 Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/14/2010(UTC)
Posts: 19
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Hey folks, Brand new to this but have several kin folks that have made spirits for years. I've talked with them and decided to make my own and would kike your opinion. I took a 30 qt ss stock pot a 11" ss mixing bowl and cut out 10 1/2" out of the pot cover. I cut out a 1 7/8" hole in center of bowl, flipped it over and put 6 ss screws through the rim of the bowl and secured to pot lid. I then took a 11/2" copper male adapt, 18" 11/2" copper, 11/2x1" red coupling 18" of 1" copper 1" 90 ell reduced to 1/2 " then 2 feet 1/2 copper a 1/2" copper coup. I took 2-1" caps and drilled a 1/2" hole in each end slid 1 up on the copper tube then took 16" of 1" drilled a 1/4" hole on each end for water then put the other cap on and soldered all this together. I also drilled a 1/4 hole thru the top of 11/2" at reducer and at 1" before 90. I drilled a 1/4 hole in the bend of the ellbow and inserted a rubber grommet from ace hdwe down to the diameter of my digital therm. I took 4" pieces of 1/4 copper and passed thru the tube and soldered them in. I took a 6 ft piece of 1/2 coiled and added a 2 ft piece of straight and soldered just below my condenser. I took a cooler and a couple of buckets and designed a pump sytyem for cooling. I tried a run of sugar first but had a bugarbear of a time getting my temp down at the head but finally got it to 174 but it fluctuates up to 180 down to 172. Was able to get 90% the first run. I ran thru charcoal once and it actually was pretty good! I cut it to 40% added prestige tennessee mash and am lovin it. Do you see anything I may need to do to make it better. I also soak pot and colume in equip cleaner from brewhaus. Thanks for reading and any thoughts would be helpful!!!!:)
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 Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/8/2010(UTC)
Posts: 4
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"Two comments.
First of all LOSE the rubber grommet, hi proof alcohol will disolve it over time and guess where the residue goes, yeah right into ur likker. I have found that a 2 or 3 inch piece of 1/4 inch copper tubing straightened out and inserted into a hole drilled into ur pipe at the top of the vapor path or just past it is fine. Just solder it in and ur all set. An improperly placed thermometer will give readings that will not be accurate.
My second and probably best guess is your heat source. You didnt describe how you were heating your boiler, but from the sounds of it, I would guess either a hot plate or a stove. When u set the burner to less then full output they cycle on and off and if it is a long enough cycle it will give you the readings you said u are getting. If you are using a hot plate there are many diagrams on this site and others explaining how to reduce the resistance to lower the heat instead of cycling on and off. If your using a stove then u have to learn to live with it.
If you are getting satisfactory output and at the expected ABV then dont worry about it. In time you will learn how to best operate ur rig with what u have and still make good hooch.
Good Luck"
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