Warning - Long detailed post ahead... :scared-eek:
Newbie here but I have a decent brewing background so get the concepts particularly around fermentation.
Laid down a 25L TPW using 5kg of sugar - Initial reading 1.066, bubbled away for 6 days. Left for another 2 days, took a FG reading on day 8 of 0.988... By my calculation a little over 10%
Have the kegland alcoengine reflux still to go atop my 35L robobrew/brewzilla - 1900w/500w elements
Cleaned the still... Initially in the dishwasher, then a soak in 551 solution, then a 50/50 vinegar run for 2hours
Onto the sacrificial run... Using the 1mm restrictor nozzle
Both elements on to heat up, turn water on (Main water fully on) at 50C, turned off 500w element, only using 1900w.. I kept the collection tap shut and it did what i expected.. It shot up to 82.3C then slowly dropped to 77.8C and seemed to stabilise here for a few mins.. Boiler temp 92C...
Then temp dropped and it started spitting and boiling out the top of the still - it would appear the condenser couldn't knock down at 1900w... Swapped to 500w element, in my opinion it felt like 500w was not enough - it was holding at 77.6C for a bit then would drop down to 77.2C then back up... I also noticed the boiler was now flicking between 91C and 92C... Hence why i was thinking 500w is not enough. I put on the insulation jacket to try and help... and it seemed to hold steady for a while at 77.6C, so i opened up the tap and started collecting
Temp jumped up to 77.9C and then kept increasing 0.1 degrees every 5 or so minutes.
After 30mins I had collected 250mls and swapped jars, temp was now at 79.1C. I tested the purity and got a reading of 94% from this jar.. Smelt like Metho
Temp continued to rise slowly and after 2hrs temp hit 80C Jar 2-3 purity was lower at 91%
I collected another 2 jars (250mls each) and switched the still off, column reading was now 87.2C, boiler was 94C and I tested the last jar at 87% and was defiantly wet dog/cardboard smell
So now I'm pretty confused.. Did the wash not finish fermenting? Column packing too tight or loose? Leak somewhere? Boiler wattage not enough? Thermometer broken? Something else?
:text-thankyoublue: