Bryan's Pot Still

Pot still design and discussion

Re: Bryan's Pot Still

Postby RuddyCrazy » Mon Mar 03, 2014 5:36 pm

G'day Guy's,
Well got 3 out of the 4 runs done and while on the third spirits run was down to the tails so decided to let it run out and the return flow jumped out of the 200 litre drum and emptied out :angry-banghead: O'well I'm going to finish the floor of that part of the shed with self levelling cement and was going to empty the 150 litres onto the vege patch, now I found where the highs and lows are on the bodgy slab I done :teasing-neener:

Now I did get a new bunnings burner as they work so well with my 5 litre pot also my 25 litre pot I use for stripping. The first run has gone into a silvenberry liquor, I said to the missus next time you go shopping get some strawberrires then she went outside and came back with 1/2 a bucket of silvenberries and said use them. Got a nice colour going too so going to leave that for a few months so the flavour can really make it a good liquor. I did water that one to 55%.

The second run I put 2 litres on 300 grams of chopped up strawberries and rather than water it down what came off the pot still went in the demi. With both batch's I made up some sugar syrup with about 250 grams of sugar and the same with rainwater for each batch so that also should turn out a good drop.

The rest is going on oak and will be left for several months so the best flavour can have a chance to flow thru. Now i went down to the local this arvo and had a talk with the publican and he is going to save me a few bottles and he did say some nice fancy ones are coming up. So duly I brought out a sample of my triple weetbix distilled and said well lets have a taste. I did mention I need a keg so I can upgrade my homebrew and as I'm heading back over to the gong on thursday he said hopefully by the time your back I'll have one for you.

In my Mum's will she left me her car and the Vienna clock I nicked named 'Fritz' when I was 16, it is an 1800's German Vienna Wall clock and off memory it cost my Dad 15K back in the early 80's. Now off my teaching in my earlier years about these old clocks they do need a rock solid wall to mount them as any shaking will cause problems and loss of time keeping so mounting in our transportable is out of the question. The clock was put in a custom box by my Dad back in 05' and mum has never taken it out so there would be a good chance it is wrapped in cotton wool. I will have a look for clock dealers in Adelaide as the one my Dad used to goto isn't there anymore. If I can get a good wicket for it all our outstanding bills will be paid and more than enough left for a FSD Bubbler.

Cheers Bryan
RuddyCrazy
Mentor
 
Posts: 2439
Joined: Thu Oct 31, 2013 6:36 pm
Location: Not far from Kanmantoo SA
equipment: 4" copper bubbler with a setup for Neutral and a thumper for Whisky and my old 5 litre pot for doing maceration runs and MiniMe the baby pot still

Re: Bryan's Pot Still

Postby RuddyCrazy » Mon Mar 17, 2014 8:03 pm

G'Day Guy's,
Well after a month decantered some of that silvenberry liquor I had stored away so decided to water some down and check the ABV. 0 ABV showed and that got my head scratching so grabbed a feints bottle and yep 75% so the alcho meter aint at fault. Then realized later the sugar addition must be the culprit so as I set the mix at 55% ABV just watered it down 50/50 and made up an apple cider stubbie bottle. We went up see my wifes friend where I scored some juniper berries, cassia bark and star of anise. In return I gave her that stubbie and when she had a taste it was like WOW thats nice. The strawberry mix is colouring nicely and I'm glad I remembered that one is 85% so it will make a heap more.

Anyway starting to get the gear for a new generation batch and got enough left to do a gin run with the USJM then a few more with the new batch.

Cheers Bryan
RuddyCrazy
Mentor
 
Posts: 2439
Joined: Thu Oct 31, 2013 6:36 pm
Location: Not far from Kanmantoo SA
equipment: 4" copper bubbler with a setup for Neutral and a thumper for Whisky and my old 5 litre pot for doing maceration runs and MiniMe the baby pot still

Re: Bryan's Pot Still

Postby RuddyCrazy » Fri Aug 29, 2014 2:10 pm

G'day Guy's,
Well today decided to the stripping run that 1st gen cornflake/vitaweet wash that has been clearing for a week. Took just over an hour to heat up so put a new gas bottle in and when the fores started found vapour coming out the end. Thought WTF this aint happened before with this still so went and did some checks. The flojet pump was running 8.5 volts 5.2 amps with 12 litre/min flow. I did just check the coolant tank and 20C and I even swapped the water inlet from the top to bottom inlet with no change. So I hooked up a 12 volt 5 amp tranny got 11 volts @ 5.2amps with 14 litres/min flow. Also with gas flame turned right down getting a fast drip STILL got vapour. :angry-banghead: :angry-banghead: :angry-banghead:

This has got me stuffed as to why the shotgun aint knocking down all the vapours where it has for years and nothing has changed.
RuddyCrazy
Mentor
 
Posts: 2439
Joined: Thu Oct 31, 2013 6:36 pm
Location: Not far from Kanmantoo SA
equipment: 4" copper bubbler with a setup for Neutral and a thumper for Whisky and my old 5 litre pot for doing maceration runs and MiniMe the baby pot still

Re: Bryan's Pot Still

Postby MacStill » Fri Aug 29, 2014 2:43 pm

if you can see the vapour it aint alcohol ;-)
MacStill
Lifetime Member
 
Posts: 16835
Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2011 1:40 pm
Location: Wide Bay QLD
equipment: Anything I choose :P

Re: Bryan's Pot Still

Postby RuddyCrazy » Sat Sep 13, 2014 4:07 pm

G'day Guy's,
Well like I said earlier in the 'what did you do in the shed' topic I ran my pot still this morning and arranged for Woodduck to come over. What got me puzzled was taking an alc reading at the start of the 3rd cut jar (150ml) was 89% and it stayed there until cut jar 15. On cut jar 16 it dropped to 86% so after that one I could smell the tails onset so put the longneck in to collect the tails. I gotta say I haven't ever seen that before off this still where high ABV has stayed constant. Also to check the calibration of my hydrometer I filled it with water and it did read zero.

Now to make up the 5 litre charge of low wines I had 6-1/2 longnecks of low wines and last night took an alc reading of each one the 85 and 80 were from the last 2 runs i did back in Feb and have been airing ever since, the 55,40,40,30 and 1/2 30 were off that stripping run where I had the low yield which we foundout today the lid wasn't sealed properly :angry-banghead:

To ensure a clean run I boiled the 4 scrubbers for an hour to use make sure they were clean to use and also use up some part filled gas cans. Now going with 4 scrubbers held together with 3 metres of 1.6mm cooper wire as copper does need to be in there did some reflux. now the 4 scrubbers would work out to about 400ml in the column and I was thinking say if I add another 6 the column would be filled and as I'm so close to 90% and above I'm thinking can I get this pot still of mine to do a neutral.

I am thinking close to a metre of scrubbers will give that much surface area and reflux I may get there but is only that thoughts. what do you guys think :-B
RuddyCrazy
Mentor
 
Posts: 2439
Joined: Thu Oct 31, 2013 6:36 pm
Location: Not far from Kanmantoo SA
equipment: 4" copper bubbler with a setup for Neutral and a thumper for Whisky and my old 5 litre pot for doing maceration runs and MiniMe the baby pot still

Previous

Return to Pot Stills



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 10 guests

x