"this is the 2nd time i have ever done a distillation, and i am as confused as ever. i had started off with water/sugar mash, and i had added some undiluted alcohol from my first distillation i have done a while back.
the alcohol started running at 74C -- i did not keep it at 74C intentionally, the temperature just wouldnt go any higher. at first, i thought ""this is perfect, it must be that nasty stuff in begining that i am going to throw out"" -- but it kept going and going. i was collecting into multiple small 200ml jars, and i had collected at least 15 jars at 74 to 75C temp range. So what did i produce? is it safe to drink? could i have produced a large amount of the nasty stuff? i am really paranoid about this crap.
since the temperature did not go any higher anyway, i had even tried shutting off the water supply since it seemed to keep the temperature ""by itself"", but that wasnt a good idea -- the alcohol stopped running, and instead i was getting thick vapor clouds, so i turned water back on. so do you think i had packed the column too tight and there was a ""disconnect"" between what the thermometer was showing and the real temperature in the column? perhaps i have packed too tight the space between the cooling tubes and the thermometer bung on top?
Part 2 of the same experiment: Eventually, somehow, the alcohol stopped running, i kept at it, my cooling water temperature had climbed up and was no longer ice cold -- i had difficulties keeping it cold. the thermometer eventually started climbing back up -- to about 80C. At that point, more alcohol kept coming. Is that what you would call a ""cut""? Distinct alcohol producing temperature ranges? I kept playing with the heat source and got it to a point where there was no more alcohol at 78C, but if i was to get a higher temperature, more alcohol was to come out. Eventually, when alcohol was coming only at about 83C and nothing was happening, at a lower temperature, i got tired of waiting and shut it off.
so, did i do anything right? i dumped the first 200ml. is the rest of it safe to drink? i have collected it all into small jars and, by smell, identified the ""first part"", middle, and ""the rest"". The ""middle"" smells the sweetest -- the first part smells the most ""vapourous and alcoholic"". sounds right?

thank you guys."

You will have to learn your setup and then you can see whcih temps come into play each time,THEN you can say this or that temp does this for my setup. And yes there are certain temp RANGES that you will use once you get your unit figgered out. With most stills you cant put it on 78.8C and make a run for only the very best stuff. Theres just too many variables. Although thats the perfect temp its just not that easy thats why we enjoy this hobby so much. Sure makes ya think. Just keep trying you;'ll get it.

"All that you collected - yes all of it, cut it to 50% which is 100 proof and then run it through your still again. Keep an eye on the temps, stabilize your still (let it run) until the temp holds steady at 78-80C. Once it holds steady for 15 mins toss all that came over before and start collecting for the keeper jug. Again I would go with the little jugs (200mls
a time) so you can use your nose for the cuts. Can you drink what you've got ??Yes. But running it again will only make it better.
And damn it sounds like overkill on the rachig rings and packing. A couple of copper mesh rolls in the top of the tower should suffice. I dont think all that extra in the boiler and the tower will make it great. Just try it with the copper in the tower for your rerun and see what you've got after. It cant be worse and might be better since its a spirit run the second time. Find your temp and hold it slow and steady.
Make sure you have enough cooling water before you start to cook... thats a must. Even if you have to add ice to it. If your useing a pump get a bigger holding tank so it can work efficently."

"no, no, no -- the rachig bits are inside the column --- NOT the boiler. so its 10 inches of rachig bits in the column, and then copper mesh on top of that.

the heating elements are not on any sort of timing arrangement -- they are simply plugged in into the wall. I have recently bought a variable router controller to play with the current, but its not very efficient. it seems that when switched to a Variable setting, even when the knob is turned to the MAX, a lot of current dissipates as heat -- i have to constantly flip between a Variable setting and a Fixed setting to get the temperature up there; otherwise, the temperature starts dropping quickly towards the 60C. so my 15 watt element is plugged into the wall, and my 20 watt element goes through this router controller -- and i mess with that one."

"I also use a router speed controller and it works great. But I still have to adjust it throughout the run -- hotter mostly. And I do use packing in my column also - although not as much as you, but if you get yours figgered out and it works, great. So try bigger elements and test your RSC and use alittle less packing, you can always add it back when things get worked out and see if it really makes a diff.
My RSC gets hot aslo but that does not take away the heat from the element, know what I mean. My still is a 15 gallon beer keg type and I have one 4500watt heating element in the bottom. I only make 5 gallon washes and it gets the job done. I have to adjust it from time to time though. Once its going it will hold steady for oh.. 3 or 4 hours and then need adjusting up just a squirt, and so on for the remainder of the run."

Unless your thermometer is calibrated you have to take it's readings with a grain of salt. When you shut off water & got steam sounds like you shut off the condensate cooling - never do that. Its the reflux cooling we use for control on the Brewhaus column (tubes at the top). Dump the rachin rings, you don't need both & copper is better