airstill puking on spirit run

[Magnu420]

ok guys doing a spirit run with tpw took fores out, took heads out, halfway thru into the hearts
well about 700ml into the airstill started puking this is the first time its happened
I use copper and ceramic for the boil enhancers I dont use conditioner for spirit runs only
stripping runs
I can underztand it puking on a strip run but on a spirt run
is they anything more I can do or do I discard whats left inn airstill

[Almanac]

It is quite unusual for this to happen on a spirit run, but not unheard of!

Were the low wines from the strip completely clear and colourless? Also, what was the ABV of the low wines when you filled the still?

Using boil enhancers doesn't guarantee you won't get a surge boil. It is theoretically possible for all the boil enhancers to be gathered in one area and super bubbles to form in another part of the boiler - theoretically

AM

[Magnu420]

yeah the low wine was clear and colouress and cut down
to 30%
I had two demijohn after the strip run the first demijohn went ok
the second demijohn started puking into the hearts
I'll chop some more copper up and give it another go tomorrow
would it matter if i put a knob of butter or marg in then running
forgot to say no power controller was used would it be wise to use it
to stop the puking

[chill]

I've had this happen once or twice. I have no idea WHY it happened. I think that Aidan is right. This sounds like a surge boil not technically a puke (excess foam production). Check and make sure the head is clear (use a hose to run water through it at pressure).

Chuck

[Almanac]

yeah the low wine was clear and colouress and cut down
to 30%

In that case I'd have to conclude that a surge boil is the likely culprit. It is, thankfully, a rare event. In 4 years of distilling this has happened only once and all I could do was clean up and increase the amount of boil enhancer in the still. In my case I added a large folded piece of copper mesh folded to cover the entire base of the Airstill. It never happened again and I'm happy to believe that my solution worked

AM

[Magnu420]

Thanks for the input
I've just measured the abv and it's at 28% I'll cut a
few more copper rings up and run again

when I run again can I carry on from where I stopped
(only need another 600ml before I start going into tails)

[Almanac]

As long as there's at least 2lt of liquid in the Airstill you can just continue on from where it all went up in the air

AM

[John51]

I used a dimmer similar to this for spirit runs, 160w gave a good quality, never any puking.

I know the dimmer is rated at 10% shy of the airstills draw but for me it never got past 'a little warm'. Don't forget to run the fan from another socket.

oops, forgot the link:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dimmer-Socket ... 35c9902835

[Magnu420]

cheers for the input john ive built a controller out of an old
psu and varible ssr and pot but didn't get round to use it on this batch

[rhinus]

Hey Magnu,

I had this happen to me a couple of weeks ago on a spirit run. Almost the same story. The stripped wash was clear and I had copper boil enhancers in. In my case, I concluded that it was a surge boil. I put on the proper safety equipment and took the top off immediately and found no foaming evidence. I added a little butter and ran water through the condenser coil a few times. I put the top back on and started it right where I left off. I watched it carefully through the remainder of the run and nothing happened. It hasn't happened since.

I did conclude that I would get a kil-a-watt device and dimmer attachment to regulate the wattage down in the future but haven't done so yet.

[John51]

My first 'airstill' was a self converted water distiller which found its way to the tip after 2 years of regular service due to what I now know is called puking.

It wasn't until I bought a real airstill that I learned about cleaning the condensor coil. What I did was squirt a cup of freshly boiled water through it using a largish measuring syringe.

To be extra confident the coil is clean, you could try mixing up a strong cupful of VWP cleaner steriliser (Ellie Claire stocks it) and leave the inverted lid to soak overnight then give it a good rinse. btw, VWP is very good at cleaning glassware and stainless steel sinks.

[Almanac]

Although the manufacturers of the Airstill don't mention cleaning the condenser coil specifically they do recommend the use of their proprietary cleaning agent..


This is designed to keep the condenser clear and prevent puking....and it does work

AM

[John51]

The instructions on my Airstill mentioned cleaning the coil. Their proprietary cleaning agent was for cleaning the boiler which I think is daft. Stainless steel pans have been getting cleaned in kitchens for many decades using only soap type products. All I ever used was water.

I wonder if there is a market for a very thick 'pipe cleaner' to feed through the coil.