You would think I'd learn....

Other discussions for folks new to the wonderful craft of home distilling.

Moderator: Site Moderator

Post Reply
User avatar
goinbroke2
Distiller
Posts: 2448
Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2008 6:55 pm
Location: In the garage, either stilling or working on a dragster

You would think I'd learn....

Post by goinbroke2 »

Ran a batch Saturday night. I had siphoned about 50L into my 58L keg two weeks ago...hmmm seemed pretty full but I'll strip slow...yeah right. Siphoned the lee's and every last drop of the fermenting pails, crap, was supposed to leave the yeast.
Well I couldn't do it that weekend so I left it in the keg for a week. Sat night I lit it up and after a bout 5 minutes got thinking...if it was cloudy when it went in, it probably settled in the last week and I probably got about 1/8th inch of "clay" on the bottom of the still. Hmmm, bet that will scorch....shit!

So I shut it down, siphoned the wash out then rinsed the keg out and started again.

Wide open on the propane, instead of 1hr to heat I was getting rattling and the lyne arm was hot in 20 minutes? Turned down the heat and got foreshots in 31 minutes from start. Came out clear like normal. Was doing a strip run so inched up a bit on the heat....maybe a bit more....
I was collecting in a 20L glass carboy and looked over and the output was milky. SHIT! Turned down the heat and slow the liquid to a trickle. (this is a strip run? It's slower than a spirit run!) Near the end it got clear again but the low wines stayed milky. Went to far, collected down to about 10-15%. :oops:
Out of about 50L of 8-10% I got 12L of 25%.
Let the keg sit overnight to cool. dumped it in the morning and the backset was really milky.

So, I'll let the low wines sit for a couple weeks and rack it, then run a batch with 12L low wines and 18L of 50% feigns.

What I learned;
1) Either take just the clear off the top or rack it and let it sit so you only put clear liquid in the still.
2) Don't rack into the still then let it sit for a week.
3) If you get milky output basically shut off the heat then build up again slowly.
4) Don't put too much in the still (I know, headspace, tried and got caught)
5) when you make a mistake, share on here so others can learn. LOL!
Numerous 57L kegs, some propane, one 220v electric with stilldragon controller. Keggle for all-Grain, two pot still tops for whisky, a 3" reflux with deflag for vodka. Coming up, a 4" perf plate column. Life is short, make whisky and drag race!
Mud Mechanik
Distiller
Posts: 1087
Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2010 12:12 pm
Location: Deep South

Re: You would think I'd learn....

Post by Mud Mechanik »

Thanks for the warning goingbroke, I planned on racking into my boiler one day this week and running it the next morning to try and make enough time to get 2 runs in a day, I don't think mine would settle much overnight but you have made my mind up for me to not worry about trying to save 15 minutes. Once again HD forums pays off. MM
Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway----John Wayne
Post Reply