Filling capacity of still accounting for foaming?

[RyeWater]

I am in the process of deciding what size still and ferms. to purchase.

I am going to get a stripping still and then a finishing still.

I plan on fermenting whole grain mash (not sieving out the cracked grains) in my stripping still which i heard can create more foam so my question is if i get a 500 gallon ferm. and a 500 gallon stripping still would i be able to load the full 500 gallons of mash into the stripping still or would i only be able to load like 400 or 450 because of the foaming issue?

Thanks for any advice!

Tyler

[John McKee]

Tyler,

There are ways to knock down foaming allowing you to maximize your still charge. But ignoring that, you may want to consider a continuous stripping still at that volume. 500 gallons in a 2 gpm stripping still is only 4+ hours of machine time. Buy 3-500g fermenters, run out 3 stripping runs in a single long day (quicker than you can do in a batch still) and you have a lot more product to run through the finishing still.

Food for thought.

Cheers,

John

[RyeWater]

Tyler,

There are ways to knock down foaming allowing you to maximize your still charge. But ignoring that, you may want to consider a continuous stripping still at that volume. 500 gallons in a 2 gpm stripping still is only 4+ hours of machine time. Buy 3-500g fermenters, run out 3 stripping runs in a single long day (quicker than you can do in a batch still) and you have a lot more product to run through the finishing still.

Food for thought.

Cheers,

John

I had not done much looking to continuous stills at all. Could you recommend any manufacturers that make a decent product at a decent price? If i run all my wash in 1 day what am I going to do the rest of the week!

My plan was to get 3 or 4 500g ferms, 1 500g stripper and like a 150gal finisher.

[John McKee]

Tyler,

Carl makes one, Vendome makes one, and we make one. Not sure of other manufacturers.

Best,

John

[Dehner Distillery]

I also build several types of Continuous stills.

515-559-4879

Take care!

Joe D.