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Alright guys let me pick your brains. I am on my 4th run with the essesntial extractor II and the prestige vodka yeast,I have great results nothing under %93 but I am running REALLY slow. I mean to get a quart of 180 proof I am running about 4 hours. I packed the column according to the directions and my temperature stays very steady at 78 C. I have insulated the column and I use a cooler of water that I change every 2 hours or so. I am heating with a turkey cooker set on low so I know that I have plenty of heat.
So give me some options because I don't have days to run this stuff off. Did I pack the column too tight with copper?
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That sounds about right. The speed with which you collect good distillate is directly related to the amount you can draw off per minute without disturbing equilibrium, which is itself directly related to the width of your column. Why do you think there is a separate, non-compatible high-capacity version of this still? It's because you need different equipment to do it faster.
This is not something that can be done quickly with the equipment you have. For comparison, using a high-quality, offset head design at proper reflux ration for maximum purity, you will often take between 15 and 20 hours to complete a 25L wash run.
Be thankful you DON'T have the equipment to do it quickly. You'd never be able to transport the damn thing, and the electricity costs would eat you alive.
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...unless, you're satisfied with foul-tasting, less pure spirit.
If that's the case, feel free to up your heat a little, slow down your cooling water to the column, and speed up your cooling water to the condenser. It will be faster, but...
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Think that I found my problem, I cut the mesh into 10in ,I think, section but then I rolled them into plugs that took about 5 in of the column so I had 6 or so of the column. I took the plugs back out and rolled them long ways so I had about three plugs that took up the column. I relit the fire and I am running a lot quicker in pretty much the same conditions with the proof around 85%.
I am running 5 gallons in a regular pro extractor II with a wash of 15% vodka mash. I should make ROUGHLY 1.75 gallons of 80 proof correect?
Give me some feed back on what time frame other folks with turkey cookers are encountering.
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Dude, you WERE doing it right. You should have about 6 plugs in your column when using copper mesh the right way. The way you're doing it, you're not getting very much reflux, and hence will get an impure product like you're getting now.
Even that little difference between 90% and %95 percent can mean worlds in terms of taste and purity. As to your yield, I suppose that sounds about right. Do the math, and remember to stop just before you think you should to avoid it getting even more impure than it already is.
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Rank: Guest
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Aj
How long does it take you to run off 5 gallons and what yield are you getting?
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