Linny's Potential Plater

[SBB]

If their drying up your going to need more heat or more reflux, a little of both is probably the better option, No need to go crazy with either of the two, as long as your plates are sealing properly a little extra heat or reflux goes a long way.
All I can say is Im glad I had windows so I could see whats going on in there when i learned to drive mine. 80-85% does sound low maybe you had a plate or two loaded and a couple dry.

[Linny]

yeah , thanks .... im starting to think a 2 ring burner just cant cut it.... I do plan to upgrade , just i wanted to play with it first .... I know its not quite workin properly but im still very happy with what turned out :handgestures-thumbupleft: , even if its limping its still better that a POT

[tickle]

Nothing mate, it's yours. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

It's only the scrapyard stuff, not shiny, but it's only getting coolant water anyway. Soak it in CLR, and sand the outside.

not enough of this left in the world anymore. good on ya. as much as a bitch as karma is, she also brings good back too.

i hope it comes back as a torrid night of drunken debauchery with Kate Upton :D

[emptyglass]

Welcome to the sweet spot search.
When I am collecting, I use the middle ring of a 3 ring burner on low. Too much heat can blow the fluid off the plates, making them seem to dry up.
Too little reflux can make the plates dry up.
You don't need much of each, thats why bubblers are good.

Either way, make sure you got a clear window of time before trying to dial in a bubbler. Mrs, kids, mates, phones etc, get them all out of the distillery first. Only then can you touch up your new girl and find out how she likes to be caressed.

Careful cracking her valve, this will set the mood for the night. I run ball valves, they work, but they are sensative. you only need 1mm movment at the end of the handle to make a difference.
But set one or the other and dont mess with it (heat or coolant), then mess with the other to chase it down, otherwise you will chase your tail forever.

And yeah, a badly run bubbler will always beat a well run pot!

[SBB]

When I am collecting, I use the middle ring of a 3 ring burner on low.

Thats about all I use to Empty, I think a 2 ring burner should be up to the job, just as slow as hell bringing wash up to temp.

[emptyglass]

yeah mate, slow as a wet week.
Crack the burner open to bring it up, full heat, but its possible to get the bottom ring glowing red. If you don't ease up before time, this works like a saucepan on an electric stove and keeps the heat going in after the burner is throttled back.
Can confuse the issue. Back off early.
Any uncollected product is probably tails.
Collected product may seem short on, but do some math on the dilution, and its happy days.

[Linny]

thanks guys , I can see so much potential :happy-partydance: and even if i dont get it much better its already pulling across good flavours/smells. I put 5.5L @ 55% UJSM on Oak last night im pretty sure thats all what i would have got since i didnt use the last jar , even after airing.

Think i need to put double batches down so i can play with it more lol... Got a rum down at the moment, going to start another UJSM. next weekend ill be putting down a small batch Oat whiskey and Pearl Barley whiskey.... going to try a couple of things see if they work.

[kelbygreen]

least thats one good thing with a bubbler you dont have to do 3-4 runs of the same batch so you get enough to do a spirit run. So as you say can do 4 different things in 4 washes :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Sure you will sus it out in a few more runs, Least your happy and seems like a good keep :D

[googe]

I think the best advice I got was from empty, coolent flow flat out, take the heat up to it till the rc can't handle it then back the heat off so it's refluxing nice. Then adjust the take off. Worked really well at getting to know how it runs for the first few times.

[Linny]

Well i found out why my ABV was low around the low-mid 80's .... started another run today, and then drip drip drip... hang on , its not even hot yet.... yep, there was a crack in the PC..... well i quickly reflowed it , quick pressure test.... and back to brewing

[Linny]

Ontop of that , i just want to remind EVERYONE about checking their work , even after a couple of runs ,,, I just found a vapour leak on my top bend... I know it wasnt there last time becuase i put soap bubbles on all of my joins .... Obviously when i have filed my joins clean, i have created weak points.... So keep a eye out always

[BackyardBrewer]

Linny have you found they crop up later or earlier in the run? My most recent trauma made it obvious that failures showed up late in the run.

[Linny]

well the PC was before it got to temp .which was good, but the leak was while i was trying to reflux for the heads .... I just wrapped it in Teflon Tape and will fix it later. Teflon tape is a godsend :handgestures-thumbupleft: streches a little , hard to break and can handle high temps

Its still running now

[bt1]

+1 for a good regular inspection.

Not had a soldering issue but that RC gasket that split a few months ago really was an eye opener. Nothing like a 1lt or 2 of hot ethanol flooding down the outside of your column trying to meet your gas burner for some fun...

bt1

[Linny]

Yeah i realised its right beneath where i installed the Thermometer , where i hole punched it first .... pretty sure thats what did the final blow

[Linny]

Well did another today . I'm Constantly finding little things that Are annoying me such as using plastic hose fittings, the temps are just perishing the fittings and its slowly leaking water . . . gonna have to go brass and 1 keep Cracking the top plate of my RC. At the moment I'm just fixing it hoping one day it just works Iol may have to look into hard solder

[kelbygreen]

I learnt from mac here. on my RC I was fixing one making one and in the end had to take it all apart and start from scratch. He did say its easier to redo it then to chase leaks. I hope I got mine as I havnt put it to use

[emptyglass]

Go brass for where the fittings attatch to copper, then whetever from there and you shouldn't have a drama.

Hose directly on to copper with a hose clamp works ok too.

[kelbygreen]

my liebig is just slid over the 1/2" :)) leaks like 30 drips in a run but I CBF with it. I use this air hose I got like 30meters of from a mine :laughing-rolling:

[emptyglass]

FFS, KG, use a little flour paste.
Mix a teaspoon in a stubby cap, smear it on, toss the cap. Clean and easy.
Don't live with leaks. We all get them, but fix the f-n things. You might only count 30 drops, but there is also vapor leaking.