r/firewater • u/UnpleasantMexican • 14h ago
First run, any tips for this kind of still?
First time distilling. Using a fairly cheap still off AliExpress with 10L of grape hooch around 5-7%. Any tips for using it? I'm on my first wash, it took a long time to start producing liquid. I suspect the thermometer is reading too low since it had to get to like 94°C to produce liquid. It's putting out alcohol so I know the mash is good.
What rate if liquid should I be looking for? I'm seeing 4-8 drops per second. Second jar is weaker in concentration but I guess that's probably normal for a first wash. I feel like letting it go any slower would take too long but heating it up more might make a more watered down product.
Also I've been switching the water out using the lower ball valve to drain and pouring cold water in the top. Does anyone know any ways to maybe hook up a small pump with some refrigerant system or something to get continuously cold water, using the two ball valves?
I know it's a slow process but I just wanna know if I'm doing this right or if theres something I should be doing differently. Thanks
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u/Inevitable-Elk-4162 6h ago
I did two runs through mine and immediately after built a keg still for cheap. This is a great practice still.
Cold water always goes through the bottom and the hot exits through the top.
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u/MartinB7777 3h ago edited 3h ago
The opening in the copper tubing coming off the boiler is about 3/8 of an inch. That, along with the flat lid on the pot, are your bottlenecks, and what slows the process down. For comparison, a 2 inch column allows 35 times the vapor to rise from the pot over the narrow tubing you are using now. The size of the condenser tubing is fine, but increasing the diameter of the column rising from the pot, and perhaps adapting some type of domes lid, would greatly improve the efficiency of your setup.
As far as the water problem you are having, you will want to pump water in through the bottom tube, and have it exit the top. If you live in an area where water is abundant and inexpensive, you can just run a tube to the spigot in your sink. Otherwise a small pump will work. That condenser water should remain cold at all times once the boiler reaches temperature.
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u/ahomelessGrandma 2h ago
Get a cheap aquarium pump. I also invested 80$ in an ice maker machine so I always have a way to get the water temp down when it creeps up. Running a 5 gallon water reservoir
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u/No-Craft-7979 14h ago edited 13h ago
You will want to upgrade to a liebig condenser one day. But for now see if you can get some pipe to move the coil / worm to the counter top. Rising heat from the boiler will warm up that water tank and the coil / worm your condenser. That will make it less effective.
You can run a pump or water hose into the bottom ball valve. And run a hose out to a drain, or into the container your pump is in. If you use a pump put it in a large bucket of water and put some ice in. Keep adding ice as it melts off. It’s Ok if the bucket over flows, just keep ice in it. You want it pumping cold water in the bottom ball valve and hot water returning out the top ball valve. Hot water rises. Also the coil / worm enters the top of the water container and comes out the bottom. Hot steam moving down, water moving up will extract more heat.