proposed vapour management column

[bradsgonetrekkin]

Not sure if I did it right, but here is the log I recorded for the run.

Neutral Run with Vapour Management Column 2/1/2012
Boiler charge:-
• Approx 33 litres of 50% ABV low vines (with sodium carbonate added at rate of 1 teaspoon per litre)
• Approx 20 litres of 11.8% neutral sugar/grain wash
• Approx 53 litres total in keg boiler
• Boiler 18 gallons (81 litres) with 2400 watt element (no controller)
Run Log:-
• Started boiler 6:05am
• 8:16am - Column temp at offtake branch 70+ degrees c. Turned on cooling line, valve off.
• 9:15am - Column temp 77.2 degrees c for 1 hr. Opened valve slightly to bleed foreshots at a few drops per sec. When valve opened temp went up to 77.4, then gradually up to 77.7
• 10:10am - Closed valve again to stabilise (approx 450ml foreshots collected). Temp 77.7
• 10:30am - Temp 77.7, opened valve slightly and started collecting. Bottle (all 750ml capacity) 1 - Approx 96% ABV at parrot, column temp 77.7 degrees c
• 12:39pm - Temp 77.8, Bottle 1 full, changed to bottle 2, shut valve again 5 minutes. Temp stable @ 77.8, opened valve slightly and collected distillate at a few drips per sec. Approx 96% ABV at parrot
• 2:13pm - Changed to bottle 3, temp 77.8, Approx 96% ABV at parrot. Opened valve to ½ - ¾ open. No obvious difference in output or temp.
• 2:30pm - Opened valve to fully open. Output slightly increased a few more drips per sec but still not quite a broken stream. As distillate in parrot still felt reasonably cool, I stopped still and removed the wispy piece of ss scrubber from the top of the liebig condenser. When I started still output now exiting in a broken stream.
• 2:47pm - Changed to bottle 4, temp 77.8, Approx 96% ABV at parrot.
• 3:09pm - Changed to bottle 5, temp 77.8, Approx 95.5% ABV at parrot.
• 3:31 pm - Changed to bottle 6, temp 77.8, Approx 95.5% ABV at parrot.
• 3:53pm - Changed to bottle 7, temp 77.8, Approx 95.5% ABV at parrot. As distillate in parrot still felt reasonably cool I removed the wispy piece of ss scrubber from the outlet of the liebig condenser. The output was now exiting in a broken stream (almost continuous pencil lead sized stream).
• 4:17pm - Changed to bottle 8, temp 77.8, Approx 95.5% ABV at parrot.
• 4:40pm - Changed to bottle 9, temp 77.8, Approx 95.5% ABV at parrot.
• 5:01pm - Changed to bottle 10, temp 77.8, Approx 95.5% ABV at parrot.
• 5:24pm - Changed to bottle 11, temp 77.8, Approx 95% ABV at parrot.
• 5:46pm - Changed to bottle 12, temp 77.8, Approx 95% ABV at parrot.
• 6:09pm - Changed to bottle 13, temp 77.8, Approx 95% ABV at parrot.
• 6:32pm - Changed to bottle 14, temp 77.8, Approx 95% ABV at parrot.
• 6:56pm - Changed to bottle 15, temp 77.8, Approx 95% ABV at parrot.
• 7:20pm - Changed to bottle 16, temp 77.8, Approx 95% ABV at parrot.
• 7:44pm - Changed to bottle 17, temp 77.8, Approx 95% ABV at parrot.
• 8:09pm - Changed to bottle 18, temp 77.9, Approx 94.5% ABV at parrot.
• 8:35pm - Changed to bottle 19, temp 78, Approx 94% ABV at parrot.
• 9:01pm - Changed to bottle 20, temp 78.7, Approx 94% ABV at parrot.
• 9:10pm - Temp increased to 78.7, Approx 86% ABV at parrot.
• 9:10pm - Temp increased to 78.7, Approx 86% ABV at parrot.
• 9:15pm - Temp increased to 79.9, Approx 86% ABV at parrot. Turned off still.

I know everyones stills vary but based on the above, do you think I should have closed down the valve at slight changes in temp or ABV to stabilise more often?

Also did I end up running too fast? I think the fastest collection rate was around 2 litres per hour.

[R-sole]

Now you know what it's capable of and how it runs i'd ditch the parrot. It won't give you any useful info and it will smear your cuts so much as to make it almost impossible to get clean hearts.

Always calculate your total alc content and figure your heads at 15% or just more of the total, i think you opened up a little early. Those with a lot of patience and a driving goal can get down to 10% heads, but not your average Joe.

Figure your hearts to be 75-80% of your total alc, so you'll know about when to be watching for a temp spike, as soon as it up's 1/10th cut the output back to the broken stream you were using for heads and change bottles. This should get you one more usable .5l or so, but after that it's just tails, you can crank it up and get another litre or so of diminishing skank, but most don't bother.
As you now know, we're sick of looking at the fukin thing by that stage.

So, half litres for the heads cut (i use a litre to start and keep it for sterilising, then back to half litres) even 1/4 litres near where the change should be and the sweetness of the heads is strongest, then once you're definately into neutral hearts and the sweetness has gone, 4l jugs 8-)

Back to half litres when you find the temp spike (preferably just before).


Ditch the parrot ;)

edit; running too fast is a matter for your tastebuds. You can usually taste a tails taint if you open fully up and it's too much for your still, sometimes the temp can wander, just close the valve slightly until the output tastes completely clean again. That's your sweetspot.

[stubbydrainer]

:text-goodpost:

[bradsgonetrekkin]

Thanks 5Star and all others who have provided tips and feedback, your knowledge of this fine hobby and willingness to help novices like me find the right path is very much appreciated! :text-thankyoublue:

[R-sole]

You are very welcome, i hope it helps a bit and saves you a couple of runs figuring it out for yourself. 8-)

[maheel]

i got no advice for you but notice it was a epic 15hr run....

i am not sure i could do that...

out of interest how pure do you think the hearts smell taste regardless of the ABV%
i would expect on a big volume run like this the middle hearts to be very nice ?

[bradsgonetrekkin]

Im not an expert Maheel and am still getting used to smell and taste. I know tails smell rank and heads taste a bit sweet. To me the middle part of the run didn't smell or taste much, so I guess that was the hearts. I still haven't done the cuts yet but I did pinch a bottle from the middle of the run and watered it down with spring water to 40%. The result - slight grainy smell, very smooth and with a mixer very easy to drink!! Too easy, I ended up super wasted a few days back sampling my wares :?

[R-sole]

I like it in 1/3rd's with tropical juice or pineapple juice and lemonade.

[SBB]

I ended up super wasted a few days back sampling my wares

Just as a matter of interest Im wondering how bad the hangover was.....or if there was one at all ????

[bradsgonetrekkin]

Yes I did have a hangover, but I think it was from the sheer quantity of the stuff my brother, stepson and I drunk....(Around 2 litres of 40% I think) on top of quite a few beers :puke-huge:
At the time it went down very well though.

[stubbydrainer]

Bloody Beer ! :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

[Al Qaemist]

5Star speaks the truth - I never get less than 10% heads, so I work it out and collect 10% in a big jug that goes straight in my heads keg to be run when I have a boiler full.

I switch to very small jars and keep tasting the output till I can't taste the heads any more, I'll run a few jars more before switching to the big jugs, as after an airing you may still have a taint you couldn't detect off the condenser, no use ruining a jug full.
After the temp wobbles, I close down a bit, collect a few jars, then shut down - My temp probe is mid column which gives me a heads up - I don't want any tails in my product or stinking up the condenser.
A spoon and some water are all you need, no point smearing the good stuff buy running it through a parrot.

I can pull 95+% at 2L, but I run at 1.2 up to 1.5l/h mid hearts, as I can taste the difference in quality,mid run hearts is like alcoholic water, no taste no burn, dangerous stuff :lol: - if its for masserations or redistilling as gin I'll run at the higher 2l/h.
Also aside from controlling the flow rate with the valve, my column seems to like just under 1400w, if I run with more power I cant pull 2l/h and maintain 95+%.