Regulating stil

[C2H6O]

Appreciate the input guys, i have a lot that needs to sink in, and i have a lot of reading to do.. I am starting to get my head around cuts just a bit confused on the exact timing of it all, but i'll get there. Im after quality here not really quantity so the advice on running it very slow is great..

Unfortunately i don't have the facilities to sold here at the moment but am definitely planning on improving this fella.. Have been looking over the products on this site and i can see this hobby is going to be an addiction, so many cool toys...

[DaveZ]

Don't worry about temps for cuts, just split your product into small amounts as it comes out of the still and use your senses.

[SBB]

Im after quality here not really quantity

Your never going to get quality Neutral with that rig without major reconstruction, The column is too short, the packing is antiquated,the reflux system is almost non existent in comparison to modern day reflux stills, the list goes on. It would be a lot easier and cheaper to go down the path of trying to make a good pot stilled Rum or UJSM, They are no harder for a novice to ferment and distill, than a "quality neutral."

[Sam.]

I ran a still the same design as this for a while and it could pull 95% no problems at all packed with marbles :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I still know some guys that run these designs and they make fine neutrel :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I agree that if you pull out all your packing material it will make a good pot though.

Give it a run and see how you go before taking the axe to it ;-)

[SBB]

BBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ wrong answer, Looks like Im in Macs "got it wrong club"

[crow]

There's no RC bypass on these old rigs its all or nothing , if water isn't running though the whole thing it don't condense :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[MacStill]

BBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ wrong answer, Looks like Im in Macs "got it wrong club"

Welcome to the forum.... :handgestures-thumbupleft:

:laughing-rolling:

[Dominator]

BBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ wrong answer, Looks like Im in Macs "got it wrong club"

Yeah, it's call being married!

[C2H6O]

Ok, getting the picture that I wont be getting any awards for my product, but will have a few runs as is and see how i go (water cranking). If its no good i will run in the direction of the pot...

Quality not quantity prob wasn't the right wording there.. I really want safe product and not crazy bad hangovers... I usually enjoy a scotch and water but in all honesty most will prob get mixed mojitos, scotch and dry and bloody marys ect..

The process is fun and I've been learning a lot so cheers..

[SBB]

Ok, getting the picture that I wont be getting any awards for my product

If Sams right and your still is capable of 94-95% you will be very very close to a good netural.
At the end of the day it will be your cuts that will determine the size of the hang over. ZERO hangover means your getting it right. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[MacStill]

I'd be looking at cutting the coolant lines so the column could be bypassed, and running it as a pot still.... or pull the packing out and run as a hybrid type pot still with a little reflux.

Either way you're going to make a better product using the still with a good rum or bourbon wash, than fuck arseing about trying to make nuetrals :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I've been known to be wrong of course, but if all I had to work with was that still I would be doing it pot stilling :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Fuck this wrong shit, I'm right this time.... go on try me if you want a nice pretty red jacket :laughing-rolling:

[Dominator]

Ok, getting the picture that I wont be getting any awards for my product

If Sams right and your still is capable of 94-95% you will be very very close to a good netural.
At the end of the day it will be your cuts that will determine the size of the hang over. ZERO hangover means your getting it right. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

What he said.

[emptyglass]

I'd be looking at cutting the coolant lines so the column could be bypassed, and running it as a pot still.... or pull the packing out and run as a hybrid type pot still with a little reflux.

Either way you're going to make a better product using the still with a good rum or bourbon wash, than fuck arseing about trying to make nuetrals :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I've been known to be wrong of course, but if all I had to work with was that still I would be doing it pot stilling :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Fuck this wrong shit, I'm right this time.... go on try me if you want a nice pretty red jacket :laughing-rolling:

Wot he said.

These still were the secret go to still of the '90's (before internet). The cross tubes are about as good as useless. They need to be plumbed into the circut to make the still worth sitting beside for 7 to 9 hrs. They also need a kink in the middle, or the reflux just runs down the column walls, what little there is of it.
Ditch the cross tubes (de-plumb them) and make it a pot. Make some good whiskey, make it fast, and make it fun.
No fun in trying to make this a perfect reflux column and make a perfect neutral, quicker to modify it into an off set column, or live with it as a pot.
One day of soldering, or a month of sundays distilling.

A mate of mine make quite a good pisco with one of these, and won't change stills for love nor money, but it takes a good bit of his life to achieve it.

I'm not young enough for one of these.

[SBB]

Are you confused yet C2 :teasing-tease:

[C2H6O]

Are you confused yet C2 :teasing-tease:

Ha ha yes, that's an understatement!! Im at the tail end of a PhD in marine science and you guys have left me scratching my head more than i have in a while.. I started TPW last night and when that's done i will run it through the unit super slow and see what kind of product i can actually produce (will keep you informed), just out of sheer interest i'm keen to see what this thing is capable of.. Obviously if its no good i have a lot of good advice to go off..

One big confusion i have is that im pulling 87% and to a novice this actually seems high and close, from what i have read a pot still isn't as efficient, so why is this better? also would running my product through a second time improve the quality of my spirit ? Maybe id need to water the 87 down before i did the second run but is this a way of of improving product..


I guess im stubborn and would still like to peruse a neutral so if there are any suggestions to a relative east retrofit (preferably i would like to buy something as i'm renovating my house at the moment and if i start renovating the still instead my GF will probable make me wear it for a hat) So all advice on how to manipulate is easy.

Cheers

[blond.chap]

Are you confused yet C2 :teasing-tease:

Ha ha yes, that's an understatement!! Im at the tail end of a PhD in marine science and you guys have left me scratching my head more than i have in a while.. I started TPW last night and when that's done i will run it through the unit super slow and see what kind of product i can actually produce (will keep you informed), just out of sheer interest i'm keen to see what this thing is capable of.. Obviously if its no good i have a lot of good advice to go off..

One big confusion i have is that im pulling 87% and to a novice this actually seems high and close, from what i have read a pot still isn't as efficient, so why is this better? also would running my product through a second time improve the quality of my spirit ? Maybe id need to water the 87 down before i did the second run but is this a way of of improving product..

I guess im stubborn and would still like to peruse a neutral so if there are any suggestions to a relative east retrofit (preferably i would like to buy something as i'm renovating my house at the moment and if i start renovating the still instead my GF will probable make me wear it for a hat) So all advice on how to manipulate is easy.

Cheers

I say have a play with that one first, then upgrade/modify when you have the time and money.

Unfortunately there is quite a difference in flavour between 87% and 96%, however one of the good things about the TPW is that it's pretty neutral tasting to start with, so at 87% you may have something that is neutral enough for your purpose, like you say, run it slow and see how it is.

Where people have discussed making it into a pot still, they're not saying it will make better neutral, just that you'd be better off using this rig for flavoured washes.

Yes you can water it down and run it a second time, which will reduce flavour and up abv. Water it to 40% in the boiler (above 45-50% ethanol is flammable and a boiler full of flammable liquid isn't all that safe).

What modifications you want to make depend on where you want to go. As the guys said earlier, if you want to make quality neutral you might need to start from scratch (take a look at VM and LM designs in "Reflux Stills" section of the forum). For that particular piece, you may be best off turning it into a pot still (just modify the coolant lines so they don't pass through the column, then remove the packing).

[SBB]

One big confusion i have is that im pulling 87% and to a novice this actually seems high and close,

It depends on what you really want, I think a lot of people use the term neutral very loosely, True neutral is exactly that ....very close to having little burn or taste, even at high ABV.
At 87% ABV you have 87% ethanol leaving your still, this should have very little taste, The other 13% is where the problem lays, this is where all the stuff you dont want is, water and other compounds that carry bad flavors and smells. If you can reduce that 13% to around 5% you are a long long way in front.
A well made and run reflux still should be capable of at least 95%. All of this of course is in a perfect world, which we know it aint. We do aim though to make the best we can.

Maybe id need to water the 87 down before i did the second run but is this a way of of improving product..

Yes it will improve the product and yes you must water it down to 40% or less. Have a look at the thread on Stripping runs in the Newbies corner.

from what i have read a pot still isn't as efficient, so why is this better?

Pots are used to make full flavored spirits, Rums Whiskys ect, in that case we need to let some of the impurities through, that is were the flavor comes from. The percent that isnt ethanol in other words.
A pretty rough explanation, but it might help a bit. More confusion and more to think about...... :laughing-rolling:
EDIT posed same time as BC

[crow]

If you are going to look at stripping runs and that will likely work for this still drop your packing out for the strip, it will save you many hrs. If your not keen on cutting and shutting anything just unload the packing and it will run almost at pot still speed and perform pretty much like one. All this will make much more sense once you read through the newbies corner bud :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Dominator]

As said above. Run your TPW nice and slow through your still as it is and see what you think. If it still had too much flavor then water it down to 40% and run it again. This should get you a pretty good neutral. Might not be ideal, but it will give you what you want with the equipment you have, no mods or stuffing around.

[CBrewH60]

Aloha all!
I brew with C2H60 and was recently turned on to this forum by him. Awesome forum, great information. Looking forward to brewing some tasty booze with his still. In regards to his still, would changing the packing material help increase abv %? Also, any other small modifications you can think of to enhance what we are currently working with? As he has said, our main goal is to create neutrals for mixing. Any help towards that goal is appreciated. Mahalo!