Rookie Here!

Jim Welcome!
1) I’ve been using a 1500 watt broil king with my 10 gallon still with great results. It does take a bit of time to get up to heat, but I just factor that into my distilling day. You can pick one up on amazon for around 120 or so.

2) I would get a brewing hydrometer and a distilling hydrometer, an auto-siphon, an airlock and stopper.

3) I would buy a new lid- they are pretty cheap at home depot. Use a step drill bit to drill the hole. I am assuming the co2 was escaping through the large hole- I am sure the mash is fine. If it does not smell off- run it- no need to waste it.

4) I never stop a run- If I do I toss it and clean my still. I am not sure if it will affect the taste–but I would assume it would…maybe someone else can chime in on this?

It takes me around 120 minutes to start producing with 1500 watts.
It takes me around 60 minutes to start producing with 1500 watts.

That is the same broil king that I use- I have had no issues with it.
The brewing hydromter looks good-
The distilling hydromter looks good as well

Hydrometer Test Jar (for use with hydrometer)

Wort Chiller for cooling mash

You use the beer hydrometer when you finish brewing, just after you’ve put the wash into the fermenter. This gives you your O G ( Origital Gravity ) this is a measure of how much sugar is in the wash. When it is done fermenting, you take another hydrometer reading for your FG (Finish Gravity). OG – FG divided by 0.79 x 100 = percent of Alcohol by volume. After you are done distilling, take a sample, placing it in a GLASS hydrometer jar ( not plastic) high proof alcohol will eventually dissolve it. Place your alcohol hydrometer in and take a reading to arrive at the proof of the distillate.
Hope that helps.
Jim

Jim,
Great point on using a glass hydrometer jar! Plastic will fail–quickly- I started with plastic as that is what I had- ooops. Get a glass jar or better yet use a parrot.

Do you know what your first recipe is going to be?
Let us know your first recipe and what your process is going to be. We can give you some pointers-

Emmet

4.5 pounds of water
8 pounds sugar
one can welchs grape

You should be in the target of around 10% or so- if you ferment down to 1.010 or so.

I’m not sure how much flavor you are going to get from the concentrate- but it will adds sugar and won’t hurt anything. It sounds almost like an inmate wine of sorts.
Looks fine- keep us posted!

The mash will be around 10%

once you distill it- you should have a nice high proof spirit.

Q) what is the wort chiller for?
A) A wort chiller is used to cool the mash down to yeast pitching temperature. you don’t need one- you can just let the mash sit overnight until it is cool enough to add yeast or put the bucket into an ice bath until it is cool enough to pitch yeast. I like to cool my mash to about 70 before I pitch yeast. (follow the recommended temperature on the yeast packet)

Q) Can’t you just put the mash from the pail to the still and fire up the grill?
A) After you make the mash you add the yeast and let it ferment- once it is done fermenting you can transfer the wash into the still and fire up the grill.

Step one- make a mash
step two- cool the mash to yeast pitching temperatures (either use a wort chiller or let it sit overnight until pitching temp)
step three- ferment the mash
step four- let the yeast settle to the bottom of the fermenter
step five- use an auto-siphon to transfer the liquid to the still leaving behind the yeast. (you can dump the wash into the still but you will be transferring yeast and other stuff you don’t want in the still)
step six- fire up the grill

Wort Chiller (for cooling mash before introduction of yeast)

My ground water from the tap varies depending on the time of the year. If the water is cooler than 70- just heat it up until you are around 70. I always do all grain mashes and mash around 150- so I always have to cool. If you are doing sugar shine mashes you don’t need to mash that high and will have to heat the water until about 70 or so.

What was your recipe?