Home Distiller

So, I've searched these pages and found a VAST amount of information concerning "building" a parrot.... But couldn't really find anything concerning parrots and smearing.

My question is an obvious one I guess....How much smearing takes place when using a parrot? My buddy makes pretty good drink at the moment but wants to incorporate a parrot into his stilling...It seems that there would be at least a certain amount of smearing created when utilizing a parrot.

I personally don't use one... don't need it...don't want it... I know my set up well enough to know just about exactly when and what's coming off. And if not the bead gets me pretty close.

Thanks

There is smearing but I find it's not big enough to worry me. It's always good to be tight with cuts, so a little.extra taken out is good.

here's a great experiment that will give you a visual. Fill parrot with cherry koolaid, trickle plain water through it, watch cherry koolaid disappear in short order.
I don't buy into the whole parrot and smearing through my own experimenting.
I still for some crazy reason don't put my parrot into the flow until I've taken fores. I see no logical reason for doing this but do it anyway.

I don't contaminate my parrot with fore's and early heads . Slide it in play after they are generously gone . Smearing gets to be less and less of an issue as I gain more experience with my pot still and new thumper .

Add a drain valve to the parrot and use it. The problem (if it really exists) is solved. Plus its just snazzy, and all that jazz.

Little still, big parrot = more smearing
Big still, little parrot = less smearing
My $.02 opinion. Don't worry about the volume of the parrot.
There's many other variables that are more important.

bearriver wrote:Add a drain valve to the parrot and use it. The problem (if it really exists) is solved. Plus its just snazzy, and all that jazz.

+1 bearriver

A valve on the bottom of the parrot allows you to get your reading when you want it. Once you got it, you open the valve again. The reading can be taken in less than the volume of one collection jar. No smearing.

I have a drain valve at the entry to the parrot. I run it open for fores and early heads, and close it as they start to clean up.

The question of how much smearing comes down to how big the parrot is...my parrot is custom made for my small alcometer and I've got the volume of the parrot down to 70ml...so at worst, that's how much is at stake when making cut points.

Also, if you're making a flavoured product (whiskey/rum/brandy), you want some smearing at the right points. And when making a vodka, your column should be separating that well that your hearts will be a very large portion...there definitely is no issue anywhere; there's no immediate cut point that gets missed through a parrot...

I just insert the parrot once I detect the heads are cleared out enough. Although the loss is small, it is a bit of a loss. Alternatively you could just recycle the very late heads/hearts into the feints to capture them later. Putting a valve, IMHO, is just more fab work than it is worth, and restricts mounting options