StillSmart

I am getting the parts together to build my first Pot Still. I have noticed a lot of people use a parrot. What exactly are they used for and are they a necessity?

The parrot is used to constanly moniter the ethanol strength by floating an alcho meter inside it.

I'm new to all this so be gentle with me. What is the purpose of constantly reading the ethanol strength?

That is a good question.
A parrot is not essential;a spirit hydrometer is,you can just dunk it in your collection vessel,or a trial jar,either way you can view the strength of distillate,the parrot simply gives you a more "real time" strength as it decreases,and with experience will help in deciding when to switch collection vessels.
It also gives you something to look at during what can be a long and boring process.
Robert.

So it gives you an idea when to make cuts? If so what would I look for?

Parrots come in all shapes and sizes, people make them from what ever they have lying around. You can go to the plumbing shop and buy some fittings or start hammering copper into all sorts of weird patterns.

Have a look at this thread the fourth Post has a link to a set of instructions that will point you in the right direction.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=996

Have I got this right, the liquid that drips into the input pipe is at a higher level and a higher temp than the liquid already in the parrot, so by means of gravity & convection the new liquid forces the old upwards and overflows into the catcher, then out to the collector. In the meantime an alcometer is floating in the main body giving an ever changing readout of %

Just about, but convection does not come into it, its all down to gravity.

You pour liquid into the top cup or put it under the output from your still, it overflows into the lower cup and comes out of the spout.

As the run progresses the distillate given off by the still gets weaker this then dilutes the stronger spirit in the parrot.

A Parrot, while not strictly essential, does greatly simplify things but only on a stripping run

On a Stripping run you are collecting everything until the distillate strength goes down to 20% ABV or whatever your preference is. With a Parrot in place all you need do is swap collection vessels as the run progresses until you reach that point.

Without a Parrot you have to constantly take a sample in a trial jar and test it. Dropping the Alcometer into a collection vessel is not practical, especially with the Airstill, as the liquid level would never be deep enough to take it.

During a Spirit run a Parrot would be a liability and would make proper cuts virtually impossible - believe me I made that mistake in the early days -

Here's a pdf that shows the parts if you want to make one...


Put simply, during a Stripping Run, when all you're trying to do is get rid of the crap in your wash, a Parrot does away with 90% of the drudgery and greatly simplifies the job

This pdf might help too...


This is one of my Parrots at work...(click on pic for full size view)

...this allows me to collect distillate from separate Stripping Runs into the same collection vessel, in this case a DJ, because I can see the ABV as it drops, making Airstill Stripping runs less boring and more predictable

Simples

AM

Nice to see YHB back on board, your advice and wisdom has been missed around here

In the big commercial distilleries where they brew the same recipe day in day out they use the hydrometer to make the cuts.

With our smaller batches it is a useful guide. It helps to make a decision when to switch between large and small collection jars for example - if you wish to do so.

There are many ways to decide the same things - just use the one you find convenient.

Foe example on the strip run you can do it by hydrometer, vapour temperature, volume collected, even by run time. You just need to find what works for yourself.

Very true Miles. I wouldn't still without one now. Stripping of course but I also watch when doing a spirit run as I normally do the same recipe over and over. For the most part I know my heart is between 69% and about 58% but I still collect in 500ml jars and air out 24hr's. Maybe I'm paranoid but I'm sure if I just collected by abv it would probably be good...or that would be the one "outier" and I'd ruin everything! LOL!
But definately, if your running something bigger than a airstill, use a parrot.

(Course I'm the guy who continually monitors the guages in the car too, hehehe)

goingbroke2 wrote
(Course I'm the guy who continually monitors the guages in the car too, hehehe)

I have to admit on a motorway run,I flick between the readouts on the trip computer,and try to do the right thing.



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And don't forget a parrot is also an opportunity to show off some functional art. Whatever style you go for:


Low volume ones generally need some sort of stand so that you can adjust the reservoir to be vertical.


Wider bodied ones don't need this and can be free standing


My latest is used in combination with a thermometer higher up the vapour path so it can have a small by-pass valve so the heads don't get into the parrot. I can also measure product temperature easily for accuracy.

Lots of ways to build them.

Oh Well - if we are showing off, I will throw this one into the pot.



This one lasted about a month until I needed some 10 mm pipe on my Bok. I never use a parrot now, I collect cuts and then measure the ABV with a trial jar.

If we're bragging !