New Rig - Better Results
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New Rig - Better Results
Lessons learned so far:
1. Slower is better. Running too slow is hard if not impossible as a rookie (for a spirit run). I would rather run too slow and spend a few more hours watching the drip than trying to make cuts in smeared product.
2. The advice that I got here for making cuts was good advice; heat up slow, run slow, use small jars, let it rest before making cuts, touch-smell-taste, ... . It didn't work for me because I wasn't running slow enough to be able to cut anything.
3. Run slow
4. Run slow
5. To Be Determined
Okay, my list is repetitive. I basically just learned to slow things down, but I did learn it. I hope some other rookie sees this and it helps.
I ran 5 gallons of what I though was 8% wash but I ended up with more alcohol than that so my math was off.
I ran at around 2 drips/second and threw out the first 4-5 ounces, then started keeping product. I switched jars every 8 ounces. After it smelled sweet (end of jar # 2) sped the drip a little. Still not stream but 3+ drips/second. After about 5 jars of 8 ounces the head temp started to raise a little and I had to slow the drip down again (tried to keep head temp reading around 173 F). At this point I switched to 4 ounces each jar. I collected 4 jars (16 ounces) and then the temp started climbing and I could smell tails. I shut it down because it was 11 at night by then.
I collected about 56 ounces total - all of it 85%-90% AVB. First jars were reading 94% and last jars were reading 90%. My temp was between 70F and 74F so the hydrometer readings are about 5 points high. About 9%-10% wash to almost 90% ABV product in one run - I think that's not too shabby.
All things considered I'm pleased with the results - I feel like this is the first time I had run a clean product that came out the way it was supposed to.
Thanks for all the help and I'm sure I will need more!