How long does a distilling run take?

How long does a distilling run take?

The first distillation in the wash stills takes approximately 4 to 7 hours. The wash still has a temperature of approximately 173°F (78°C), the evaporation point of ethanol. The whole heat input is used for the evaporation of the alcohol. The distillation usually ends after 4 hours.

What’s the difference between a stripping run and spirit run?

The first run is what’s called a “stripping run” because its purpose is to strip the water, yeast, and sediment out of your mash before your “spirit run(s)” or primary distillation(s). Distilling this way will ultimately give you a smoother product.

What is the stripping run?

After fermentation is complete, we are left with a soupy, grainy solution that now contains alcohol anywhere from 8-10%, due to the yeast doing its job. When we perform our first distillation – called a ‘Run’ – it is referred to as a stripping run, because we concentrate and strip all of the alcohol out of the wash.

How long does it take to distill 1 gallon of water?

around 4-6 hours
How long does it take to distill water? It takes around 4-6 hours for a countertop water distiller to produce one gallon of distilled water. Like most high purity water filtration methods, the process of water distillation is a slow one. The water distiller produces purified water one droplet at a time.

What temperature does a still run at?

Distilling alcohol uses high temperatures – generally around 200 degrees Fahrenheit. High temperatures mean opportunities for accidents, so make sure that everyone who is in your distilling environment is aware of how hot your equipment will get.

Is a thump keg necessary?

An ordinary pot still, without a thump keg, is capable of distilling a wash to only a “low wine”, which will be about 40-50% alcohol. Many shiners in fact prefer to use a wooden barrel for the thump keg, precisely because it loses less of this useful heat than would a metal one.

What ABV stops spirit run?

Most moonshiners keep running their stills long after they are finished with the spirit run, collecting down to about 20% ABV before stopping. Together, the heads and tails are reused as feints. I do not normally go as low as 20%, you’ll have to find your comfort zone.

At what ABV do you stop distilling?

When to Stop Distilling Experienced commercial distillers generally run their stills until the alcohol from the wash has reduced to somewhere around 10-20 proof.

When to run cooling water to collect distillate?

Start running your cooling water to the condenser before any vapor is produced. Once the vapor starts and the temperature spikes, start collecting your distillate. You will not make any cuts at the different temperatures like you would with a typical pot distillation.

How does a distillation unit work to make moonshine?

Whether you are distilling water, vinegar, fuel, perfume, or alcohol, you are separating the vapors to collect only the part you want. A distillation unit, which can be called a moonshine still even if you’re not making moonshine, works by boiling a liquid. This separates the “pieces” that the liquid into different parts.

When to use a pot still for distillation?

A pot still is often used for this distillation process and is run hot and fast, No cuts are made during the run so the separation between fractions is bad.

Which is the best method for distilling neutral spirit?

Double distillation of you neutral spirit is the most important method you can use to improve the quality and quantity of your finished alcohol. 1. Distil your wash as normal, you do not have to discard anything as you will do it on the second distillation anyway. This is called a “stripping” run because you “strip” the alcohol.