"Since I have started running my new still, running a sugar wash gos like this.
PSII in reflux fired with propane. Cooling out of a 40 Gal trash can with ball valves on the column and condenser. Temps will come up to around 168F and start to get a drip. Open water to column full on and crack valve to condenser.
Drop heat just enough gas to keep flame. Drip will stop for a few min and temps will drop a few deg. Run like this for 30 Min and without changing anything temps will come back up to 168 F and start dripping again. For the rest of the run temp will stay the same right up to the end. Last Min of running temps. will spike all at once and you know you have hit the end all dripping stops no matter how little water is going into the column for cooling.
Heres the thing out put stays above 170 proof all the time. You can tell you hit tails hard by smelling . Start to finish takes around 5 HRS to run 6Gal out of a 8Gal pot. Am I running thing to hot and to hard or what."

168F Seem to stay there without much moving even as it comes to the end of a run. Been getting around 2qt of keepers out of a run.

"HERE IS SOME INFO I HAD ON FILE-- i CANT TELL YOU WHERE I COPIED IT FROM.

1-- FORESHOTS should start to emerge at a head temp of about 174 deg F--discard the first
150 ml

2-heads should start at about 176F TO 195F---collect heads in 8 ounce glasses till %ABV reaches 85% than start collecting main body

3-- from 196F to 201-203F collec the main body----stop collecting main body when %ABV reaches 50 to 65%

4-- Collect tails from 50 to 65% ABV till head temp becomes unstable and rises to the 200+degrees F range.

5-- Stop collecting tails at about 20% ABV

6-- mix heads and tails for the next low wines run

7--always save heads and tails((feints)) to add to the subsequent low wines runs

8-- When you have enough feints to make a run just with feints, do so for a very special result ?????"

Hmmm sounds sorta mysterious. Mine works similar to this but with the 1500 watt hotplate. Make sure the water is available but dont give it any. When it gets to 170..which takes a while..the official remote bbq temp gauge starts chirping and the beast starts dribbling hooch. Give it enough water to the column to maintain 170 or real close. Usually dont take much..do not turn it up full blast no. Try to maintain that for a while..by fiddling with the water to the column. I been shooting to try to hold at 170 for about 30 mins for a reflux cycle (thanks Bayou). During that time frame it will normally accumulate around 1/4 cup of fores without water to the condenser. After it has refluxed enough to suit turn the water to the column down and try to get the heat up to 178 or a degree plus or minus either way. Give a small amount of water to the condenser..just enough to where the condenser is kewlish to the touch. Once it has collected another 1/4 cup fores..throw out the accumulated half cup..then put your heads catching jar in place. I use the smallest jar I own and only fill it half full..maybe 1/4 pint or so. Most times its drinkable..sometimes not. Should continue to spit hooch for several hours. Change jars often. When the heat spikes upwards bring it back down again using the water to the column i.e. give it more to maintain the original temps. Time it gets cooled down a few times it goes plumb wild on the high side and cant be controlled should correspond to a strong smell of tails. When you get tired of messing and the production falls off to nada shut it down. Last two runs have got done quick after it gets up to temp 2.5 3 hrs maybe. Sounds like you are catching around the typical amount. Best of fortunes. Just the way I sorta settled in on doing it. Sure there is other ways. Once it gets up to temp I do not normally have to fiddle with the heat source cept to unplug it at the end. Whew.

"
My technique is somewhat similar to what you describe in your initial post ... It's different ... but it's close enough.

Anyway, during a reflux run my temps never vary more than a few degrees when I'm collecting. And for most of the run the temp stays put right around 76 C (~169 F). In the final third of the run the temp slowly creeps up. When I see this I'll go full flow to the column condenser for about 20 minutes (shooting for full reflux). But when I have a low volume/high abv charge, a drop or two every so often still makes it across. Then I start collecting again.

You didn't mention your typical charge abv. If you're starting at 10% or higher, I would say you might be collecting a tad fast given your run time -- but that's purely a personal thing IMHO. I usually shoot for about 750 mL/hr or thereabouts. If YOU are satisfied with YOUR results, I wouldn't bother changing anything -- until you get bored and get the itch to experiment. :-)

Also, when ""all dripping stops no matter how little water is going into the column for cooling"" you can try driving the column a bit harder by increasing your power. I've done that, but in my experience that just means I'm forcing the tails across -- so it's product that won't make the cut anyway. When making a neutral I'll discard anything I don't keep. And by that time, I'm tired and had enough for one day anyway.

Chances are, you'll be your own worst critic. So if you like what you're making, just enjoy!

--JB"