Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Hi all, just got back from a few days fishing and in between reading all the posts I've missed I ran a couple of TPW's through the PD reflux still today.

My yield has been down on previous runs. I suspect I have a vapour leak, but i grabbed my wife's make up mirror and held it as close as possible to all the likely leak spots but there was no steaming on the mirror.

Any suggestions on what could be wrong or a better way to test for a leak?

nothing has changed in the way I produce these washes and the daily hydro readings and temps are consistent with my other runs.

My yield is down about 25%, which is quiet significant, so something is obviously wrong.

Thanks is advance.

Choppy

Hi mate, we need a little more info like SG, FG. anything can help ;-)

Thanks Kimbo,

I started doing TPW's in late July, since that time I have done 12 runs. I take daily readings and they all look fairly similar.

The first one went like this

30/7 1090
31/7 1052
1/8 1025
2/8 1008
3/8 995
4/8 990, heater gets turned off
distilled 6/8 2.2L pre cuts

My latest one went like this

17/8 1090
18/8 1050
19/8 1028
20/8 1010
21/8 993, heater gets turned off
distilled 23/8 1.6L pre cuts

I've used the calculators on here and a wash of 1090 to 990 would result in a 14% wash (i've never tested the ABV of my wash).
Running 22L of 14% wash at 93% via the calculator shows I should be getting about 3.1L.
I don't get anywhere near this, but I do shut mine off when the temp has risen 2 degrees from starting point (start is usually a couple of decimal points either side of 79 degrees).
So if I started at 79 degrees I would stop collecting at 81 as past experiences has shown that it is only tails beyond this.
Between 81 and 82 degrees I would expect to get about 300ml of spirit, which i collect in a feints jar along with any of the cuts which don't make the grade.
I sometimes run it past 82 degrees, but this is just to collect some rubbing alcohol for the old guys I play football with.

Got me tossed I can only think it a leak somewhere :-B

i might try a smaller mirror so i can get right in there.

yeah, im guessing its a leak too :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I found the problem, there was a small leak which was not steaming up the mirror, but I was able to find it by using talcum powder on the mirror. in a couple of spots there was an indication of steam/movement.

I suppose it doesn't take much to affect output.

I'll replace the silicon seal on the boiler lid and I should be right.

Thanks for you help guys.

Choppy.

Why are you checking the gravity everyday?

Does that mean you're opening the lid every day?

Might be a bit of overkill, and it's increasing your chances of infection the more you open it too.

I don't use a lid, just glad wrap with an elastic band. It doesn't seal perfectly anyway, as there is the heater cable coming out over the rim.

I have found the TPW pretty bomb proof when it comes to contamination (within reason).

I certainly wouldn't do it with beer though.

Fair enough, yeah i guess my head's still in the beer realm 8-)

Hey Choppy, thanks for posting those hydrometer readings there, I found it fascinating..... Never seen it done day by day before.
How great is that feeling when you see its below 1000!
Love it.

I career in the tax office means i record everything and keep it all neatly filled for later reference...
It also helps find problems or replicate a recipe i loved, especially with beer

I wish I had your.... Discipline? Or whatever you want to call it, I'm constantly wishing I'd committed more to paper, notably in brewing/stilling, and of course business expenses, which explains my rebate being less than I imagine it will be!
And I'm too bloody old to change now.

I've got a little black book with records of all my washes/runs... Every 'batch' is numbered, so I can go back later and see what I've done right or wrong :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Zak Griffin wrote:I've got a little black book with records of all my washes/runs... Every 'batch' is numbered, so I can go back later and see what I've done right or wrong :handgestures-thumbupleft:

:text-+1:
I do the same.