Today in the Shed

crozdog

Ya gotta be happy with that!

Philter

Very nice @Punkin.

Are you converted yet?

cunnyfunt

Noice punkin

Today is not so hot so I'm putting the finishing touches setting up olddogs fabulous controller for a run tomorrow. Can't.wait.

punkin

This thing is so fucking cool. The controlability and the way you can adjust the output %, volume and quality by adjusting the tiniest screw on the needle valve is fantastic.

I don't know why i resisted so long except to say that my custom built coppe column is not anything like this as far as ease to drive.

rossco

Bout time mate. They are a bit brutal off the still compared to a pot, but in a couple of weeks once it settles down the whitedog will be really sweet.

Lloyd

Oh my @cunnyfunt what a fine setup.
Please start a thread about your experience running your Dash with an OD controller; I'm not far behind you and eager to know the ins and outs.

cunnyfunt

I will for sure @Lloyd. I broke the solenoid valve today. If anything is going to break it is a given, it is while I'm using it lol. I was hoping to do a run tomorrow with a vid but it will have to wait for a replacement solenoid. I was really hoping to learn the ins and outs from you anyway mate. I just got impatient :)

Lloyd

I ordered a extra of each sensor and valve from OD, telling him it would be easier for me to source the parts :D

Klutzy me will probably need to send out parts (that I manage to break) to get bids on.

@olddog says it's dead simple to operate and it probably is, but til I run the monster controller it remains a mystery. A run or two under my belt and it should be upgraded from mystery to marvel.

Smaug

By the time you get to 88/89 you'll be into tails.

captainshooch

@punkin said: This thing is so fucking cool.

+1 WTG welcome to the other side :D

Smaug

@punkin said: This thing is so fucking cool. The controlability and the way you can adjust the output %, volume and quality by adjusting the tiniest screw on the needle valve is fantastic.

I don't know why i resisted so long except to say that my custom built coppe column is not anything like this as far as ease to drive.

Perfs on the copper rig?

Smaug

@rossco said: Bout time mate. They are a bit brutal off the still compared to a pot, but in a couple of weeks once it settles down the whitedog will be really sweet.

I find the finish product is quite smooth directly off the business end......But evidently I am easy to trick.

bentstick

\m/ Nice Punkin!

punkin

Nah, the copper one stubbidrainer built me is usinfg SD caps and custom adjustable DC's but the couple times we ran it we were having a little trouble with blow by through the DC's. Stubbie reworked them last time he was here but i hadn't had a chance to run it again since.

I just seemed to have trouble finding the sweet spot with heat input that didn't drag tails over with it or become a drip.

The CD was very intuitive to work out even with gas. The adjustments made obvious differences and i was up and running about 20 mins after stabilising (the second time as i adjusted the plumbing the first time) and could clearly see what the changes i was making to the valve or gas was doing. I wasn't relying on the temp sensors to tell me what the still was doing but rather to give suplemental info.

Had to shut down early after 20l yesterday, i'll start back up and get the rest of the hearts out today. :)>-

crystal_skull

@punkin And maby a little video of the action? ;)

captainshooch

@punkin I see an electric controll box in your near future =D>

punkin

I'm going to Bangkok in a couple of months and thinking of pickibg up a go pro or similar to do some vids.

I can't see myself with a control box, i'm a hands on, gotta operate it, manual only kinda guy. Besides, this really is pretty simple with only a couple of adjustments through the day due to my flame dying down through the adjustable gas reg or as my recirc water heated up a bit. Once i have a couple runs up i think it will get simpler still.

It's amazing how the flavour still changes through a run no matter what equipment you are using, from reflux to plate or pot.

Smaug

:D

captainshooch

Beware, go pro's are mostly good for wide angle close up, not for showing panoramas or long range views. Just bought a Sony HD camcorder. Amazing quality!

punkin

Yes, did a bit of research this morning. We already have an older Sony, but it records on the mini discs which are a bit of a pain. I should get it out and learn to use it.

I won it on a fishing comp and the missus claimed it. I've always been happy with my still camera for what i do.

Pulling heads on the remains of this charge now, i'm pulling a shade under 95% at 25.5C whatever that turns out to be.

captainshooch

Awesome. Tails will be very obvious as fog will start on bottom plate. My new Sony PJ 540 uses 64g micro SD cards and enhanced steady shot is awesome. Plenty of storage and I usually download to laptop at the end of the day. Enjoy you new CD, mine runs flawlesly.

punkin

Got a tailsy flavour coming off the parrot and have switched to smaller jars. ABV seems to be dropping and head temp rising slightly. I have 24l of hearts and was expecting a little more as there should be 32l available. 2l odd of heads after the second draw all up.

Drunkas

Very nice looking units punkin and cunnyfunt. What size boiler are you using punkin to get 24l of one run??. Im asking as I am thinking of getting one from you in the near future. I like the 120l but the 200l is very tempting due to its price.

punkin

I use a 120l mate. This was an 85l 40% charge. For a psirit run next time i'd be aiming at around a 70l charge. 120l stripping runs are fine at 12l and hour and i would happily do a 200l one.

If you have the power available (or are using LPG) then the 200l makes a lot of sense, it is upgradable to the new 5" units and once those are released you will know why that is desirable.

I'll be ordering boilers in a little while, i only have 50l or 380l in stock as of now.

I do have a couple of enquireys on the 200l ones.

cunnyfunt

I didn't like the finished product of the first TPW I did. It was too sweet and maybe a little tomatoeee. It could be in my head and I am still a noob at making cuts so I put down 100l of a wheat grain/dextrose wash. Ec1118 yeast with a little of @punkin's white powder aka DAP lol

I'm anal about yeast temps so I threw together a ghetto chiller rig for the fermenter. I had an old aquarium chiller doing nothing so I put it to work with a wort chiller. 1 pump pumps through the aquarium chiller continuously and another pump is connected to the stc1000 the runs through the wort chiller in the wash when temps rise above 25C

Current ambient is 32c. I want to try and keep the wash at 25. If it works I will set up something more permanent unless someone tells me there is not much noticeable difference in yield or flavor running Ec1118 @ higher temps of 32-35C?

Philter

Great idea with using the aquarium chiller @cunnyfunt.

That's the first time I've seen these units, so had to google it. They are not cheap, but as they are a fridge compressor you could even use them on a beer font?

How cold can you set them for?

cunnyfunt

I can set that down to 2C. But realistically as it is right now, I can chill it only to about 10-12C as the pumps put out heat and the hoses etc are not insulated. I have it set to about 15C so it doesnt contunuously run.

I guess you could run glycol or water through it for a font.

Philter

Interesting. Thanks for the info @cunnyfunt.

rossco

@punkin said: Got a tailsy flavour coming off the parrot and have switched to smaller jars. ABV seems to be dropping and head temp rising slightly. I have 24l of hearts and was expecting a little more as there should be 32l available.

You can hold them up by increasing the reflux via more water at the RC. This will be easier on a CD because you can see the fluid on the top plate.. Ideally a large reflux pool should develop. Watch the ABV in the parrot and it should start to increase again at the expense of takeoff rate. You will progressively need to adjust the water as you go and takeoff rate will be progressively slower. The trade off is you can get those extra liters that you are missing.

BTW the tails will be really smelly because you have held them up in the column. Rossco

rossco

Sorry almost forgot, you might need to feed the boiler a little more power. This will help with reflux. Remember its not a pot. Rossco