E164 All Grain All Wheat Vodka Distillation

Still Works and Brewing in distilling out our wheat vodka

[@BigEdsGuns]

Randy, Pack that column. Add more copper mesh/scrubbies to the voids in the column. Pack even the glass section above the straight stainless and below your plates. You will see it bubble just like the plates. ==> This is key for a good clean neutral. Hence higher ABV. Most distilleries will run 20 plates for a great neutral. But they valve each plate to pull from a plate with more flavor during a whiskey run. Some run just a "pot" for flavor. It depends on what your making. The taller your packed column the purity increases an more ABV. AZEOTROPE is not easy. Like you noticed, when your ABV dumps you are done. The column loaded, collected, and then drops. (This is why running a column takes less time then a pot still. At 80abv you did it right for whiskey.) Keep an eye on the size of the bubbles on your plates. They will get smaller, and fog/steam appears in the lower plates to let you know tails are coming up. This is a part of the look, smell, feel part of distilling. Ignore temperature. I still (pun) do not run a thermometer anywhere in distillation. Pot, packed reflux, sieve plates, bubble caps, or thumper. Cheers Randy!

[@stillworksandbrewing]

as always thanks for the tips my Friend

[@PoppaLongroach]

Low gravity mash for flavor, thumper for proof. Nice and easy

[@donniepowell7146]

Love to watch a still work.

[@stillworksandbrewing]

me too cheers my Friend

[@scottq4344]

Hi Randy. One thing that will significantly help your reflux control will be to switch out your ball valve for a needle valve. You will really be able to find the optimum reflux rate with this change in place.

[@nwmetalbug]

I agree im just using 6mm tubing and a small needle valve I run it slow and its 92-94 abv all the way thru the run.

[@stillworksandbrewing]

I think you guys are right I will make a switch thanks

[@hilmiakbas8999]

Great job sir.

[@deanwilson6988]

Oh no, such a good fermentation. Best of luck with your re run Randy. 🤞

[@stillworksandbrewing]

Thank you kindly

[@paulswan1965]

Hi Randy, mate I run my plates the other way up, with the screw facing down, that made a difference to my take-off.

[@stillworksandbrewing]

I thinking of some mods. will let you know

[@paulswan1965]

@@stillworksandbrewing Will look forward to it.

[@Andre2199CE]

Randy great video! I add spoon of butter into the wash this will prevent it from bubbling.

[@stillworksandbrewing]

do you add to every wash

[@Andre2199CE]

@@stillworksandbrewing yes every wash I do.

[@larcar8986]

Did ever add the deflection plates and if so could we see how you did it please and thank you...

[@Stewbphoto]

I worked in a distillery when I was in England we had a 4 plate pot still and also the 30 plate reflux still for gin and vodka. I had the best time working there and learned a ton over the 4 years I was there. But I would agree more packing and run super slow. Not like running whiskey at all

[@stillworksandbrewing]

Thanks for sharing!

[@blast3613]

Just a quick thought. If your plates are the right way up you should see the liquid returning, down to the boiler, through the sight glasses.

[@mikeedwards2621]

Gonna be very curious to see how the re-distillation turns out.

[@stillworksandbrewing]

we will let you know

[@mikew.1902]

I have no idea how to run with bubble plates, but I do know that in full reflux, as we have the same still that I can achieve 180+. Good luck with your solution. Oh............. whats the point of using a grain if you are going to strip all the flavor? Not a jackass question, just trying to understand. I am trying to learn all the time. Thanks for another great learning vid.

[@stillworksandbrewing]

some one gave me a challenge to do a all wheat but I think you always get some flavor carry over

[@RiggerBrew]

With 4 plates and 10% wash, you should be pulling 92% and hold there for a while and the tails start to come in at 80-85%. Seems you need to let the column stack and balance for 30-60min and slow your takeoff.

[@stillworksandbrewing]

thanks and Cheers!!

[@mauistevebear]

It's happened to me before...I thought I had run it too hard (plates), but like you are thinking, I ran it again and it came 86%. I was ok with that, but I wanted a higher (93-95%). It actually turned out very good, smoother, and even tastier.! Good luck Randy. I'm sure it will turn out just fine

[@stillworksandbrewing]

Thanks Steve will let you all know

[@ulises.valdez]

Do u have deflag or precondenser?

[@mauistevebear]

@@ulises.valdez precondenser

[@ulises.valdez]

@@mauistevebeartnx. Maybe u need more high in ur column to take 180 proof. Or more slow. Randy dont talk about any antifoam neighter

[@widgets76]

I thought deflag and precondensor were the same thing? Just a small shotgun condenser right?

[@Crazy8Moonshiners]

I am learning to run plates as well, I'm running a single plate over an onion for whiskey but my proof is still a bit higher than I want at 170.

[@stillworksandbrewing]

don't run to high don't want to loose that whiskey flavor cheers

[@Crazy8Moonshiners]

@@stillworksandbrewing I haven't had a problem with losing any flavor, I need to run a bit faster to lower the proof, but the sweet spot tends to be 170 at a broken stream.

[@blast3613]

Flip the bubble plates over and you'll be able to run heaps more power. Those caps are downcomers for draining and an air/vapor lock.

[@thomasstadaas3599]

This is true, they are upside down 😂

[@bradtanzey5840]

Can you also make this all grain all wheat vodka with a 3 pot vendor still? Thanks

[@stillworksandbrewing]

that is a great question and the answer is yes and no i think the rule for vodka is needs to come off still around 180 proof than proof down to drinkable proof but as home distillers we can do what we want right. so with that said if you distill say 3 times you will have a very clean and neutral sprit and that is vodka and to me you will have a small wheat taste all is good

[@daneryancook2416]

I reckon you might have had a leak in one of your tri clover seals there mate. That’s the only thing I can think of that might change your proof if you consistently get higher results with that same set up. I run more packing than that in a 4” 500mm packed section without plates and consistently pull 94%

[@stillworksandbrewing]

thanks

[@cameronreiter2869]

My thought is the orientation of the plates.

[@stillworksandbrewing]

talked to manufacture they said caps up but I have some mods. i might do will let you know

[@jeffreyschutt7451]

im doing mine as well today with the same bubble plates and could only get 80%abv so next run i will add inbetween my 500m section paked with copper and the bubble plates on top of that and see if that makes a differnce will let you know

[@stillworksandbrewing]

please do question caps up?

[@dannylee9138]

Hey Randy you didn't do anything wrong I ran mine in a t500 still twice and got 190 proof this grain doesn't play fair

[@stillworksandbrewing]

thanks

[@ericbowers71]

Wudder

[@stillworksandbrewing]

yep Cheers

[@bradleyjones6277]

Hey! Absolutely love your channel! I was wondering if you could add an email to your about page so that subscribers could ask any questions that might be too specific for the comments sections in your videos? Thanks! And keep up the great content

[@vegoil]

Is the issue just down to a 2” column? I have heard that pepper reflux requires a 4” column, but I’m pretty new (and 70% isn’t bad).

[@marty8583]

To compress the fores and heads much better.. run the pre conderser from the start and allow the still to run in full reflux for 30min then wind the pre conderser flow off slowly to get a flow. Doing this stacks the vapour in the column so the lighter alcohols come off first and much tighter than the way you ran it.

[@daneryancook2416]

Yep, compress those heads 🤙

[@stillworksandbrewing]

thanks for tips

[@terrybaldwin1182]

Revisiting some more today.. Where did you get your bubble section for your coloum? Might have missed you saying it... Cheers my friend from a Michigan Home Hobbyist....

[@adamsem680]

I'm looking at getting into home brewing, my aim is to make an all grain vodka although by the looks of it, it might not be the best homebrew to start out with, any anyone recommend what I should start with? Also what distil should I buy? Looking for something easy to use. What's a safe way to heat the still? Also online I saw you should heat to a certain temperature a certain temperature fore the Methanol to extract but low enough not to waste the ethanol?

[@bjscooking1797]

Randy hi...I can't say for sure but I think the bubble plates should be the other way mate. The slots in the copper tubes look like downers to me, like everyone's saying you need more packing, scrubbers, SPP, marbles, pack it and run on full reflux with the deflag running for a min of 30 maybe 45 minutes.

[@blast3613]

Was about to say the same thing. You can see there is no downcomer when they're that way up.

[@blast3613]

The plates are flooding and not draining that's why the percentage sux.

[@ronaldbland9359]

Can I use a pot still to make vodka if yes what do I need to do please

[@ifell3]

Strange I thought you would be hitting around the 160 proof with those bubble plates, do you think the temperature was to high or the plates to loaded up?

[@stillworksandbrewing]

maybe I'm working on it will let you know

[@perrysaddler9526]

Your bubble plate is upside down

[@stillworksandbrewing]

before i used it for the first time i called manufacturer and was told caps up but have been thinking about some small mods. will let you know

[@darryl6663]

Aren’t ringworms contagious?

[@stillworksandbrewing]

Yes I think but my hand is circle granuloma not contagious