Distillation -- Operating a Still
How to make a still
Safety
Distillation vapor path should not be pressurized. Avoid potential clogs in the system.
Secondary distillations should avoid open flames.
Liquid condensates should be directed far from boiler. Avoid conentrated flamable liquids near a source of ignition.
Yields
As a rule of thumb, expect an 8:1 yield of mash:50% alcohol. So, 8 liters of mash should yield 1 liter of 50% alcohol (100 proof).
8 : 1
That's a minimum to expect when first setting up a still. You are probably extracting only half the total alcohol available. With skill, careful distillation, and improved fermentation you can expect better yields.
yeast
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
hydrometer
Distilled spirits are measured in proof and %ABV (percentage of alcohol by volume). Proof is obsolete, but it is still popular in the United States. Legally, all alcohol is labeled in %ABV, but many manufacturers also still include a proof label. In the US proof is simply half a percent, so 100 proof is 50 %ABV. The %ABV scale is sometimes called a Tralles scale (not Tralle's, not Tralle, not Traille.).
Alcohol hydrometers for distilled spirits usually measure alcohol by volume. The scales usually read proof and Tralles. They are referred to as Proof and Tralles hydrometers. Note that Tralles is frequently mispelled as Tralle's, Tralle, Traille. Tralles is the correct name as it is named after Johann George Tralles.
Beer and wine hydrometers are used to measure properties of mash and wine before distillation. They are not used to measure proof or %ABV.
