Stoppping and Starting Distillation

[Stevewhiskey]

Are there any dangers/problems associated with stopping distillation, waiting several hours, then begin distilling agian?

I ran my still for about 10 hours yesterday with a 25l wash, collected about 1 liter of distillate between 78% to 72%.
Turned it off for the night, then restarted it this morning

Another question, My thermometer was fluctuating between 78 to 82 degrees, Ive read in some books that you should drink anything that comes out at over 80 degrees because it is Propanol and can kill you. Is this true?


Thanks

[bronzdragon]

Generally speaking I try to do the whole run together, I don't think there would be a problem with bringing it back up to temp and running some more off. That seems like an awful long time to run, might want to check that you have enough of a heat source for your size vessel.

As far as running over 80 degrees killing you, that's not true. Most of my runs go until the upper 80s (c) unless I'm trying to get a very clean flavored spirit like a white rum or neutral. I usually collect tails until just into the 90s also for inclusion in the next batch. Running over 82 c will just get you more tails into the batch which increases flavor. At a certain point you will run into fusil oils sometimes, but I've never had a problem with it.

Also as a note, I've seen some stills where the thermometers were in the wrong position. I've got a two section column and the thermometer on those should be right above where the outtake line to the condenser is...to be correct.

My 25L batches on a stripping run take about 3 hours, on a final run take about 5.

cheers

~bd~

[Dnderhead]

10 hours is a long time and "My thermometer was fluctuating between 78 to 82 degrees"
this sounds a awful like a problem with your heat source . maybe a hot plate? a electric stove?

[Stevewhiskey]

I'm running a Brewhaus 30qt pot still with a bayou classic outdoor burner. I originally had an electric hotplate and my temperatrue was fluctuating 5 to 10 degrees either way from 78. Then I got the bayou classic burner and my next run on it i was able to maintain the temperature, But this run it has been more difficult to keep it stable.

Yea I had a question about the amount of time it is taking. Ive been running it on a very low setting to keep the temperature at around 78 degrees. Should I be running it at a higher temperature.

I will try to adjust where the thermometer is as well.

Thanks for the answer about the collecting temperature

[rad14701]

Ive been running it on a very low setting to keep the temperature at around 78 degrees.

There's your problem... You're trying to drive your still using a thermometer... Distillation doesn't work that way... The temperature is going to change as the water:alcohol ratio changes.. As the alcohol is depleted from the boiler the temperature is going to rise... You need to do some more reading on how the distillation process works before wasting any more time trying to be a thermometer jockey...

Which column did you end up buying...??? Most are Coolant Management columns or, as I call them, glorified pot stills... The rest are just pot stills...

[bronzdragon]

Yeah, I agree. Next run, find a nice medium setting on the burner and let it rip. If you're doing a stripping run, you could turn it up higher.

Watch your output on your condenser. You want to run it at a rate where the condenser is able to keep up with knocking down all the vapor.

~bd~

[Stevewhiskey]

Mines just a regular pot still with a regular column

[Hawke]

My potstill will run off a 25L wash in about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. I collect everything below 80*C as foreshots.
If it's a stripping run, it won't stay below 82* for very long. On a spirit run, it will run between 82 and 85 for most of the hearts.
I quit using the thermo altogether on my potstill. Now I use a parrot and proofing hydrometer though.
For strips, I collect around 150ml, then keep everything down to < 20%.
On spirit runs, I take about 100ml fores cut, then collect and number lots of 300 to 500ml. Let them air for a day or two and make my final cuts.

[Ayay]

A thermometer is not necessary with a pot still. UJ'sSM recipe gives the correct procedure for beginners: 2 to 3 drips per second output for the spirit run; anything between 80% and 70%ABV is good sippin product.

Go full blast to get to a boil and when the first drips appear adjust the heat very low until 2 or 3 drips per second are coming out. The drip rate will remain very steady provided the heat is steady, but will gradually slow and the heat needs small adjustments occasionally until the tails appear and then a little more heat is neeed, or just go into strip mode with the tails.

If your still is outside then the wind will have an effect on the output and the gas flame. Insulate the boiler and have a shield around the gas flame.

Meanwhile the ABV measurements tell you where youre at. A parrot and a alcometer are the best instruments but experienced stillers can tell without them.

If your pot still has a small column and packing then either the ABV will be higher or you can go a little faster, but it's a pot still.

[Stevewhiskey]

ok this might be a noob question but what is a parrot?

[Husker]

either a big squawky bird, or a wonderful copper device that measures ABV continually. Since we are not on the 'pet network forum', I assume the later

There are many posts about building parots on the forum. A lot of pix in the pot still section and the related HW sections show them.

H.

[DestructoMutt]

Another question, My thermometer was fluctuating between 78 to 82 degrees, Ive read in some books that you should drink anything that comes out at over 80 degrees because it is Propanol and can kill you. Is this true?

are you making nuetral or flavored? by flucuating do you mean, it started at 78C and slowly crept up to 82C, or did it really hop around...78C....82C....80C....79C....81C....etc?

[Stevewhiskey]

are you making nuetral or flavored? by flucuating do you mean, it started at 78C and slowly crept up to 82C, or did it really hop around...78C....82C....80C....79C....81C....etc?

Im making UJSM so im assuming its flavored

Initially the temp did stay at about 78C but then later on it seemed more to fluctuate up and down like you said

[Dnderhead]

did this all start when you used the new burner?

[Hawke]

Sounds to me like you are running too little heat and not getting a consistant boil.

Most of the nasties at the upper end of the temp scale actually have a boiling point higher than that of water.

[DestructoMutt]

Initially the temp did stay at about 78C but then later on it seemed more to fluctuate up and down like you said

if the temperature didn't creep up, but bounced around, it sounds like you're trying to control the temperature of your column with the amount of heat applied to the boiler, which is not the way to operate your system.

you say UJSM, so i say you are not running a reflux condensor. the way to run a pot still is to slowly run it up to boiling temperature, so that it simmers. a simmer is a slow, steady boil, and gives nice, even vapor production. your "column" temperature is then based on the composistion of your wash. if you started with a 10% ABV wash, with a boiling point temperature of 93C, the bottom of your column will be at about 93C....it's the thermal dynamics of the process. without packing and running slow your initial top of column temperature might be 78C, but it will climb, slowly if you are running at a slow simmer.

and since the wash is being continuously depleted of alcohol, it's boiling point temperature rises, and so does your column temperature.

[Dnderhead]

I was thinking the opposite. to much heat ,, I have a rather tall column on a pot still .if i do not cut the heat back it will "boil" part way up
the column. then fall. then repeat. if I do a stripping run,, I run hard to git it up to temp. ,, cut the heat back ,until it "settles" then turn it
up as I want. I do not know what the temperature is doing (no thermometer) but I'm sure it is changing. but you can hear this
on the column.(much like puking but it does not come all the way over)

[DestructoMutt]

I was thinking the opposite. to much heat ,, I have a rather tall column on a pot still .if i do not cut the heat back it will "boil" part way up
the column. then fall. then repeat. if I do a stripping run,, I run hard to git it up to temp. ,, cut the heat back ,until it "settles" then turn it
up as I want. I do not know what the temperature is doing (no thermometer) but I'm sure it is changing. but you can hear this
on the column.(much like puking but it does not come all the way over)

hmmm, i must not have been clear....SteveWhiskey, are you adjusting the amount of heat you apply to your boiler in an attempt to control the column temperature? if your answer is yes...stop doing that -

the way to run a pot still is to slowly run it up to boiling temperature, so that it simmers. a simmer is a slow, steady boil, and gives nice, even vapor production. your "column" temperature is then based on the composistion of your wash. if you started with a 10% ABV wash, with a boiling point temperature of 93C, the bottom of your column will be at about 93C....it's the thermal dynamics of the process. without packing and running slow your initial top of column temperature might be 78C, but it will climb, slowly if you are running at a slow simmer.

[Fester]

Stevewhiskey, practice using just a couple of gallons of water in your still. its a quick and easy way to check your thermometer (mine will read 99 C, ) and it will clean and check your new still for any problems. you should be able to distill water that is fit to drink, after proper cuts of course.

[blanikdog]

Are there any dangers/problems associated with stopping distillation, waiting several hours, then begin distilling agian? ...

Sometimes this just has to happen, Steve. I've done it several times - unexpected guests - and have never had a problem. I can remember asking that very same question.

blanik