First still

[Stilljim]

Hi Yummyrum ,
It was the simmerstat that I bypassed , the heating elemnts seem to work fine .
the whole thing is plugged into a safety switch .

I am thinking I may not have enough packing ,
I put 5 SS scrubbers in the column - 50 mm x 1 m tall , but I streched them out ,
I can easily stuff more in there .

also I may have the tap open a bit much , not allowing the reflux process to work ,
how can i check this ?

should i leave the water running to the condensers as its warming up ?

( the tea party I had in mind might require different bikkies )

[Yummyrum]

Hey Stilljim

I'm still scratching my head how if you bypassed the simmerstat ,you can run on high or low power ..? but anyway...

Definitely have the reflux condenser water flowing right from the start .

What you need to do with these stills is let them warm up .should reach at least about 78 - 80degC at the top.

The output valve should be OFF .

After about half and hour of refluxing like this ,all the shit will make its way to the top of the still .

Crack open the valve ,Drip ,Drip,Drip .Might take another half an hour but you SSSSLLLLOOOWWWLLYY draw off all the shit .At least about 500ml of it.

Then you can open up the valve a bit more but you would be only expecting a very small dribble .These thing don't piss like a pot still .

The more packing you can fit in ,the better,but if you stuff it in too tight then you can a get a flooded column.It needs to be firm but not tight :laughing-rolling:

Hop'in your tea party is a success with the boys :-p

[Stilljim]

Another thing that may have a problem is vapour leaking from around the lid ,
I used rtv silicon to seal it and used a mirror to check but didnt see any but could smell it ,
I thought it was coming from the top past the condenser but I put the mirror there too , no condenstion .

Anyhow I now have a liter of stuff that tastes like cheap vodka
So I will make some improvements to the plumbing and make some more tpw and try again .

[bt1]

bloke,

I'm a little lost on how avoiding the simmerstat provides a method to regulate power...could you explain it cos I'm no electrician and it don't make sense.

I used rtv silicon to seal it and used a mirror to check but didnt see any but could smell it

I'm not too sure a rtv silicon is a good thing in contact with booze nor do i see it lasting as a solution...My reading suggests rtv would melt in hot high abv spirits and end up anywhere

bt1
.

[Stilljim]

The urn is being retired and replaced with a stainless keg ,
I just need to get a filler and cut a hole for it .
I have a gas burner but I will need to run it outdoors I suppose .

[Yummyrum]

Yeah that sounds like a good plan Stilljim

You've got some good gear upstairs so sticking it on a keg should complete it nice :handgestures-thumbupleft:

If you can,hope you can get a 2" coupler and triclamp ferrule on the bottom of your column or do an easy flange type, that should seal good to your keg with a gasket ,No more leaks :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[bt1]

hello still,

what do you mean here...

I just need to get a filler and cut a hole for it

As Yum mentioned a 2"/50mm column will normally fit a standard Aussie keg neck almost perfectly

btw gas most definitely needs to be outdoors or large shed....please don't consider running inside even with great ventilation... it's high risk at the extreme end...

bt1

[MacStill]

hello still,

what do you mean here...

I just need to get a filler and cut a hole for it

bt1

pretty sure he's talking fill port mate ;-)

[hillzabilly]

The urn is being retired and replaced with a stainless keg ,
I just need to get a filler and cut a hole for it .
I have a gas burner but I will need to run it outdoors I suppose .

"well slap me down and call me sally" after the exp with leaking sight glass , i did put a fitting on the top but the lid sealing issue and the small volumes they hold soon had me retire it to the back of the cave.a kalgoolie brewing beer keg now does the job,i dought very much you will regret the choice.if you dont have 110% faith in your gear do what ya need too.this hobby has punished harshly those that take risks with dodgy gear.PS make sure ya get a few more fermenters, volume =smiles and lotsa full bottles. cheers