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Hi Guys,

I've been having huge success making neutral with my VM still I built, and I have moved onto trying rum, and soon whiskey. I have two 20 litre (~5gallon) buckets of PUGIRUM ready to go from the Tried And True recipes, so I dug up my old copper CM still head and thought I could use it as a pot still head for this rum I have sitting here...

I have 2 elements in a 50L Keg on seperate plugs, 1x 1500w and 1x 2000w both 240v. I have no voltage controller so no way of controlling heat of each element.
Questions:

1) shall I strip the 2 buckets then run a second distillation as a pot still? what element(s) should I have running? I think there may not be enough stripped product to cover my elements towards the end of the second run?
2) Shall I use the reflux coil to help regulate the temp and ABV of the product and only do one run (since I cant regulate the heat source)

3) I went into the brew shop today with the head to get a cork for the top, they said my product will taste much better if cut the coppper off straight after the product condenser, rather than having the vertical piece. Their reasoning is that you don't want to condense everything that comes over, you want the bad vapour to come out as steam and dissipate into the air??? (new to me and i've read a LOT on here and never come across this) what are your thoughts? they also said the product condenser should be more horozontal...

Any advice at all on using this setup for rum and also whiskey. In the near future i plan to build a new pot head with thumper setup but it would be nice if this head will get my by

1) I think there may not be enough stripped product to cover my elements towards the end of the second run?

Strip one bucket and then combine the low wines with the other bucket and do a slow spirit run.

Their reasoning is that you don't want to condense everything that comes over, you want the bad vapour to come out as steam and dissipate into the air??? (new to me and i've read a LOT on here and never come across this) what are your thoughts?

Go back and tell them they're wrong and that venting flammable vapors into the air while running a still is potentially dangerous.

wow thanks for the fast reply,

the column is 3in diameter, 70cm (27in) tall and and 1/2in takeoff.

My understanding is that everything that comes over the "takeoff" should be condensed, although the stills in their shop are all CM stills and the guy has obviously been distilling most of his life. I think the innovation on this site is amazing and Im going to take my VM still head in to them one day because they dont understand when I try to explain it to them.

the abv of the wash is ~12.5% in both buckets, how much stripped product would I expect (from 40 litres) ? could I strip both buckets then add water to the second run?

the guys at the shop looked at me very strange when I explained the birdwatchers recipe I've been using (and the VM still design I have), and when I said Im making rum with bakers yeast, they said I need to use the "still spirits" Rum yeast as the bakers yeast is "inefficient" and completely wrong. They mean well and are usually really helpful but I think the techniques on this site exceed the 'Traditional" methods alot of people know

If the 2000 w element is at the bottom of the boiler (ie below the 1500), then run the 1500 only to take off the fores and heads, and then switch to the 2000 only for the hearts.

A 3" pot column will easily handle 2000 w, especially one with a tall one like yours. In fact, you could run up to 2500-3000 w through a tall 3" pot still no problem. You might even get away with running both together (3500 w).

I think there may not be enough stripped product to cover my elements towards the end of the second run?

Well you better make damn sure there is. One way is to first fill the boiler with enough water to cover the element(s) you will be using, then add the low wines.

Your liebig looks a bit small for that much heat input...

could I strip both buckets then add water to the second run?

Yes you can as long as your element(s) is/are submerged for the entire run.

and when I said Im making rum with bakers yeast, they said I need to use the "still spirits" Rum yeast as the bakers yeast is "inefficient" and completely wrong.

Tons of members use baker's yeast for rum. Another rum yeast that some members are using is Danstil 493 EDV -

http://www.ethanoltech.com/beverage/ins ... t_493.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Maybe that's what they mean by "still spirits" rum yeast?