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Am I Crazy?

edited February 2014 in General

I have read lots of other forums and seen the descriptions of their equipment and how happy they are to get 40% or 50% or 60% on the first pass, then higher and higher with 2 or 3 passes.

I have a 30 gallon pot and a 6 plate Dash still from SD. I am fixing to add 2 more plates and I can't imagine how good that will be.

I can run +/- 1 Gallon Per Hour @ 92% or 93% and even using turbo it tastes pretty good (after some carbon). I am running some corn / sugar with champagne yeast right now and it tastes wonderful on the first pass.

My question is why do people screw around with all of these different still designs and put up with low outputs when they can get high 90's for a few dollars more? Is there something that tastes better with a packed column? Did I get a magic still that allows a newbie / idiot to make great liquor, I'm confused.

I guess this is more of a testimonial for how easy it is to make great high proof neutral spirits with the Dash series of stills!!

Comments

  • Pot stills are a very traditional way to make flavoured spirits. They aren't usually used for neutral unless the owner does not have any other way to make it and aren't the best tool for it.

    They are however as good in some peoples eyes as a plated column for certain types of spirits run by people who know how to run them. It's a preference thing, some who have driven both prefer the pot, most prefer the plates.

    In another vein, if you were to put a 4" x 510 TC pipe in between your reflux condensor and your top tee, then pack that with copper or stainless scrubbies you may notice a huge improvement in your quality of neutral and another gain in abv.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • Thanks for the testimonial @razerhawg1.
    The Dash series is a mature, proven design that has all the flexibility of a completely modular concept and, as you noted, adding a couple more plates is easy to do.
    Being able to reconfigure the parts is the true strength of the SD model.

    Just a few years ago there were a lot less choices available - you basically could choose between a pot still or a packed column. Some still purveyors are scrambling to catch up but still rely on peddling antiquated hardware. And a few have even short-cut through their own internal R&D process by simply copying our products.

    It is always great to hear from a happy customer.

  • Punkin, sorry to be stupid, but are you talking about bypassing the deflag with a short packed column? What is the theory behind that? Please be aware that I am not questioning you, just wanting to know the theory behind this.
    If I went to 8 plates and this assembly what type of types of % could I get with 1 run? …Also with this would there be any need to double or triple distill? Thanks

  • Alot of people build there own pots very cheap, my first cost me $60, if they choose to buy then its still pretty cheap. Trying to fork out over a grand for something thats a hobby is beyond most lower class workers.there's no way in my life time I'd be able to afford what you have. My first 3 platter cost me about $300 and that was being the tightest ass I could possibly be!, not including my time and accessories. I agree with punkin, a packed section will produce a nice neutral, I get a nice neutral with a packed section over three plates.

  • googe, sorry if I came off as a jerk. I work on Cryogenics and bill by the hour, so even in my hobbies I try to be the most efficient that I can & my goal was and is to make kick butt neutral spirits. Yes I drink too much, but the thought of going through all the time and energy to make a mash and distill it and only get a gallon of product just seemed counterproductive. So I saved up and got the Dash. From what I am seeing this thing should last me for years and years to come, so it was a long term investment.

  • Punkin…I got confused by your terminology last night ( I just registered the "T" part of "TC" and thought you were saying to install a "T"). I think you are saying to just put a short piece of pipe right below the deflag & pack that? Does anybody have any experience on how much this might improve the ABV?

  • All good razer, I sounded like a jerk lol, took what you said the wrong way. It's hard to explain to people that don't have a plated column how good the product is, or how.much better it tastes, and the speed it does it. I know how you feel. I havnt used my pot since I built my first bubbler, nomatter how hard I try with a pot, you just can't get the same flavours that a bubbler produces.

  • @razerhawg1 said: Punkin…I got confused by your terminology last night ( I just registered the "T" part of "TC" and thought you were saying to install a "T"). I think you are saying to just put a short piece of pipe right below the deflag & pack that? Does anybody have any experience on how much this might improve the ABV?

    Yes mate, you've got it. It's a bit hard to search here but there are many users with this same configuration using a variety of packings from stainles wool, to scrubbies, copper structured packing and even scoria.

    They all report an increase in abv (mostly to 95%+) at the same speed, but most of all they report an increase in purity of flavour. The packing takes out that last bit of flavour and produces a spirit close to that from a full reflux column.

    The 4" section sells as a kit on my site and is an extremely popular accessory, so much so that i have trouble keeping up the stocks of the 4" pipe and have just got more in yesterday.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • Yes I just ordered one of the 4" sections from the US. I am truly amazed at how good the product tastes now and can't even begin to imagine gaining the 2% or 3% and loosing that little bit of flavor out to boot. I read Loyd's post on his and I have ordered stainless steel scrubbers to begin with. Please keep in mind that I am a newbie here, but I have read some post where they talk about insulating the column and Loyd's pictures show insulation on his packed section. Would it help the still to insulate all of the T's ( obviously excluding the sight glass )?

  • I have seen pictures where people have done it.

    The idea of insulation on a packed column is to hold a temperature gradient along the length of the column to allow for reboiling of the falling distilate (and hence redistillation) from the vapour coming up. Insulation helps stop ambient wind and temperature changes from affecting the stability of the column and saves energy.

    I'm not sure that's as important with plates.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • edited February 2014

    Yea just run as you are, plates then packed section, ensure you get real SS scrubbers, watch out for some that are simply coated or just look like SS.

    I have the same type of setup, never bothered to insulate, so I could not tell you if it makes any difference. Plates + Packed Section = 95%+ clean neutral every time and at a decent rate.

    See here: Watch fadge use his Dash 1!

    Fadge

  • I went with the Scotch Brite Brand hoping that they would be the real deal?

  • Kind words razer. At times the extra hardware seems intimidating. But once the end user learns how to drive the system...it becomes easier than the pot at a couple different levels.

    Keep in mind that the pot has an exellant 2000 year old pedigree.

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

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