First run

[Maker]

Just finished my first run with the home made still so I'd like some input if I'm way off the mark or not.

Wash was 25L turdbo48, started at 1.110 and finished at 0.985

After settling and waste there was 4.5 gallons of clearish wash added to the still, heated up to over 60c and dripping started so turned on the condensor, started collecting as the temp rises and got about 150ml of nasty tasting solvent that measured 85%, balenced the still at about 82C and started collecting 75% that tasted yeasty but not nasty, kept collecting until 95C (42%) and stopped.
I have 4 litres of 60%.

Does this sound anywhere near I shoud be?
I'm guessing the yeasty smell is the turdbo yeast.

[RumJohn]

@Maker. It is Xmas eve and i am responding to your post. Not sure what that says about me.

When you run a wash, you should be able to calculate what you will finish with at the end of the ferment, end of stripping run and end of spirit run. Do the math all the way trough. You will kmow where you are and where you should be.

Your wash was at the extremes. I assume the numbers are accurate.

Not turning on the condenser cooling until you have steam coming out is a good way to blow things up. At least when you use gas as a heat source.

Hope it helps a bit.

Cheers.

[Icefever]

Just finished my first run with the home made still so I'd like some input if I'm way off the mark or not.

You say home made?..do you have a photo??..have you built a T 500 clone? this will help the guys to see if you have the still setup ok.


I'm guessing the yeasty smell is the turbo yeast.

It stands a good chance, I'm not a great lover of turbo...it's too easy to stress yeast..maybe hense the smell.

Stay safe with those vapours like RJ said it's a BIG NO-NO

[Mash]

4 litres is about right. But that might be les when you clean it up.
Let it air before tasting and making decisions.

[Maker]

Rum John, I'm glad you answered, may have averted a big bang, I have now extended the output further from the gas and the condensor now goes on at the start.

Icefever, if you check the start of this post there is a picture, it's not a clone of anything it's just what I had available in my workshop.

Mash, thanks for confirming, everything is more difficult the first go round!

Have started the spirit run tonight but had to cut it short as apparently I should be with my family and not buggering about in my workshop on crimo eve..
The yeasty smell has pretty much gone now and the first 100mm that smelt alright and tasted good was after 400mm, seems a lot to waste so I have left it to air tonight, the rest was good and I got 1.5L before turning it off that measured 85%.
I made some gin with the first bit from a top shelf flavour, I'm not a gin drinker but her indoors is, compared it to tesco gin and mine was as good, I thought it was smoother!

I'm sure it's not the done thing to turn off a still half way through but I had little choice, will it just carry on from where I left off with no problems?

[H12rpo]

Yes you can carry on where you left off.

There’s no pictur3 that I can see????

Happy Xmas

[Easydrinker]

+1 on both of the above points.

Robert.

[Maker]

Brilliant

The pictures are in another post, my mistake.
New one attached, the wires are to thermo couples and the temperatures are all on screen, I can monitor the top of the column, the water bath and the output to be collected.

[Easydrinker]

Nice pic,
I'll save comment on the still, water cooling not being something I do.
That lathe in the background caught my eye though!

Robert.

[Maker]

I have hugely changed opinion on cooling, I now realise that trying to keep a stable temp on a waterbath is pretty much futile, it's ok for a stripping run I guess but for spirit run it is difficult, each time I topped up the bath the temp at the top of the column dropped so you adjust the gas to compensate but that just warms the bath up quicker... tap it is from now on, lesson learned.

Got the lathe years ago off fleabay for only 400 quid, one of my better buys, theres a bridgeport mill to the left out of shot, I like making things!

[H12rpo]

Bloody hell, that’s a massive lathe for 400 squid

[Icefever]

I thought I was losing the plot when I didn't see any photo, now I can....that's a workshop & half.
You say you made the still from what you had lying around, but where did the boiler come from???.

[packapoo]

Nice looking boat anchor on the bench at the back too

[Easydrinker]

With My Little Eye I spy Something Beginning With #####

You just earned massive engineering respect.

Robert.

[Maker]

Icefever - I got the keg from a rubbish dump many years ago and had it kicking around since as I figured it would be good for a still. I have googled it and it looks like it's a soda keg 'firestone steel products co' 'Model challenger V1'.