95% is 190 proof, the first stuff to come out of your still is the foreshots which if this is a stripping run you can save and put through a spirit run but I throw it out as its just 50-100ml and thats nothing at all. That stuff is poison. These distillates dont go bad and you should leave them uncovered for awhile to breathe out and then seal them for later whether its for drinking or later distillation. You can save all and redistill but you should dilue down ESPECIALLY if using flame heat so you dont create a bomb. I usually dilute down to 40%(80 proof) for distiiling stripped runs or just to re distill a crappy product that didnt come out to good which I have not had to do(Yet)! the best way to distill is to do a stripping run first which is to run your product through your still fast and with no water to your column. I take 3-6 gallon batches of wash and do these stripping runs which gives me just under 4 gallons of 120 proof and mix in 2 gallons of water and then do a spirit run with full reflux and water to the column. You will not make a better product any other way then this method. Cold tap water will be fine but you will have to keep it cold and thats where the ice comes in handy. i have to get a better system here as i have to swap out well water often when doing my runs as Im using a 8 gallon bucket, it lasts about 1.25 hours before it starts getting warm. When you buy this system it also comes with a faucet adapter so you can keep running cold water from your faucet through the still instead of using the pump supplied but will have to also have a way to get rid of all this water like a sink or just let it run out the door into the yard. I would say 55* water would be a good temp but it certainly works with warmer water as like I said mine gets to warm and still gets 95%.

"I recently purchased the PSII Essential Extractor. Got up to 90% purity distilling a sugar wash, but I'm striving for 94 - 95%. With that run, we went as slow as we could make the system go. I'm using a propane burner, and we aimed for about a drop a second or so.

From what I can gather, it looks like cooling capacity might be the the key to achieving that. I used the supplied circulating pump and many many bags of ice. Temp was around 60 degrees F. What would you recommend to get to the desired purity level? More ice (expensive)? A cooling system (also expensive, I'm guessing.) Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks."

Thank you for the speedy reply. We'd packed the copper mesh as you described, and calibrated the ABV hydrometer. But we'll absolutely insulate the column and use the boiling chips. Thanks for the info.

hi daddio, i use frozen 2 liter coke bottles and a 30gallon trash can. i also use a different pump for each line.
i hope this helps.
just me
life begins at 80. 1080 that is.

"Joe,

With water in short supply I would consider getting a very large garbage can or such with a lid. It should last you the full run, or for sure with ice. You could then just continiously reuse the same water. Add something for mosquito control. Our grocery sells chunks of dry ice cheap here.

If you have a flower bed or garden that you have to irrigate occasionally, get a soaker hose or sprinkler and water it for your run time?

If you decide to use the lake, run 2 lines, but with a coil in the lake to cool your closed system. Once the lines are filled there would be no head pressure, and wouldn't take much of a pump at all, and you wouldn't have to worry about filtering.

Another potential is a swamp cooler."

"Daddio,

It is best if you have the bottom of the boiler completely covered to insure a simmer of small bubbles and not large ones. Copper fittings work, but are really too big. Pea gravel size is best. Rashig rings, broken unglazed pottery like flower pots, baseball bat to your car window- Anything like that.

With a 2"" column, your spirit run is going to take a good amount of time for really good results. Test every now and then to keep the quality and ABV up to snuff. Adjust reflux and speed as needed.

collection temp.? Hot alchohal dripping and splashing into a jar will evaporate a lot. Faster even than rubbing alchohal. Keep your output as cool as possible.

You don't want angels and buzzard falling out of the sky!"

"With water in short supply I would consider getting a very large garbage can or such with a lid. It should last you the full run, or for sure with ice. You could then just continiously reuse the same water. Add something for mosquito control. mtn what would you use for skeeter control?
***************

For some reason, your post didn't show up yet, so coopied it and pasted.

For mosquito control, you can use a touch of oils to make a tiny film on top of the water. Olive oil or such. Cuts off all O2 that they need. Else, a tiny bit of chlorox every week or so. Doesn't take much, or hard core a bit of sevin insecticide or other. It will not mix with your spirits, and it reall doesn't take much or any of them. If a big tank, get some cheap fish.

If I was you boys or gals, that were limited on water, i would make a small pond, lined with a water blanket as a liner, use it for my reflux and heat the wter for the fish. Eating fish. or some just to look at. Give you something to watch while the still is running on a deceent day.

Enjoy."