" Ok, gotcha. That's how I set things up. I only use a single valve between the tee & the column condenser.

It never made sense to me why a second valve was necessary (for the product condenser) ... I figured that should always be full flow.

Thanks,
--JB"

Huh? Not sure if you reading my post correctly.

I was referring to the PRODUCT condenser when I said it should just be full flow (i.e. no need for a valve).

I have a single valve that controls water flow to the COLUMN condenser. I have never had to push much more than a slow trickle through it in order to keep it "under control" ... which IMHO is strictly to adjust the collection rate (hence reflux). So no shortages here. And I've never had any trouble with the PRODUCT condenser flow ... it's always been more than enough.

"I understand.

Keep the power as low as possible has worked very nicely for me. As I recall, you don't strip (your wash). You should give it a try it might help you keep your power down so your cooling won't be such an issue.

Since the spring, I've been doing things a bit differently. My spirit runs are always 10 - 12L low wines at 35 - 40%. I use a 1500w hot plate (thermostat disabled) with a power controller on a PSII HC. I insulate the top of the boiler only (8 gal kettle), with no insulation on the column. So I'm able to turn the power way down. Just a tiny trickle through the column condenser keeps things where I want.

I wanted to get the power down because it always seemed like I was pushing the column too hard and I was getting some smearing. But when I dropped in the power controller, I couldn't drive the column hard enough (those things are not linear especially at the top end). So, now I strip and insulate the boiler. Then, once I listened to Scotty's advice about fermenting slow and cool, everything seemed to fall in place and now I'm getting the results I wanted.

Regards,
--JB"

"JB,

If I use propane as a heat source, how long will it take to distill 15 gallons of mash?

Thank you




[



QUOTE=John Barleycorn;16965]Johnny,

It can take a good long while to get output when the boiler is full of water -- you need to get all that water to 100 C and push it up the column. With a 1500w hotplate it takes me two and a half hours with 20L of water -- on a fast day.

Once you get your wash in there you'll see output a bit sooner. And if you run some low wines things will happen even quicker. But it's still a far cry from watching a drag race.

--JB

Will a 3 gallon propane tank work or should I get something larger?

Thanks

"

FWIW. I've been keeping track of the number of hours I can get from 1 20lb tank using my Bayou Classic burner. I've found I get about 15 hours on a single tank. I run full throttle getting my 5 gal wash to 130-140 degrees (about 30 min) then I idle back to low usually finishing a stripping run in 3-4 hours. I have several tanks in reserve finding most of them on Craigslist and paying 13.00 per tank to get them filled from my propane dealer. Wal-Mart charges about 20.00 to swap your empty for a full one.

Regards to all..."

perfect, thanks again for the advice.

Bigwheel, I messed up. I was referring to a 20 lb tank, not a three gallon. I will use a +30 gal. when I fire the thing up. Thanks

cczero, how sturdy is that Bayou Classic Burner you are using? Can it support a 15 gallon kettle (PSII - HC)? Many thanks..

When I first started I was useing a turky frier burner but it was real inefficient. Went and bought a Blichmann burner and am very happy with it.
I run about 6 gallons at a time, refluxing, and get 6 to 8 runs off of a 20 Lb, (5 gallon), tank. The runs last between 8 and 10 hours. I crank the burner up until it starts to boil then turn the burner down to where it is almost off for the rest of the run.
I believe this burner will support a 20 gallon tank though I have'nt tried it.