Using Super Reflux still head as POT still

[bundyftw]

I want to give making whiskey a go but I have one of those Super Reflux still heads and i was wondering if you can adapt it to be a regular pot still head by removing the packing and marble and still be able to regulate the heat with just the condenser, keeping it below 90 degree's and keeping flavour?
has anyone here done such a operation with this equipment?
cheers

[MacStill]

Too easy ;)

Just bypass the reflux lines on the column & only run your coolant through the product condenser :mrgreen:

You can take the packing out too & it will effectively be a pot still.

Cheers.

[R-sole]

You don't regulate the head temp if it's acting as a pot still. 8-)

[bundyftw]

Thing i'm having difficulty getting my head around is how i have a 1400w element constant boiling the wash full bore,and i believe the water jacket in the column in my still is what counters this as it regulates the steam temp so that only alc vapours and not water steam can pass through the condenser?

My undestanding in pot still operation is you regulate your heating so your steam temp is below 90 above 78, any higher and your condensing water vapour right, so with the heating element being constant full bore, do you regulate this temp through the amount of water through the condenser after disconnecting the column hoses..or is that why the alc content is lower in pot stilling because of this? could you explain that? thanks

[MacStill]

In pot still mode you dont regulate anything really, well not inless your on gas or have a voltage controller.... but with only 1400w you'll be running pretty slow anyway ;)

This is a good bit of advise ;)

You don't regulate the head temp if it's acting as a pot still. 8-)

Cheers.

[SBB]

From my understanding the head temp is going to be controled by the boiling point of what ever mix of substances are leaving the boiler at any given time.
Have a squizz at this ..........might help ya a bit.....http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=16635
About 4-5 posts from top is one that explains it nicely I think.

[R-sole]

Thing i'm having difficulty getting my head around is how i have a 1400w element constant boiling the wash full bore,and i believe the water jacket in the column in my still is what counters this as it regulates the steam temp so that only alc vapours and not water steam can pass through the condenser?

My undestanding in pot still operation is you regulate your heating so your steam temp is below 90 above 78, any higher and your condensing water vapour right, so with the heating element being constant full bore, do you regulate this temp through the amount of water through the condenser after disconnecting the column hoses..or is that why the alc content is lower in pot stilling because of this? could you explain that? thanks

Expanding on the same line of thought you are proposing here. What temperature does water get to if you boil it?

What if it boils on the stove on 4 and you turn the heat up to 8? What temperature will the boiling water be then?

What if you put the pot across two elements and have it boiling flat out so it splashes everywhere? What temperature will it be then?

The answer to all those questions is of course 100C at sea level.

Same with an ethanol/water mix. It can only boil at the temp dictated by the mix (between 86 and 100C, depending on where the alc content is tween 100 and 0%).

[bundyftw]

Very interesting 5Star, hadn't thought of it that way. Science never was a strong point.
Makes me rethink my gas burner plans for my 50L keg.. had always wondered how they pot stilled with a 50L Keg 2200w element, reading that link explaining temp control now, very interesting, thanks all.

[bundyftw]

Just finished stripping my first 50L batch of UJSM with my still spirits brand reflux still, (not super reflux as i first thought) and would appreciate some advice on a couple issues.
firstly the SG of the wash was 990, all good, smelling awesome.

first 25L boil i removed the cooling hose to the column turned on water at 40 degrees etc but the condenser ran red hot temps around 95 in the column, reinstalled hose halfway thru run, pulled about 1.8L of spirit ranging from 55%-30% (at 30% drops stopped) column still hot, condenser hot but cooler down bottom. water flow wasnt filling condenser obviously and coming straight out.

2nd 25l run i reinstalled all hoses, marble in column etc, temp still went straight up to 92 peaking round 96 with 600ml/minute water flow and offlow water temp felt about right on the finger. pulled 2L out of that with abv avg around 35%

I threw out 250ml foreshots, the first 800ml of hearts of each wash smells sweet as , the rest 2 odd litres smells like sweet but strong smelling tails feintly like nail polish.

maybe someone using the same equipment can advise whether this is about right performance, temps and alc result and the smell of the low wines is normal. I realise this equipment is reflux but my pot still project has stalled waiting on a refill of oxy gas, and wanted to get a bunch stripped while i have some time off.
all advice appreciated ( no troll)

[Damoz]

Hey bundy... Would love to know how you ended up going with this. Im about to do the same thing myself and would appreciate any pointers for using the reflux to make some tasty product... Got my first UJSM almost ready to go... :geek:

[punchy21]

Hey Damoz and Bundy...

Check out this link to HD about running a HBS still... might help ya's out a bit... :handgestures-thumbupleft:

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 46&t=13264

[Nardy]

I run my Still Spirits Super Reflux as a pot still (as bundy and McStill have described above). I make molasses wash rum with it and it turns out quite nice.

Getting your cuts right is the tricky bit for new distillers - I have a few 5L batches ageing on american oak that contain small portions of tails and these will be ageing for quite a while longer me thinks. The hearts that I have ageing taste delicious.

I'm sure if you rejigged the condenser or made up a new still from scratch you'd get a better product (or run more efficiently), but if you've already got a SS reflux still, you can make it work. Now that I am hooked though I will be making my own pot still from scratch soon.

[Longknife]

Hi all
I was wanting to know if anyone had tried taking
The packing out of a T500 and run it as a semi pot still.
If so would love to hear anything you learned good or bad.
Thanks in advance from a newbie.

[wld trky]

It cant be done with the stainless/ plastic top cap T500. There is a new copper model and that can be used without anything inside. Andy already has a photo of it on here

viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1405

[Longknife]

Cheers wld trky.
I thought as much. Could see mabye a few problems of heat on the plastic bits if I was to pull the saddles out an try to run as pot still. Has anyone tried any method of getting any flavour through the t500? I know it's against what the full reflux is all about but can't afford another still just yet.
Thanks everyone, great site and great information being shared.

[Fatherjack]

Thanks everyone, great site and great information being shared.

:text-+1:

[crow]

Cheers wld trky.
I thought as much. Could see mabye a few problems of heat on the plastic bits if I was to pull the saddles out an try to run as pot still. Has anyone tried any method of getting any flavour through the t500? I know it's against what the full reflux is all about but can't afford another still just yet.
Thanks everyone, great site and great information being shared.

Yeah mate tons of ppl have tried it and it doesn't work. Here is one of hundreds of threads about why you shouldn't do it
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 15&t=30049