Hello from GA

[kjames]

Hi everyone. Yet another noob from Georgia here. I was an avid home brewer for several years, so I've got a good understanding of sanitation, mash recipes, ingredients, fermentation temp control and the like. But getting good results out of the distillation process is a whole other thing. Starting out with an 8 gallon reflux still (with my old PID controller attached) and the rest of my old brewing gear. Looking forward to diving deep into the knowledge base here!

[acfixer69]

Welcome To HD Your brew experience will be a great help but there are differences in the process that you need to note. Your old PID controller may or may not work for a boiler controller as we won't be setting a temperature but will be setting a power input at a constant rate which was done in a manual over ride. Good luck and enjoy.

AC

[kjames]

Thanks, AC. I was wondering about that - I'll need do some research on getting constant output out of that PID controller. I can imagine it wreaking all kinds of havoc with big surges of 100% power. I've got a heavy duty heating plate that will serve while I figure that out. Too chicken to do this with an open flame.

[nuntius01]

welcome

[TDick]

First thing: ROLL TIDE!
And a Warm Welcome from a neighbor to your west.

[fizzix]

Hey kjames. Yeah, two things that are radically different from the brewing world are sanitizing (not required) and the PID as acfixer said.
PID temperature control will give you poor results. Run that thing manually at worst, or by amperage control at best.
Welcome to you. We'll get it sorted out.

[bilgriss]

Very similar upbringing here. Homebrewer for decades before distiller. That experience probably drove me toward all grain (from first post-sacrificial batch) more quickly than many, but I had to unlearn a lot of what I knew regarding mash temperatures and sanitation.

Glad your'e with us, now start reading, if your eyes aren't bleeding yet.