Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'reflux'.
Found 3 results
-
First time post on here, be gentle if I'm being a Dingus. So I'm not new to distilling but I've always used a pot still and fire heat. I recently built a electrically heated reflux still and I'm having problem. I'll list out the details of my set up then my issues and process. - 15gal Keg Pot -single 5Kw heating element. 230v - 2" reflux column roughly 4ft tall. - feed and return lines for condenser feed horizontally through the main column to produce the reflux cooling - cooling water comes in from the bottom and out the top - no packing (yet) - analog Temp gauge in the boiler - Calibrated RTD at the very top of the column. - Running 10-12gal of 8-9% sugar wash. So the problem is that I cannot get any decent proof out of the dang thing. I mean 100proof or less! I see guys on here complaining when they can't get more than 180, so I should by no means be getting the junk output i'm getting. After I get my forshots to run off, I cannot get any output worth a damn until the top of my column hits almost 205F!!! I had it sitting at 170-180F for over an hour and couldn't get more than a few drips. tried 190s barely anything, only after it's over 200 will I start to get steady drip, drip drips. At this point my analog gauge in the boiler is reading 200-210ish. I would have thought that my RTD was out of wack. but the fact that my proof is coming out at 60-100 proof tells me that it's reading correct and that I'm just pulling a ton of water with my ethanol because my temp is too high. As I mentioned above I'm testing this out with about 10-12gallons of a 8-9% sugar wash that I tested with a hydrometer (I'm not guessing) I would expect to pull at least a gallon of higher proof stuff out. Hell i'm honestly happy with 130-150, let alone what I read these other guys pull out of their reflux stills. I've done 3 runs now and each time I give up after pulling off a quart because after a quart of 70-100proof it drops way down to the floor at like 30 proof :( I've played around with turning my power and water ratios up and down all other the spectrum and I can't get any better results. Any ideas are greatly appreciated. i'm pulling my hair out.
-
Located in San Francisco, CA Total height of assembled kettle and column is approximately 13 feet tall. Copper and Stainless Steel construction. Designed with multiple configuration options. Boiling Kettle: - 375 gallon capacity - 304 stainless construction, steam / water jacket rated to 75 psi. 4 additional ports for heating element if desired. - Polished interior, sanitary fittings, probe and view ports. spray ball for cleaning. - Bottom of kettle has a 2 inch sanitary fitting for easy drainage and cleaning. Column: - 8 inch diameter with 8 bubble plates - The four interior plates are removable and can be added or removed. - 304 stainless construction with copper caps, tubes and downcomers with 12 inch flanges. - Splits into four sections - Column cap has ports for a Dephlegmator if desired. Condenser included. Equipment was originally registered with federally licensed distillery in New Hampshire but is currently San Francisco, California. Asking $36,000 Phone: (603)969-1404
.thumb.JPG.d82a08d1134aea23c9400662ac8f73d1.JPG)
-
I have contacted at least 2 still manufacturers who have told me I could not make Vodka from grain with a multi-plate (6 or 7) reflux still, unless I was starting with Neutral Grain Spirit. What I don't understand is don't you have to cut the NGS down below 50% to run it through to make Vodka? Shouldn't a reflux still be able to handle a 50% output? Thank you for answering my noob questions.
.JPG.14f7a4edd9205a833d359d05b43c6227.JPG)
