"Hi Owen,

- You didn't mention your OG. Keep it around 1.080 or lower.

- Don't use a turbo. Try baker's yeast or something like EC-1118.

- You need to do whatever you can to get control of your fermenting temp. Keep it at or below 22 C (~72 F).

- Two weeks (or more) in the primary shouldn't be a problem. Let it finish, then rack and let it clear for a few days. If you can drop your temp while it clears, you'll get better results. When I use baker's yeast it never gets crystal clear (like it does when I use EC-1118 for example), but that's ok.

- You can drive your column too hard (too much power), but the temp really won't tell you want you need to know. Stop all flow to your reflux condenser. If it's a strong-steady stream, you're probably using too much power. Back off the power until you get a thin stream.

- Try to equalize by increasing your reflux condenser water flow until you get zero output. Then let it sit for at least 30 minutes. 45 minutes to an hour would be better.

- Draw off the heads very slowly ... like 3 drops per second. I know it's a PITA, but slow is good. You can note the temp, but don't bother trying to achieve any particular temp. You want the heads to be nice and compressed. Collecting too fast at this point will be counter-productive.

- When the smell of heads has passed (you're in hearts), you can increase your collection rate by backing off the flow to your reflux condenser. Again, you can note your temp, but don't waste time trying to get any particular temp ... your altitude will skew the temps anyway.

- The reflux ratio is what makes the difference, not the temp. If you collect too fast (low reflux ratio) your abv will drop, period ... so in the end, the temp is really meaningless. I record the temps throughout the run, but I never use them to guide how I drive ... I just stay focused on collection rate.

- Set your reflux condenser water so you get a ""string of beads"" or fast drops rather than a steady stream. You should have no problem getting at least 92% with a stock PSII. If your abv is lower than you want, just go full reflux for about 15-30 minutes then give it another go ... but collect more slowly.

You shouldn't need to charcoal filter. Dilute what you collected back down to 30% or so and run it again -- it'll be good practice and you should be able to clean it up nicely if you run slow. In the meantime, get a new wash started. But try a tried and true recipe like a Birdwatcher's (tomato paste) or an All-Bran without using turbo yeast and keep those temps down.

Getting to know your rig takes time and practice ... there's no way around it. So try to keep your expectations reasonable and don't get discouraged. Don't hesistate to experiment early on -- try collecting really slow, then try collecting faster & compare the abv -- that sort of thing. Consider it pre-season training ... when the cooler weather arrives, you'll be ready for the cleaner washes. If it doesn't taste very good, just dilute and run it again. Eventually, you'll be able to zero in on your rig's sweet spot.

BTW: Welcome to the forum!

Regards,
--JB"