I have learned more from George in 8 weeks than any college courses I have taken over 2 semesters ... and that is amazing. Those classes were infinitely more in cost to profit the university..... George shares his knowledge to expand the craft for the love of it and it shows
George, I had a homebrew school and had to shut down because of COVID-19. So I have invested a lot of time learning new stuff. I have to thank you because I have learned so much from you!
Thank you very much for allowing us to again access your videos. There is so much information and because I am a learner so I need to keep checking your videos.
WOW! I've been running a re-flux still for about a year without getting my head around 'what it's doing'. Some great 'rule of thumb' stuff for input vs output expectations. In short. I learned heaps in this ONE video. Thumbs UP.
George really appreciate the wealth of information..I feel as though I've been shining for 25yrs. In reality about 4.Thank you again. Good health to all..
Mr. George thank you for all your videos you have been the best help with my stilling needs and knowledge I don't think no would be at the point I am now. thanks again very much. and your advice to not take a sleeping pill and laxitive at the same time is great advice. peace out girl scout.
Very happy to have come across your channel, George! I just stumbled across it, and have binge watched five of your videos in a row. What kind of work do you do, or did you do for a living? You strike me as a teacher, as you are an excellent presenter. Phenomenal content on this channel - you're the best fermenting / distilling channel I've seen so far! Thank you
One of the most education videos for a person who wants to get into this hobby. The explanation of apple distilled flavoring taking on notes, and the addition of apple extract to add to those notes was sensational. Thank you!
i guess im asking randomly but does someone know of a way to log back into an instagram account..? I stupidly lost the account password. I would love any assistance you can give me!
@Vivaan Aidan I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and im in the hacking process now. Takes a while so I will get back to you later with my results.
Love your videos. they're extremely helpfulI. And get my creativity going. think an easy way to say it, Kettle temperature, is different than vapor temperature.
Sir, this channel's an inspiration to all freedom lovers around the world. I'm now an 'expert' at sugar washes, and distillery! - Yes, it's at this point I'm potentially heading towards errors and issues, and that's part of the fun. I can't thank you enough. Definitely a great science interest, learning never stops, and this is very important historical engineering, great subject for education.
Enjoy your videos so much .. i see so many distillers spending lots of time and money making a great mash that should have lots of flavor in the end product . And then they process the heck out it with a reflux column to get super high acl % just to end up stripping much if not all of the flavor out of it ending up with a tasteless spirit .
Thanks for the explanation. I'm looking at an 8 gallon all stainless reflux still that can convert to a pot still by mounting the stack horizontal and was wonder what the difference was. Makes sense now. Would be handy to be able to do both.
If you want to get true moonshine info this is the guy you go to. He explains all the steps you need to no in full detail in a way everyone can understand
excellent explanation!! likely the best video id seen for this! curious though, id been looking for that pot still, ( im a flavor guy LOL ) but cant find that model on the website. any leads would help!
Thanks for your videos. You have given me the ability "That I Can Do It". I have a Mighty Mini it has done very well in reflux mode. My son bought some Jack Daniels Old No.7 Whiskey Barrel Smoking Chips for Bar-B-Q-ing made from 100% Jack Daniel's Oak Aging Barrels. So thinking "Oak Barrels" maybe I could soak the spirits in the chips. I have seen you do something like that in one of your videos. I'll see.
.. not a brewer .. but I like the Brain exercise ... I ferment .. you might get me upgraded soon .. ... understand the science in my "hooch" better now .. THANKS
Georges, I’m a newbie and your video give me lot of information i needed. Could you recommend a starter kit that could do pot and reflux option on the same kit ? I also need some recipe. Thanks again.
I started off on a flat top , so glad i did. I could be marooned on a deserted island and be drinkin coconut rum within a week. I think you can get a decent proof with anything if you know how to use it. It seems like everybodys running around acting like you cant get over 50% with a pot still. Like whiskey or vodka didnt exist till the reflux came along.
Thanks for taking the time to pass your knowledge on to us. Just one quick question for clarification... How do you get 5qt of whiskey out of a half gallon wash?
your videos are amazing---informative, easy to follow, full of great technical details--you are such a fantastic teacher. But one thing I'd love you to do a video on is how you avoid squads of machine-gun toting BATFE agents from kicking in your doors, shooting your pets, and hauling you off to jail for felony unlicensed distillation. In all seriousness, PLEASE explain how you get away with this in the USA?
Shit i dont like about column stills is how much more heat you have to have. Then you need more condenser to accommodate it. Which most of the commercially sold stills are weak on.
Hello there professor! Ive been absororbing your teachings in ghe last 3 weeks. I was wondering if I run a Rum Wash through a Reflux still. Will it taste like Rum? Thanks
Thanks brother for the video,so I have a 22qt pot still and a 2 gal Thumper should the tails be split half and half with still and Thumper or what..?? my last run had to drop the Thumper but next run it will be at work was thinking run 4 gal in still 1 to 1 ½ gal in Thumper..or do 3 and 1 ?? still new to this ³rd generation with still.. Grandfather Cob would say any fool can make shine but only a fool drink it... Unless it's mine I think he said. thanks from vessel No problem
if you want to can you just not use the pre condenser on the reflux? like if I want it to keep more of the flavor I can not plug it in but if I want everclear I can plug that part in to make it more pure?
The volatile vapors are - sorry to tell you this but - the volume originally settles at 74 degrees or so. There is no making a change from that, doesn't how much temperature you apply. My brews ALWAYS boil out at 95 percent at around 74 degrees. Although for tailles I allow around a max of 85 degrees. Can't get any better than that. I generally carbon filter half of my yield ( around 15 litres) and leave the other 15 litres at original. I enjoy the best.
No problem, your second question about the liebig condenser: If I understand it correctly, the traditional condenser is surrounded by water so a single in and out is most efficient. as you describe yours it seems like you will run additional lines along side of the condenser; if that is true the more the better since heat transfer will not be as efficient with only one. Hope this helps. George
Hey George, question for you - I have both a pot still and a T500 reflux still with a copper condenser. Looking at them I wondered why you couldn't take the copper saddles out of the column of the T500 and have the column empty when you run it... It looks to me like it would then be the same as a pot still only with a taller condenser. Would that work do you think? Love your work by the way, I've learned heaps from you! Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge!
Chris, That actually does work to some extent. I did a video on that topic and after removing the saddles the proof did drop so the reults were much like a pot still as opposed to a reflux column. Great point. George
Great explanations on your video. Can you tell me what does the copper mesh do ? and I have also been told to use glass marbles in place of ceramics in the tower, so what is the purpose of these ceramics ?
Chris Boyce Nucleation points. Basically more surface area for vapor to condense on which makes it harder for the less volatile vapor (water) to reach the top of the column and get condensed to liquid product. Think of it like a race. Say the ethanol is a slightly faster car than the water car. If your track is very short both cars are going to finish at about the same time. Make the track much longer and the difference in speed becomes more apparent. This analogy isn't the best because it's not exactly speed that is different in the distillation case but I hope it helps get a better picture of the situation
Hi George. I am a newby to distilling and am making my own still that I can run as a reflux or a pot still. Two questions. 1. does the Liebig condenser only require a single tube through the water jacket or would it benefit from a Gatling design with multiple tubes. 2. When running as a pot still do I still need copper, stainless, marbles etc in the main column. Love your videos by the way. Many thanks. Mel Uk.
Mel, I used the info from this site to build my reflux using the Keg with stainless commercial pot scrubbers in column and came out at 196% using a sugar wash with turbo yeast. I did make many changes to make it easier and able to take apart to clean, transport, etc but the same in concept. I also added a temp sensor on top of keg area and top of column, at (maintained)165deg F. top of column it started to run out. I ran as low and slow to make pure as possible. Throw out the first 100mil, save in four different quart containers as I ran to differentiate heads tails etc... Worked very well... www.moonshine-still.com/still.pdf
You seem like you know quite a bit about distilling. And since you mention fruit essences, one thing I was always wondering is is it possible to make potential fruit flavor essence extracts of non-citrus fruit (without sugar and fiber) by slicing apples or peaches and placing them on a steamer rack and adding water in the still and steam distilling and then taking the distillate water and adding that back into the still then adding fresh slides apples and repeating that a few times? I was just curious how that would turn out but don't have my still yet.
Hi, How do you adjust the reflux ration in mighty mini. If had the PID controller hooked on, like you showed, would you still need to control water flow to control?
Sorry for the delayed response. I was on vacation in Vegas for the past 5 days. The combination pot/reflux is best in my opinion. It gives you the best of both worlds.
Barley and Hops Brewing I am a big fan of starting out with Mile Hi Distilling’s 3 gallon stainless steel mighty mini combination pot/reflux still. As you gain experience you can always add on to it. You can even go with a bigger milk can boiler; 8 gallon for Instance. It all depends on your ceiling height and how wild you want to go. Add numerous sight glasses with bubble plates, and or a gin basket. The sky is really the only limit. Have fun and happy distilling to all, and to all some fantastically exquisite home made spirits!
George,,, great video,,, now just for the reference ,,, the mighty mini,,, how much added time to a run would you be looking at,, to run the still in reflux mode,, from the pot mode???? 1/2 hour - 1 hr more ???
Hi George. What is the length of the Leipig condenser on this pot still and how many tubes are in it. Really appreciated your swift response. Amazing instructional videos Sir. Thank you.
It is about 28 inches or so. This one does not have tubes running in it. It is a two piece where the tube running out of the still head has a somewhat larger pipe that jackets almost the full length. It is welded on both ends so it essentially is a pipe inside a pipe. George
Hello George. Probably a silly question but I will,ask it anyway. If I am producing vodka or gin through reflux not withstanding juniper berry infusion for gin, I gather not much note or taste from the mash will end up being in the final product. So my question is does it really matter if I use a corn mash or just sugar for producing vodka and gin? As usual amazing tutorials.
George I really like your in detail explanations, but you gotta help me understand something....when proofing 2 qts.190 vs 140 how do you end up with the same volume of 5 qts.
Using one plate or several is a personal choice. Operate the still at its optimal level and your product will always be excellent. Multiple plates only leads to more separation and flavor stripping so if you are looking for a more neutral, higher proof, lower volume result; multiple plates will provide that. On the other hand if your desire is a more flavorful spirit, it is easier to accomplish this with one plate as long as you watch your temps closely. George
Hey George, I ran my 13 gallon column reflux still for the second time on a gas burner and both time the still started to spit out heads fore-shots and heart at much lower temperature ., the still never reach a temperature past 204 degrees.Im rather confused..Got any ideas? thx. Bret
Could be a few things, the easier thing is to check that your thermometer is calibrated correctly. There are two things you can use to check for calibration. At sea level, icewater (water loaded with ice) should read between 32-35 degrees, and boiling water should read 210-212 degrees. So use those number to see if your thermometer is in the right neighborhood. Secondly, your reflux water may be on the warmer side or there is less than optimal flow (or both). Being summer time, the heat source doesn’t have to work as hard to heat up all the still components. 3rd, where are you measuring the temp? At the boiler or at the column head? The boiler should always be hotter than the column head. Ethanol vaporizes around 170-173 degrees which means it also condenses if the vapor drops below that, so you shouldn’t be looking for 204 degrees at your column head, that’s just too hot and running real fast and you lose proof.
Hey George ... if a pot still is controlled by the heater element, and a reflex still by the water adjustment of the cooling chamber .. why did you make a pdi controller for a reflex still controlling the heating element and not the cooling chamber ... You need to put a solenoid valve in the water line.
George, How necessary is it to do stripping runs, then spirit runs? I keep reading about it on forums, but I don't know how important stripping runs are, or if they're really necessary. If you have a thumper, do you ever need to do stripping runs? Thanks.
IH F depends on what you want? Low wines (what you get from stripping) are self preserved and you don’t have to worry about your product sitting on mash/wort/wash. If you want to make a volume of high abv spirit, you need to do a few stripping runs so you can in turn put all your low wines into the boiler so you aren’t making lots of tiny batches. If you have a reflux still, you don’t really need to strip for high ABV, you just need to go slower to get the high ABV. If you are running a pot still without much of a column and you want high ABV then yes you need to do a stripping run first. If you don’t need high ABV or you want some naturally occurring flavor, then just run your pot still low and slow to get higher ABV but without sacrificing flavor.
Sounds like a plan! I know in the videos he often states the reflux will give the best but didn't know how the ease of operation would compare. Thanks for your input!
Your mighty mini is different from the one I seen before --- it has a side valve. I do not think you sell them online yet. Where do you recommend we get one of these ourselves (just like yours)? Thanks as always!!! P.S. Love Star San -- I really think they should hire you as a spokesman for their product!!!
George, in the reflux model what happens to the methanol that went up first, if they condensed and fell down, doesn't that stay in the rest of run?? and if it is lost somewhere in there , then does that mean there are NO heads to throw away?? Thanks for the great videos, they are very good learning tools..
They are collected and used for non consumption applications such as degreasing, window cleaning, starting a camp fire, ruining a alcohol stove, make your own windshield wash fluid or pour them down the kitchen drain to keep them clear of grease.
Scott, I think you missed my point, a REFLUX still, the steam rises and then falls back down, now if the methanol is the first to rise and fall then it seems that it is returned to the wash and would contaminate the rest of wash, at some point I realize that the reflux will change from say full reflux to some other portion, say 50/50, now what would be continuing through to the condenser should be already past the low temp point of methanol, since it has been in the column that has been heated and at a temp higher than the temp for producing methanol, seems there would be no methanol, I understand that in regular pot still these bad products would be first out and thrown away or like you say used for cleaning, but the REFLUX still is questionable. thanks for trying.
j the methanol and acetone has a much lower boiling point than the ethyl alcohol and the more complex stuff in the tails. so while the ethyl alcohol, water, and tails falls back down into the pot the heads which are made of poison the methyl and acetone continues on to the the condenser and leaves the system. This guy has some other videos that explain it more fully. also there is a whole bunch of other information on how reflux columns work online.
OK, that sort of makes sense, but if you know, why do the heads move on, I am guessing by your answer, that the heads have to go, even if you are cooling the refluxer so the vapors fall, all but the meth-ace. fall, must be something to do with the scientific weight of those elements. thanks again for trying to inform me..
jbrunson1949 it's partially the molecular weight as well as the structure of the compounds that determines volatility (boiling point). Lower weights tend to be more volatile (lower boiling point) and generally the more -OH groups (aka an alcohol group) a compound has, the less volitile (higher boiling point) it will be. This is due to hydrogen bonding and one of the reasons why water has such a high boiling point despite the fact that it is very light from a molecule weight standpoint. Compounds that don't have -OH groups like methane or ethane cannot form hydrogen bonds and hence are much more volatile than their comparative alcohols methanol and ethanol. This is why these substances are gases at room temperature rather than a liquid
No George, it doesn't kinda make sense because you didn't finish the explanation. If I wanted to bring my temp up to 168F and hold it there for a few minutes, how does the temp in the mash convert to that 168F I need at the top of the condenser? I know I can get that by looking at the temp at the top of the reflux. I still haven't seen anything that says how to do that with the pot still. Why don't they have thermometers at the top of a pot still?
Taste and smell as your alcohol comes out and collect it in small jars. You will know what's good and what's not, takes some practice and knowing your equipment, dont expect to nail it on your first try. Takes practice
in 10:10 you say "if we going to make gin or vodka or neutral spirit a reflux still is wonderful for that" .. .isn't gin better to distill in pot still?
Alright, so maybe this is a stupid question, but here goes. So if you maintain a constant water flow in a reflux still, couldn't you then make the variable the heat applied to the still, and therefore use your PID? Maybe i'm doing some of that G.I. math again.
This is possible since there are several ways to do this. This challenge comes when after you have the balance and the volume changes, which would require an adjustment, the flow of the reflux would need to change and therefore the heat applied would change as well so you end up chasing it from two ends. This is very possible but the way I described it earlier is the easiest (not the only way). People with more experience will find either way fairly simple. Good question. George
I have learned more from George in 8 weeks than any college courses I have taken over 2 semesters ... and that is amazing. Those classes were infinitely more in cost to profit the university..... George shares his knowledge to expand the craft for the love of it and it shows
George, I had a homebrew school and had to shut down because of COVID-19. So I have invested a lot of time learning new stuff. I have to thank you because I have learned so much from you!
Happy to see these videos back up. I don't think I saw any of these up a few weeks ago.
Excellent explanation, you are quickly becoming my favorite brewing channel!
Thank you very much for allowing us to again access your videos. There is so much information and because I am a learner so I need to keep checking your videos.
Yea this guy breaks it down better than anyone I have seen
Thank you so very much for what you do. You do a great job with your videos.
Thank you. I thoroughly enjoyed your tutorial.
WOW! I've been running a re-flux still for about a year without getting my head around 'what it's doing'. Some great 'rule of thumb' stuff for input vs output expectations. In short. I learned heaps in this ONE video. Thumbs UP.
Great job man I learned what I needed to know.
Just what I wanted to learn, right here this morning ! 🙆🏼♂️
George really appreciate the wealth of information..I feel as though I've been shining for 25yrs. In reality about 4.Thank you again. Good health to all..
Great video's and info you do an awesome job teaching.
Brilliant. I learned more from this video than from 20 tours of scotch/bourbon distilleries.
Glad you found it informative.
Happy distilling
George
Mr. George thank you for all your videos you have been the best help with my stilling needs and knowledge I don't think no would be at the point I am now. thanks again very much. and your advice to not take a sleeping pill and laxitive at the same time is great advice. peace out girl scout.
Sir you ARE The Science Guy Bravo Sir !!!! Please dont stop Vloging and posting !!!!!!!!
Very happy to have come across your channel, George! I just stumbled across it, and have binge watched five of your videos in a row. What kind of work do you do, or did you do for a living? You strike me as a teacher, as you are an excellent presenter. Phenomenal content on this channel - you're the best fermenting / distilling channel I've seen so far! Thank you
One of the most education videos for a person who wants to get into this hobby. The explanation of apple distilled flavoring taking on notes, and the addition of apple extract to add to those notes was sensational. Thank you!
i guess im asking randomly but does someone know of a way to log back into an instagram account..?
I stupidly lost the account password. I would love any assistance you can give me!
@Kenneth Jesiah instablaster =)
@Vivaan Aidan I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and im in the hacking process now.
Takes a while so I will get back to you later with my results.
@Vivaan Aidan it did the trick and I finally got access to my account again. I'm so happy!
Thank you so much you really help me out!
@Kenneth Jesiah No problem xD
Best way I've ever heard it explained. Thanks
Love your videos. they're extremely helpfulI. And get my creativity going.
think an easy way to say it,
Kettle temperature, is different than vapor temperature.
Way cool. Very informative. Thanks
Thank you George!!
Sir, this channel's an inspiration to all freedom lovers around the world. I'm now an 'expert' at sugar washes, and distillery! - Yes, it's at this point I'm potentially heading towards errors and issues, and that's part of the fun. I can't thank you enough. Definitely a great science interest, learning never stops, and this is very important historical engineering, great subject for education.
George 👈you are the Man.
Please more videos on the Still Spirits🌽
You're corn mash recipe turned out awesome 👌
Enjoy your videos so much .. i see so many distillers spending lots of time and money making a great mash that should have lots of flavor in the end product . And then they process the heck out it with a reflux column to get super high acl % just to end up stripping much if not all of the flavor out of it ending up with a tasteless spirit .
Hey George. Awesome vids.. From South Africa
Hi I am from sweden and I just geting statded distilling.love u vidios learning so mutch so big tancks.
Thanks for the explanation. I'm looking at an 8 gallon all stainless reflux still that can convert to a pot still by mounting the stack horizontal and was wonder what the difference was. Makes sense now. Would be handy to be able to do both.
Thanks George!
Great information...
great video. thank you for sharing.
Love it!!
Super educational thank you
If you want to get true moonshine info this is the guy you go to. He explains all the steps you need to no in full detail in a way everyone can understand
Yep, learning a lot from his videos
yeah he is the best. I wish he was in Australia. even if I had to pay extra, I would rather buy from George
Great George
excellent explanation!! likely the best video id seen for this! curious though, id been looking for that pot still, ( im a flavor guy LOL ) but cant find that model on the website. any leads would help!
Column hight is also important for separation/ purity.
Very impressive. U😊 awesome individual. Ty
My still is capable of removing the fore-shots while in the vapor stage. I can also remove the fusil oils before they enter the condenser
Thanks for your videos. You have given me the ability "That I Can Do It". I have a Mighty Mini it has done very well in reflux mode. My son bought some Jack Daniels Old No.7 Whiskey Barrel Smoking Chips for Bar-B-Q-ing made from 100% Jack Daniel's Oak Aging Barrels. So thinking "Oak Barrels" maybe I could soak the spirits in the chips. I have seen you do something like that in one of your videos. I'll see.
You are on to something here. This works very well for aging and flavoring spirits. Good luck and have fun.
George
Keep it up think you
.. not a brewer .. but I like the Brain exercise ... I ferment .. you might get me upgraded soon ..
... understand the science in my "hooch" better now .. THANKS
I like copper stills yes they are more fragile if not built well but why I like them is they remove alot if the sulfates when distilling.
Would love to see a video of some info info on wheat vs rye vs corn.
Good info
Love ya George
I wish you were my ( insert school subject ) teacher at High School. Wonderful instructive post.
PS . Move at 11.58 should've been much earlier.
Thanks for the compliment.
George
Georges, I’m a newbie and your video give me lot of information i needed. Could you recommend a starter kit that could do pot and reflux option on the same kit ? I also need some recipe. Thanks again.
I started off on a flat top , so glad i did. I could be marooned on a deserted island and be drinkin coconut rum within a week. I think you can get a decent proof with anything if you know how to use it. It seems like everybodys running around acting like you cant get over 50% with a pot still. Like whiskey or vodka didnt exist till the reflux came along.
Including metric measurements would be awesome
Copper saddles, mesh and pennies dated
Sure would
Thanks for taking the time to pass your knowledge on to us. Just one quick question for clarification... How do you get 5qt of whiskey out of a half gallon wash?
Once cut down to 80 proof the volume does increase.
George
Your videos are amazing very easy to understand was wondering if you have a sour mash recipe
Thanks. I have not got that specific yet but plan to in the near future.
George
your videos are amazing---informative, easy to follow, full of great technical details--you are such a fantastic teacher.
But one thing I'd love you to do a video on is how you avoid squads of machine-gun toting BATFE agents from kicking in your doors, shooting your pets, and hauling you off to jail for felony unlicensed distillation.
In all seriousness, PLEASE explain how you get away with this in the USA?
Shit i dont like about column stills is how much more heat you have to have. Then you need more condenser to accommodate it. Which most of the commercially sold stills are weak on.
George, i wish you could do a video Reflux vs Flute stills
My Daddy used to say, “son trust everyone......but cut the cards anyway!”
Hello there professor! Ive been absororbing your teachings in ghe last 3 weeks. I was wondering if I run a Rum Wash through a Reflux still. Will it taste like Rum? Thanks
Thanks brother for the video,so I have a 22qt pot still and a 2 gal Thumper should the tails be split half and half with still and Thumper or what..?? my last run had to drop the Thumper but next run it will be at work was thinking run 4 gal in still 1 to 1 ½ gal in Thumper..or do 3 and 1 ?? still new to this ³rd generation with still.. Grandfather Cob would say any fool can make shine but only a fool drink it... Unless it's mine I think he said. thanks from vessel No problem
if you want to can you just not use the pre condenser on the reflux? like if I want it to keep more of the flavor I can not plug it in but if I want everclear I can plug that part in to make it more pure?
Do you think these would work on electric stove? If so, wattage I need to run a still or reflux of 5 gallon?
ya, what you just said totally confused me?
I watch your videos often and they are very informative. One question I have, is it necessary to add fluid to a thumper or, add fruit for flavor?
As long as it is in the form of a liquid it will be fine.
Where do you get that copper wire mash from? Thanks
what exactly is in the re flux jacket is it just a larger diameter so it is cooler?
The volatile vapors are - sorry to tell you this but - the volume originally settles at 74 degrees or so. There is no making a change from that, doesn't how much temperature you apply. My brews ALWAYS boil out at 95 percent at around 74 degrees. Although for tailles I allow around a max of 85 degrees. Can't get any better than that. I generally carbon filter half of my yield ( around 15 litres) and leave the other 15 litres at original. I enjoy the best.
Gorge, thank you I've learned a lot. Could you touch on pros and cons of doing a stripping run?
We'll have to put that on the list.
Thanks
George
Hi George.
Pleas ignore my second question as you have already answered that in this video.
Old age kicking in I guess.
Cheers Sir.
Mel. UK.
No problem, your second question about the liebig condenser: If I understand it correctly, the traditional condenser is surrounded by water so a single in and out is most efficient. as you describe yours it seems like you will run additional lines along side of the condenser; if that is true the more the better since heat transfer will not be as efficient with only one.
Hope this helps.
George
Thank you George.
How many tubes are in the Leipig condenser shown in this video?
Hey George, question for you - I have both a pot still and a T500 reflux still with a copper condenser. Looking at them I wondered why you couldn't take the copper saddles out of the column of the T500 and have the column empty when you run it... It looks to me like it would then be the same as a pot still only with a taller condenser. Would that work do you think? Love your work by the way, I've learned heaps from you! Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge!
Chris,
That actually does work to some extent. I did a video on that topic and after removing the saddles the proof did drop so the reults were much like a pot still as opposed to a reflux column.
Great point.
George
Thanks for the reply! Could you please post a link to that video so I can check it out? Cheers!
Check this out
th-cam.com/video/3URJHzDapnI/w-d-xo.html
George
Great explanations on your video. Can you tell me what does the copper mesh do ? and I have also been told to use glass marbles in place of ceramics in the tower, so what is the purpose of these ceramics ?
Chris Boyce Nucleation points. Basically more surface area for vapor to condense on which makes it harder for the less volatile vapor (water) to reach the top of the column and get condensed to liquid product. Think of it like a race. Say the ethanol is a slightly faster car than the water car. If your track is very short both cars are going to finish at about the same time. Make the track much longer and the difference in speed becomes more apparent. This analogy isn't the best because it's not exactly speed that is different in the distillation case but I hope it helps get a better picture of the situation
Copper removes bad tasting sulphurous compounds, glass beads provide more surface area for condensation.
Do I need a thumper or can i just run the steam into a worm and collect?
Hi George.
I am a newby to distilling and am making my own still that I can run as a reflux or a pot still.
Two questions.
1. does the Liebig condenser only require a single tube through the water jacket or would it benefit from a Gatling design with multiple tubes.
2. When running as a pot still do I still need copper, stainless, marbles etc in the main column.
Love your videos by the way.
Many thanks. Mel Uk.
Mel, I used the info from this site to build my reflux using the Keg with stainless commercial pot scrubbers in column and came out at 196% using a sugar wash with turbo yeast. I did make many changes to make it easier and able to take apart to clean, transport, etc but the same in concept. I also added a temp sensor on top of keg area and top of column, at (maintained)165deg F. top of column it started to run out. I ran as low and slow to make pure as possible. Throw out the first 100mil, save in four different quart containers as I ran to differentiate heads tails etc... Worked very well...
www.moonshine-still.com/still.pdf
Can you used a electric heat plate on the Big one 🤔🤔
You seem like you know quite a bit about distilling. And since you mention fruit essences, one thing I was always wondering is is it possible to make potential fruit flavor essence extracts of non-citrus fruit (without sugar and fiber) by slicing apples or peaches and placing them on a steamer rack and adding water in the still and steam distilling and then taking the distillate water and adding that back into the still then adding fresh slides apples and repeating that a few times? I was just curious how that would turn out but don't have my still yet.
HomeValue Glass if yer going to go to all that work, why not just add a gin basket to your setup?
We in the UK seem to use a different scale of proof 100% is the max you can achieve being pure alcohol can you explain and provide a conversion table.
can you do a vid of just trying to make pure fuels
Hi, How do you adjust the reflux ration in mighty mini. If had the PID controller hooked on, like you showed, would you still need to control water flow to control?
Yes, water flow is still necessary even with a PID controller. PIDs are best suited for pot stills.
Shopping around for a still I kind of like the traditional Copper Pot stills but I've heard the reflux stills are better
Sorry for the delayed response. I was on vacation in Vegas for the past 5 days.
The combination pot/reflux is best in my opinion. It gives you the best of both worlds.
Barley and Hops Brewing I am a big fan of starting out with Mile Hi Distilling’s 3 gallon stainless steel mighty mini combination pot/reflux still. As you gain experience you can always add on to it. You can even go with a bigger milk can boiler; 8 gallon for Instance. It all depends on your ceiling height and how wild you want to go. Add numerous sight glasses with bubble plates, and or a gin basket. The sky is really the only limit. Have fun and happy distilling to all, and to all some fantastically exquisite home made spirits!
George,,, great video,,, now just for the reference ,,, the mighty mini,,, how much added time to a run would you be looking at,, to run the still in reflux mode,, from the pot mode???? 1/2 hour - 1 hr more ???
Should be about the same time
Hi George.
What is the length of the Leipig condenser on this pot still and how many tubes are in it.
Really appreciated your swift response.
Amazing instructional videos Sir. Thank you.
It is about 28 inches or so. This one does not have tubes running in it. It is a two piece where the tube running out of the still head has a somewhat larger pipe that jackets almost the full length. It is welded on both ends so it essentially is a pipe inside a pipe.
George
Thank you for your reply George. That makes sense. 👍👍
Hello George.
Probably a silly question but I will,ask it anyway.
If I am producing vodka or gin through reflux not withstanding juniper berry infusion for gin, I gather not much note or taste from the mash will end up being in the final product.
So my question is does it really matter if I use a corn mash or just sugar for producing vodka and gin?
As usual amazing tutorials.
It really doesn't matter. You are correct, a reflux will strip the flavor so sugar is probably your best bet.
Barley and Hops Brewing Thanks George.👍
What one is better to make bourbon with
George I really like your in detail explanations, but you gotta help me understand something....when proofing 2 qts.190 vs 140 how do you end up with the same volume of 5 qts.
"never mind" I see your answer down a ways, your printed answer makes sense, your video explanation had you starting with 1/2 gal on both proofs
What would you think of onle using only [ one plate] to get more water out for the out put ??
Using one plate or several is a personal choice. Operate the still at its optimal level and your product will always be excellent. Multiple plates only leads to more separation and flavor stripping so if you are looking for a more neutral, higher proof, lower volume result; multiple plates will provide that. On the other hand if your desire is a more flavorful spirit, it is easier to accomplish this with one plate as long as you watch your temps closely.
George
Hey George,
I ran my 13 gallon column reflux still for the second time on a gas burner and both time the still started to spit out heads fore-shots and heart at much lower temperature ., the still never reach a temperature past 204 degrees.Im rather confused..Got any ideas? thx. Bret
Could be a few things, the easier thing is to check that your thermometer is calibrated correctly. There are two things you can use to check for calibration. At sea level, icewater (water loaded with ice) should read between 32-35 degrees, and boiling water should read 210-212 degrees. So use those number to see if your thermometer is in the right neighborhood.
Secondly, your reflux water may be on the warmer side or there is less than optimal flow (or both). Being summer time, the heat source doesn’t have to work as hard to heat up all the still components.
3rd, where are you measuring the temp? At the boiler or at the column head? The boiler should always be hotter than the column head. Ethanol vaporizes around 170-173 degrees which means it also condenses if the vapor drops below that, so you shouldn’t be looking for 204 degrees at your column head, that’s just too hot and running real fast and you lose proof.
Hey George ... if a pot still is controlled by the heater element, and a reflex still by the water adjustment of the cooling chamber .. why did you make a pdi controller for a reflex still controlling the heating element and not the cooling chamber ... You need to put a solenoid valve in the water line.
Incorrect. Heat is the major driver in a reflux still. The minimal water flow the catalyst for the reflux chamber only.
How do you pennies that nase copper
George,
How necessary is it to do stripping runs, then spirit runs? I keep reading about it on forums, but I don't know how important stripping runs are, or if they're really necessary. If you have a thumper, do you ever need to do stripping runs? Thanks.
IH F depends on what you want? Low wines (what you get from stripping) are self preserved and you don’t have to worry about your product sitting on mash/wort/wash. If you want to make a volume of high abv spirit, you need to do a few stripping runs so you can in turn put all your low wines into the boiler so you aren’t making lots of tiny batches.
If you have a reflux still, you don’t really need to strip for high ABV, you just need to go slower to get the high ABV.
If you are running a pot still without much of a column and you want high ABV then yes you need to do a stripping run first. If you don’t need high ABV or you want some naturally occurring flavor, then just run your pot still low and slow to get higher ABV but without sacrificing flavor.
Hello sir if I want to buy a reflux still and get it delivered to Lebanon 🇱🇧 where I can buy one? Thank you
How many times can you use the copper mesh? One run or for many years etc.?
If you keep it clean it will last forever
So for a new person who will be doing primarily neutral spirits...do you recommend a pot with a thumper or a reflux?
Travis I found in all my research that a reflux still is what you would need for high proof neutral spirits.
Sounds like a plan! I know in the videos he often states the reflux will give the best but didn't know how the ease of operation would compare. Thanks for your input!
Your mighty mini is different from the one I seen before --- it has a side valve. I do not think you sell them online yet. Where do you recommend we get one of these ourselves (just like yours)? Thanks as always!!!
P.S. Love Star San -- I really think they should hire you as a spokesman for their product!!!
Stan, give me a call Wednesday-Saturday to place an order.
George
George, what's that song playing at the beginning of the video? I need to get that one:-)
send me an email and I will send you a file copy of the whole song.
George
George, in the reflux model what happens to the methanol that went up first, if they condensed and fell down, doesn't that stay in the rest of run?? and if it is lost somewhere in there , then does that mean there are NO heads to throw away?? Thanks for the great videos, they are very good learning tools..
They are collected and used for non consumption applications such as degreasing, window cleaning, starting a camp fire, ruining a alcohol stove, make your own windshield wash fluid or pour them down the kitchen drain to keep them clear of grease.
Scott, I think you missed my point, a REFLUX still, the steam rises and then falls back down, now if the methanol is the first to rise and fall then it seems that it is returned to the wash and would contaminate the rest of wash, at some point I realize that the reflux will change from say full reflux to some other portion, say 50/50, now what would be continuing through to the condenser should be already past the low temp point of methanol, since it has been in the column that has been heated and at a temp higher than the temp for producing methanol, seems there would be no methanol, I understand that in regular pot still these bad products would be first out and thrown away or like you say used for cleaning, but the REFLUX still is questionable. thanks for trying.
j the methanol and acetone has a much lower boiling point than the ethyl alcohol and the more complex stuff in the tails. so while the ethyl alcohol, water, and tails falls back down into the pot the heads which are made of poison the methyl and acetone continues on to the the condenser and leaves the system. This guy has some other videos that explain it more fully. also there is a whole bunch of other information on how reflux columns work online.
OK, that sort of makes sense, but if you know, why do the heads move on, I am guessing by your answer, that the heads have to go, even if you are cooling the refluxer so the vapors fall, all but the meth-ace. fall, must be something to do with the scientific weight of those elements. thanks again for trying to inform me..
jbrunson1949 it's partially the molecular weight as well as the structure of the compounds that determines volatility (boiling point). Lower weights tend to be more volatile (lower boiling point) and generally the more -OH groups (aka an alcohol group) a compound has, the less volitile (higher boiling point) it will be. This is due to hydrogen bonding and one of the reasons why water has such a high boiling point despite the fact that it is very light from a molecule weight standpoint. Compounds that don't have -OH groups like methane or ethane cannot form hydrogen bonds and hence are much more volatile than their comparative alcohols methanol and ethanol. This is why these substances are gases at room temperature rather than a liquid
Great videos Mr. George. Is that pot still shown here available in 5-gallon?
No, they start at 8 gallon and are designed for a 5 gallon run. The extra space satisfies the head room requirement.
Thanks for getting basck to me George. Whats the price on that 8-gallon still with the elctric set-up.
Check with the store 254-300-8226 They know better than I do.
What brand of still is that?
No George, it doesn't kinda make sense because you didn't finish the explanation. If I wanted to bring my temp up to 168F and hold it there for a few minutes, how does the temp in the mash convert to that 168F I need at the top of the condenser? I know I can get that by looking at the temp at the top of the reflux. I still haven't seen anything that says how to do that with the pot still. Why don't they have thermometers at the top of a pot still?
They do. Every pot still I run or demonstrate has a thermometer in the top of the column.
How do you know the difference between head hearts and tails other than what comes out in what order
Taste and smell as your alcohol comes out and collect it in small jars. You will know what's good and what's not, takes some practice and knowing your equipment, dont expect to nail it on your first try. Takes practice
@@iamjustawife2619 thanks
in 10:10 you say "if we going to make gin or vodka or neutral spirit a reflux still is wonderful for that" .. .isn't gin better to distill in pot still?
Alright, so maybe this is a stupid question, but here goes. So if you maintain a constant water flow in a reflux still, couldn't you then make the variable the heat applied to the still, and therefore use your PID? Maybe i'm doing some of that G.I. math again.
This is possible since there are several ways to do this. This challenge comes when after you have the balance and the volume changes, which would require an adjustment, the flow of the reflux would need to change and therefore the heat applied would change as well so you end up chasing it from two ends. This is very possible but the way I described it earlier is the easiest (not the only way). People with more experience will find either way fairly simple.
Good question.
George
What if i use Apple cider instead of water, when making rum?
Well, it own;t be rum since a rum base ingredient is molasses. It will still make a nice spirit though.
@@BarleyandHopsBrewing i seen that it wanted both. Water and molasses. But instead of water, i add cider. I guess i will just have to try it :)
Time will tell.
George
If I run my T500 at a higher temperature will I be able to produce a more "full body" spirit?
No really. When you run it at a higher temp it will pass fusel oils through the condenser and will not produce a pure product. George
George Duncan thank you, George. I love all your videos. You seem like a very kind and knowledgeable person, thanks for the reply!