it will improve with age.
4 plates, two to two point five an hour take off rate works for me.
Give it a go after twelve months at that ABV with a cube of ice, you will be pleasantly surprised. You may just fall back in love with your column
" you can pick your nose and you can pick your friends; but you can't always wipe your friends off on your saddle" sage advice from Kinky Friedman
Now I am confused. My plates, whether running 2, 3, or 4, load from the bottom up also. Is there something that needs to be done to have them load top to bottom?
RB
Edited for a typo
Good judgement comes from experience; and experience, well, that quite often comes from poor judgement.
dtrb wrote: ↑Mon Apr 07, 2025 10:38 am
Now I am confused. My plates, whether running 2, 3, or 4, load from the bottom up also. Is there something that needs to be done to have them load top to bottom?
RB
Edited for a typo
Mine too. If you’re heating slow it makes sense? Hitting the next cold plate and coming back down one at a time
On start up when the first vapor heads up the column, I've seem passive reflux drip on the lower plate and flash back to vapor.
Once the vapor makes it to the dephleg and turns to reflux, the top plate gets rained on first and will begin filling.
When the top plate gets full, it will drain into the downcomer and piss in the plate below starting the cycle over on that plate.
Just for shits and grins.
Before the next run try pouring water down the column to prefill all the downcomer water traps.
See it that makes a difference.
shadylane wrote: ↑Mon Apr 07, 2025 11:19 am
On start up when the first vapor heads up the column, I've seem passive reflux drip on the lower plate and flash back to vapor.
Once the vapor makes it to the dephleg and turns to reflux, the top plate gets rained on first and will begin filling.
When the top plate gets full, it will drain into the downcomer and piss in the plate below starting the cycle over on that plate.
Just for shits and grins.
Before the next run try pouring water down the column to prefill all the downcomer water traps.
See it that makes a difference.
Will do. Making cuts tomorrow but so far it looks like it it worked.
I noticed my plates smelled good while cleaning. The last run all of them smelled like rancid tails.
Looks like you're heading in the right direction. Did you pay attention to when your bottom sight glass started to fog.
That's my indicator that tails are coming, as the next glass up starts to fog I swap to my fients jug turn off the deflag and strip the rest
" you can pick your nose and you can pick your friends; but you can't always wipe your friends off on your saddle" sage advice from Kinky Friedman
I run my boiler full power during the initial warmup. When the base of my column hists 60c(140f) i crank my power down to about 35%. I run it like that with my dephlag wide open until the plates are loaded. Once loaded, I stay in full reflux for about 15 minutes. At that point I begin to restrict the water to the RC until I start getting drips. Once I get the first drips I run about the first 800ml split as fores and early heads in the course of about an hour (usually). I speed it up to about 1 to 1.5 lph until the bottom sight glass begins to fog and then start watching for tails at which time I turn off my reflux. I manage the 1-1.5 lph take off rate by changing my power input usually + or - about 5%. I use a dspr400 to manage my power input. With two plates running this way I maintain about 90% abv throughout the run. The distillate begins to smell like tails and my abv is between 87-88%. What if anything should I be doing different to improve my process.
A great aspect of this hobby is all the different ways you can experiment to achieve a great drop.
I appreciate any advice and, fiery, I hope I am not encroaching your thread.
RB
Good judgement comes from experience; and experience, well, that quite often comes from poor judgement.
Thats similar to how i run mine, only mines a 3", 4 plates, 3000w. I have full power till i see reflux falling from degleg. Once the top plate loads then i turn down to about 2500w and wait for the others to load. After 10 mins or so i slowly turn down water to defleg to bleed off the fores. After fores cut, i turn up the element slowly till about 2750w and take off some heads, then turn down defleg again and increase takeoff speed to around 2.5Lph. Exact takeoff depends on what im running, but its usually around the 2-3Lph mark. I try to keep my takeoff abv around 80-85%
SW_Shiner wrote: ↑Mon Apr 07, 2025 12:44 pm
Thats similar to how i run mine, only mines a 3", 4 plates, 3000w. I have full power till i see reflux falling from degleg. Once the top plate loads then i turn down to about 2500w and wait for the others to load. After 10 mins or so i slowly turn down water to defleg to bleed off the fores. After fores cut, i turn up the element slowly till about 2750w and take off some heads, then turn down defleg again and increase takeoff speed to around 2.5Lph. Exact takeoff depends on what im running, but its usually around the 2-3Lph mark. I try to keep my takeoff abv around 80-85%
Mine is a 3 inch, but currently only running two of the four plates. I do have a power difference, I am starting with a 5500w element, and then backing it way down for the run.
Good judgement comes from experience; and experience, well, that quite often comes from poor judgement.
SW_Shiner wrote: ↑Mon Apr 07, 2025 12:58 pm
I envy your extra power. I could do with faster heat up.
It is nice, about 30 minutes to get to my initial heat temp.
RB
Dang that is nice. Still takes me a while longer than that to heat up
I’m using a 15 gallon milk can. 5500w at startup to get from about 50f (ambient temp) until the column base is about 140f (60c) is about 30 minutes. I stack my column then turn it on and test cooling lines before I have to start adjusting power.
RB
Good judgement comes from experience; and experience, well, that quite often comes from poor judgement.
Is SBBs all molasses any harder to make cuts on than UJSSM or any others?
I can definitely tell a difference between my heads and tails. But it's 10x more subtle than anything else I've made cuts on which makes me worry it smeared pretty bad again. Still lots of "perfume" smell in my hearts.
I just tried jar 3/ 25 and it doesn't really taste headsy... Fruity notes but not that singe your nose hairs off evaporate characteristic of heads.
In my experience, yes. Nothing was really palatable right off the still. Being my first rum, it was difficult to make cuts. I did what i thought was a good blend and put it on oak. 9 months later and i wish i would have included a wider cut. I've read that rum likes a wide heads cut with plenty of time on oak to mellow.
SW_Shiner wrote: ↑Tue Apr 08, 2025 1:15 pm
In my experience, yes. Nothing was really palatable right off the still. Being my first rum, it was difficult to make cuts. I did what i thought was a good blend and put it on oak. 9 months later and i wish i would have included a wider cut. I've read that rum likes a wide heads cut with plenty of time on oak to mellow.
Edited. It worked. What a long journey… with a hilarious way I know it worked. I did a side-by-side with my new hearts cut, and the year old SBB. New stuff wasn’t great, but it was flavorful and palatable. Tried the year-old stuff and literally gagged and then threw it up in the sink.
Interesting experience making cuts. Each jar wasn’t terrible, but really sucked on its own. Once I blended, it was actually something drinkable white. I know you have to balance it, but I’ve never had a cutting experience where each jar tasted so similar, but then the final cuts transformed into something completely different.
