New FSD 2” Pot still

[RobMichelle]

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Just received my new pot still from 5 star distilling, looks awesome il get some fittings and give it a wash by the weekend. I also recieved my power controller so hopefully on the weekend il run my 60 ltrs of bwko 2nd gen maybe 3rd, stripping run. Poor old air still needs a break it has done well for me over the last 12 months, and will still be needed for the copious amounts of gin that gets consumed . Any thank heaps to Andrew and this forum ! :text-thankyoublue:

[Wellsy]

Enjoy mate, congrats on the purchase. Don’t be surprised if you start looking for more shiney things lol

[RobMichelle]

Thanks Wellsy I really really wanted the 4” but then a bigger boiler :teasing-blah: :teasing-blah: I’m gonna love learning more cool shit lol

[RobMichelle]

I also picked up an ibc to recirc water, il grab a submersible pump from Bunnings, what do people do for the return water, an in-line pump to get it back to ibc?

[RuddyCrazy]

Rob all I did with my setup was run a 1" ag pipe from the shed tank around the back of my shed at ground level, connected it to my 12 volt flojet pump then plumbed in with some black plastic pipe for a tap and still connection. Then the return pipe goes straight up to the roof along the exposed roof sheets from the extension I made and back into the tank. Did this back in '10 and it still working today so set and forget :handgestures-thumbupleft: Now if you want one of those 12 seajet pumps next time your over in SA come up and grab one.

[Wellsy]

I doubt you will need a pump to return the water Rob, waterier you use to get the water from the ibc to the inlet of your condenser use the similar from the outlet to get it back to the ibc.
I stuck a $2:00 stick on thermometer on my condenser so I can see if the water temp gets higher than I like for summer runs :)

[The Stig]

A 350w Ozito dirty water pump , standard 13mm garden hose to the still and back is fine.
With a 1000L IBC you won’t need to worry about it getting hot

[Buj]

:text-+1: for what Stig said.
My 350w Ozito submersible pump handles the 2" Pot and Boka no dramas. 20m run from tank to still and return to tank.

[WoodyD40]

Congratulations Rob
You will love learning to play with the 5star Lego. And you will save a lot of time running the stripping runs and then spirit runs with that new toy.

And yes, the Airstill produces all the lovely gin that my wife loves to drink. When in use, it lives on the kitchen bench - so i make her set it up and run it now. I just water it back down to 45% for safe drinking. :obscene-drinkingchug:

[RobMichelle]

Ok my first stripping run this evening with the new toy, here is how it all seemed to work out.
I started with an empty ibc 1000ltr tank, 350w dirty water pump, pump does not fit in the Bldy hole in Center of tank, quick fix with the angle grinder in the top of ibc and whalla it dropped in( il make it look pretty before summer to keep mozzies out)
So it took 3hours 23mins from power on to power off to collect 7.65 ltrs of lowines @32% in collection pot which was about 7% off spout, wash was a 25 ltr bwko 3rd gen. It took 66mins from first switching the power on digiboil till first drops.
The empty ibc now has 720 ish ltrs of water init. I used mains water in and returned to the ibc. Water was turned on soon as power went on to start heating.
I have another 35 ish ltrs of wash to run, can I fill it to 30ltr or just stay at 25ltr ?
Hope ya all had a great Saturday :greetings-waveyellow:

[Wellsy]

And so the obsession starts mwahhh

[WoodyD40]

I have another 35 ish ltrs of wash to run, can I fill it to 30ltr or just stay at 25ltr ?

Good morning Rob

I recommend to leave head room.
do 2 x 20 litre runs - it will heat up quicker with less in the boiler.

[RuddyCrazy]

Yes mate always leave plenty of headroom as when a 2" pot still decides to puke it does go gang busters :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

[RobMichelle]

Righto thanks guys, better go make some washes & fire the boiler up :-D

[RobMichelle]

Howdy all, ran my first spirit run today with the new 2” pot still from 5star
I did seek some newbie advice so thanks Andrew and woody.
Basically run lasted 8hrs&10 min from heat on to heat off, :handgestures-thumbupleft:
I collected 300ml foreshots straight into weed killer bottle
1.6ltrs heads which I discarded first liter of that into weed killer bottle as well
I collected 30 jars each with 200ml in them and collected down to 30% .left 9 ltrs in boiler
Wash was 17 ltrs of 32% bwko 3rd gen.
I ran the fore’s and heads at a drip drip drip, then increased flow to a broken thin stream for most of the run then increased power as abv was dropping to keep at the broken stream, slightly issue with power controller which Andrew is sorting out on Monday for me, really great to have friendly support when needed, good confidence booster.
Any other input will be appreciated from you people with Tom’s load more experience than I.
Ffv wash stripping will probly start next week. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Wellsy]

Congrats on getting the run done mate.
I run a stop watch into a measuring tube to get the flow rate right, for my 4” pot still I run at 2 litres an hours, that works out at 90 seconds for 50 mil
I also keep all my feints so I can do them in a feints spirit run, you will be maxed at how much good stuff you get from feints

[RobMichelle]

Thanks Wellsy yes I have a couple of feints on oak in cupboard I might need to take more fore’s then the heads mighten be so prickly.
That’s very scientific lol :ugeek:

[Wellsy]

Ummm apologies if this is a stupid question but I assume you are doing a feints run and making cuts as normal, rather than just aging feints, is that correct.

Heads are always prickly to me, that is what made me double check mate.

[RobMichelle]

Fair question mate, yes running as a normal spirit run all through the trusty old airstill, that’s now sitting in the cupboard waiting for gin macerations.

[Wellsy]

as an experiment try saving them up until you can do a feints run through your pot still, I think you will be very surpised at the results, I know I was :)