# My first run on my first still

A detailed account of the first distillation run using a new still setup, including observations, adjustments, and lessons learned.

- Total time: 270 min
- Cuisine: American
- Category: Drink
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 19 liter birdwatchers 10.1% ABV wash
- vinegar and water
- 100 ml Fore Shot
- 400 ml Jar #1
- 350 ml Jar #2
- 600 ml Jar #3
- 225 ml Jar #4
- 25 ml sample from the start of jar #3
- 19 liter birdwatchers 11% ABV batch

## Instructions

1. Perform a vinegar and water cleaning run for 4 hours.
2. Set up the still with an Anvil Foundry 6.5 gallon boiler and an Aliexpress 2" stainless reflux still, including a 200 mm dephlegmator, 400 mm shotgun condenser, sight glass, and a 500 mm tall extension packed with stainless steel scrubbers and copper mesh.
3. Load the boiler with 19 liters (5 gallons) of birdwatchers 10.1% ABV wash.
4. Turn on the boiling with a 120 volt/1600 watt element at 100% power.
5. After about 30 minutes, turn on the water pump for the 65-liter recycling water cooling tank with two frozen 3.7L/1 gallon water jugs.
6. Open the water valve 100% to the dephlegmator but keep it closed for the product condenser.
7. Allow the top column temperature to reach 60C/140F in approximately 30-45 minutes.
8. Open the valve for the product condenser to 100%.
9. After about another 30 minutes, begin collecting fore shots (100 ml, light blue/green, smelling of methanol).
10. After collecting Jar #1, reduce the power to 90% and turn the water valve for the dephlegmator down to 80%, keeping water flow to the product condenser at 100% for most of the run.
11. Every 30 minutes, turn the dephlegmator water valve up to 100% until the column temp drops 1-2 C, then close it back down to 80% to observe reflux.
12. Monitor the spirit coming off the product condenser at 24-25C/76-78F, collecting it as constant drops/broken stream.
13. Change ice jugs in the water tank once during the run as the temperature rises.
14. Shut down the still when the boiler temperature reaches 100C/212F and the product begins to smell like tomato paste.
15. Take a 25 ml sample from the start of Jar #3 and proof it down to 40% ABV for testing.

## Equipment

- Anvil Foundry 6.5 gallon boiler
- Aliexpress 2" stainless reflux still
- 200 mm dephlegmator
- 400 mm shotgun condenser
- sight glass
- 500 mm tall extension packed with alternating 100% stainless steel scrubbers and 100% pure copper mesh
- water pump
- 65 liter recycling water cooling tank
- frozen 3.7L/1 gallon water jugs
- 120 volt/1600 watt element
- graduated cylinder
- pond pump (1000 lph/264 gph)
- 13 mm/1/2 inch T fitting
- 5 mm ID/8 mm OD lines
- needle valves
- digital thermometer
- temp probes
- simple/radiator fan setup with soft copper line loop on a box fan

## Tips

- Take better notes during the run with times, temps, and settings.
- Get smaller cuts jars (around 250 ml) for more precise cuts.
- Consider adjustments to the cooling system, potentially adding another pond pump for the dephleg or a radiator fan setup.
- Concentrate on takeoff speeds and cuts, rather than solely relying on temperature readings.
- Get familiar with the smells and tastes of your runs.
- Avoid tinkering with the reflux condenser (RC) water mid-run; find a balance of water vs. power and stick to it.
- Maintain a constant water temperature.
- Consider adding another 500mm packed column with insulation for better separation.
- Be careful not to rush heating up to avoid puking and scorching, especially without anti-foaming agents or proper degassing.

## Source

- Original video: https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=84200
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/ad3f4578-3805-4309-813f-345a9f854344
- Extracted: 2025-09-04

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt