Ozarks-Irishman
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
I have a thermocouple at the top of the column on both the pot still and the reflux still. Vapor temperatures are more important to me than boiler temperature.
Rebel, do you take gravity readings? You should take a specific gravity as you put the beer in the fermenter. When your air lock begins to slow down in activity, you should take readings a couple of days apart. When it no longer changes, it’s ready to distill.p
Richard, how does this no cook method work out for you? I usually cook my corn like I was making beer. Cool it down, add malted barley, rest for 90 min. Allowing conversion of starches, bring to a boil, cool, pitch yeast etc. Takes forever, but I’m usually distilling at the same time, and that’s usually an 8 hrs. Job too.
I really hate auto correct…don’t suppose the Hollander would like it either! Is supposed to say colander.
I just run some water through the top of the column and call it good. It’s sterile, so no worries.
Take a look at a Boca ( or Boca Bob) Mine is a 2″ x 5 ft. Copper column.
Good advice …no worries, just distill and enjoy!!
Just gives me another option and a lower wattage density. However, we’ve been using the 240 volt element at 6.7 amps only. Seems almost hands off through most of the distillation. Sat. Run was about 8 hrs long, Ran a little on Sunday, only got a pint and called it quits. Not interested in anything under 80 proof!! Will add that to the next run.
Hey Richard, just out of curiosity, does your dad live in Rozel Ks? I worked at Burdett Ks for 30 years, and a Richard Coleman lived in Roselle..did some business there at the co-op.in Burdett.
Those look like a really improvement over the glass ones will have to show them to sil
With both elements on, I’m applying 6875 watts to the boiler. Haven’t really paid much attention to the time. However, I’m thinking that it’s probably in the neighbourhood of 30 – 40 min. You can use a 220 volt element on a 110 volt source, (just not 220 on a 110 element ) but the heat output is 1/4 the elements rated wattage, so it runs at 1375 watts. Could bore you with the math, but that’s how it works out with ohms law.
I use glass carbons for a secondary fermenter usually after a week in the plastic primary fermenter. Like to get it off the grain and allow it to begin settling. The plus side is that I can then see the level of the trub and avoid transferring too much of it into the boiler. Down side, Heavy!! Just not as strong as I used to be.
Edited to correct that which auto complete thinks it needs to change.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.
JimHave a 15 gallon still with two 5500 watt elements. One element is voltage controlled 220 volts, the other is 110 volts,PID controlled. Use both elements to run up to temperature, then use the voltage controlled element to drive the still
