Old Dog's Stumpy Still
Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 9:08 pm
Hi All,
I brought Olddog's Stmpy a while back now and haven’t reported back on my findings yet (sorry for the Delay Olddog)
Going from an Electric CM still Reflux still to this was like getting off a Skate board and getting into a Lambo
I was so dam excited about receiving it, I had a UJSSM already down and hoping the courier would turn up in time for the finish of the ferment
With 2 paragraphs of simple instructions from OD it took me literally around 2 runs to work out the water flow rates and take off speeds – to be pretty dam comfortable with it.
To be honest – I was a little freaked out about how to use a dephlegmater, but it was nothing to worry about it seems.
Since I started, I’ve run several slightly modified UJSSM’s through and made some pretty dam good bourbon. Single run from Wash to spirit in all these.
One of my original concerns was around flavour yet still keeping good purity and easy to run.
I’ve also done some amazing fruit runs! – It seriously reinvigorated my fermentation on fruit again.. Soooo much more flavour coming through on the fruit then I was used to.
I had some serious good results with both making Plum brandy and Plum liqueur.
Previous to purchasing Stumpy I was in the process of building a Boka – my path to the ultimate vodka – iseriously love my Vodka. I’ve been heavily distracted
Aside of the single runs making Scotch, Bourbon/Rum/Brandys etc, I started using my old CM as a Stripper for doing a fair amount of DWWG into Low wines.
I ran low wines collected through Stumpy recently with some pretty dam good results! Enough to even reconsider building a Boka.
As for attention during the cuts – this was pretty dam easy – I was using cooled water (I have a large chest freezer full of water – running to cool the water)
Running the wash through stumpy I found I was making around 2 or 3 minor water flow changes throughout the run, outside of the equalisation and final tails runoff.
These were only smaller changes. I was taking around 90 to 94 percent single run depending on ferment source – eg Fruit or Grain or UJSSM.
As for Low wines, this was even easier again, I was getting on average 95 to 96 percent and water flow rates didn’t change once throughout. Very stable and predictable run.
Even to the point in when swapping bottles I knew where the hearts were – confirmed after airing later.
The cuts were a hell of a lot more noticeable for me then what I was using previously too.
The low wines were from DWWG and Bakers yeast. I would have to say, im in no rush anymore to make a boka I slowed the take off right down to almost a drip for the vodka and had very good results.
Times for runs are pretty dam good too.
The only points I noticed, were I got better results in not going past 2/3’s full on the keg – half full keg for Bourbon/Wiskeys etc were best . Any more then this I was getting surging and gave not so good results – mixed bag in the cuts.
The only part now im left wondering is with Gin (I have a renewed taste for Gin latterly – don’t know why) but I would like to put some botanicals in the vapour path somehow. I was thinking of shoving them into the column before the plates somehow… not sure yet.
Heres some pics
I brought Olddog's Stmpy a while back now and haven’t reported back on my findings yet (sorry for the Delay Olddog)
Going from an Electric CM still Reflux still to this was like getting off a Skate board and getting into a Lambo
I was so dam excited about receiving it, I had a UJSSM already down and hoping the courier would turn up in time for the finish of the ferment
With 2 paragraphs of simple instructions from OD it took me literally around 2 runs to work out the water flow rates and take off speeds – to be pretty dam comfortable with it.
To be honest – I was a little freaked out about how to use a dephlegmater, but it was nothing to worry about it seems.
Since I started, I’ve run several slightly modified UJSSM’s through and made some pretty dam good bourbon. Single run from Wash to spirit in all these.
One of my original concerns was around flavour yet still keeping good purity and easy to run.
I’ve also done some amazing fruit runs! – It seriously reinvigorated my fermentation on fruit again.. Soooo much more flavour coming through on the fruit then I was used to.
I had some serious good results with both making Plum brandy and Plum liqueur.
Previous to purchasing Stumpy I was in the process of building a Boka – my path to the ultimate vodka – iseriously love my Vodka. I’ve been heavily distracted
Aside of the single runs making Scotch, Bourbon/Rum/Brandys etc, I started using my old CM as a Stripper for doing a fair amount of DWWG into Low wines.
I ran low wines collected through Stumpy recently with some pretty dam good results! Enough to even reconsider building a Boka.
As for attention during the cuts – this was pretty dam easy – I was using cooled water (I have a large chest freezer full of water – running to cool the water)
Running the wash through stumpy I found I was making around 2 or 3 minor water flow changes throughout the run, outside of the equalisation and final tails runoff.
These were only smaller changes. I was taking around 90 to 94 percent single run depending on ferment source – eg Fruit or Grain or UJSSM.
As for Low wines, this was even easier again, I was getting on average 95 to 96 percent and water flow rates didn’t change once throughout. Very stable and predictable run.
Even to the point in when swapping bottles I knew where the hearts were – confirmed after airing later.
The cuts were a hell of a lot more noticeable for me then what I was using previously too.
The low wines were from DWWG and Bakers yeast. I would have to say, im in no rush anymore to make a boka I slowed the take off right down to almost a drip for the vodka and had very good results.
Times for runs are pretty dam good too.
The only points I noticed, were I got better results in not going past 2/3’s full on the keg – half full keg for Bourbon/Wiskeys etc were best . Any more then this I was getting surging and gave not so good results – mixed bag in the cuts.
The only part now im left wondering is with Gin (I have a renewed taste for Gin latterly – don’t know why) but I would like to put some botanicals in the vapour path somehow. I was thinking of shoving them into the column before the plates somehow… not sure yet.
Heres some pics
But we all know what happens when ideas emerge on HD... 
