Newbie needs help

Newbie · Post by **Newbie** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 5:31 pm

Ran my first run today (sugar wash) with my reflux still. Approx. 10gal of wash. Heated it to 212 degrees F. First part of the wash came out at 110 proof then after the first hour (approx 1500mls) it droped off to 50 proof then 25 proof. The reflux still has copper packing (loose) and the still ran constantly at 200 to 218 degrees (F). Also note that the s.g. of the wash was 1.030. Also, its comming out very cloudy. I have roughly 7 gallons left and would like to get it right.

Please help me! What am i doing wrong? Any advise will be helpfull.

Thanks
Newbie

Post by **Tater** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 5:41 pm

Sounds like you dont know how to run a reflux still. Try search on this sight and youll find lots of info how.218?

Post by **Grayson_Stewart** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 7:42 pm

That post makes me want to ask a million questions...

How in the world did you get a wash to boil at 218 F? Water doesn't even boil at 218 F.
You say it was a sugar wash, are you sure?
Where is your thermometer located on the still?
Do you know what temperature range the prefered alcohol is collected at in a reflux rig?
Do you know what the preffered alcohol is called?
How did you check the proof?
What kind of still was this reflux rig?
You collected 1500 ml of 110 proof from a reflux rig...in an hour? You can do better than that with a pot still.
You started with 10 gallons, then collected a few liters and you are now down to 7 gallons? Sounds like you sent alot into the atmosphere to me.

Tater is right, you need to read up on how to run a reflux rig before you hurt yourself. We could tell you how to do it, but thats what the parent site is for. We are here to discuss issues when you don't understand, not when you haven't read.

You can print out the entire site and read it in the bathroom cause thats where you are going to be if you drink the stuff you ran out to 25 proof.

TEC · Post by **TEC** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 7:55 pm

You can move the boiling point up by being under a pressure, but that would mean you were close to a big bang. It is also possible to super heat a steam/vapor/gas at atmospheric pressure, but that would be one serous boiler

Have you checked your thermometer for accuracy?

possum · Post by **possum** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 7:58 pm

The parent site is downloadable in a zip file.
I would recomend doing so. There is so much data in there.
Take it slow.
Did you build or buy your still?
Check for leaks?
Patience and planning are the essentials.
You will be able to get it right eventually.

Newbie · Post by **Newbie** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 6:38 pm

I have been doing a lot of reading on your site and have done some trial runs, which have been educational. Wanted to include photos of my still so that you can see what I'm working with but could not figure out how to. (Cut and paste didn't work).

To start answering some of your questions: I’m using a stainless steel keg as my still with a Pro Series II Column (3 foot) and copper packing. I'm measuring temperature of the wash in the keg, vapor in the top of the keg, and vapor temperature at the top of the reflux column.

Trying to understand you guys are saying but water boils at 212 degrees F. and 100 degree C. So I heat up the wash to a boil and keep it around 212 to 218 degrees F. I keep the vapor temperature at the top of the column below 96 degrees Celsius.

I have testers to check the specific gravity and alcohol proof up to 200 proof.

Averaging 90 - 110 proof. Production is slow.

Still learning and reading so you will have to excuse me.

Post by **Grayson_Stewart** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 6:46 pm

Newbie wrote: Trying to understand you guys are saying but water boils at 212 degrees F. and 100 degree C. So I heat up the wash to a boil and keep it around 212 to 218 degrees F. I keep the vapor temperature at the top of the column below 96 degrees Celsius.

You don't keep the vapor at any temperature by regulating heat, the vapor is gonna be at whatever temp its gonna be. You may be able to control reflux to keep higher alcohols at the top of the column, but you won't control the vapor temperature ever.

Newbie wrote: I have testers to check the specific gravity and alcohol proof up to 200 proof.

You will probably never make 200 proof at home, but you probably already know that.

Newbie wrote:Averaging 90 - 110 proof. Production is slow.

Still learning and reading so you will have to excuse me.

Sounds good, keep up the learning and you will get what everyone else does before long.

Post by **Tater** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 6:47 pm

Go back and read over http://homedistiller.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow distilling wash section