First run

[Distillingchris]

Just doing my first kale stripping run in the t500 for the first time, am I right in saying on a stripping run you want it hot nearer 65c and on the spirit run you want it cooler nearer 50c ?

And also for my spirit run, do I want 2 lots of stripping run, so say 6litres at 80/90% watered down to ...? To make 23 litres
Or do you just do your spirit run on your original stripping run so 3litres at 80/90% watered down to ...? To make 23 litres

And same question if I want to triple distill do you just ever use 1 25l wash to strip,strip,spirit ? Watering down as you go

Hope that makes sense

[Distillingchris]

Distillation done, about 5 hours but only got 2 litres, wash was about 9%, little less than what I was hoping, might have to miss with another wash to do spirit run ?

[Benoit]

I thought ethanol boiled at 78°c so your temps may be a little cool but it's all relative depending on the calibration of your thermometer & how the heat transfers to it. The thing might say 55° but it could be over 70° inside, it's a learning process to understand what's right for your set up I guess.
I have bought thermowells but have yet to put them in so I'm still doing it the hillbilly way & turning the water on when it gets hot half way down the arm then backing off the power a bit when it first starts out of the condenser

[gaza the instructor]

Hi Chris dont need 23lts in a T500 boiler.
Just water down to about 30%,may be 12 or
23 ltrs no problem. Watering down is for
safety. Run low and slow on your spirit
run, go by flow not temp.
When 1st drops come thru turn water up,
drops will slow, still is now refluxing,
let it do for 15mins or so. Then turn
water down to allow flow to commence.
This is quite a machine you have ENJOY!!!

[Blue_Duck]

I'm guessing Benoit doesn't use a T500, just so the O/P doesn't get confused, i'll
throw my tuppence worth in. Stripping at 65%c is ok but i personally do mine around
58-60%c and my spirit runs are done around 52-56%c. summer time i can get away with
52%c but colder weather i need to go a little higher, 56%c is a sweet spot for me in
colder months.

Chris you can do whatever volume spirit run you want, up to 25ltrs in a T500 around
25%-30%abv is a safe place to be. just keep a note of what your putting in and you
can guesstimate your final outcome. I dont have the patience to do 25ltr 30%abv runs
now, 8-9 hours has become tedious to me. As a rule of thumb 10ltrs of 30%abv is around
3ltrs of alc less the cuts, make them to your taste not the guidelines that came with
the T500 destructions.

Water is natures filter, so if you want to triple distill, take your product down to
30% again and run with it, its good iv'e done it but i found no advantages in final
taste.

cheers B_D

ps. jotted this down on in notepad, Gaz beat me to it.

[gaza the instructor]

Well said Blue Duck. I am luck to have
the copper dome and condenser in my kit,
so I strip with that, then use the reflux
for spirit runs.

[Benoit]

Sorry gents, reading comprehension was alluding me yesterday clearly and you are correct I have never used a T500 so my apologies to the OP if I have caused any confusion. Does it measure the water temp coming out of the condenser or something? What manner of elf magic is making alcohol come out early?? I'd have thought holding wash between 55°-60°c would get you nothing but a glass full of heads?

[Seagull]

Yep Benoit, the temperature probe on the T500 is on the cooling water outlet.

[Jaggie]

i double distill works great for vodka so triple could only be better. I strip at 65*c then slow for spirit run,
Stripping run i get about 3 1/2 liters of 92% then water that down to 30% and i do that enough times till i have 25 liters of 30%
Spirit run i run slower water that down to 40% and filter

give good vodka and Gin

[Mash]

I dont have the patience to do 25ltr 30%abv runs
now, 8-9 hours has become tedious to me.

WOW. Is that 'sitting with it' time or elapsed time ?

[Distillingchris]

Thanks for the replys, will be using it a lot more now as 3 buckets have just freed up from wine and cider, and yes 9 hours is a very long time, so that's with 23l at 30% running slowly on a spirit run ?

[Benoit]

Yep Benoit, the temperature probe on the T500 is on the cooling water outlet.

Ahh so not elf magic, that makes much more sense