 Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 2/1/2013(UTC)
Posts: 77
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"It took me 36 hours to run a 6 gal wash in an 8 gal kettle. I don't have a temperature gauge for my kettle, but keep the temp very close at the head.
Is it possible that I am not applying enough heat on the kettle and this is causing me to have very slow output? I keep reading about everyone talking about getting a 'trickle' once things get going. Some even say a 'stream'. I never see this!! I get drips. Mind you, my abv is very high on everything I pull out. My last run stayed around 96 to 96.5 abv. On this I am wondering if I am reading everything wrong.
My wash starts with about 12.5% in 6 gallons. I get the temperature at which water will boil at my location and then multiply that by .81415 to get the temp that I should keep at my head. Normally I get drips starting at about 158f. This will go on for about 200 ml and then it almost stops. I can then take my temp up (by cutting back the cooling water) to 162f (which is the temp I should be for the good stuff) and the drips start again. But only drips. I only get about 150ml every hour and 20 min.
I have heard that patience gives you better quality, but am I being ridiculous? With the cooling water chiller that I built I have been able to keep my cooling water at 87f under almost all conditions. On my last run I started to experiment with raising the kettle temp, but I never got it to give me a 'stream' or a 'trickle'.
Any input or any more information on what I was doing?
Thanks,
Blaztaz"
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 Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
Joined: 4/14/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,666
Was thanked: 15 time(s) in 15 post(s)
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"Hey Blatz..to get a higher volumn of output you should raise the temp...you dont HAVE to have a thermometer in use to figger out which temp is best for your particular setup.
ANd yes 36 hours is WAAAAAYYYYYYYY too long. Several things I can advise you on that might help you out are....
1) cooling water - cooler is better, before you ask 87 is way too hot try adding ice to your water and keep it more cold than cool.
2)I know you think you must hold the temp at that certain temp for only the good stuff or the hearts but it dosent work that way----because---your wash is more water than alcohol so you must heat it higher to get the stuff were after.
3) what you got from the first drippings was foreshots and then should have come the heads, thats normal, (nevermind the temps right now use your drip or flow) all that stuff your gonna toss out anyway.
4) Get your still up to a temp that starts the output, let it drip,dribble or slobber and collect all that comes in small jars. Use your output to set your collection rate (use the heat to vaporize the wash and cooling water to condense it back to a liquid) but ya gotta get it up to a distillation temp or output rate lets say. That temp might be 185F but dont woory about that just get it dripping or flowing. Remember collect in small jars so you can seperate all the fractions.
Hope this gets your mind in the right area..it''ll just come to you when you cooking one day and you'll go ---oh now I see it."
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/15/2012(UTC)
Posts: 720
Was thanked: 11 time(s) in 11 post(s)
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Blaz - I use huge containers of ice (2.5 gal drinkin water jugs) in a 20gal trash can for cooling - My water was about about 50f, and my condenser postively had frost on it intitally. It was a 4 gal run in pot mode, and it took about 6 hours total to get to 30% abv. Our boiling points for water are almost spot on to each other. With the extra chilled water only decreases in heat over time was needed to keep temps down. I will tell you from all I have read here and at HD, low and slow is the way for my application, but not too slow - It doesnt hurt things to fluctuate a bit for a few minutes, just remember to allow 3-5 mins for each temp change to stabilize. Try to to be patient with it, because it's easy to become impatient...  Also keep in mind, that over time, you need to put fresh ice bottles in the coolant cans. Going forward, the temps of the coolant will be kept in the log along w/other datum. |
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
Joined: 4/14/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,666
Was thanked: 15 time(s) in 15 post(s)
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" Originally Posted by: blaztaz  It took me 36 hours to run a 6 gal wash in an 8 gal kettle. I don't have a temperature gauge for my kettle, but keep the temp very close at the head.
Is it possible that I am not applying enough heat on the kettle and this is causing me to have very slow output? I keep reading about everyone talking about getting a 'trickle' once things get going. Some even say a 'stream'. I never see this!! I get drips. Mind you, my abv is very high on everything I pull out. My last run stayed around 96 to 96.5 abv. On this I am wondering if I am reading everything wrong.
My wash starts with about 12.5% in 6 gallons. I get the temperature at which water will boil at my location and then multiply that by .81415 to get the temp that I should keep at my head. Normally I get drips starting at about 158f. This will go on for about 200 ml and then it almost stops. I can then take my temp up (by cutting back the cooling water) to 162f (which is the temp I should be for the good stuff) and the drips start again. But only drips. I only get about 150ml every hour and 20 min.
I have heard that patience gives you better quality, but am I being ridiculous? With the cooling water chiller that I built I have been able to keep my cooling water at 87f under almost all conditions. On my last run I started to experiment with raising the kettle temp, but I never got it to give me a 'stream' or a 'trickle'.
Any input or any more information on what I was doing?
Thanks,
Blaztaz Also try this --- go to the Technical heading and look for -- Foreshots/Heads/Hearts and Tails. Reading this may help you understand how and whats coming off your still when you are cooking."
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 2/1/2013(UTC)
Posts: 77
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Thanks again all! I need to get a new wash started. I will up my temp and drop my cooling temperature and see how it goes. I will let you know how it ends up. I would like to be able to keep the high abv while running in reflux, but I need this to happen faster than 36 hours LOL. Give and take I guess :)
Thanks,
Blaztaz
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 2/26/2013(UTC)
Posts: 12
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I would have to agree and say turn up the heat. The longest its ever taken me on my 6 gallon pot still with a
3/8" by 10' condenser is 5 hours.
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