Home Distiller

It's been a good year or so and I'm back to update. Just as a note, THE BALL VALVE IS WELDED IN THE OPEN POSITION. It's merely for show.

This setup consistently pulls 160 proof off top. I do want to build a reflux badly, unfortunately I don't have the funds lying around at the minute.

Anyway, this is constructed out of some nice, thick 2" pipe. Not the cheap thin stuff you find at places like ACE.
I do have issues with the condenser, after some deep digging I found that there should be turbulence built in. That's pretty much out of the question at this point. The solution was to put a needle valve at the bottom of the parrot output. What happens is at the beginning of the run, the heads were shoot out of the parrot for whatever reason. As the hearts came in, the condensation would slow and I could use my hydrometer in the parrot throughout the run. Any ideas?

Anyway, here is 'Big Boy'.

I don't see a vent for the parrot? It's hard to tell with these pics. But there needs to be a vent between the condenser and the parrot.

And is the 160 proof 80% in a single run. Or is that two runs? How fast are you taking product off? What ABV wash are you using?

Sounds like surging in the parrot. +1 with PP there needs to be a vent between the parrot and product condenser.

Would a piece of 3/8ths tubing inserted and soldered in place below the condenser, slanting upwards in the down pipe be vent enough? I've been thinking about a one piece condenser/parrot arm myself.

It should. As long as it keeps the parrot from creating a vapor lock. It should work. Mine is 1/4" tubing.

stillerD wrote: I do have issues with the condenser, after some deep digging I found that there should be turbulence built in. That's pretty much out of the question at this point.

If you want to add turbulence to a condenser thats already built all you need to do is crimp the outer pipe in opposite 90 degree directions. You can use a vise. Kinda like the link below but the outside pipe.

http://www.stillsmart.co.uk/forum/viewt ... =15&t=1021" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

http://www.stillsmart.co.uk/forum/viewt ... =15&t=1021" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Thanks, that is the thread I found about a year ago lol

Prairiepiss wrote:I don't see a vent for the parrot? It's hard to tell with these pics. But there needs to be a vent between the condenser and the parrot.

And is the 160 proof 80% in a single run. Or is that two runs? How fast are you taking product off? What ABV wash are you using?

Pic #2.. it's more like a drain. Sine the surge only occurs in the heads, I will simply leave the valve open and collect my heads from a drain rather than have it go through the parrot. Once the hearts come in, for whatever reason, the condensation slows down and it's safe for my to use the parrot.

160 proof is what the run starts at. Depending on what I want, I will either collect the entire run in a big glass jug or I will take them as they come and leave them in the high proof state.
What type of water do you guys use to dilute? I know distilled is very bad as it leeches vitamins. I guess ordinary spring water of choice?

I just bought a solution to the clutter and headache of multiple mash buckets.

No you want distilled water for diluting spirits for drinking. Mineral water will make it go cloudy. The leaching effect would be minimal. With the amount used. And you are diluting alcohol. Hopefully you aren't going to be drinking enough for the water to be a problem. The alcohol will become a problem before the water does.

You need I repeat NEED a vent between the parrot and condenser. There was just a post the other day. Where the vent wasn't working right and it sprayed alcohol out and caught fire. It is a safety issue. That needs to be resolved. And the foreshots drain valve is not the fix.

Prairiepiss wrote:No you want distilled water for diluting spirits for drinking. Mineral water will make it go cloudy. The leaching effect would be minimal. With the amount used. And you are diluting alcohol. Hopefully you aren't going to be drinking enough for the water to be a problem. The alcohol will become a problem before the water does.

You need I repeat NEED a vent between the parrot and condenser. There was just a post the other day. Where the vent wasn't working right and it sprayed alcohol out and caught fire. It is a safety issue. That needs to be resolved. And the foreshots drain valve is not the fix.

Ok, I think I'll either use some 1/4" as a vent or I'll just chop off the parrot. Thanks for the advice.