first run

[aussiemoonshiner]

hi all like some help with my first ever run using hbs 8kg turbo sugar mix all ready to go on saturday using pot still with gas heating like to know the temp to run the still at and the out flow temp of the water cheers

[crow]

has this still had a cleaning run. If not you will need some shit alcohol to run though it , 8 kilo turbo crap will do nice :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[aussiemoonshiner]

i fired it up cleared with vinger water mix to test see how it all works

[crow]

I'm kinda joking but on the other hand this will turn out especially ordinary though, particularly through a pot. Run it by all means , it will clean your pot still and you can practice your cuts but I wouldn't get your expectations to high for producing anything to potable out of this run. All new stills should really have a junkahol run to do a test and get the user use to how it will run with a wash as Vinegar runs quite different :handgestures-thumbupleft: .

[Dominator]

As crow said, you really want to do a cleaning run with alcohol as well as your vinegar run.

Not many people here use turbos as they taste like crap when run through a reflux still. I would hate to think what they taste like when run through a pot but if you wanna give it a go by all means...

As for temperature, that will be decided by the content of your wash. There is plenty of info on this in the newbie section.

What size is your still, ie. length and diameter of the column and type and size of condenser.


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[Sam.]

With your pot still the column temp will slowly rise and this becomes a direct relation to lowering ABV later in the run.

Once you get to 98 degrees you are down around the 20% mark.

Just take off in small jars and do your cuts after a few days.

Then put down a TPW and do the same and see the difference for yourself.

[Andy]

http://homedistiller.org/calcs/husker_pot_calc_v2.php

has a little calculator that might be handy. once calculated has boil temp and vapour temps.

as everyone has mentioned that turbos are definitely not made for potstills...

[SBB]

Temp isnt of a lot of use with a pot still, your better of playing around with that first wash and seeing what effect different amounts of heat input make to the amount of spirit leaving the still, in other words use it as a learning run. As a basic guide, start out slow,,, real slow.....just drips at the beginning. Use your nose, its gunna smell like nail polish remover, these are your foreshots, When it doesn't smell of nail polish remover up the power a bit for the heads to a small steady stream, Hearts can be taken faster again, some may disagree. Playing around smelling, tasting, different heat settings will teach you a lot.
As others have already said, use cut jars and dont expect a lot from your first run. especially as your using turbo stuff.

[DaveZ]

:text-goodpost: I'm starting to think that the only handy place for a thermometer is in the boiler just to keep an eye on temps during heat up. Apart from that, just adjust for a steady take off, collect in small cuts jars and let your nose sort out what's good and what's not.

[SBB]

Well ya right Dave, they do have uses, but none that are going to help a newbie, it just gunna add to the confusion and make things harder in my opinion.
As you would now know, it not all that simple, it takes time and a bit of practice. Getting ya nose tuned up and learning how your still works takes time.

[DaveZ]

True that SBB :handgestures-thumbupleft: I guess they have uses somewhere along the line, I just haven't found them yet. Even on the T500, the thermo was practically useless, just tune the thing for a steady take off of spirit and go from there. I sometimes wonder if thermos are more of a hindrance than a help, especially for newbies, like myself, who should be working out why they are cutting at certain points instead of going by some numbers on a dial that some bloke has written down.

[SBB]

Even on the T500, the thermo was practically useless, just tune the thing for a steady take off of spirit and go from there. I sometimes wonder if thermos are more of a hindrance than a help,

Couldnt have said it better my self Dave :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Its really hard to explain to newbies that no amount of fancy gadgets will do a better job than , reading , experience, you sense of taste and smell and a heap of patience. It really is that simple.
.

[aussiemoonshiner]

Finished run made six litres started off at 74% and last litre was 50% was happy to made alcohol for the first time next I try tpw mix land see how I go the smell was the same as start to finish not a good taste see in a day or two cheers for the help great site :-)