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ShipwreckedPirate wrote:Hey gang, Ive been reading this sight for months and just completed my first still and wanted BEFORE i fired it up to get some imput on how i did and what mistakes I've made (i know be careful what i ask for!). From what ive seen it seems like you can never give too much info when asking a question so ill try to be thorough.
Glad you asked.

My boiler is a SS 50L/13 gal keg (legally purchased). Ive had 2 Hotwater heater flanges tig welded (food grade) into place so that 2 4500watt 220 volt healting elements can be screwed in and removed as needed.I plan to use both elements to bring wash up to temp then turn one off. I will directly wire them into the fuse box when ready to run, then detach after.

2 4500w elements on 220v is overkill for that boiler. And you really need a controller for one of them. 4500w mite be too much so you will need the controller to turn the heat input down. Look at a phase angle controller. Or MK can hook you up with a MK5500. Or you could run them on 110v. They would need to be on separate circuits. You can check out my writeup on my controller setup for this. That would give you around 2200w. That mite fit the boka pretty good.

The tower is 2" copper pipe 4 feet long. All silver soldered. I will fill the bottom portion with 6 rolls of copper mesh. I will attach a water hose to the top of the coil, it will then go to the condenser and leave through bottom fitting into a drain hose. The ethanol will be collected in a soon to be built parrot for testing, etc. I have two temp ports one by the coil and one under the collection plate. I doubt there is a reason for the one by the coil, as long as its under 172.5 F but i put it there incase.
I'm assuming you are talking about a slant plate boka LM? Sounds good.


As for the wash to make a neutral spirit, i intend to use the Birdwatchers sugar wash. I have several 5gal food grade buckets/lids fitted with grommeted airlocks. since my boiler is 13 gal, I asssume i should charge with 12gal of wash. So i deduced i need 3 5gal buckets each with 4gals of wash. So i came up with 4 gals. of well water (brought into town to avoid using city water) 7.5lbs of table sugar, 1.5 oz (45.75grams) of bakers yeast, 1/2 cup tomato paste and some lemon juice.I have bucket stick-on thermometers as well as one that i will hang into the solution and be able to read without opening the buckets.
12 gallons is a bit much for a 13 gallon boiler. 10gal would be better for plenty of headroom. Also remember if doing stripping runs and spirit runs. The elements need to be covered the whole run. So after all the alcohol is removed you want enough left in the boiler to cover the top element.


Well? how wrong did i get it?? lol

I have numerous pics to add....if i can figure out how..lol

Thanks for the feedback, i appreciated it.

Coyote wrote:Wire one of you elements to 120 volt
You will find run them both for heat up
run the 220 for a fast striping run
run the 120 volt for slow single runs

This is how mine is set up and I don't ever
worry about phase controllers - just worry about grounds!!!

2 things I worry about are electrical grounds and sterilizing everything.
Iodine is our friend.

Coyote

Coyote wrote:I ONLY run in pot still mode

Coyote

Coyote wrote:Ok Mr Piss. I had to go back and re read a bit more carefully. . .

I only run in pot still mode mostly because I only run a pot still

So I don't need to try and control output.
You don't need to control the output of a pot still? That doesn't make much since? That's how you control a pot still. With how much heat you put into the pot?

When I do a neutral I run it in the pot then do my second run in the small
stove top with the thumper and end up at 160 ish range

I will now accept my 40 lashes for not reading carefully.

Coyote

Coyote wrote:Pot still is controlled by your mash
Boiling to separate 2 different boiling points
There isn't two different boiling points. There is only one and the ABV determines that boiling point.
Still will equalize at some point depending on the still.
When I rebuilt my liebig and forget to put the copper wire back
around the inner tube it changed the whole way the still operated.

No reason to control heat input ( think old days and fire or
big ol' stills fired with LP gas - Moonshiners TV)
Yes in the old days with a fire heated still. They would still adjust the heat input. By adding coals or taking coals away from under the boiler.
Smaller fire
or less gas or watts make slower run more = faster run
You just said you don't need to control heat input. But then you said " Smaller fire
or less gas or watts make slower run more = faster run" That's controlling a pot still.


Output measured by % of hooch I typically stop collection
at 30 to 40 % About the best I have ever seen high end on my
pot has been 62%
You could get better more consistent results with a controller. If adjusted properly.


Coyote

Coyote wrote:Pot still is controlled by your mash
Boiling to separate 2 different boiling points
There isn't two different boiling points. There is only one and the ABV determines that boiling point.
Ethanol boils at 184, Water at 212 degrees
Still will equalize at some point depending on the still.
When I rebuilt my liebig and forget to put the copper wire back
around the inner tube it changed the whole way the still operated.

No reason to control heat input ( think old days and fire or
big ol' stills fired with LP gas - Moonshiners TV)
Yes in the old days with a fire heated still. They would still adjust the heat input. By adding coals or taking coals away from under the boiler.
Smaller fire
or less gas or watts make slower run more = faster run
You just said you don't need to control heat input. But then you said " Smaller fire
or less gas or watts make slower run more = faster run" That's controlling a pot still. You are correct Sir However, Boiling is boiling


Output measured by % of hooch I typically stop collection
at 30 to 40 % About the best I have ever seen high end on my
pot has been 62%
You could get better more consistent results with a controller. If adjusted properly.On a personal level, I am very happy with my cuts and results, I rarely do anything other than single runs on whiskey and the Wifey likes it way better than store bought - So in my world I guess I am good but I always am willing to accept input

Coyote

Coyote wrote:

Coyote wrote:Pot still is controlled by your mash
Boiling to separate 2 different boiling points
There isn't two different boiling points. There is only one and the ABV determines that boiling point.
Ethanol boils at 184, Water at 212 degrees
Incorrect Ethanol boiled at 172.4 f. And if ethanol and water are combined they don't at different boiling points. Depending on the ABV the boiling point of that liquid will be somewhere between 172.4 and 212 f.

. You are correct Sir However, Boiling is boiling
I wouldn't say that. Yes temp wise boiling is boiling. Evaporation wise no its not all the same. A low boil from low heat input the liquid will evaporate slower then a hard boil with higher heat input. Hence the faster takeoff speed with higher heat input.


.On a personal level, I am very happy with my cuts and results, I rarely do anything other than single runs on whiskey and the Wifey likes it way better than store bought - So in my world I guess I am good but I always am willing to accept input

Coyote