First sugar wash, stripping run, ujssm, spirit run.

[boba_fett]

So, thanks to the help I got here earlier to figure out how to use the column, I got busy.

I first went for a 20 gallon on shady's sugar wash. I setup the kit in pot mode and made 3 strip runs, overall pretty straightforward. Only issue is the in-line parrot overflows when I pushing it, reducing the output speed. I guess I could just note the temperatures and % for those "standard" runs and ditch it ?

Disregard the basement condition, I'm working on it.

I wasn't quite ready for a spirit run yet so I started a ujssm batch. I used leftover backset from gen 0 to start a 2nd one, I'll be distilling the 3rd generation tomorrow. I keep 1/2L of heart's heart of each gen to monitor taste.

Ok, now on to the spirit run. Based on that

See, I cleaned a bit

It didn't quite go as planned. I really struggled to try to get a constant low flow. with 1-2 drops/s I could do 95%, but to get any meaningful output I had to go to ~91%. I had SPP up to 1" under the ball valve. Opening / closing the valve didn't seem to have much impact, same with heat. What am I missing on operating that thing ?

[Pure Old Possum Piss]

If you're doing a stripping run don't use a parrot. Just run it.
There'll be time to count chickens when the eggs have hatched.

[haggy]

boba,

You said you open and closed the valve ( i guess you mean the takeoff valve ) and did the same with the heat, but they did not have much impact. And going to 91% abv distillate got you some meaningful output.

What did you do to get to the 91% abv? What power were you running and what distillate rate? We need a lot more information to understand what your problem might be.

But I will hazard a guess at the possible problem.

If you ran a high flow rate of cooling water ( and if it was cold to start with ) - your VM reflux condenser can subcool the reflux to a low temperature like 130 F or lower. This cool reflux would then cool the top and below packing and reduce the vapor coming off. So low or no distillate flow and possible not so constant takeoff flow rate. Any idea what the cw flow rate and cw inlet temperature were?

More heat could overcome the cold reflux and give some takeoff - but there could be smearing and that could lead to the lower distillate abv.

Does your cold cooling water first run into the RC reflux condenser coil and then to the shotgun PC? Separate flows to each is better and you can measure the cw exit temp and flow rate. Also, then the PC does not depend on the RC flow rate.

I good rule of thumb many stillers use is to have the RC cw exit temp be around 130 F. That way the reflux probably is not too subcooled.

If you tell me the RC reflux coil diam and length and the cw inlet temperature, I can give you a ballpark cw flow rate to run at for a 2100 watt heating rate and about 1 to 1.5 Lph distillate rate. And it would be good ( in this learning stage ) to adjust and know and measure the cw flow rate so you can repeat it when you do get it right.

So, more information on your run will help us understand the problem. And adjusting and setting the cw flow rate to give a cw exit temp about 120 F to 135 F is a good way to run your VM reflux condenser.

haggy

[Yummyrum]

I’m thinking same as Haggy . You are running too much coolant flow through the Reflux condenser . It is working more like a CCVM still than a VM and you are sub cooling the top .

Stick a valve in the coolant flow line and reduce the water flow . When it becomes too hot to keep your hand under it , you’re in the ball park .