Newbie Condenser Question?

[Moonshine Millar]

Hi all,

can anyone tell me, if I was to remove the SS packing from this condenser (see pic) can I use as a pot style still ????
I have MACSTILL'S caramalt/pilsner wash recipe down and don't want to lose the flavour during distillation !!

condenserphoto.JPG

[Frothwizard]

Do you mean remove the packing from the column, not the condenser?

And yes, removing packing will reduce the amount of re-flux your column produces and thereby reduce ABV and increase the carryover of flavors from you wash.

Having said that, depending on how high your ABV is normally, you might not need to.

[Linny]

the wash ABV has nothing to do with final outcome.... depends on how much reflux you can throw at it ... the longer and higher the reflux ratio the higher ABV ... but yes ,,, if you remove the ss packing you will reduce the surface area therfore reducing the reflux ratio, a little ,,

[Frothwizard]

the wash ABV has nothing to do with final outcome....

Never said it did...

[Moonshine Millar]

Thanks guys,
^:)^
normal ABV output is about 80-90%, what can I expect after removing the inners?

[Frothwizard]

80-90% would still have plenty of flavor I should think. If it was me, I'd try it with the scrubbers still in to get a cleaner product....and if it tastes TOO neutral, just tip it all back in and run it again but with the scrubbers out.

See how you go.

[Brendan]

Sorry Frothy, I'm going to take the opposition...

I would never be running a flavoured product with SS packing/scrubbers, and would actually be worried about the reflux condenser itself causing too much loss of flavour...

If it was me, and not sayin it's right but just what I'd do...it's a slant plate Boka isn't it? I'd be taking out the packing and doing a double distillation, but collecting hard to get as close to a pot still performance. By double distillation, I mean doing several strip runs, then adding them together for a spirit run...low heat for a gentle run and collect hard and fast (tap open)...then chuck it in a jar with some toasted and charred american oak for at LEAST 3 months...just me :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Frothwizard]

Sorry Frothy, I'm going to take the opposition...

I would never be running a flavoured product with SS packing/scrubbers, and would actually be worried about the reflux condenser itself causing too much loss of flavour...

If it was me, and not sayin it's right but just what I'd do...it's a slant plate Boka isn't it? I'd be taking out the packing and doing a double distillation, but collecting hard to get as close to a pot still performance. By double distillation, I mean doing several strip runs, then adding them together for a spirit run...low heat for a gentle run and collect hard and fast (tap open)...then chuck it in a jar with some toasted and charred american oak for at LEAST 3 months...just me :handgestures-thumbupleft:

All good, I'm willing to be you've got more experience doing this than me. I've never run a packed section before so I don't know the affect on flavor carryover.

[Brendan]

Well I've never run a Boka before ;-) But from my experience, packing pretty much devastates any flavour carry over that you would want. In most cases leaves enough that you can detect what it was made on, but gives you a disgusting neutral...I mean trying to run like a pot still with the packing in...obviously a slow run utilising the packing properly will make a better neutral. So in terms of flavour, I would say not great...

[Linny]

Sorry Frothy, I'm going to take the opposition...

I would never be running a flavoured product with SS packing/scrubbers, and would actually be worried about the reflux condenser itself causing too much loss of flavour...

If it was me, and not sayin it's right but just what I'd do...it's a slant plate Boka isn't it? I'd be taking out the packing and doing a double distillation, but collecting hard to get as close to a pot still performance. By double distillation, I mean doing several strip runs, then adding them together for a spirit run...low heat for a gentle run and collect hard and fast (tap open)...then chuck it in a jar with some toasted and charred american oak for at LEAST 3 months...just me :handgestures-thumbupleft:

All good, I'm willing to be you've got more experience doing this than me. I've never run a packed section before so I don't know the affect on flavor carryover.

so why disagree with me ??? since ive ran all 3 ????? .... i dont get it , im with brendan on this one

[Brendan]

Think it's just a misunderstanding...I think Frothy thought that you were correcting him on saying that the wash ABV has an effect, when he didn't...? :doh:

the wash ABV has nothing to do with final outcome....

Never said it did...

[Frothwizard]

Think it's just a misunderstanding...I think Frothy thought that you were correcting him on saying that the wash ABV has an effect, when he didn't...? :doh:

the wash ABV has nothing to do with final outcome....

Never said it did...

Indeed, I wasn't disagreeing with your advice, everything you said was correct.

[Vatoe]

I have this still. I wouldn't be mucking around with the packing. The literature that comes Wight the still is pretty clear on the question of removing the packing - it's states don't do it. To get the high ABV is such as small column they are packed a certain way then robotically tested. There is no guarantee that you will be able to achieve the usual high ABV if you stuff I around with it. You may get lucky but I wouldn't risk it. You can actually get someone to make you the pot still attachment or just buy (not recommended due to cost) it from the pure distilling mob.

[bang300]

Most of the flavor you desire comes from the tails...Run the still as is, making the usual cuts and collect in small jars, but collect way down into the tails.

Then mix the amount of tails back into the hearts to get the flavor you desire.

And/Or I would just run the still as is with the valve open and faster take off than usual. Bet you can get the ABV down in the 85% range easily by taking product off faster than you usually do, and get more flavor across.

Doing it this way and blending the tails, assures you'll get the flavor you desire instead of what ever the still produces.

Degrading the output from a column is a lot easier than getting azeo from a pot still!

[bt1]

Howdy,

Maybe a boka but at 80-90 normal abv's(figures provided in earlier post) it's not pulling the super high clean abv's a boka can.

At 10% wash carry through that's a fair flavour carry over and I wouldn't be dicking with it as a result.

If we where playing in the 92+ abv area a boka can produce then sure there's work to be done to retain flavours.

Well understand the pot strip and spirit method as means to achieving a higher quality spirit on a plain pot but as preferred method for flavour retention not for mine...a single run at the abv's quoted will eat it.

bt1

[Moonshine Millar]

I might just give this recipe a miss until next year when I get the bubbler from FSD.... :text-lol:

[Sam.]

80-90% would still have plenty of flavor I should think. If it was me, I'd try it with the scrubbers still in to get a cleaner product....and if it tastes TOO neutral, just tip it all back in and run it again but with the scrubbers out.

See how you go.

You would want to try this the other way around, once you have made something near nuetrel you can't get the flavour back by redistill ing :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Brendan]

I have this still. I wouldn't be mucking around with the packing. The literature that comes Wight the still is pretty clear on the question of removing the packing - it's states don't do it. To get the high ABV is such as small column they are packed a certain way then robotically tested. There is no guarantee that you will be able to achieve the usual high ABV if you stuff I around with it. You may get lucky but I wouldn't risk it. You can actually get someone to make you the pot still attachment or just buy (not recommended due to cost) it from the pure distilling mob.

However, I'm assuming he wants a flavoured product due to wanting to run it like a pot still. The complete opposite of what the user manual is talking about :wtf:

[Vatoe]

However, I'm assuming he wants a flavoured product due to wanting to run it like a pot still. The complete opposite of what the user manual is talking about :wtf:

Re-read what I said ;-)

[Frothwizard]

80-90% would still have plenty of flavor I should think. If it was me, I'd try it with the scrubbers still in to get a cleaner product....and if it tastes TOO neutral, just tip it all back in and run it again but with the scrubbers out.

See how you go.

You would want to try this the other way around, once you have made something near nuetrel you can't get the flavour back by redistill ing :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I was just thinking tipping the distillate back in the still with the dunder...or is that not a done thing? I dunno eh...