"I just got my still together, AND am sceptic to make the first run, here was my idea, I was gonna use feed corn, I live on a farm. So that's not gonna be an issue. My concerns are explosions, or being poisoned. I am using a SS pot with a propane heat source, getting else is copper. How do I keep it from clogging? Any tips available would really give my old lady peace of mind.
Thanks guys!
Blake"

We was gonna run it outside in the open. So Whats the basic rule for a sugar wash? And if We use corn is that more difficult?

Thanks guys, any sites I need to check out? Most recipes I've seen are grain recipes

As far as blowing up goes, just be careful with the distillate around the open flame. Also make sure you turn on your water to the condenser, if you forget raw alcohol fumes around an open flame could ignite. Don't overfill the boiler so that wash can bubble up into the column . Also if you use a coiled copper tubing for the condenser make sure there are no low spots in it, if a low spot exists you can build up pressure and surge out a liquid alcohol, hopefully not in the direction of the propane flame. That's about all I can think of. Oh yeah, have you run some plain water to see how your setup is going to work?

"Basic sugar wash, eh? My standby is just a touch above a basic sugar wash, some basic sugar wash's can stall if you are lacking something the yeast needs to grow. You may consider my recipe a basic sugar wash except I add barley malt. I've never had a problem with it completing the fermentation cycle.

8-10 lbs of sugar
5 tsp of yeast nutrient
1/2 tsp of Epsom salt
EC 1118 yeast- one packet
3-4 lbs of dry barley malt
6 tsp of lemon juice
fill the rest of the 5 gallon carboy with water.
leave enough room at the top for bubbles."

I have been having fairly good results with a corn meal flavored sugar wash. I do 10 lbs sugar with 2.5 lbs of cornmeal for five or six gallons of water. Some will claim that is too much sugar but just the amount I was taught to use. Knock it down to 7 lbs sugar if you want. Was using bread yeast but recently acquired distillers yeast so I'm using that for the next two batches which are now working. I used two different strategies just as sort of a test. Batch one I got my big stew pot filled with water and sugar and got it boiling for about 30 mins then dumped it over the cornmeal and stirred it up. Made some big cornmeal dumplings which I like to never got busted up. On batch two (which is how I have done it in the past) is mix the sugar and cornmeal in the fermenter and dump the boiling water over the top. It mixed a lot easier..no dumplings. On either strategy add cold water to bring down the temps. I used too much boiling water I think and the stuff like to never cooled off. Wound up dumping ice in it twice before it got into the yeast pitching temp range. Noticed the batch where I boiled the sugar took off like a house on fire. The non boiled sugar strategy started out a lot slower but is making the rice crispy sound so assume it is working somewhat. I gave them both about 3 days with a loose lid and a daily stirring..then locked them down. Figger to run batch 1 next weekend..then batch 2 a week after that..providing all has went well with the fermentation etc. Hope this helps. All kinds of other recipe choices out there. PS Edit: I also put two Tablespoons of yeast nutrient in each batch.

Div that sounds like a good one got to try that

Way way way too much cornmeal. Unless you are into mashing cornmeal which is not an easy task all you are looking for is a little corn flavor. If you did mash the meal you would not need near as much sugar. As it stands knock the cornmeal down to half a five pound bag aka 2.5 lbs. Since your using bakers yeast drop the sugar to 7 lbs. Just my .02 of course. If you had the fancy yeast might urge ten pounds of sugar. I aint sure how much it can eat. Just took a huff off the drain hose on my batch and it had a real strong alcohol aroma. I think the distillers yeast might be a good plan.

If the yeast was pitched at the right temps..too hot is the only way I know to mess it up..and the fermentation strategy goes well I would think the odds are about one hundred percent in your favor. All that cornmeal is not going to hurt it a bit. It will end up settling to the bottom and taking up a lot of room as an inert material. Personally I only use one packet of yeast but then I am a cheap skate:) Was you using a recipe which called for six packs or was it your own idea? Back in the good old days I was taught to use a "pinch" of yeast for wine making purposes. That stuff multiplies quicker than rabbits..lol. Put the bucket somewhere higher than its surroundings so it will be easy to siphon into the boiler without having to move it.

Think that is total right in that bread yeast is specifically designed to produce Co2 to make bread rise and isnt real alcohol tolerant. Not sure how adding more will cure what ails it. It grows so much then it dies at certain alcohol levels..usually agreed to be be ten to twelve percent or thereabouts in an ideal scenario. Now having said this...saw some of the big boys spouting recipes for 1/4 cup of the stuff. They buy it by the pound at Sams I think. Must be trying to use it up before it goes out of date or something:)