Home Distiller

OK I have read a ton of papers, websites, and the like. I think it is time to put to practise. I have opted to build a valved reflux still. I have cut my 50lt S.S. Keg open, built the column as per the design on moonshinestill.com and I know it turned out great. I used all the proper materials and I have no doubts regarding the quality of the still.

But....

I ido have doubts regarding the distillation process it self. Here is what I think I know

Once the wash is made (closely following the yeast guidlines)
sphion the settled wash, and place into the pot. Now we turn on the heat, and let the column come up to temp. Since I am running a valved refulx, I close the reflux valve and let it run (as if it were a pot still) pitch the first 50-100ML and then collect the next 500ML and place aside (well marked of coarse), change collection bottle, and collect the 'heart', middle run or what have you.

This is where I start to get really foggy

Open the reflux valvue to start permitting reflux back into the column at what rate? 3:1, 4:1 or should I measure it another way (e.g. number of drip of condensate collected every minute). If I let the reflux flow at a very high rate would this not translate into a high % alcohol??

We run the still until we reach 90C??? until all (majority) of the ethanol is out. I am assuming that I will start to see large jumps in temp during this period?? Then I shut the still down.

to clean everything up I empty the still, and runn, what hot water, mixture of vinegar/water??

after the spirit has come down a little in temp I can polish it with a filter through some A. Carbon

You want the still to be in "full reflux" for at least 30 minutes before you collect a single drop. Start with your valves such that no liquid is collected and all is returned to the column. Run like that for 30 minutes starting from the time the wash begins to boil. Watch your thermometer, during the "full reflux period", you should see the vapor temp shoot up from room temp to something like 78-80C and then settle down to something around the boiling point of etoh at your elevation.

After your full reflux time, you can start playing with your valves to collect at a slow rate. Pitch the first 50 ml. and then start collecting the rest in small jars.

Watch the thermometer and make your valve adjustments slowly. You should be able to keep at the "full reflux" temp.

An example run would go like this:

0:00 start
1:30 boil -- hold column in full reflux Temp at 78C
1:45 still in full reflux, temp at 76C
2:00 set output at 5min / 50 ml, Temp still at 76C,-- collect 50 ml to toss out
2:05 start collecting first jar (heads) Temp still at 76C

collect 2L in pint jars. reducing take off rate whenever the temp tries to rise.

Then switch to tails jar, increase take off rate and let temp climb until it is 94-98C.

you don't have to use carbon if your spirit is made properly.

neither you have to use vinegar after every use of your still, rinsing it with water should be enough ( even not running your still on water)


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