Finished first still run last night -turbo cuts question

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Finished first still run last night -turbo cuts question

Postby GBarb » Thu Apr 19, 2018 12:44 pm

Hi guys, I’ve done cuts on the turbo wash and up until about 50-60% of the way through it smells sharp, strong, almost of acetone or something. Only when I start getting into the stubbiest does the smell disappear and I’m getting clean grog.

Is this why turbos are shit and they produce a lot more crap distillate? Can this acetone smell be removed with carbon?

I’m trying to train my nose here but all I know is that it smells harsh and I would t want to drink it.
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Re: Finished first still run last night -turbo cuts question

Postby RC Al » Thu Apr 19, 2018 1:28 pm

Is this the first run on a new still?
If it is, you should consider this run's result as cleaning fluid, put down a tomato paste wash and start again :handgestures-thumbupleft:

If your still was clean to start with, you may have run too quickly, smearing the heads into the hearts
Running it through again slowly (watered down to 30-40%) will fix that fairly well

Most of us double distill neutral

What sort of still are you using?
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Re: Finished first still run last night -turbo cuts question

Postby GBarb » Thu Apr 19, 2018 2:27 pm

Thanks RC,

i did a stripping run first, then watered down to 40% and rerun it.

It did go pretty fast actually, but im not sure how to change that.

Should i be aiming for a lower flow of water through the reflux condenser so that only a small portion of the distillate gets through?

I have the old still spirits super reflux that a friend gave me, it been thoroughly used but i also gave it a thorough clean before doing my stripping run first, and now my spirit run.

Should i put in all the shit again and run it really slow? should i be aiming for around 55 degrees on the condenser stream outlet cause i was only sitting around 41 degrees the whole time.

The spirit was pissing out. i also only averaged about 86% ABV.
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Re: Finished first still run last night -turbo cuts question

Postby bluc » Thu Apr 19, 2018 3:32 pm

I have not done a turbo or neutral but When i do brown spirits i look for the first neutral tasting jar. With brown spirits you can get some ok flavour in late heads( I dont use it) which can be decieving for someone starting out.
The fact it smells harsh like acetone to you is probably a good thing. Look for the point where flavour changes in first few then last few. And water a small amount down to 40% before smelling and tasting.
I dont drink the spirit I am tasting while doing cuts and keep a bucket handy to spit it into. Getting pissed while doing cuts you may regret due to bad tasting alcohol and a wicked headache..
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Re: Finished first still run last night -turbo cuts question

Postby woodduck » Thu Apr 19, 2018 5:00 pm

GBarb wrote:Is this why turbos are shit and they produce a lot more crap distillate? Can this acetone smell be removed with carbon?

I’m trying to train my nose here but all I know is that it smells harsh and I would t want to drink it.


You got it in one :handgestures-thumbupleft: and yes carbon filtering will help.
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Re: Finished first still run last night -turbo cuts question

Postby Sam. » Thu Apr 19, 2018 5:11 pm

GBarb wrote:Should i put in all the shit again and run it really slow? should i be aiming for around 55 degrees on the condenser stream outlet cause i was only sitting around 41 degrees the whole time.

The spirit was pissing out. i also only averaged about 86% ABV.



Sounds like you smeared your whole run, put it all back in watered down to under 40% and do the run really slow, this is where your purity and seperation comes from. This isn't a hobby that can be rushed ;-)
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Re: Finished first still run last night -turbo cuts question

Postby The Stig » Thu Apr 19, 2018 5:27 pm

Sam. wrote: This isn't a hobby that can be rushed ;-)

:text-+1: Never a truer word spoken
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Re: Finished first still run last night -turbo cuts question

Postby Dig Brinker » Fri Apr 20, 2018 12:34 am

As above, it’s supposed to be a slow drip collection rate on that type of still collecting at 93+%. Run it again s l o w e r
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Re: Finished first still run last night -turbo cuts question

Postby GBarb » Fri Apr 20, 2018 9:02 am

hey guys,

Well i STUPIDLY thought i would run the spirit run again last night. hello 4am finish. :violence-smack:

i ran it very slow at around 700ml's of collection per hour and the cuts seem very distinct now.

I didnt get over 90% ABV but i did get 90% over the majority of the run so that's at least consistent.

Im thinking ill take the ceramic saddle out of the still and replace them maybe for copper saddles to try and get a bit more purity.

Also thinking about adding a column to it to extent the rise before the still head. a few fittings and some pipe shouldn't be hard to whack together.
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Re: Finished first still run last night -turbo cuts question

Postby warramungas » Fri Apr 20, 2018 12:46 pm

With the still you have 90% is about average if you don't up the starting abv above 40%. My mum had one and used to run 50%+ at start but not recommended now we know better.
Heads can't be filtered out with carbon (even at the recommended below 50% abv). Believe me, I've tried.

If you don't have copper in the vapor path it can have a metallic taste throughout the run as well.
Hopefully you have a power controller to slow the still down a bit as that helps a lot as those still are not the most efficient.
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Re: Finished first still run last night -turbo cuts question

Postby GBarb » Fri Apr 20, 2018 1:02 pm

Hey man, thanks for the reply.

I noticed that the control with the element was needed, that'll be the next thing i get.

I have the fan going and putting ice on the condenser tube going in to help control it, worked out pretty well actually, but a hassle.

the inside of the stillspirits super reflux is copper, but i want to change the scrubbers to copper scrubbers and if i do end up extending the the tube ill also pack it with copper mesh or something.

Only my first run, but im sure ill refine it as i go along.
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Re: Finished first still run last night -turbo cuts question

Postby Lowie » Mon Apr 23, 2018 7:58 pm

Hey mate. I had one of those stills for years. You can make some pretty good grog if you use the recipes from the tried and proven section (TPW, FFV, Weetbix, Kale, take your choice). Ditch the Still Spirits crap (wish I did years ago), costs a fortune and a crap end product. No need for a power controller, those units only run about 8-900W form memory. Your spirit flow will be governed by the speed of your water flowing through the RC. Those units are also easily converted to pot mode too (there's a picture around here somewhere or look up Kiwi's guide to cuts, he's go a piece in there about the reflux stills). If you still want a purer product run it through the still twice as others have suggested. Alternatively, make yourself a stainless steel carbon filter (or buy one from 5 Star) for even more purity. I made one not so long ago, can't seem to find the post though. Good luck. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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