Beginner's Guide #6 Heating Stills /determine BTUs for Propane

This channel is designed to offer insight and background on the science, art and practice of making alcohol based products at home.

[@h.hodges5744]

Hey George, absolutely appreciate all your hard work and thank you VERY much for the Basics Series (however, to poke some fun at this one..... 180dF - 75dF = 105dF not 95dF, but the point is very well made Sir!)

[@irastefan7774]

instaBlaster...

[@thornhedge9639]

Noticed that too; perhaps he's testing us! LOL

[@mikemellin3358]

You're the best source of knowledge on the internet George, thank you very much for taking the time out to make these videos for us beginners. You have a great way of teaching.💯

[@keithaleo3712]

You are an amazing source of knowledge that is presented in an easy to understand way...thank you again for this. I find myself answering your questions out loud! I'm up to #6 and will watch them all.

[@britinozoz]

Thanks again George ...never crossed my mind to insulate.

[@knightmare1015]

Another great video George. I did some quick math and multiplied 8.33 by 15 gallons and I came up with 124.95 which tells me that I need 180,000 BTU's to heat my 15 gallon pot. My burner that I bought from Adventures in Homebrewing puts out roughly around 220,000 BTU's so I am good to go. That formula helps out a lot, thanks.

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Awesome. I knew someone would benefit from this. I've known about this but had not shared because I thought it was a little nerdy... Our next video dives into electric elements and figuring out the wattage requirement for the size of still.

[@earllogan6223]

George excellant video,youd have been a good teacher,the way you tell us keeps me greatly interested in our hobby,wantin to know every aspect and detail,thats from someone who absolutely dispised and hated school

[@alihangok719]

Thank you George. Very informative video as always..

[@hedgerowpete]

i see everyone is knocking you about the 105-95, but the video is fantastic and the maths is easy enough for an idiot like me to understand, brilliant video , many thanks

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Thanks for understanding that everyone makes mistakes. Cheers George

[@chuckdontknowdoya6100]

Great video on a really hot topic George thank you for your help. Have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

[@keithbowers3980]

Love your content George,, I watch every video you put out,, your like the Martha Stewart of distilling,, let's not end up in prison like her and let's make this craft legal in all states,, thanks again George and have a blessed Thanksgiving

[@baraaalmansour1800]

Thanks from Syria...your channel is very helpful.

[@anniek250]

how did I ended up here? loll oh ya fell asleep trying to watch how to make Rum !!! hahaha great video George, I learned something new

[@U812GREEN]

It's always nice to get your temperature close to target quickly but ultimately you need the ability to start controlling your heat source so you don't over shoot it. With propane I usually slow down around 140°F and slowly raise from there. Great video, good information as always.

[@snake_eater71]

Even science can be great with less-than-perfect maths. I feel you; we've all been there. Plenty of great knowledge though. Not many KZbinrs post their phone number.

[@dcholmes1969]

Spending the week in Lockhart just south of Austin. Wish you still had a store.

[@ryanlawrence3399]

Yes, love the whiteboard.

[@philiptruitt]

Thank you George!!

[@mustyditch4703]

Thanks George ... very helpful video. Do you have any experience with oil jackets like you can get as an option on the Genio? I would love to learn more about them.

[@gordlockwood1213]

Your question about how much does a pound of water weigh reminded me of a question our grade school teacher asked us about 55 years ago. "What weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of lead?" We were dumb kids, so the answer was a pound of lead because lead weighs much more than feathers. 🤣

[@nickgreen3878]

I love ya'll videos and keep up the good work

[@dustinredding3356]

Great videos like the content very much keep it up have a good thanksgiving, can you do a video on fruit mash

[@skeezdogg82]

Oh no the drawling board lol just messing thanks George and have a great Thanksgiving

[@RoutyRastus]

Thank you for your efforts G. Don here! You said something in one of the beginner vids early this week. I've learned about COPPER, then Stainless Steel, What are the drawbacks of Aluminium!, Does it do something to the luscious liquid inside. If so, what? Don C TEXAS

[@jukkajuhela]

Thanks for the entertaining information. Have you tried to warm the tank in water bath. As soon as temperature in bath raises over 90 grades Celsius you should end distillation? What is this brilliant music you play in the beginning?

[@garyking6423]

I enjoy the way George explains things how can I get his knowledge now

[@bobbywhite9165]

George sir you are a very smart man to smart for me. If you would or could please can or will it would be very much appreciated. Can you tell me if I can use 2 lbs of sugar to ever gallon of water I live in the woods in southeast GA so my water is from a deep well. 2 lbs of sugar to 1 gallon of water and yeast right? Can I use regular freshman's bread yeast I'm making that sugar wash and what if I add a little vanilla

[@MrKelley33781]

Thanks George....

[@rhb30001]

Nice 👍🏼

[@audioawesome9527]

So 1 BTU is the energy required to raise a unit of measure of water (that is not used anywhere in the modern world ) 1 degree unit (that is not used anywhere in the modern world ) Fark. My 20L bucket (5gal) doesn't know how much heat it needs. (Don't stress i got the math and just reving you up) Sorry mate. I know you are constrained by the units used and yes we do use BTU down here in Australia. .... just glad i am good at math. Keep up the output. Loving your content. Learning heaps. Thanks. (PS down here in aus, when one guy appreciates another, we give them a hard time. So if i roast you ever. Its because i am loving your work.)

[@utubecharlie5217]

Blame the British (British Thermal Unit). Just be glad they didn't use Imperial gallons (or did they?)

[@SyBernot]

LOLOLOL, my Drill Instructor did that exact thing to me. How much does a pound of water weigh? I didn't even get it out of mouth before I was down on the deck doing push ups. Too funny.

[@troylefevre1828]

Bravo Zulu!

[@dwaggys3322]

2:09 - BTU is not a measure of "heat transfer". Your explanation later in the video (11:00) is much better.

[@capitaldd5840]

I overcooked my first batch. I ran it about 160°, then crept up to 180°. It was a 3gallon batch cooking in a very heavy top-hat pot.. and I was using it as a pot still with a slight verticle before going through the condenser - (5gallon bucket of cold water). Now I have a half inch of ....whatever it is...stuck to the bottom of my pot. I tried to pressure wash it at the carwash... no luck there. Any suggestions to get the black hard tar like substance out of my pot.

[@actualsurfer]

Low Low heat with alcohol...let it sit for a few days.

[@kenmcpherson5638]

George.... The difference between 180 and 75 is 105. Love the video

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Yep. I caught that after posting and after a few phone calls. The problem still work out I just screwed up the basic math on this one. Guess what? I did it on the next one too. I did fix it with a corrected description before finishing. I didn't want to shoot that one all over again.

[@Kingofcarnige]

It's not just Europeans that use the metric system. It's almost the entire world except the US, Myanmar and Liberia. - A Canadian

[@tatmanmyownbossdannydraco]

Is 58,000 btu enuf for a 20 gallon still?

[@TheFeralBachelor]

I hope, and am sure, you'll get into how this is affected by the specific gravity of the liquid you're heating. Yes, plain water is 8.33# but what if that 5 gal water has 10# of sugars? What's the BTU conversion after fermentation when that 5 gal is now 13% alcohol? I can't watch these videos fast enough. Thank you.

[@The_Prankster]

@20:54 Somebodies' been sampling their own supply. 😁

[@edwarddarst4358]

What if you use a double Thumper one puke box and a thumper

[@johnritchie1695]

Can you do a corn mash of Frosted Flakes or Chex cereal?

[@lohgfghgfyu7367]

George i hear you use the term efficiency alot what does this mean?

[@damonrice6809]

Have you built a PID for a propane burner?

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

No. Servo motors and valves are the big challenge

[@ORIGINALJRL]

R value is time in minutes it takes for 1 btu to travel through 1sq foot of material. Higher the number the better insulator

[@DavidKing-wk1ws]

Have not seen anyone touch on the idea of induction burners. I imagine it would be a novelty size still that would fit work with something like a nuwave type burner. Has anyone tried this?

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Works great on a 3 gallon mighty mini still.

[@DavidKing-wk1ws]

@@BarleyandHopsBrewing Where do I buy this when i do a google search i come up with alembic stills at about a 399 price point for a 1 gallon still. I would like to find a 3 gallon because i believe this could fit for personal use. With out too many runs through out the year with mabe a little to give away at christmas time. From your other videos this mighy mini does not seem any more or less difficult to use than any other system. I like different spirits like vodka, gin rum as well as liquors like schnapps as well as a water distiller as nc water has a high sediment content. Would this fill the bill? And as i said before where can i find this still and are they willing to ship to nc. Some will not ship to nc???

[@mtbsobe]

Am i crazy to think i can heat a 50 gallon still with propane?

[@GustavoDelfinoS]

In the video the calculation for BTUs is converted with no explanation into BTUs per hour. This works because when you buy, for example, a 50000 BTU gas burner it is also inferred in there that it is a per hour measurement. As an alternative, you may also use WolframAlpha for this calculation: just enter "heat 5 gallons water from 75 °F to 170 °F in BTU" in the query: www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=heat+5+gallons+water+from+75+%C2%B0F+to+170+%C2%B0F+in+BTU

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Good point

[@piotrang8634]

1:39 but BTUs per second, per hour or per what time? BTU is the measurement of energy, not power. It's somewhat like giving you car speed in miles (same question: per hour or per day, or per minute or per what time?)

[@jasonblanton7185]

Seems like it would be a big pain to clean the pot and all each time you use it ? No ?

[@ApiaryManager]

Yes, we're all shouting at the screen: 180-75= 105F :-D

[@fourdeadinohio8303]

BUT the weight of water compared to the SG of the mash/wash is different. how does that figure?....lol

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

All thing aside. That is a little too deep for this purpose. We need to get an idea of the # of BTUs necessary not the exact # since we are not calculating heat loss and outside influences. This is simple math not rocket science. George

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Oh, by the way. I have a tendency to get even simple math wrong or backwards

[@MarcinWojtczuk]

Oh wow, lb gal btu... 1 liter of water weights 1kg. Metric system ftw ;)

[@bigdickpornsuperstar]

Get back to us when metric lands a man on the moon.

[@brandondarrin4947]

105 my math is legit but carry on

[@yoguimasterof69]

fortunately you did not considered heat dissipation....or the fact that this is not pure water but mixed with ethanol and other stuff... I passed! :)

[@russmac81]

was it not 105?

[@Enonymouse_]

8kw should come out to about 30,000 btu I think.

[@RoutyRastus]

75 d subtracted from 180 d I believe is 105 d George

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

I know. I screwed that up but the problem still works out right. That example was only that; an example (faulty)

[@RoutyRastus]

@@BarleyandHopsBrewing not trying to make anyone look bad! just that I might end up at 165 degrees and have my methanol instead of my ethanol?

[@mikemcgouirk]

Nah, more than that he used it in subsequent videos. It’s an unfortunate mistake, but worth going back and revisiting because it made the following videos inaccurate. It sucks, but if you want to be accurate then wth.

[@gerardjagroo]

24:11

[@tdjohnsky]

Should be 105 instead of 95

[@STR8STRETE]

105 degrees

[@piotrang8634]

22:56 That's right, electrical heater is close to 100% efficiency, compared to 60-70% efficiency of a propane heater. So WHAT? Electricity is roughly 5 times more expensive per the same amount of energy, so even at 60% efficiency propane still costs you some 3 TIMES LESS. Isn't THAT what matters?

[@thornhedge9639]

Great video (even with the flawed math) but completely irrelevant when using a wood stove....

[@doron166]

16:31 that's 105 degrees not 95 degrees

[@seanbryant345]

Was anybody else telling 105 at your screen?

[@jimmyletterman1736]

R we going to cook or talk

[@garryabrams4990]

he just wants to sell hi still trying to use that laymen don't know

[@22skiddoo]

So a US pint is 16.6536 fluid ounces and there are 8 of those in a US gallon, and "a pint's a pound the world around" (except in the US where it's 1.04375 pounds or in the UK where it's 1.25 pounds), then... wait, I think I got it... a gallon weighs 8.336 pounds. No, hold on, that's only in the US, because in the UK a gallon of water weighs 10 pounds. Can you see where I'm going with this? :)

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

You know the difference. Work it out and convert the figures on your own. I know it can be confusing but just imagine how confusing it is to do both at the same time. That's why I chose to not do this for this video.

[@22skiddoo]

Oh sure - I certainly wasn't having a pop at you, George! I always do the conversion myself and all my notes are in metric. I was just commenting on the situation we've gotten ourselves into. I love your videos!

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

@@22skiddoo I know it wasn't a pop at me. Please don't be offended. I was trying to explain why I went with one measurement system (simplicity for me). One day the Americans will wake up and use the metric system (base 10) and simplify this ever pressing confusion. 😊

[@iamsupergo]

The difference between 75 and 180 is 105 NOT 95

[@slelliott14]

180-75=105

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Yeah. I got it. The problem and solution works perfectly since it is a 95 degree change. The set-up explanation was wrong. Thanks

[@slelliott14]

Just giving you a hard time. Love the videos brother

[@claythomas7982]

BTU = British Thermal Unit.

[@SILVERICH57]

180 MINUS 75 = 105 NOT 95.

[@piotrang8634]

You make nice films, but there's a fundamental "but": 20:03 NOT in one hour!! In ANY time. BTU is the unit of energy, not power! So it doesn't matter over what time you transfer that energy - the faster you transfer those BTUs, the faster your water will get warmer. So time reduces in the equasion (if you decided to speak maths) 🤔

[@poppy3640]

screw metric

[@anomie6788]

Please for the Love of God .... Get to the point , off on so many tangents were off the map.

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

You obviously need a general style of instruction. Here it is... Ferment a sugar based product and then distill it. Now you have moonshine. Oh! by the way, when something goes wrong figure it out on your own. George

[@anomie6788]

@@BarleyandHopsBrewing lol I like it direct and to the point.