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im ready to do a first run with a 1 gal i picked up from rainier. mash is at 20 abv. it is a simple water 5.5 gal and 18 lbs sugar w /1 pack of turbo 48 w/ag on day 5.
im thinking of doing a stripping run first. then going for a reflux run to try for a 90-95 abv. i think off all the 1gal first runs the first 50 mils are the bad part to use as cleaner.does anyone have % for that, it seams i read it in here some where but i have read so much i cant remember. then i don't have to do it on the next run. any advise would be great and if im way off here please let me know also

Awesome.........

I don't think you will kill yourself but I would suggest that is going to taste like raccoon arose.

New Distillers lounge mate, go have a peek

Worse then raccoons arse

Tablet dot dot dot dot Indeed Good Sir,

Autocorrected.

I would say it will taste like horsepiss..!!
Your ABV is way to high and you used that damned turboshit...
I foresee it won't be good likker you make out of it.
Go for the tried and true recipes here on HD, every one of them is a winner proven by several experienced distillers.
Use that shit you made to clean the new still..
50 Ml of foreshots pr. gallon keeps you on the safe side for sure, that's what i usually draw of a strippingrun on 3-4 gallons.
Please take a look at the link in my signature...cranky's thread is good reading, i think you will benefit from reading it.

Did I read that correctly? A 1gallon still and you are going to try to reflux with it? I can tell you from experience you are going to tire of a small still like that. 5-6 stripping runs before that final spirit run is going to suck. There is a reason 5 gallons is the minimum recommended size. Then the drip drip drip of the reflux only to get crap alcohol because of the turbo yeast and too high ABV of the wash. My suggestion is right now before you run that make a nice All-Bran cereal wash and keep the ABV below 10%. Then after you run both of them compare the results.

Other issues I see here are did you do the required cleaning runs? It also sounds like you don't plan on doing any cuts other than fores, another bad idea. Fores should be taken in both runs for safety. If I do multiple runs I figure on a 1oz per gallon for fores and generally don't take any on the first run but I also don't base my cuts on any set numbers. If it smells like fores I dump it, if it smells or tastes like heads, I generally don't keep that either. With a still that small it s going to be very difficult to make those cuts and figure it out so collecting in shot glasses is probably the best way to do it.

thank you all for the advise. This has now become a test. I was only looking for a vodka form this and some experience.
no this is my second run for who asked. i ran a cheap gallon of wine through it.
turbo was included with kit so im out 14.00 for sugar, if its bad ill use it to light the grill like i did the wine.
im still undecided on a 15 or 25 gallon 6 stage from steel dragon, mile-hi or rainier. im finding out that the column type like steel dragon and mile-hi may be a little hard to run because the tube is less than 8 inches. This is the type i seen at markers mark. does anyone have this type that can give advice on it or any of these companies would be great. Anthony at rainier has been great so fare and easy to contact, cant say that about mile-hi, i just quit trying to get them to answer.
when im done playing and experimenting i plan to use uncle Jesse mash recipe.
when i ck back i will have the update.
stay safe everyone

Doc Holliday, are you referring to an 8" diameter still column...??? That is well beyond hobby scale... You'd be hard pressed to out-drink a 3" - 4" column as far as personal consumption is concerned... Most hobby scale stills are under 25 gallons and run 2" - 3" copper... Only a few members here run 4" and those are mostly plated columns...

And, for the record, it's "Still Dragon", not "steel dragon"...

lol i guess i had rock band on my mind. yes i agree about the column size. my question was, is a column still (multi plate type) smaller than 8" efficient to run. how does it compare to the one or type that rainier has? does anyone have the still dragon that can commit one it.

PS: horse piss test is going great. at 75%abv and 2 runs left, then im going to re-run the piss out of it.

having fun

Don't matter how much ya rub it ; ya can't polish a turd .

Truckinbutch wrote:Don't matter how much ya rub it ; ya can't polish a turd .

According to mythbusters you can polish a turd.


But it's still a turd.