Newbie still question

[StillWaters]

Hi everyone, I have just had Santa deliver my first inexpensive 25ltr electric still with a 1380W element and 2 heads (the still, not ME). One is a reflux head with 4cm width tube and 36cm height and the second is a pot head which is the same 4cm wide tube and a height of 16cm. The "arm is at 45 degrees and is 20cm long (2cm width tube). I have a solid copper parrot at the output.
My question is, does this seem a reasonable construction (stainless steel throughout) for the production of single malt scotch with the pot and vodka with the reflux head?
Would removing 2/3 of the packing from the reflux tube and using it to increase the height of the column make any improvement to the pot still performance?

[YHB]

Welcome to the forum.

Stainless Steel is perfect for the purposes you describe. You may at some stage want to add some copper to the vapour path, but plenty of time for that.

A pot still is a pot still, adding packing to the column will not do anything without the reflux condenser, unless of course it is copper packing which then may take care of the first part.

Keep in touch and let us know how you get on.

[Capt-Cudellez]

I run an all stainless rig and it works very well. But like YHB said, it may be worth getting some copper into the vapour path somewhere. I have found this to be most important on the stripping run, when doing rum or grain washes, as some really nasty eggy sulphur smells can come over, for plain sugar washes I have found it less important as these seem to be pretty clean to start with.
Even when I have forgotten to put the copper pieces in, the eggy stripped distillate cleans up over a few days just by adding copper to the Demi John.

[StillWaters]

Thanks for the welcome and the replies. Maybe I didn't make myself too clear with the question. My still has the option of screwing a "pot" head or a reflux column to the lid of the boiler, depending on what outcome you want. I intend to add ceramic beads to the boiler and some copper tubing pieces, as I did in my first flirtation with distilling in my 5ltr Airstill.
I read somewhere that removing some of the packing from a reflux column makes it work in a similar way to a pot still. So I was wondering if increasing the height by mounting the "pot" head to the top of the reflux column (simply done with this design) would give me any benefits? I'll try to get some photos of the still in both pot and reflux configurations to give you a better idea of what I'm suggesting. Just need to figure out how to upload photos :0)

[StillWaters]

While I'm on the subject of stills, why do some people use voltage regulators to control their boilers? What are the advantages? I thought water flow controlled the output but then again, maybe I've missed something :0)

[StillWaters]

OK so here are the photos of my new still and my parrot. This may make it clearer as to what I'm asking. The first shot shows the manufacturer's set-up for reflux with water inlet at end of the arm and outlet at the base of the column. The column has ceramic beads and scrubbers installed.
The second shot shows the pot set-up and the third shows the parrot (but it doesn't speak yet!!
My initial question revolved around using the set-up as in photo number one but with most of the packing scrubbers removed and changing the water inlet/outlet to just the pot arm. Hope I've got the terminology right and you can follow what I'm asking. Would this configuration give any benefit in malt whisky production?

[YHB]

Lots of questions, yes, there is lot to learn. Take one step at a time and it all will become clear.

Last question first, some people use a power controller to adjust the amount of heat input into the boiler; High to speedup the boil time and for stripping runs, Low for sprit runs and reflux columns. Your boiler is limited to 1350watts which is at the lower end of the power range. For your set up it will mean that your boiler will take a bit longer to start producing, but a power controller will do nothing to improve that.

Adding hieght to the pot head may change the flavour of the product, maybe be better, maybe not, every still is different. Go with what you have got - you have many years to experiment, in the meantime learn to drive the still as a Pot and Reflux Column it will take some time to get the best out of it.

You ask about modifications being beneficial to malt whisky, there are no modifications that I know about that will magically make malt whiskey easier to make. It is more down to the method of preparing the wash and the aging of the product, it takes time.

I am sure that you will get years of fun and enjoyment out of your xmas present, keep in touch and let us know how you get on. If you have any specific queries then let us know.

Toodlepip

Brian

[StillWaters]

Thanks Brian, I'll do as you say and run with what I've got. Really looking forward to brewing my first beer next week and then on to the distilling part. I have found a recipe for cloning Glenmorangie (attached) and, as this is one of my favourite tipples I'll give the port cask variant a go. Thanks again for your guidance.
Cheers, Colin

[Capt-Cudellez]

If adding the extra height to the pot still makes it easier to collect the product then by all means do it. I doubt it will influence the product to any degree that would be detectable on the scales we work at.

A full size scotch still has lots and lots of surface area that will induce some natural reflux and influence the taste. But on a 2" stainless pipe I don't see any difference when I use the straight pot, or have this 32" riser.


No mater what I do with the power, I cant get enough natural reflux from this to flood a bubble plate that I could fit. So in my option it wont make much difference to your product, just collect it how ever is easiest.

If you do use the riser, as long as you are not supplying it with water to force reflux, once all the packing gets hot I have never noticed a difference running with a packed column or a short pot head, I wouldn't worry about pulling the packing out.
I think the idea of removing packing is for those using an LM still where you need to run the cooling, so removing the packing detunes it to being more like the results from a pot still. There is simply no need to do this with a CM, just don't run the cooling to the reflux condenser, and it is effectively a pot still.

[StillWaters]

Thanks for the guidance. The reason I raised the question about a power controller is that a lot of users say "once the spirit run starts, turn the heat down". Now with my relatively low power element (1380 watts), this is not possible in its standard form. Can I just ignore this "tip" and run it through using the temp, parrot and taste methodology or do I need to risk forcing the wife's purse open for a controller? SW

[Capt-Cudellez]

Hi still waters, my feeling is running a pot still without power control is never going to give you the best results. Running slowly at the start to enable better separation of the heads will stop these being smeared into the hearts.

Now you don't have a lot of power there, so this might not be such a huge issue. But you will lose more product to the heads than if using power control. So nothing to stop you giving it a go now, and upgrading later on when your finances will allow it.

As for when you are running the CM reflux, 1350w is a little on the high side for running a 40mm. In the complete distiller by Nixon and McCaw, they suggest the "ideal" vapour speed is 12-18 inches per second.
With 1350w and 40mm your vapour speed will be around 31 inch/s. I know of other distillers using 2400w with a 2" column which is pretty similar in vapour speed, so again it is workable. But something that you may find you get better separation and purer product if you can add the power controller at a later date.

So I say go for it, it will give you a base line, and you will be able to see exactly what any changes you make later on actually make.

[StillWaters]

Happy New Year and thanks for that Capt-Cudellez. I do have the option to put a more powerful element in at a later date so I think I'll risk the fury of 'er indoors and make a power regulator. If I choose to construct a 2,500 watt controller that should see me well into the future - if I have one after the purchases :0)

[StillWaters]

As I'm not yet familiar with all the abbreviations used on these pages (e.g. CM reflux) is there any guide for newbies to bring me up to speed? SW

[chill]

This is a very good book: http://www.amphora-society.com/The-Comp ... w_p_1.html