adamOVD

I use an expensive liquid beer yeast in one of my rums. I just order a home brew pack and start with a 5 gallon carboy, and then step up batch size in the fermenter. Pretty easy to do with a rum. I don't have conicals, and I don't fully boil my rum wort, so I can't harvest multiple generations of yeast. It's kind of a pain, but it works.

submersible aquarium heaters work great for heating rum fermentations. 1 should be enough to hold 800L at 30C.

This was in an article about TTB auditing. "5 – What are the tolerances for losses for reporting and how do you properly document them? The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) stipulates that spirit loss within the storage account is deemed excessive when the quantity of spirits lost during a calendar quarter from all storage tanks and bulk conveyances exceeds 1.5% of the total quantity of stored spirits during the quarter." If you are storing in barrels your loss is going to be much more than 1.5% though. I'll try calling the TTB next week, but where are you reporting your Angel's Share losses? I've been reporting them on the loss line of my storage report after I empty one. Will this trigger red flags?

Do you filter? I filter around 85 proof so it sits almost at bottle proof for at least a day or two at pretty close final proof anyways. I feel a bit of aging in an atmosphere with some oxygen available is good for any high alcohol liquids. Obviously whiskey in a barrel does. Even strong beers and wines can benefit from being cellered for a while. Also alcodense is a great tool. I use it every day many times.

I'd be fine with a slight drop in proof. I've got a "full flavored" vodka. I'm in the US though and my efforts are mostly to conform to the standards of the TTB. I do have a 7 plate 6" column though, and now I'm thinking of trying to make that work alongside a 6" packed column.

I don't know if anyone cares, but I've been climbing up and down a ladder rebuilding my column and these are my observations. First I put the plates on the bottom. The plates stacked beautifully. When I run them on top they run a little dry. However I couldn't get the distillate to come off over 190. This was at the beginning of the run where 190 is pretty easy at my previous configuration. 189.6 was the best I could do using every trick I know. I really wanted this to work. I tried loosening up the packing as well with similar effect. I could hit 190, but not any higher. It's just such a huge jump from 189 to over 190, that I think running low and slow is my only option. If I decide to try SPP, which seems to be my only other option with this column, I'll check back in, or if I get my original double column idea up and running. Or maybe I'l run the numbers and l be able to justify buying a 6" column. Thanks for all the input though, and the education on running sequential columns.

Well at least I understand why you lose so much efficiency running two connected columns next each other. It's pretty simple when you think about it. The lighter fractions can move up, but the heavier fractions cant move down, because they are isolated from the pot. Pumping hot high proof condensate from column 2 back to column 1 at a steady rate so it doesn't wreck the equilibrium of the first column seams like a challenge though. Super interesting stuff, but doesn't help me run my dinky column any faster. I was making things other than vodka, and was a bit behind in production, so I've just been running the still as is. But I'm mostly caught up now, and I'm gonna start tweaking things, one at a time. Starting with moving the plates to the bottom. I'll report back after I've played with a few things if anyone is interested.

You should listen to @StillTalkingPodcast Those guys love the stuff.

@Southernhighlander I am obviously no expert in still dynamics. I don't even understand why you would have such a huge drop in efficiency between columns. My best guess would be if the column was in a vacuum, or if you had a 'thumper' type reservoir under each column. I'd love to know though.

@FijiSpirits I figured that's what you meant, but trying to do a self build on something like that and expecting it to work right away is probably a little over ambitious. I don't really understand how the transfer of vapor works between the two columns. The plates are perf plates and the packing is just copper scrubbers, just to give you more info. The goal is to get as close to doubling my output speed as possible. If I can do that, I can do one spirit run to one stripping run and eliminate a major bottle neck in production. I'll play with the configuration and start researching better packing materials, and see where it puts me first. Hopefully you've saved me a ton of time and effort.

@FijiSpirits Thanks so much! Sounds like we are running pretty similar systems, but you have a lot more experience with it. Everything you said is super helpful. You are right that what is slowing the current column down is that it floods if I put too much heat to it. I can run a lot faster when making a gin base that doesn't have to stay above 190P. I'll play around with what you've suggested. Maybe I can gain the needed speed with just the one 4" column for now. I'm not familiar with what a sequential still design is though. @Southernhighlander I would like to just come off the top of boiler, but I'm also trying to figure out a safe way to support all this weight. I also switch the column out to make non neutral spirits in the same boiler. So the idea is to branch it off and have both neutral columns set up permanent. Supported by a table and attached to the wall. Then I can disconnect it and attach a whiskey head easily. I'd love to just buy a 6" column from you, but that probably won't happen any time soon. Here's a revised sketch. Do you think the larger piping under the columns will help provide "headspace" and combat flooding issues? The original plan was not to be making so much or really any vodka or gin, but its paying the rent for now and I'm trying to work with what I've got. Thanks again.

Thanks for your input Paul! I'm still tweaking the design.

If the bottom horizontal pipe remained 4" instead of 2" and was slightly angled towards the pot would it be better?

@Southernhighlander Condenser on the right is for my larger stripping still (your bain marie). I am hitting 190. Pot is 55 gal filled with low wines. It has 3 elements and gets up to temp in 45 min. I run it at 21% power once it gets up to temp, and I get a little over a proof gallon an hour. I've already maxed my ceiling height, so I can't go any higher. I'm not sure how to make a 6" column work.

This is my current vodka set up. It's a 4" column. Bottom sections are packed. It works great, but runs very slowly. At some point I will need to increase the output, and my idea is to build a second column like in the picture below. Does anyone forsee any problems or input with this design? Or have any experience running two columns from a single pot?