 Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
Joined: 7/25/2009(UTC)
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It was spam. I dumped the PITA lol I also banned him for 3 months.
I usually dont leave any evidence of what i did. I have deleted many stupid posts in the past; but i left this one because it is important for everyone to know that spammers and foolishness will not be allowed.
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/27/2012(UTC)
Posts: 526
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Thanks Scotty for keeping track and taking care of that stuff.
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
Joined: 7/25/2009(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: Bushy  Thanks Scotty for keeping track and taking care of that stuff. Thanks bushey-- We get plenty from china also. I get up at 5 am the latest and thats when i catch most of the stuff. BTW the website is running at a very smooth and normal rate now. :))
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 Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 6/23/2012(UTC)
Posts: 38
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"What I do is warm it up on high heat until the top of the boiler gets hot, maybe 15-20 minutes. I turn on condensor water (just for the sake of safety) and turn the heat way down. Then I take 30-45 minutes and monitor the heat slowly rising up the column. As it nears the top, I give the reflux head just a little water. The heads start dripping out and I start searching for the sweet spot for this wash by controlling the reflux coolant flow...sometimes overcontrolling and losing my drip. The sweet spot will be somewhere between 173 and 176, once I get it stabilized, I start collecting my heads. Into the hearts, I don't have to do anything, it just runs. Heat controls flow, head temp controls purity, I balance between the two. First half of collection is typically 93-94 second half is 91-92. Throughout my run, my head temp does not vary more than a degree. I set an alarm on my remote wireless thermometer and don't ever let it get away from me. I will increase head flow and heat progressively through the last quarter of the run to maintain a proper distillate flow. I have more capacity than I have yet used with the PS3 HC. It stays at 90+% with the head temp within a degree of the sweet spot until nothing more comes out. I have to take the reflux head out of balance to flush the tails out of the column. I can collect over a gallon from a good 5 gallon sugar wash in 2.5-3 hours...I just haven't figured out how to get yeast to produce more than about 22% ABV, but I'm working on that.
I don't strip and I use a unique propane stove that heats the bottom 1/2 of the boiler...nearly the entire surface of the portion of the boiler that contains liquid. I've got 4 runs on this 20 pound tank of propane and it feels like there might be 2 more in it."
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/31/2012(UTC)
Posts: 23
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I may be a little late on this thread but thought I would try and get a question answered. I am using a PSII as well. I have the problem of too much water vapor and if i use the water cooling system at the top of the column i get liquid swirling around above the ceramic rings. I dont understand what is going on. before this happens, I usually am getting about 175 proof then it drops to about 150 proof and I can hear the water at the top of the column. What am I doing wrong? and on another note Im just am amature (very amature) I usually just use proof to seperate heads from hearts. is ther a better way?
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
Joined: 7/25/2009(UTC)
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what are you heating with???:)
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
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propane turkey fryer turned way down once the mash gets hot.
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
Joined: 7/25/2009(UTC)
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I guess you realised that i was looking at possibly running it too hard. Is it possible that your gas rig is way too powerfull??? What is happening with head temperatures?? I'm just fishing for more facts that might give someone an idea.:)
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/27/2012(UTC)
Posts: 526
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At first thought liquid on top of packing usually indicates one of two things,
1) your packing is too tight to allow the condensing liquid to fall through due to the viscous surface tension creating a puddle effect, or
2) your heat is too high.
I use copper mesh not the rings so I'm not sure if the rings can be packed too tight.
I use propane for heat and started with a turkey fryer. I found for my needs the turkey fryer I had could'nt be tuned, air flow to gas ratio, well enough to give me the heat control I wanted. So I sprung for a "Blichmann" burner. Much better control.
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/31/2012(UTC)
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scotty- head temps are good. 78-79. seems like it only happens after a little while when I turn the water up. It will even sometimes splash one of the rings out into the collection container. quite a bit of liquid. if it comes out the collection tube its about 75% or so.
bushy- i dont think the ceramic rings can be packed to tightly. they just pour in to the top. I leave them about an inch or so below the cooling tubes. I agree the turkey fryer has some control issues. If I try to turn it too low it will go out. Just bought it though and dont wanna waste it. How much do the blinhmans run? I wish I would have went with Electric or a better burner..... going the cheapest may not always be the best. haha
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
Joined: 7/25/2009(UTC)
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The head temperature should not be constant. it will slowly rise as the diferent alcohols emerge. The water should always be just enough to allow product to emerge. Feel the water if it is luke warm then your flow is usually good. I see you are using celcius. 78C= 172F-- Usually product will emerge at a bit lower temperatures and then rise slowly ifyou keep your power at just enough to keep producing.
Please ecplain to me why you mentioned 78-79C temperature? :)
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 6/23/2012(UTC)
Posts: 38
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JKRU
Just a wild guess, but could your rig be puking?
High protein mash foaming up or filling the pot too high? I would guess that if this were the case, when the proof drops you are also getting a cloudy product.
I have never had any free liquid in my tower that is discernable from the outside, certainly none that could blow a ring out into a collection jar...so I really am guessing.
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered
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" Quote:It will even sometimes splash one of the rings out into the collection container. quite a bit of liquid. You're driving the column too hard. In order to force liquid all the way up your column (and keep it there) the vapor velocity must be pretty significant. If your rings are 1 inch below your cooling tubes and you managed to burp one all the way up and through your liebig ... that's quite a burp. I'm with bushy on this one ... you have to be packed too tight and using way too much power."
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/31/2012(UTC)
Posts: 23
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I just do the basic 25L mash that fills the fermenter that I got from BH. Im not doing anythin advanced as I'm just begining. just sugar water and yeast. Ther ceramic rings dont really pack. They just pour in from the top. Must be too much power. How long shoud it take to distill 25L? It probably takes me 4 hours start to finish, but sometimes longer. I may need to get some patience........
head temps rise to about 77-79 on digital thermomether. dont really know why I use C. I guess the book that came with the still used it. haha. and pretty well stay there thru most of the run. I discard the first 400 ml then take heads till proof get to about 92-94% then start keeping till the temps get higher. I could be going about this all wrong. Ive tried tasting it but I cant really tell the difference that well yet.
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
Joined: 7/25/2009(UTC)
Posts: 2,209
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Thehead temperature staying constant disturbs me-- i dont know what you are doing-- You must be deviating from standard proceedures. 6 gallons in 4 hours is way too fast as i see it.
You really have me confused
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 463   Was thanked: 3 time(s) in 3 post(s)
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I did not read any answers about the boiler being too full. May that be the reason?
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 6/23/2012(UTC)
Posts: 38
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At the very least you are using too much heat. I use a propane burner from a cheap turkey fryer and run it as low as possible. Once you are balanced with heat and reflux, you should be able to increase reflux to 100%. That is, knock down all the vapor. If you are running at full capacity, it will require reflux coolant wide open to knock down the vapor.
If you can't knock down all vapor and stop the output even though you are still boiling, you are running beyond the capacity of your tower.
Sugar wash shouldn't puke. I did have a hell of a time trying to run an all grain...the malt for conversion adds protein which foams and pukes. (All over me, into open collection jars, had some on the ceiling)
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