New pot still too fast?

[Matstx]

Hey All,
Just after some advice as a novice pot stiller. I ran the new 4" modular tonight on a 30L boiler and this thing was pumping it out. So I put through the 1st gen of Macs BWKO. Having run a reflux with a TPW for the last 2 years this was a lot different. Cranked out fores at 300ml in about 2 min. I had the water set at roughly 1L min which was what I was used to with the reflux. The top of the condenser was quite warm and gradually got hotter as I ran through the heads into the hearts. The stream out of the parrot was about as thick as a match. With the alcometer(Tralles 165mm) in the parrot I was unable to get any sort of reading. It just floated well below 0. Im assuming flow was pushing it up. So I was taking test samples through out, starting at 75% and ran through to 30%. Now my math not being all that great, I ended up with 5L of 50% heads, hearts and tails( stripping run) out of 18L of wash that measured about 8% before starting. How?. While the flavour was quite good with a definite corn taste, I feel it would've smeared running so fast. While I'm not overly concerned as this was a stripping run, I don't want this happening after I put through 5 gens and do the spirit run. Advice, thoughts, flames all welcomed.

[Hardie355]

Are you using an element controller? If not you will need one to slow it down, you cant control a pot with water flow you need to decrease power to the element to slow the boil.

[bluc]

Matstx are you using a alcometer ? or trying to use a hydrometer?

[copperhead road]

Are you using an element controller? If not you will need one to slow it down, you cant control a pot with water flow you need to decrease power to the element to slow the boil.

:text-+1:

[hillzabilly]

The amount of power used for ya reflux is way too much for a spirit run,but ok for a stripping run,I guess its around the 2000wt mark,fitting a smaller weldless element of around 1000wt or getting a power controler would be the go in my opinion,do not stress this is a learn as ya go hobby ,and I hope ya didnt expect the pot still to behave like a reflux because it will not.cheers hillzabilly ;-)

[Matstx]

Thanks for the advice guys. Figured it was running too hot. Now to source a power controller.

[Doubleuj]

Best to get a sparky mate to build you one, all the parts can be sourced from eBay and use this thread as your guide :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[baznkez]

HI Matstx ,

I just purchased a pot still attatchment etc for my t500 reflux , after speaking to a few on here , i came across an scr controller on fleabay for like $25.00 i cut up an 10amp ext lead wired it up built a wooden box for it (safety) , then bought a power monitor from jaycar to keep an eye on the wattage of the boiler when using it in pot still mode , tested it prior on one of me workshop lead lights to make sure wattage was close to rated watts on light .
All up cost involved was like $45.00..

Regards Baz :handgestures-thumbupleft: