 Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/26/2013(UTC)
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I have a potstill 5 gal. stainless pot/8 qt.bowl top/drilled 3/4copper riser about 10"high connected to 20' soft copper coil to condenser/5gal bucket w/ice. I seal the pot/bowl with a 'rope' of flour water mix . I did do a leak test w/h20 everything worked fine. Did run in garage (heated
about 55degrees).Slowly heated wash w/1500W elec...165 nothing...170 nothing...175 nothing, up to 190. I stayed at each temp about 10 min. Then turned it down to 175 for about an hour...not a drop.I can smell sweet aroma
end of condenser tube. The bowl top and the 3/4 copper are pretty hot to touch but the soft copper is maybe warm about 12-18". I saw a thread on insulating , so that vapors are not condensing and dripping back into the pot?? Any help would be appreciated.
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 2/6/2012(UTC)
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"You have not applied enough heat. No. 1 Rule for POT still is you do not need a thermometer.  Crank the heat up till you get it to dripping up to a pencil lead sized stream...  As best I recall you will probably have to hit 180 - 190 to see output with a pot still. Reflux stills are another whole ballgame and a thermometer is useful. Keep at it you will get there  "
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
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Thanks...for a minute there , I thought my thermometer was broken. Too bad I dumped the wash.
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 Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
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"What was your recipe????
If there was any alcohol in it it should have shown signs of that long before 190F.
Regardless of what type of distillation unit you use there are still certain laws of distillation that apply. If you heat it slow or fast or still with a reflux tower or gooseneck tower you still have to get it hot enough to vaporize the etoh. Now with that said you said --190 and nothing, that tells me that your wash was devoid of alcohol.
Try a Tried and True recipe next time, something that someone else has already worked out all the bugs to and that should build your confidence. There are several easy recipes in the appropriate section so go look for em before you waste any more money or time. Remember -- good wash good likker."
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
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My recipe is like a sweet feed. I used 4" cracked corn in a 5 gal. bucket/ cup molasses/ 5 gal water/ 5 lbs. sugar/ champagne yeast... Heat corn, molasses and water to 150F 90min. then let cool/ steep about 2 hours.(while cooling add sugar)
90F add activated yeast. aerate few mins. put in fermenter...airlock bubblin good 5-6 days... I rack let it sit about 2 days and distill around day 9/10. This was a video posted from start t0 finish on youtube . My still set up is the same. His still was kickin out liquor
about 173F... My fermenter / airlock bubblin like made for a week...isn't that converting sugar to etho.? See anything wrong?? because i'm in the middle of making another batch. Heeeelp...
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
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"Welll it sure sounds reasonable but there is no way we can know what you did or did'nt do, ya know. Was your wort REALLY cooled enough that it did'nt kill your yeast when you pitched?
I know that recipe and it should work just like your stating...it will prolly produce about 1.5 quarts of hearts for swillin
You said it was ----bubblin like mad - so whats the prob?????"
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/26/2013(UTC)
Posts: 43
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I did use a digital thermometer , When I hydrated yeast first batch only sat about 1 min. though, before pitched.The batch I'm making now I let the yeast re-hydrate about 30-45 min. I guess I need to check my flour/wter rope gasket, although I was keeping a pretty close watch on it while distillin 1st batch ,didn't see any wet spots or steam escape??
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 7/1/2012(UTC)
Posts: 162
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Sounds a bit like my first run. I now just crank the heat til it starts to drip out the tube, then turn my heat down until I get the steady pencil drip, and keep turning it down as the run progresses. Works for me.
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/26/2013(UTC)
Posts: 43
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Thanks all for info....i'll be running my new batch in a few days
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/26/2013(UTC)
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thanks, I ran my hooch last Sunday... Cranked the heat and pot still worked. I checked proof ( i ran it in 1/2 pint jars, to get a sense of taste from start to finish). Got about 4 pints. Proof was 100 at beginning to about 88 at end. Was hoping for a little higher. Now I'm fermenting sour mash... it's perking pretty good.
Thanks again all
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