Bubbler update and observations
Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2023 8:02 pmHi All - I haven’t posted in a long time, but have been following. Just thought I would post about my experiences with my 4” bubbler. I use 8 plates and have 4800 of power.
I only run my full bubbler a couple times a year - for several days at a time. I make a boatload if wash, strip it, and then run the low wines. In my still,in the end I fill the 60 litre boiler at 40%, and then hunker down for a long day. By the time I get everything balanced, the heads wel, separated, and the product run, it makes for a long day.
For a long time, I couldn’t hit much better than 94% ABV, but have now pushed it up to 95%. But it is slow - around 2 litres an hr. At say 2.5 litres, I get around 94.5. Is that a reasonable outcome? If I push it out to say 93%, I can get around 4 litres an hour. As you can see, at 95%, it makes for a long day.
The difference in quality between the 94 or 95% product and the 93% very significant. I am pretty brutal about early cuts, and the minute the tails even look like coming through I pull the hearts.
An interesting thing - my number 4 and 5 plates collect a lot more on them than the other plates. All plates reflux well, but those two end up with significantly more product sitting in them than the rest, unless I drop the power very significantly. I don’t let them entrain on the above plates, obviously. I keep my take off temps around 20c.
As I say, I don’t run the thing often enough to become expert, but would appreciate any advice or comments as to how I am doing. I would love to get a higher ABV at faster output. I haven’t been successful with a packed section, as I had a huge flood once - surely operator error - and it scared crap out of me. Stills are serious business! I will try it again next time, but am a bit unsure.
Otherwise, with 3 plates I occasionally run a big all grain, but I have so much ageing I doubt I will do that again anytime soon. My efforts with all grain scotch have been outstanding, but my bourbon is still too soon to tell. I will say that using corn is an absolute pain in the arse. I would suggest that the BWKO is the way to go, as it gives tremendous results without the all grain issues. But scotch, using all barley, is far easier. I will be making some more scotch shortly.
I would love to add a Carter head, but probably don’t have the volume to really use it. I make the neutral so as to keep the parasites, er family, happy, but not sure i can justify charging a big boiler to use the Carter heads. I currently use a small boiler with a pot still and gin basket - makes excellent gin. But I would love a Carter head!
Anyway, just thought I would update on my journey. Hope everyone stays safe and enjoys the hobby!
I only run my full bubbler a couple times a year - for several days at a time. I make a boatload if wash, strip it, and then run the low wines. In my still,in the end I fill the 60 litre boiler at 40%, and then hunker down for a long day. By the time I get everything balanced, the heads wel, separated, and the product run, it makes for a long day.
For a long time, I couldn’t hit much better than 94% ABV, but have now pushed it up to 95%. But it is slow - around 2 litres an hr. At say 2.5 litres, I get around 94.5. Is that a reasonable outcome? If I push it out to say 93%, I can get around 4 litres an hour. As you can see, at 95%, it makes for a long day.
The difference in quality between the 94 or 95% product and the 93% very significant. I am pretty brutal about early cuts, and the minute the tails even look like coming through I pull the hearts.
An interesting thing - my number 4 and 5 plates collect a lot more on them than the other plates. All plates reflux well, but those two end up with significantly more product sitting in them than the rest, unless I drop the power very significantly. I don’t let them entrain on the above plates, obviously. I keep my take off temps around 20c.
As I say, I don’t run the thing often enough to become expert, but would appreciate any advice or comments as to how I am doing. I would love to get a higher ABV at faster output. I haven’t been successful with a packed section, as I had a huge flood once - surely operator error - and it scared crap out of me. Stills are serious business! I will try it again next time, but am a bit unsure.
Otherwise, with 3 plates I occasionally run a big all grain, but I have so much ageing I doubt I will do that again anytime soon. My efforts with all grain scotch have been outstanding, but my bourbon is still too soon to tell. I will say that using corn is an absolute pain in the arse. I would suggest that the BWKO is the way to go, as it gives tremendous results without the all grain issues. But scotch, using all barley, is far easier. I will be making some more scotch shortly.
I would love to add a Carter head, but probably don’t have the volume to really use it. I make the neutral so as to keep the parasites, er family, happy, but not sure i can justify charging a big boiler to use the Carter heads. I currently use a small boiler with a pot still and gin basket - makes excellent gin. But I would love a Carter head!
Anyway, just thought I would update on my journey. Hope everyone stays safe and enjoys the hobby!