bluefish_dist

you need to determine the % solids and finished proof to determine the correct method to get the true proof. I don't remember the exact numbers now, but if the proof is 80 or above you can determine the solids and adjust proof using an oven. If the proof is lower than 80 you have to redistill in a lab still to get the true proof. The ttb has a video on how to do this.

I call them strip labels. Almost any label supplier can provide them. We use them but if production gets higher I will look at using printed capsules to speed up packaging.

My setup uses multiple elements and only one has a controller. The others are on/off only. I can run from 0-100% by a combination of elements and the one controlled element. For my 35 gallon still, I use two 5500 on 208 for 8000w total and I can warm up in an hour, then throttle back to get the right vapor speed for my 4" column.

Is it a 5500w element for 240 running on 208? If so, you will only get about 4000w on the 208 and 19 ish amps is correct. I have a be the same issue. 5500w elements run at about 19a. The easy fix is add more elements.

Really depends on the yeast. I run a couple different ones and pitch slightly above what is recommended. Ie if it's a 2-4lb/1000gal I pitch at say 5lb/1000 gal. You will have to experiment to find what works for your yeast. Just don't be afraid to bump it up a little.

Thanks for sharing. Can I ask when and how much yeast you pitched on the second addition? Generalities of amount are ok, i.e. Same as first pitch or half first pitch. I try to hold ph between 3.8 and 4. I also get slow fermentation times 3-4 weeks. Next batch will be addition of a second yeast to see if I can get another .01 of attenuation.

Really depends if you want real feedback or a medal. Adi seems to the former. Others the latter. We entered one and did well, but then I looked at who got double gold and lost all respect for the judging. When the double gold goes to a product that one of my blind taste testers identified due to how bad it was, I really question who is judging and if I want to make a product they approve.

I don't do washes that are exclusively sugar, but do sugar based washes. Sugar washes do need something for buffering. Calcium carbonate works. You are correct that rum gets some of its buffering from the molasses. I find with my water if I add citric and cc at equal parts by volume it will get my ph close for pitching. This allows you to add a lot of cc for buffering if needed. Ph will drop and even crash if you are not careful. I pitch at 5.2-5.4 and try and hold it to low 4's when fermenting. I also now pitch at higher rates than recommended along with slightly higher nutrient additions. I am above the top recommended rates for both yeast and nutrients. I took a couple ferments from 1.01 to .997 by simply adding a little more yeast. Other ferments needed both more yeast and nutrients. Really depends on water and mash bill. My vodka has some grain in it and it uses 1/2-1/3 of what I add to the higher content sugar washes. It also finishes in 3 days Mixing/degassing has been reported to help, but it sounds like you are already doing that. Personally I have found the right mixes to get full attenuation, but it was a combination of correct ph, for both pitch and fermentation, the right amount of yeast and nutrients.

From Cole pharmer, the basic hydrometer runs $35-$40. The real cost is calibration.

If by certified, you mean calibrated, yes.

Also carbon should be wet with water prior to introduction of the alcohol, so leave some room for proof changes. I use a simple gravity filter. About 3 ft of 2" pipe filled with 8-32 carbon. Then let gravity flow through. For larger quantities a pump system is needed.

My proof is still over 190 when I hit tails for vodka. The way I run the still, the still head temp only changes .1 to .2 deg at tails. A small jump in proof. It's more about smell and taste than proof.

You should see the boiler temp change as the alcohol is depleted. That will be a good sign that you are getting to the end of the run. I will start about 185 and end up at 200. I am close in altitude so you should get similar numbers.

I reduce heat as it starts to boil to get a hot break. Then bring back the heat after the hot break. If you don't have any issues with foaming or puking, I would not worry about it.

For planning I would use a 10:1 reduction. So if you start with 100 gallons in a fermenter, you will have about 10 gallons or 50 bottles finished product for whites/vodka. Barrel aged whiskey will be less, maybe 15:1. Pretty easy to work your way back from there. Just take your bottles per week, divide by 5 for gallons, then decide how many still runs you want to do. Divide your gallons by still runs, then multiply by 10 or 15 to get your still size. Figure 2 week turn on a fermenter. So take still runs per week X still size X 2 and that gives you the fermenter capacity needed. Then match the mash tun to the fermenter size. Might not be perfect, but it will get you close. The hard part is getting sales volume. Equipment is all about capital expenditure and easy to calculate.

the poster is about 5800 ft, so that will drop the boiling points. I am at 6k and 185 is not uncommon for a starting boiler temp for a 10% wash. Same with head temps, 140 proof is about 182 deg.

The kettle temp should slowly increase as the abv drops. I usually start about 185-190 and slowly increase to 200 as the boiler becomes depleted. Can't help you on the deflag as I don't run one, I run a vm still head. the abv will slowly drop if I don't make any changes to reflux rate. I would guess the surging might be from the column not draining all the way back to the kettle? I assume there is a drain from the column back to the kettle. I would start looking in that area. I am at 6000ft, so water bp is about 200.

My experience is that it doesn't sell well on the shelf. Other spirits certainly sell better. It is something that some people really like, but it's not for everyone. Definitely a niche market.

You may find that rum with molasses will need a higher og as it will not finish as low as other fermentations due to the unfermentables. Depending on the quality and quantity of molasses your rum may finish 1.01 to 1.02. That puts your opening sg 1.08-1.09. For me rum was one of the easier products to make. Pick your mix of sugar vs molasses. Get your pitch ph correct, 5.2-5.4. Use a good rum yeast, I use lallemand RM. Add nutrients, I use lallemand GN and use the rate they recommend for sugar washes. Adjust ph as needed during the fermentation, but I find that it doesn't usually need any due to the calcium in the molasses. Run your fermentation at 90 deg and you should have a decent base rum. I think a lot of the trick to the big producers rum is what they add after distillation.

We use long and skinny for the filter. 3 ft of 2". Gravity feed with a single pass. 8-32 coconut carbon.

It can be. Yeast is more stressed which can cause off flavors. We pay for sugars, so in the end it really doesn't matter how much you use from a cost point of view. Use more sugar, get more product, use less, get less. The difference can be use less, get a better product so more usable product while spending less for sugar. You might have to do more runs or run a bigger system to get the same amount of product, but it will be better.

While I have not got there yet, I can see it coming. Have you considered preprinting bottles? That removes one step although it requires more inventory, but if volume is up, not as much of an issue. The other time consuming issue for me is the cap strip. For high volume I am considering a printed sleeve or even a screw top. Both would remove another operation in the proces.

If you are going to run two plates as a one and done you will need to adjust the deflegmater to provide some reflux. Two plates alone with no reflux won't be clean enough for a single run. I have not run 4 plates, but I do know people who run like you did as second run. Running that way is essentially a two run with pot still. The deflegmater is just used to compress the heads.

If you are going to run low reflux which I am surmising from your description of the cuts, I would add more plates. You could also up the reflux with 2 plates and potentially get more esterification. I have done single run rum using 2 plates, but used more power, 6000 to 8000w on a 4". Running like that needs more reflux. Maybe run around 65% If you do a strip/finish, then run it more like a pot still with 3-4 plates. On the spirit run use reflux to compress the heads, then pretty much turn off reflux and adjust taste with power/vapor speed.

What are you trying to do? A white or a barrel aged rum? Are you changing the reflux during the run? 3000w on a 4" seems pretty slow on the vapor speed. I have run over double that for barrel aged.