do you HAVE TO throw away the 1st 50ml- or 100ml when using the smart still

[scrappybill]

I see your point Andy, but I have 3 Stills, lol, Inc. a fully customised Reflux Still I built from a modded design i found online, An SS Air still, and a Mini scaled down ver. of my big still.

Which I use marbles in as the Packaging material ??

Hence my question about preferred Packaging.

For those of you that are interested in I have the results of the Methanol Test from a lab.

The 1st 50ml kept from one wash:-

Methanol content, less than 0.5% (CH3OH)

Ethanol content 78% (C2H5OH)

Rest 21.5% Water (H2O) made up remainder plus a few trace amounts of fluoride (F), mineral salts, calcium carbonate (CACO3), magnesium (M) and a tiny amount of carbon (C). The guy who ran the test tried to explain other stuff, but he lost me lol, I\'ll stick to engineering. :-)
20ml was roughly the same but with 3% Methanol!!

So looks like there is indeed Methanol in the 1st few drips.
I will do the same again when I do a big wash in my big still !!.

& Let everybody know the results

Again Cheers all, (If any advice needed on electrical control circuits- accurate heating controls and PID based systems let me know- I will try to assist as best I can)

All my fermentation is kept to within 1 Deg of what I set it to (as long as ambient temperature is not higher- where ice is thrown in to the equation lol)

Also Beer/Ale/Lager/Stout conditioning the same within 1 Deg of what I tell it to stay at for however long is needed.

Scrappybill.

Marc83- No hard feelings!- clean slate !!

Just taken delivery of some new essence’s and different yeast etc.- so i will have a play later !!- will let you know results when done etc.

Sorry Jimmy- was pissed off by Marc93 Response- reacted badly!!
Looks like different yeast\'s- even water, sugars etc. all have an effect of the methanol amounts made !- so as most say- throwing away 20-50ml when making 700-800ml form 4000ml\'s is much of a big deal.

I just liked to know exactly what was what !! call it professional curiosity lol

[marc83]

cheers scrappy,ta jimmy.
Yes with you on leaving the slanging matches to the other forums.haha

[H2SO4.5]

Hi all, I\'m a newbie to distilling. Is there a ratio that can be invoked to chuck away the foreshots/heads?
I ask as I am using a 3 litre kettle to feed a condensor until I learn more and 100-200mls seems a lot to me to chuck away from each fill of the kettle.

[phlogiston]

Another use for the foreshots is to sterilise stuff you use in fermenting -- stirrers, hydrometers, funnels, etc. Quick wipe over and leave to evaporate. Can also be used as fuel for a Trangia or similar camping stove.