[Marduk]

Emmett,
I got the element and controller combo off of ebay. Not sure if it was from you or not? (posted pic)
I run 10 gallon max in a 15.5 gallon keg. Currently using a 12″ packed column (14″ including the head).
Hope that helps diagnose. Thanks!

[Marduk]

OK! Well, I installed a 1440 electric element and a temperature controller and found the induction plate was no longer necessary except for a quicker heat up time. From start to finish on a 10 gallon batch only took six hours! What a remarkable improvement time-wise! The only short coming was the decrease in proof. I went from 164 proof max in the middle of the run to around 120 proof in the middle of the run with the heating improvement. With the temp controller there was no way to tweak it down in temp without it cycling off completely. Small price to pay I suppose for the drastically decreased run time. Also, it is so much easier now to see when to make the cuts. As soon as the thermo coupler reads that the temp increases and then holds steady, I make the cut. Very nice! Still working on a cooling water improvement. May just make a makeshift worm out of the exiting condenser cooling line. Run it coiled up in a bucket of ice, then have it drain back into the reservoir to be pumped back up through the condenser. Either that or make a “swamp cooler” out of an old air conditioner radiator and fan, we’ll see.
So, after those nice improvements, I have one more question concerning purity…If I extend my column by another foot or two, will it improve the purity? I have learned that the slower you go, the higher the purity, so how can I slow it down just a bit? Thanks in advance!

[Marduk]

Just bought a 1440 watt heating element with temp controller to boost the temp along with my induction plate. I’ll post comparison results soon.

[Marduk]

Thanks for the info on the carapils! I didn’t check the SG until I mixed in the sugar wash, sooo…I’ll get back with you in a few weeks after these corrections are made! Thanks!

[Marduk]

Hey Richard! Thanks for responding!
I use a 5 gallon bucket with an 85 gph pond pump attached to hose going to and from the condenser back into the 5 gallon bucket. Seems to save on the water bill, lol. The temp of the faucet water to begin is around 50-60 F, but raises in temp as the pump runs, up to 100 F, I tried adding ice to the bucket, but that brings the temp way down to around 40 F and water condenses on the outside of the liebig condenser, which isn’t an issue< I just wrap the end with paper towels so the water doesn’t drip down. Thinking if I put the 5 gallon bucket on top of a 7.5 gallon bucket that’s filled with ice, it will control the temp a little better?
My 1300 watt nuwave induction plate takes about 90 minutes to heat up 10 gallons in the 15.5 gallon keg to boiling. The first bit that comes out evaporates almost immediately when it hits the jar. Then it starts to drip about 1 maybe 2 drips per second. With five copper scrubbers in the column, and the cooling water varying in temp every hour or so, would that affect the equilibrium of the faux reflux causing it to slow down? Should I use less scrubbers possibly?
My mash process is taken straight from Clawhammers website here: http://www.clawhammersupply.com/blogs/moonshine-still-blog/3386482-how-to-make-moonshine-part-1-the-mash
I start with his thin corn mash recipe, but I use 100% stone ground corn meal. It takes time to strain it using a nylon mesh bag, but works well. I also use Briess carapils malt (no color or flavor contribution) 6 row-lovibond 1.3. I pulverize it in my nutribullet blender to make sure it can come in contact easily with the corn meal. I follow the procedures on the site to a “T” and it works out well. My starting gravity is roughly 1.055. I thought it should be a bit higher considering I added 8 pounds of sugar to make a 5 gallon wash to mix with the 5 gallon corn mash, but the FG was at nearly .98 after two weeks. I probably should have let it sit for another week, but I was a bit anxious to get started!
I hope this helps you with further suggestions and thanks so much for your time and knowledge!

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