Need some Advice ( Pot Still Alembic Dome and Condenser)

[Lexanium]

Hey everyone, i hope this doesn't make too many people facepalm :doh:

Im running a t500 with the Pot Still Alembic Dome and Condenser.

alembic_600x600.jpg

Its a basic beginner setup but for now its all i can afford to own. Ive gotten pretty good at getting what i can out of it but i could use some advice.

My main concern is that when i run my rum wash the condenser seems to struggle. It seems to me that there's too much output for such a small condenser. (sometimes my product gets hot and there's nothing i can do to cool it as the actual condenser is cold as ice)
Ive decided the first step is to install some temperature control on the t500. pretty straight forward. Ive found this which i would love someones experienced opinion on.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/4000W-220V-AC-SCR-Motor-Speed-Controller-Module-Voltage-Regulator-Dimmer-/272270215288?oid=170963635395

My next idea was to possibly upgrade or add in more in the way of condensers. I understand that typically pot stills only have one condenser but is it completely wrong to have two as Ive seen on other stills?
The kicker is i want to make all my parts myself and for as little as possible. so if anyone has any great ideas, or is there has been a thread before (i have searched alot) please point me in the right direction.

Thanks in advance
Cheers

[Cadmoon]

The voltage regulator will help smooth out the heating and slow it down so you can slowly increase the heat and thus output.
You could also build a worm tub to help your condenser out, try and get your hands on some ac pair coil that hasn't been used and go from there.

[Lexanium]

The voltage regulator will help smooth out the heating and slow it down so you can slowly increase the heat and thus output.
You could also build a worm tub to help your condenser out, try and get your hands on some ac pair coil that hasn't been used and go from there.

Yeah thats pretty much the idea ive been working through. just adding a wormtub between my output pipe and condenser. why do you recommend the ac pair coil? wouldnt its insulation reduce its efficiency transferring into the water?

Thanks for the advice mate

[Cadmoon]

Depending on your budget it's a fairly cheap way to get annealed copper pipe. It's very steady to work with and already in a coil. You would cut the insulation off, it's just a sleeve so a slot down the door and it falls off in one big piece.

[deryn]

I'm running the same set-up. It runs way way too fast without a power controller, there is so much smearing and the product comes out hot! I don't think they should sell that dome without including a power controller. I bought the Kegland power controller form 5 Star, that fixed everything. I run it at about 90% for stripping runs (so the low wines come out about room temperature, instead of hot). And I run it at about 50% for spirit runs.

https://www.5stardistilling.com.au/product/power-controller-kegland/

[Cadmoon]

That's good to know, might get away without the worm. 2400w is quite a lot for such a small boiler but I guess it w designed to boil water and not act as a still

[The Stig]

2400w is quite a lot for such a small boiler but I guess it w designed to boil water and not act as a still

The old units were 2000W and the newer units are 1800W
https://stillspirits.com/products/turbo-500-still

[Lexanium]

I'm running the same set-up. It runs way way too fast without a power controller, there is so much smearing and the product comes out hot! I don't think they should sell that dome without including a power controller. I bought the Kegland power controller form 5 Star, that fixed everything. I run it at about 90% for stripping runs (so the low wines come out about room temperature, instead of hot). And I run it at about 50% for spirit runs.

https://www.5stardistilling.com.au/product/power-controller-kegland/

Thanks for the tip mate! Helps that it looks like something i could pull out of an old Russian ww2 tank haha Definitely tickles my pickle