"OK I felt like I have the hang of sugar wash, reflux method. I was getting very good results, good cuts, slow controlled runs, wanted to graduate to a pot still corn run. I distilled about 8 lbs of flaked maize, two lbs of barley, had great conversion, the fermentation went well, slow, cool temps,,,,,,then I ran it.......... The best way to describe what I got was a smell of electrical fire, burnt cancer, dogs ass. I took the middle column off of my PSII, took all of the copper out except for one roll at the top, turned off the cooling water to column and just ran it through the condenser. Here is all I can figure went wrong:

1. The wash was cloudy when I transferred it, possibly got a little of the grain in the still pot also (I didn't ferment on the grain, I seperated almost all of it before fermenting, but a tiny bit got through). Could I have burnt the wash!?!? I kinda has a burnt electrical smell to it.

2. The run temp shot up to around 198 and stayed around 198 and 204 the entire run, this isn't what i was used to in reflux mode, but I wasn't running cooling water like I am there either. Did that scorch something? Is that normal in a run?

3. I was trying to do a stripping run, so I discarded the first 150mL or so, they smelled SUPER bad. Then I collected 3, 1000mL jars after that. One was cloudy (last one I think, which I would assume is the tails). I started with about 5-5.5 gallons of wash, this is all I collected. Is that normal? First jar smells so bad it about makes you gag, the second is a little more neutral and corn smelling, but still bad, the last is really bad again, and really weak.

Is it even worth running again? Even in reflux mode? I REALLY want to figure out what went wrong, ordering more flaked maize now and barley. I have a packet of the new whiskey yeast from brewhaus I'll try this time.

Any and all help is appreciated. I'm determined to run some good corn likker. Then move on to brandy, etc. I don't just want to keep running neutral sugar wash and flavoring it.

Thanks!"

"I think you might be right. I've had the jars airing out for the last week, with a coffee filter over the top of the jars, it almost makes me throw up in my mouth to smell them. One is still cloudy, the other two just smell soooooooooooo bad.

I'm using a 1500w induction burner now, I started the run around 450 to get it all heated up, then backed down the heat, I was trying to control it based on the flow and keep it low, but that thermometer at the top in the bung was showing around 198 or so almost the entire run after the heads and fores came off. Then after about 2 hours it was up to 205 or so. I think I had the heat turned down to around 240. What would your suggestion be for running electric? If I turned a little water on the tower would that be too much reflux and I'd lose flavor? I'm assuming i must have scorched it, the fermentation went well, the wash tasted and smelled good before it went in the still. It was something I did with the still."

I should get stuff to make another batch tomorrow. Could I mix some cheap box wine50/50 with water and run it pot still style to practice so I don't ruin another good mash? Would that come out like brandy? Just something to practice heat control.

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If you let it sit for more than 5 days you prolly wont have any issues......try 10-14 days and it will settle and make a nice compacted cake on the bottom of the fermenter, you dont have to rack and rerack it from jug to jug, just leave it alone and let it settle. 5 days in my opinion is not enough time."

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Makes me sick to ruin good mash. It doesn't look black, but it stinks. So does the copper in the column. Next time I'm gonna let it settle more and run much cooler. I'm excited to make good corn likker. I might dump out what I have. Already did with one jar. I don't want to ruin anything else with it, not even a sugar wash."

I thought about that possibility also. I'm brewing inside and will have cheese cloth covering the bucket but on the flip side, having several smaller buckets I can move them around easier. Might be the best solution. Going with all barley, I won't be fermenting on the grain so the must won't be that messy. One day I might do corn.