New Still - FSD Pot Still in Blockhead Config

[Amature_Hour_247]

So I've been stuffing around with an Airstill and getting sick of stripping 4L batches at a time...it was finally time to visit 5 Star.

For nearly an hour, Andrew kindly steered me in the right direction based on my preferences, end goals and constraints. To say he knows his stuff is an understatement.

After a lot of back and forth, config changes, reality checks and sage advice, I ended up with the below which can be built into a neutraliser while minimising the height.

Thanks again mate!

[RobMichelle]

:clap:well done

[The Stig]

Thanks again mate!

All too happy to help my friend, see you again soon'ish :handgestures-thumbupleft: :laughing-rolling:

[Wellsy]

Congrats
you will be astounded at the increase in the quality of your product.
It is a bit of nervous time handing over the cash but there is no looking back now :)

[Amature_Hour_247]

Once Andrew settled on config for me it was literally a 'shut up and take my money' moment haha

Got it home, washed and ready for a sacrificial run. Damn thing is built like a Sherman Tank and will outlast me!
I know people on here go on about the quality but its 100% justified, just really well made gear.

My only complaint is my daughter got a chuppa chip and I did not, which I will be sure to whinge about to Andrew when I get the funds for some bubble plates :dance:

For the sac run, should I just do a FFV or can I express lane it and throw some cask wine in watered down to say 30L? What's the SOP here?

[TheRealMrMessy]

You could use goon, but might as well blitz a TPW or FFV since you aren't keeping the result anyway!

Don't rush it - its not just a sacrificial run, its also a practice run :handgestures-thumbupleft: .

[The Stig]

Sorry mate , feel free to drop by

[Wellsy]

Been warned amature that it could be the most expensive chubba chup you ever get lol

He has some really nice gear that you desperately need :laughing-rolling:

[Amature_Hour_247]

:laughing-rolling:

[RuddyCrazy]

:laughing-rolling:

Na mate it's a RABBIT HOLE :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: now once you enter there is no going back :laughing-rolling:

[Professor Green]

Congratulations on your new rig. You're going to be very happy with it I'm sure.

I started off with a pot still similar to that and worked my way up to a neutraliser one plate at a time.

I Iove a good blockhead, don't know why I just do. I ran (have moved house and can't run it at the moment) my neutraliser with 4 plates and blockhead due to a 2.4m height restriction. It fit with just 4mm to spare. Still managed to to produce outstanding neutral with it even though it wasn't the full set of 5 plates.

[Amature_Hour_247]

Took Messys advice and did a 46L batch of FFV. Stripped it out over the weekend and by God... starting off the spout was 60%!!! That's double what I was getting from the airstill. :dance:

Was a good practice run, initially at 4lpm on the hose end but this meant the distillate was waay to warm at about 55c. I had a couple of dumb issues like not being able to find a couple triclamps, but we got there in the end.

Ended up finding a comfortable offtake temp of 36c and 6Lpm flow for the hose. Was collecting at around 100ml per minute (6Lph) with 4800w.

Cannot get over how much easier it is and the huge jump in speed / quality of offtake.

Hopefully I will follow the Professors path in the near future :happy-partydance: in the meantime I have a 2nd generation CFW ready to be stripped finally.

[TheRealMrMessy]

4800w is hot even for a strip, i usually run 3500. Play around a bit. Try it on 2400 and see what you get. It'll be slower sure but higher abv. There's a balance in there between the abv and speed, as well as how much low wines you can store + fit back in the boiler later.

[Amature_Hour_247]

Thanks Messy. I ran the CFW (only about 30L) on 2400w after heating up on 4800w. Required a lot less cooling water and the product was coming off around 65% so picked up some gains there. Tasted pretty choice for low wines too!

I'll try 3600w next run, but ive run out of yeast farts for now :handgestures-thumbdown:

[TheRealMrMessy]

This is the first real fun part of having a decent piece of kit mate, figuring out what it can do. :handgestures-thumbupleft: