Wash coming through into the run!

[Damo]

Hi guys,

Just ran my fifth wash in the T500 and was almost finished when I noticed that the very slow drip of alcohol was now a gush of wash! I stopped it as soon as I could but the spirit is tainted and will need distilling again but I can't figure out why this happened. Anyone else experienced this? The temp looked ok but could it have got too hot inside and boiled up the column? I though the T500 was supposed to just stop when the alcohol was finished coming off?

Cheers,
Damo

[YHB]

You have probably read about stills puking, well your still just puked. What you experienced is not comfined to the T500, all stills have the capability to puke.

Pukng is a result of a wash foaming and boiling over, no different to when you are boiling potatoes and you end up with the stove top covered in foamy potato water.

You do not say what your wash was, some washes produce more foam than others, rum / molasses is notorious for foaming. A ferment which does not completely finish and has residual sugar will also foam as will grain washes that have not completly cleared with a large % of solids.

What to do, a few options that will help;

Do not fill the boiler quite as full and therefore leave a larger head space in the boiler for the foam to occupy.

Add distillers conditioner avaiable from the LHBS to the boiler this will reduce the foaming.

Add cooking oil or a lump of butter (my choice) avaiable from the pantry to the boiler.

I only add the butter to strip runs, I have never had any bother with spirit runs.

Hope that helps

[Damo]

Thanks Brian,

It was a sugar wash with Vodka Star yeast. I'd have thought it was all fermented out as it had been going for almost two weeks. I did add the still spirits conditioner. Maybe I'll try the butter in the future?
Nice tip that, I'd always prefer something simple compared to a bottle with unknown ingredients.

Cheers,
Damo.

[Andy]

Damo, YHB is on the money but.........
My T500 had a puke once and that turned out to be the packing was too tight.
I just emptied the packing and cleaned it then repacked the column and never had another puke.

[lll_0_mike_0_lll]

Make sure was is clear & degassed good. Using Distilling Conditioner Defoaming Agent.
I tend not over fill it. Had it right at max mark. Never had that happen yet.