what does a stripping run actually do ??

[brewster14]

what is the purpose for a stripping run...what does it do for your spirit ??

[possum]

It removes a large portion of the water. It acts as a quick concentrating run and no cuts are made. It bosts the % alcohol for the stock that you are using for the spirit (2nd) run.

[Rocky_Creek]

In addition to what possum said, you can then take the result of several strippin runs, add them together for the second run and have enough volume to do a good job cutting.

[brewster14]

so i assume you dont dilute after you strip as long as your burner is submerged...thanks

[Rocky_Creek]

As long as you are SURE that it will remain submerged. There are those that argue both ways. I believe the flavor profile will be different, but try it both ways and decide for yourself.

[junkyard dawg]

This thread makes me wonder, Is there a danger from putting hi proof back into the still? I recently had 4 gallons of 180 proof vodka that I wanted to distill again...(just to see...)I couldn't bring myself to do it... had to dilute.

Running batches of hi proof will cause the condensor to have a lot of work to do. Getting more vapor than the still can handle is a very real danger. You ever see those white ghosts rising out of your condensor you'll know why its called spirits...ANyway, Strippping runs are a great technique, especially if you have a smaller still. Just keep a good watch on the second run... It'll go faster and take more cooling water than running just a mash.

[LeftLaneCruiser]

Running batches of hi proof will cause the condensor to have a lot of work to do. Getting more vapor than the still can handle is a very real danger. You ever see those white ghosts rising out of your condensor you'll know why its called spirits...ANyway, Strippping runs are a great technique, especially if you have a smaller still. Just keep a good watch on the second run... It'll go faster and take more cooling water than running just a mash.

Dawg,
would you care to explain your statement ?
I don't follow you

All the [reliable] sources state that it takes far less energy to boil and condesate alcohol than water. High proof washes [e.g. multiple strippingruns] have proportionally more alcohol in them than fermented washes. [duh.. why would it be called high-proof anyways.. ]
In my opinion the condenser has an easier job this way, because there is less water to condense in the vapour.

Offcourse; if you mean that the condenser has to do a thoroughfull job by condensing all the vapours that come up, because it gets very dangerous otherwise, than i hear you. [in other words: it is less dangerous when a few vapours pass the condenser when stripping because they're not that high in proof. btw: don't get me wrong. i believe that in distilling all vapours should be condensed all the time, and the distillate should be cold, or at max. luke warm, just to be safe !]

KJH

[possum]

The same heat input will evaporate more molecules of pure ethanol liquid per minute than the heat when applied to all water. Alcohol has a lower latent heat. However, alcohol vapor is also easier to condense.One more thing, vaporised alcohol burns( flashes) like , well vaporised alcohol, while water ...you could get a steam burn, but not combustion.

But Junkyard Dawg can tell us what he means himself. This is just my take on the subject.

[golden pond]

Why there's no problem at all with running high proof just as long as you have no leaks, that would the only problem I know of. You're just creating extra work on yourself by diluting and slowing your run time down also.

[junkyard dawg]

I think we're saying the same thing...

My still is an offset head valved reflux... what I have noticed is that when I run a 10% wash the condensor uses very little water. When I do a spirit run and have 50% wash in the boiler the condensor needs much more water flow to keep up. The flow rate of distillate goes up too.

I think, like you said, it take less energy to vaporize alcohol with less water in it. I have been trying to think of it like this. Following the heat through the system... the alc in the spirit run needs less energy to vaporise than the stripping run. Since the heat input is the same for both, more alc is vaporised in the spirit run. this means more heat energy has to be tranfered in the condensor also. more vapor means more heat, more heat means more cooling which means more water.

Wish i had a little better scientific vocabulary for explaining myself sometimes...

My last spirit run was about 9 gallons of about 50% alc. Distillate ran fast and needed about 4 times the flow of water to condense it all. I turned my back for a few minutes at the beginning of the run and it started pouring vapor out the top of the condensor. very bad...very very bad...

[junkyard dawg]

oops.

Golden Pond I hear what your saying. I guess what I'm wondering is if there is a limit to how high a proof you should distill. If I do three runs on my still making neutral spirit, the first run is about 160 proof all together. The second run is 180+. if I've been doing a good job, that 180 proof stuff is all gonna vaporise at about the same time and have to go somewhere. I suspect this is the cause of column flooding for reflux columns. Seems like that is a little too volatile for my garage and little condensor.... maybe its just a survival instinct.

[Thorin]

i can see the danger in running your still with 180 proof alch in it.

if you have a still with an upright element (some have) there is probably the possibility of igniting the spirits if the element gets partially exposed, wich would not serve you (or your still) any good..

Thorin...

[possum]

Could be very scarry. Elements should always be covered.
Junkyard dawg uses gas to fire his doubble-boiler rig if I recall. Ya sure want that condenser to keep up with the boiler if you have open flame, and that is no joke.

[Longhairedcountryboy]

I was under the impression that re distilling high proof alcohol was extremely dangerous, like distilling gas. It sounds like people are actually doing this(?). I have never gone above 45% in the boiler. Let me see if I got this straight. It's possible if you are damn sure you don't have ANY leaks and your condenser is knocking down ALL of the vapor. Would a double boiler be required? Seems like flame directly to a boiler filled with 180 proof would be a bad idea. It still seems scary. 180 proof, really? I probably wouldn't try this for the first time inside or near anything that I would be upset about if it caught fire.

[Guest]

I would not do 180 proof only because of the likelyhood that your internal element might wind up being exposed. I do 125 - 140 regularly.

[Guest]

wow, 140... thats up there... I've done runs with 65-90 proof. How does a run with 140 go? Thats no game...Ive always been under the impression that it was pretty safe to redistill to about 90 proof... after that it can be high penalty if ya know what I mean... the higher the proof the smaller margin for errors. Good thing none of us aver make errors...

[Uncle Remus]

I've redistilled some neutral spirits to make gin before that were 85%AV. I ran it through my reflux column with my "botanical basket"(you guys like that word ) hooked up to the product output valve. I had no problems whatsoever and I run propane .

[knuklehead]

Yea well you can't speak for everyone UR, after all not everyone has magic rocks.

[Uncle Remus]

True Knucklehead...So true!

[Watershed]

I make my neutral spirit in 3-4 runs, the first is a stripping run taking about 90mins per 4l with no propper cutting. That gives me a load of 60% ABV and gets 95% of the available alcohol, this might sit on bicarbonate over night if it tastes a bit acid. Second run gets the cuts takes it to 80 and sits on carbon for a while and the third to 93% and depending on yeast may need splitting - first half is true neutral, the second half often needs knocking back to 80% and redistilling again. Overall I loose 20% of the available alcohol ( going fom SG readings on the wash ).
If you want neutral with a pot still I don't think you have much choice but to do high proof runs.

External heating on mine too - and I get real nervous about the third run.

[Guest]

I'd be nervous, too. I have read a few old posts here and elswhere about people blowing up their stills. It was probably due to careless errors, but I'm not willing to chance it. Just yesterday, I read a man died in Portland recently making brandy. I would be comfortable going to about 120 proof, but the wife won't allow it. She set the limit at 90. Her kitchen, her rules. I don't argue.

[Watershed]

An there's me running to 186 proof...

Actually - Is there any reason to run that high? I rarely need more than 70%
If I was to knock back to 60% before each run, would there be any noticable difference in separation ( in terms of obtaining something neutral ) and losses.

[junkyard dawg]

good question. Seems like diluting might make the cuts more noticable. I havent't done nearly enough hi proof spirit runs to have any idea...

[possum]

I have never added water to my spirit runs, but I have added mash/wash to fill up the still the rest of the way. I do this to actually add more flavor to my whiskey. For whiskey, I want big flavor.

But wash is much different than water...I bet the boil would be slower, that might help a little for making neutral spirit...but it is speculation.

Anything over 150proof needs cut down anyway...unless you are putting it in your gas tank. Absynthe+ lemoncello and stuff like that dosent need more than 150proof.

If anyone trys the h2o in the spirit run of thier potstill, please let us know how it works out...I'm interested.

[Uncle Remus]

Yes high octane ethynol does need to be cut down before drinking, but... if your making a neutral spirit, you want to run it up as close to 95% av as you can to remove unwanated flavours.
For me what works best is to strip a wash first. I used to do this in my reflux still, I could get 85% alcohol relatively fast with minumal reflux. I would save up a couple of these strip runs and then run them through again with lower heat and a bit more reflux and 93-95% av would come quite easy.
Now that I built a pot still I use it for stripping runs. It is quite a bit faster to strip than with the reflux column but the av level is somewhat lower. We did a strip run of sugar wash that was 13 or 14% av, Through most of the middle run the av was 65%.
Now that we got a couple batches stripped we will do a final run through the refux still. a couple gallons that are going back in the boiler are over 80% along with a couple gallons of lower proof.
It's not a problem playing with high alcohol but caution is the key.

[Guest]

I learned from some old timers they said to never put any thing in the pot that'll light. I always cut back down to 100 proof or so. I know of one kitchen that got remodeled the hard way.
Not to mention with a pinch or two of non-iodionized sea salt tossed in the pot it makes it real easy to make your cuts.

UR, I hope you guys keep a couple of fire extinguishers handy. I know I do.

[norcal]

That was me. I keep gettin unsigned

Norcal

[golden pond]

I learned from some old timers they said to never put any thing in the pot that'll light. I always cut back down to 100 proof or so. I know of one kitchen that got remodeled the hard way.
Not to mention with a pinch or two of non-iodionized sea salt tossed in the pot it makes it real easy to make your cuts.

UR, I hope you guys keep a couple of fire extinguishers handy. I know I do.

I've triple run 85 ABV, 170 proof for years using wood fire, propane or natural gas with no fear or problems, as long as there's no leaks, what's the fear in doing so??

[Tater]

What G P said

[golden pond]

What G P said

Tater, it kind of sounds like some of these fellows don't trust their still building. No really it's no more dangerous than having a tank of gas in your car or truck, just remember safety first!!! No leaks in your gas tank, no leaks in your still.