Home Distiller

After talking to some of forum members it got me to wondering how many that use ss kegs and stock pots with external heat use anything to break their boil,Anyway those that do You see a difference ? Those that don't and haven't tried it please do and report your findings. I always toss a few handful's of copper fittings into still and can tell by the rattle of fittings how my stills doing .Also seems to dissipate heat in wash better.

I tried it, but it seemed to have the reverse effect for me. The copper pieces were making it boil in surges, like an irregular throb.
That was making the distillate surge into my parrot to the point where i couldn't get an accurate reading cause of all the bobbing about.

Keg runs fine on the gas without it.

punkin wrote:I tried it, but it seemed to have the reverse effect for me. The copper pieces were making it boil in surges, like an irregular throb.
That was making the distillate surge into my parrot to the point where i couldn't get an accurate reading cause of all the bobbing about.

Keg runs fine on the gas without it.

That sounds like ya could of ran at a lower heat if it surged . Was this a pot still?

tater wrote:That sounds like ya could of ran at a lower heat if it surged . Was this a pot still?

Yes, it's my pot still, that is running at about 4 litres an hour of output on stripping runs.
There's not much flame at all under it, turned right down then up a little.

I will give it a try Tater.I will probably use some pieces of 1/4 inch copper or fittings.I have alot of both.I think the rougher the surface the better it does.

I have copper bits and quartz fragments in my pot still and I find that they do as tater says. The rattle tells me how things are going without having to stuff about with thermometers and hydrometers and other 'scientific' stuff, but I'm one of those weirdos who relies on my taste and smell - and hearing I guess - senses to make most of my distilling decisions. Seems to work for me and especially so when I read some of the posts regarding calibration of instruments and all the rest of the stuff that some folk seem to do.

Why make life more difficult than it is already is my motto.


blanik

blanikdog wrote:but I'm one of those weirdos who relies on my taste and smell...

Well, in the end, that is how to determine if you made a good drink or not. I always smell and taste samples through the whole run, I think it is ultimately the best guide of all.

blanikdog wrote:Why make life more difficult than it is already is my motto.

Why indeed. Life may not have been meant to be easy, but that ain't no reason to add any unnecessary hassles on top.

But the thing that makes us humans?














WeJustGottaFukWithItPunkin

WeJustGottaFukWithItPunkin


Bout sums up my still building.My head keeps sayin LEAVE IT ALONE. but I just gotta build one of them no one like that no hang on that would work better but what if I bent that there and soldered one of those here........................... no I'll eventually need a bigger one mmmm shiney copper. Its getting bigger en Ben Hur

Rudi wrote:WeJustGottaFukWithItPunkin


Bout sums up my still building.My head keeps sayin LEAVE IT ALONE. but I just gotta build one of them no one like that no hang on that would work better but what if I bent that there and soldered one of those here........................... no I'll eventually need a bigger one mmmm shiney copper. Its getting bigger en Ben Hur

I always have a stainless scubber in my pot.

i don't tend to bother with anything on a stripping run but i have had flash boils on spirit runs... most from when i was using LP and ran out in a run and had to go get another bottle for some reason its VERY likely to superheat then.. so i always have a scrap of old copper mesh in the boiler on a spirit run

I never seen the reason for anything in my SS keg UNTILL now.. I used my keg for several sugar washes with my reflux column and all went well.. BUT.. I tried a brandy run with a pot head column and all went well.. and next run I did almost drove me crazy .. my product had a yellow tint to it the first was dark yellow and as the run went along it got lighter ..so i thought it must have been something hidden in my column or keg .since nothing had changed from the last run .I tore it all down recleaned boiled everything out ..and did another wash .. and again I had the same thing still yellow ..both runs were started up slow .. so this time I tore it down recleaned it all ..and tossed in a roll of copper mesh ... everything that ran was clear as a crystal.. Man was that a valuable lesson learned ..from now on there will always be something in my keg ..If you are using a keg and have not had this yet all i can say is youre running on luck ..I dont know how many runs i had before it finally happened to me ..Good Topic Tater.

My still uses a small diameter coil, and when I forget to throw a couple of coins, nuts, or nails in the bottom, I get this sort of pop and sputter followed by a surge when I run. If I keep putting them in, everything works out fine.

Nice addition to R&T tater.

in my SS reflux, this year i added about 2 dozen glass marbals. seems to help w/ a slower/steedly heat climb

I have a small handful of copper pennies (old enough to be solid copper) and some silver scraps from my work bench I use as boilin' chips.

I've used boilin' chips since the 80's when I clogged a layne arm and blew open a stove-top still and created the worst kitchen clean-up I ever experienced.

i just drop in a handfull or rocks from the craft store i can hear them rattling when it comes up to temp

I understand why boiling chips are used. But in a copper pot do they increase wear and tear on the bottom of the pot much?

HookLine wrote:I understand why boiling chips are used. But in a copper pot do they increase wear and tear on the bottom of the pot much?

A very good point, Hook. My pot is SS so it never entered my head.

blanik

there is no wear and tear with SS or copper mesh..

these boys aint ever used em . when they turn the hot slop out last
thang they wanna do is be in it.

so im tole

goose eye wrote:these boys aint ever used em . when they turn the hot slop out last
thang they wanna do is be in it.

so im tole

Them boys wasnt using ss kegs and stock pot either was they goose?Ive not heard of them boys around here using them either on makin a living size stills

never used no chips in the 80 gal. still but we stired it until it started boiling to keep it from sticking. but i use the flat marble in the keg still.and it does help be able to hear the marbles it helps to control heat input.

digger

(edit) we distilled on the grain in the 80 gal.

Digger, did you do any fruit runs? Have any problem with that sticking and burning?

we run three or four batchs each peach and apple, didnt have much trouble if stirred till it boiled, if i could keep the drunks out of the wood pile shoving wood under the still.

digger

(edit) that was three or four a year, when fruit was in season

Thanks.

Did you filter most of the solids out of the mash before running it?

no hook line just dip itout with a bucket and poured it in. the pot was setting on a big flat rock with stone cape built around it .it mostly heated on the sides ,very little on the bottom.just kept stirred till boiling, didnt seem to want to stick after that point.

digger

Thanks for the info, Digger.

i use about 20 pieces of copper that ive flattened and cut into 1inch squares brakes the boil and seems to catch alot of the yeast that would other wise settlle and scorch to the bottom makes alot of noise though

I tried it once did not do anything but make a lot of racket