Still_Holler

Yes, here is the fan model https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200461050_200461050?cm_mmc=housefile-_-recd-_-phone-_-conf

Thanks Tom!

I'm no expert and live in an area where code enforcement is basically non existent. That being said, we purchased a gas detection unit from RKI instruments which is set for the lower explosive limit of ethanol vapor. There is an exhaust fan mounted behind the still which is wired to the gas detector. If the LEL is reached an alarm sounds and the exhuast fan kicks on, theoretically reducing the ethanol concentration. It hasn't triggered yet and hopefully never will. Good luck!

10" column on 100 gal still is large or no? I'm running 6" on 200 gal.

I enjoyed your thoughts. I've just started a small distillery and I really resonate with what you are saying about the middle ground being nonexistent. We are basically serving the immediate local market of locals willing to pay extra to support their own and tourists willing to spend extra for something unique. We are just selling from the distillery because we get to keep the distributor and retail cut. Our first batch sold out in 3 days, but it was Christmas. We hope by keeping the product scarce, it will have higher demand and price. It will be extremely hard for us to expand to a larger market because of the higher distribution costs and the lack of adequate product supply with our small batch methods. If we can sell it here and keep more $ per bottle why not. But I sure don't expect to be hearing from the big boys with million dollar offers.

Open to offers, we need to clear out some room..

I just got home from distillery, I can take some more tomorrow. Anything in particular you want to see?

It seems from a scientific standpoint one wold want to use TTB table 7 and correct the density for temperature when making determinations by weight. "This table is also prescribed for use in ascertaining the true capacity of containers where the wine gallon contents at 60 degrees Fahrenheit have been determined by weight in accordance with Tables 2, 3, 4, or 5. This is accomplished by dividing the wine gallons at 60 degrees Fahrenheit by the factor shown in the table at the percent of proof and temperature of the spirits. The quotient will be the true capacity of the container. Example. It is desired to ascertain the volume at 60 degrees Fahrenheit of 1,000 wine gallons of 190 proof spirits at 76 degrees Fahrenheit: 1,000×0.991 equals 991 wine gallons, the corrected gallonage at 60 degrees Fahrenheit."

Two x 200 gallon cypress wood fermenters manufactured by Confederate Stills Alabama. These have never been used, I ended up buying 4 fermenters but only need two based on our production schedule. $1,750 each. 2" tri clamp outlets, removable wood stands. I can deliver within days drive of 26270 WV for a fee. Thanks for looking and let me know if you have any questions.

Do you need to adjust for temperature when weighing?

Has anyone has had a visit from the TTB recently and could comment on their treatment of storage tanks and measuring devices?

When I told the still/masher manufacturer that the Reflectix engineer confirmed it was only rated to 180 F and should be removed immediatly his response was "never been a problem" and "its yours, it you want to remove it that is your choice" I'm still in the process of rectifying quite a few problems with the manufacturer, so don't want to name names as it is a pending matter. Picture shows what I found under the wood.

Thanks for the advice all! I'm new to the bubble plate column still. Unfortunately, PeteB I don't have much sense of smell, but I admire your skill. I will have to rely mostly on the top of column thermometer and proof for my cuts. So I have given it another run and I am getting very slow volume of product. It is about 100/ml per minute. What kind of volume are folks getting out there? I was trying to run it faster to see if I could get more volume, so I turned the dephleg up and flame up; but I guess I turned the flame up too much. The product flow would stop, temp drop, then condensate start slowly at high proof, pressure rising to 0.9 psi 1/2 hr later and proof would suddenly drop quickly and condensate overrun the dephleg and started spewing alcohol all over out of the vapor relief holes on the parrot. I got cautious after that happened a couple times and I would barely turn up dephleg water and then turn up heat tiny bit, and I would get steady flow of 100 m/l. After a 1/2-1 hr as proof started to drop toward 120 I would turn up slightly again and repeat. The proof would spike each time untill the heat increase caught up to the cooling water and then would even out at 100ml/min. I turned it up incrementally 6 times but the flow never did surpass 100ml/min. I got good yield of good product but it just took 14 hrs. I am thinking to try again with the same small adjustments but be slightly more agressive with getting to a higher flame. Is flow rate tied to alcohol percentage of the mash? i.e If I do stripping runs and then use a 25% low wine for the spirit run will my flow rate be faster with the same heat compared to a 6% mash? Thanks

To follow up: I installed power vents on both my vent pipes and have been getting a good draft with no problems. I removed the insulation and wood and did not replace it with any thing. The insulation showed signs of deterioration and there was lots of moisture trapped against the inside of the wood. I may end up going with a high temp, high moisture pipe insulation on the still, but the volume of water (200 gal) holds heat so well I see no reason to put it on the mash tun, it would just increase my cooling time. (I was able to use the removed wood to face my bar with so at least its not a total loss) Now I am running again I'm trying to figure the still out curious what you all think of these numbers? It is 250 gal pot that has a 4 plate 6" column with dephleg on the top and 440,000 btu propane burner underneath. Running pretty high flame I heat up 220 gallons 10 degree F every 15 minutes, or 40/hr. Right now, I heated for 4 hrs with no water to dephleg and my kettle temp is 170 F but my column temp is only 78 F. I heated it fast and then as I approached 160 I cut the heat way down but kettle temp is still slowly creeping up. I would like to get the heads out with kettle at 170 (altitude adjustment of -3 F) then run on dephleg and higher heat to get hearts. It seems like long time for column to heat up but I guess I'll have to be patient, possibly shut heat off for a little while.

Thanks for the feedback, you guys may have saved me a lot of trouble. I have the "aluminum" bubble insulation as well, PeteB how many years did yours last for? I just asked the still manufacturer for the insulation type, which is Reflectix. I looked it up, It is rated for +180F. I called the insulation company and the engineer said there is very little flexibility in the heat rating and that it will melt if I bring the pot to boiling and I should remove it immediately.

Hi Ned, It is single wall copper surrounded by insulated mat and wrapped in wood overtop of the insulation.

we have the propane tips, it just not getting a proper draft through the vent pipe

Hi, hopefully not derailing the thread here, but I am also dealing with direct fire propane burner issues. We have our still and mash tun installed inside our building so the vent pipe is crucial for safety and code reasons. There is a 440,000 btu burner inside a metal fire box under the still, we built fire brick around the inside of the firebox for further insulation. There are gaps around the bottom to let combustion air in. The sides of the still are insulated and it has an agitator. A 6" vent comes out of the back of the firebox and goes up 14' with type B vent pipe then 90s and out the wall. I installed according to still manufacturers recommendations but we had a problem with not enough draft on a calm day and the propane was not getting good combustion due to lack of oxygen. It set of co2 alarms and caused us to have to abandon the run. Because of this I did more research on the burner which the still manufacturer supplied with the still, which is from the Glacier Tanks website. According to the website "Cast iron jet burners, fueled by either propane or natural gas, are similar to turkey kettle burners and are typically only used in outdoor brewing as per most municipal codes. Jet burners can not be used in closed firebox and require substantial air intake to function properly. If allowed to be used indoors, a vent hood is usually required." This leads me think I need a draft inducer or power venter to comply with the burner manufacturers installation instructions. (draft hood implies fan assisted venting) The still manufacture says it is fine without any power venting and I need to eliminate the 24" of horizontal run in my vent pipe to get a better draft. I want to ensure safety and eliminate liability so am thinking of putting a power venter with speed control at the vent outlet. Will I just be venting my heat away? Does anyone have experience venting direct fire stills indoors? Thanks.

I recently inquired with Hydrite about organic de-foamers. Below info is from email I recieved. Here are the specs for the 2 organic defoamers. They both are 100% active – no silicone. ORG 20 - designed for the organic food processing market. This product is made to the highest standards and is fortified with an organic wax that affords better performance at higher temperatures (>160oF). ORG 40 - is also an Organic Certified foam control agent designed for the organic food processing market. This product is made to the highest standards and is fortified with an organic wax that affords efficient foam control across broad operational parameters. The product exemplifies itself in high starch systems versus the competitive products on the market. Suppressor ORG 40 is limited by the FDA to a 500 ppm on the final food product. Karleen Rivenburgh | Account Sales Representative 2545 Bond St. University Park IL 60484 C: 815-540-1617 Karleen.Rivenburgh@Hydrite.com

https://secure.brewhaus.ca/docs/EffectofElevationonBoilingPoint.pdf This seems to have the info. Ethanol boils 3 degree lower at 2500 so I could adjust the cuts by 3 degree f

So I am at 2600' elevation. The boiling point of water decreases 0.5 degree C for every 500' elevation, so my water boils around 97.5 degree celcius or 207.5 F. -4.5 degree from normal boiling point. If I want to make my theoretical head cut at 160 F and tails cut at 180 F, should I subtract 4.5 from each of these values to account for elevation. i.e. does the boiling point of alcohol react to elevation in a linear manner to h2o? I'm going to do some research and report back, thought i would see if anyone out there has useful info? Thanks!

howdy, do you still have this?

Hi, Does it produce a lot of dust running indoors?

Thanks all for the advice. It does have tri clamp where I can flush in reverse. After the final rinse, I'm left with clean water in the bottom of the plates. I will be running the still 2 days, then 4 days off, then run two days. I'm thinking if I flush with clean water every other day during the down days it should prevent any problems?