"hello everyone.i have a 15 gallon still.i'm gonna do a stripping run my first run.does anyone know roughly about how much i will be collecting out of that 15 gallons of wash on my stripping run?

thank you"

For a 15 gallon capacity, you should only fill it to about 3/4 full.

From HomeDistiller.Org: http://ho...distill/dtw/fill

When filling the boiler, make sure you leave enough headspace above the liquid, so that if it foams up a bit, that the foam won't get pushed up the column. Typically it should only be around 3/4 full.

Some washes may tend to foam up a bit & get pushed out through the column & condenser, contaminating the clean spirit. This sometimes means that for some washes you may have to leave your boiler 1/3 to 1/2 empty at times, in order to accomodate that foaming. Hogan writes about how to deal with this
... someone was describing the use of malt extract for making whiskey and commenting that it foamed a lot in the distiller. The extract will contain a lot of proteins and when boiled it will foam a good bit. You need to let it foam as much as possible (without boiling over, of course). If you have a big pot, that helps. But you can remove the pot from heat or turn it down (if a gas heat source) let it sttle a bit and fire it back up. You are looking to achieve something called hot break. The foam will soon stop rising. This process coagulates the protiens so that they are larger and will settle out, producing a clearer liquid.

Also, the website has a calculator to figure out how much liquid should be left in the boiler after distilling.

"muadib2001



Bigwheel, recommends using a bit of copper mesh in the column to remove the sulfates or sulfur something like that, in a Stainless steel pot still and the use of copper packing in a reflux still also provides the reflux action. Add some of that copper stuff to the pot still to help her from griping and burping some of that stuff you"re trying to get rid of."

From HomeDistiller.Org: http://homedistiller.org/distill/dtw/chips

Using Boiling Chips when Distilling
If you're heating your still over an external heat source, then you should have a couple of boiling chips inside it to help break the boil. These are any rough-surfaced, inert object - like bits of broken pottery (unglazed so as to avoid lead based glazes), broken glass, or even a couple of marbles.

The rough surface acts as a site where the bubbles can start to form easier. If your pot is nice and smooth on the inside, then its difficult for the bubbles to form, and you can end up super-heating the liquid. When it does boil, it might be quite violent, and give surges of vapour up the column, ruining that nice equilibrium you're trying to create. Boiling chips, although making the job a little noisier (rattle like hell!), do help give a smoother simmer.

Note that they are used for a still with an external heat source. If you have an internal heating element, the chain is not needed in the boiler.

"LWTCS



I have only run my pot still 4 times and the end quantity was 33% of the wine. Now after reading around here I thought I was doing it wrong. The alcohol content was very high at 77% 155 proof. The flavor also was stripped away. I ran a drip at the condenser; with everything I read on the forum, I understand I should have had a pencil lead size flow from the condenser. This had my thinking that the faster run would lower the proofs and leave more flavor in the collection and more finial product.

Can someone give me some quick pointers here or share their experience."

"Stainless Steel Chain

Chain for cleaning kettles without damaging stainless steel
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Stainless Steel Chain

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Description

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