Not hitting ABV

Reflux still design and discussion

Not hitting ABV

Postby Deanboy » Thu Jun 04, 2020 3:54 pm

Hi guys,
I have recently constructed a 1400mm high CCVM still out of 2" copper plus a single wound RC. I packed it with SS scrubbies and turned on my keg with 25ltrs of TPW in it. I had it in reflux (I assume as I don't have a sight glass below the T piece) for 1 hour then stripped 200ml of fores at 93%. Back into reflux for 1 hour then lifted the coil again and started taking heads 250ml at 93% for 2 jars then it dropped to 80% for the rest of the run (I got 13 jars roughly by memory). Am I wrong that the entire amount of heads hearts should be 93%?
For reference its a 2400 watt internal element in a 50ltr SS keg with a controller that was set to the same wattage as I would run a spirit run for rum. It took 6 hours roughly and I turned it off once the tails came through and dropped to 60%. My PC is running straight down on this build not at an angle like my pot still set up so it drips not streams into the jars so I can't tell if it's dripping the same pace as when I run rums out. The heads seemed to be smeared more into the hearts like when running TPW through the pot still head slow, I really couldn't tell much difference between the 2 and a bit disappointed it's not as pure with the amount of work I've put into it. Any ideas?
Deanboy
 
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue May 20, 2014 9:24 pm
Location: Cairns
equipment: Ss pot still 800 mm high with a 1000 mm long Liebig condenser, electrically heated

Re: Not hitting ABV

Postby RC Al » Thu Jun 04, 2020 4:21 pm

You may need to throw more power at it to generate more reflux, 80% is barely refluxed at all

Also, how did you pack in the scrubbies? they really need to be stretched out and teased before installing for best results

Doing stripping runs first and running the boiler with 40% strip will give you easier cuts and a better tasting product

Use the stopwatch feature on your phone to time your jars to get your run rate under control, drips n streams ave very subjective terms
Last edited by RC Al on Thu Jun 04, 2020 4:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
RC Al
Mentor
 
Posts: 1568
Joined: Mon Oct 23, 2017 4:58 pm
Location: Sunshine Coast Area
equipment: 3 plate 4" glasser
2" Potty

Re: Not hitting ABV

Postby Lesgold » Thu Jun 04, 2020 4:38 pm

I always strip washes first using the still in pot mode. As RC Al stated, putting low wines from a series of stripped runs at under 40% into your boiler will give you a much better product. You should be able to hit 95% if you do it this way. On your spirit run, keep power levels reasonably high and control output via movement of the coil. Raising the coil too high will drop the abv quickly.
Lesgold
 
Posts: 383
Joined: Thu Sep 19, 2019 2:42 pm
Location: NSW south coast
equipment: Pure Distilling reflux and pot. 2” modular CCVM/ 1150mm column, 50l boiler with 2x 2400w elements.

Re: Not hitting ABV

Postby MartinCash » Thu Jun 04, 2020 5:32 pm

:text-+1: to running low wines. With how long it takes to do a neutral run with a 2'' still, you really want to have enough alcohol in the boiler to make it worthwhile, plus you get slightly cleaner spirit with 2 distillations.

Also, it sounds to me like you might have been taking product too fast.

In my 2'' VM with 1.2 m packed, I pull 95% at or just under 1L per hour, but if I open it enough to be taking just 1.5L per hour, I drop down in ABV and often get early tails. The good news is that, if you're collecting in small jars, you can close up to full reflux for a few minutes and then re-start at a lower take-off rate to get back to fairly neutral spirit.
MartinCash
 
Posts: 62
Joined: Tue May 26, 2020 7:45 pm
Location: Tassie
equipment: 50L Boiler, copper pot still, copper 100mm modular CCVM column.

Re: Not hitting ABV

Postby Deanboy » Fri Jun 05, 2020 9:33 am

No worries, I didn't realise I was supposed to do multiple strip runs and a spirit run at the end similar to rum generations :angry-banghead:. I was being lazy and hoping to do single distillations for a good neutral. Correct me if I'm wrong but if I'm running my element at full power 2200 with the coil as far down the column as it goes and product is coming out then it is flooding? I had to turn the power down during the run as there was some small drips of liquid coming through the PC and the heat coming out from the column into the 2" T piece made me think I was running it too hot. I guess I was running it by feeling for heat in the column and whether product was coming out when it shouldn't have been.
Deanboy
 
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue May 20, 2014 9:24 pm
Location: Cairns
equipment: Ss pot still 800 mm high with a 1000 mm long Liebig condenser, electrically heated

Re: Not hitting ABV

Postby MartinCash » Fri Jun 05, 2020 2:47 pm

IMO two distillations (strip and spirit) will probably be cleaner than one.

As to power settings, I use gas and I have an old-fashioned VM with a valve, rather than a CCVM, so I don't know. I imagine that, if the reflux condenser is capable of knocking back all the vapours, then yes, liquid = flooding.
MartinCash
 
Posts: 62
Joined: Tue May 26, 2020 7:45 pm
Location: Tassie
equipment: 50L Boiler, copper pot still, copper 100mm modular CCVM column.


Return to Reflux Stills



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 18 guests

x