Temp wont go past 76C

[Johnboy1234]

I am just wondering if I am stilling my TPW's OK, every time I still anything whether it be TURBO (which I dont do anymore YUK) or TPW my still wont get past 76C unless I completely turn off the water flow and then it shoots right up and starts steaming out of the condenser. I am using a Euro 30 - 2 still which has two power cords 1000w and 1500w I use both till it starts to drip out of the condenser and then pull out the 1500w plug and just use the 1000w for the rest of the stilling process.

I have been getting some very nice neutral product and it takes about 11 hrs to get 5 litres of 44%, is it safe to only have the still only get to 76C instead of the recommended 78C? Also how fast should it drip out of the condenser? I have been keeping it at approx 2 drips per sec, is this correct or can you let it runout ina continuous flow?

[R-sole]

You may think about calibrating your thermometer. You may think about throwing the instructions away and playing with power settings and coolant settings until you learn to drive the still the way you think it should be driven to get the compromise tween quality and speed that YOU'RE happy with.

But at 11 hours to get 5 litres of anything (i'm assuming 44% is a typo) the best thing to think about is a better still. :shock: :cry:

Either build it yourself or contact one of us in the commercial section. 8-)

for arguments sake; 14 hour run on a 2" keg based VM column running 40% stripped wash will give you at least 40l of 40% ;)
You can cut that by 6 hours if you go 3"

[Johnboy1234]

Its a brand new $700 still and its only doing a 25l wash so I think 5 litres of good tasting stuff watered down to 44% (no typo) is quite good. As I said I am wondering how fast it should drip out, maybe it only takes 11 hrs because i am running it too slow? I imagine the slower you run it the better the product? Or am I totally off the mark?

BTW The thermomenter is a cheapy and could be inaccurate, but it is the 2nd cheapy thermomenter I have bought one digital the othe mercury, could they both be wrong?

[MacStill]

Altitude can make a difference to boiling temps.

Also 1500w seems a little light on, I'd run it flat out on both elements to see how it goes.... if your cooling can keep up with 2500w, and your column doesnt flood the give it to it ;)

I'm not farmiliar with your unit, but even a T500 puts out around 1.2L per hour of 92%

[R-sole]

You could get a nice custom still (or two) for $700.

See if you can get a refund :lol: :lol:

[Johnboy1234]

I am not too worried how long it takes, my main question I want answered is "how fast should the spirit come out of the condenser, should it drip at a slow rate or pour out really fast?" I could probably get 1.2 litres per hour if I let it go fast. I am getting between 92-93% straight from the still and then water it down to 44%. Also is it SAFE to drink stuff that only reached 76C when it comes out of the still. Sorry for the dumb questions, but I am incredibly dumb when it comes to this, though slowly learning and hopefully one day will be able to help others.

[reknaw]

The amount of alcohol in the wash will affect the temp, more alcohol it'll sit on 74% - 76 % as the alcohol is taken off (or you have a low alcohol wash) your temp will be higher. Oh the amount of reflux you are sending back down the column will affect your temp (depending on where your thermometer is sitting. If it's sitting on 76 you are fine, as for the thermometer it doesn't really matter what it reads as long as you can tell when the temp increases (depleteing hearts in the wash and your heading into tails).

As for take off rate increase your takeoff rate and as long as your getting the max ABV YOUR still will put ot you'll be fine, if you are taking it off faster and your ABV is dropping you need to slow your taeoff rate. It's a learning to drive thing as 5Star said.

[Johnboy1234]

THANKS SPUD!!!! Just the answer I was looking for, I very much appreciate your answer. That makes total sense to me, YES it does get hotter towards the end of the run and struggles to get to 75C at the beginning. THANK YOU again!!!!

[reknaw]

No worries, glad it helped you out :ugeek:

Cheers,

[MacStill]

my main question I want answered is "how fast should the spirit come out of the condenser, should it drip at a slow rate or pour out really fast?"

I thought that was answered a couple times ;)

for arguments sake; 14 hour run on a 2" keg based VM column running 40% stripped wash will give you at least 40l of 40% ;)
You can cut that by 6 hours if you go 3"

Altitude can make a difference to boiling temps.

I'm not farmiliar with your unit, but even a T500 puts out around 1.2L per hour of 92%

A small stream the size of a toothpick is about 1.2L per hour

:?

[SBB]

My T500 drives me nuts taking the time that it does, as McStill has already mentioned they will do at least 1.2L an hour @ 93%. Im sure yours should be capable of a faster take off rate.
I guess its just a case of experimenting as others have already said.

[Johnboy1234]

my main question I want answered is "how fast should the spirit come out of the condenser, should it drip at a slow rate or pour out really fast?"

I thought that was answered a couple times ;)

for arguments sake; 14 hour run on a 2" keg based VM column running 40% stripped wash will give you at least 40l of 40% ;)
You can cut that by 6 hours if you go 3"

But that was in Stiller talk not plain english for dummy noobs like me, I didnt know what a 2' keg was and I wasn't doing 40l and I have a reflux still not a VM, so I couldn't understand your answer.

[busman]

lol, you'll pick the lingo up pretty quick. I'll translate this one for you: 2" keg based vm column = a still that uses a stainless beer keg as a boiler, with a 2" diameter vapour management reflux column on top (look up vm column in the Glossary thread in the Beginners Questions section if you like).

[MacStill]

But that was in Stiller talk not plain english for dummy noobs like me, I didnt know what a 2' keg was and I wasn't doing 40l and I have a reflux still not a VM, so I couldn't understand your answer.

Ah okie dokie :lol:

Hang with us cob you'll pick it up in no time :mrgreen:

[Johnboy1234]

Thanks Busman for your explanation, so much lingo to learn and you tend to at the beginning only learn what you specifically need to learn. I had read about VM LM ad CM columns previously, but forgotten it, as I have been busy trying to learn about heads, hearts and tails, fermenting, flavouring, making real stuff with barley and corn etc, plus every other thing that you think of when you are fermenting stilling or just sitting back drinking it and thinking. Like everything, there is so much more to it than meets the eye.

At the moment, I only understand explanations like
'A small stream the size of a toothpick is about 1.2L per hour', which is way faster than I was doing it, thats why it took 11 hours. For some reason I was under the impression it was spose to come out at 1 drop per sec, like the carbon filter does. So I have learnt something very important today, and I THANK YOU all for your help, it is very much appreciated, and sorry for my ignorance, thickness, or maybe just bad searching ability from me.

[SBB]

After doing a lot of reading I was under the same impression when I first started out.........one drop a second was the go.........F#@! I can drink the stuff faster than that.

[MacStill]

1 drop per second, I would rather get my teeth pulled out...... 1.2 L per hour is almost torture :lol:

I luv my bubbler :mrgreen:

[QLD.Andy]

The SS web site states:
Euro 30-2 dual element still
Model:H104

Price:$666.00 NZD
Details : Electric distilling element plus booster element fitted - 230V or 110V
This Still will produce you pure spirit of 91 - 94% giving you 7-8 bottles of 40% finished spirit.
Distillation time is approx 4-5 hours

So you need to (as 5Star states) learn how to drive it.
I would do as McStill suggests and run both elements and turn up the water.