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Originally Posted by: CWC  I am using a 120v 1500 watt internal hot water heater element with the 20 am router speed control. When you tried electric only, how long did it take you to get up to temperature with just electric? I have the same set-up as you (without the RSC) and it takes 10 gallons of wash to get to temp in about 90 minutes.
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"That sounds about right on the money for one element. Sounds we all got about the same stuff. Here is a link to the variac place. I have heard a bunch of folks singing their praises in times past. Also would like to give a plug for Rockler. They have cheesy RSCs? lol but great customer service. They sent me a brand new free of charge just today. They love me I guess. Have owned the old one since Feb. this year. 6 months or so and have used it quite a bit. Knew it was getting too hot the first time I used it and it like to have burnt down the man cave. I started sitting it on a fire brick after that. Rich boys can shop here: Least I think this is it. Very hard to track em down. http://www.variac.com/st...DyvfmZ1LECFeSMTAodx1gAQAGlad to hear you are implying the RSC is not needed on a reflux run with one 1500 watt element?"
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OK - 4500w element at 240v brought 12 gal of wash to 90* in 50 min. Switched my plug to the 120v router controller & it fell to 86* during the switch & has slowly crept back to 90*+. Steady steam of strip - expecting great things tomorrow during the reflux run. I'm sure I'll need the variable side of the router controller tomorrow as I don't expect the water to be able to control all the heat, but I'll see. Best thing I've done since starting this hobby. The 15 gal kettle is awesome.
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"Hey Rat
Where ((at what part of the boiler)) are you taking the temperature reading??? :)"
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Originally Posted by: scotty Hey Rat
Where ((at what part of the boiler)) are you taking the temperature reading??? :) Top of the column. I've never calibrated my thermometer (glass one that originally came with the system), but usually I'm right at 78* when pulling hearts in reflux mode. Today's strip was great, as soon as I pulled juice I switched to 120v & it put out a steady stream up until I started making water. I was afraid of overrunning the column if I left it on 240v. With only about 8.5 gal in the pot tomorrow I'm expecting the unit to come up 10 or 15 min quicker. I plan to switch to 120 at about 70*+, full reflux water & then I'll see if I need to switch the controller over to the variable side. I use six extra copper scrubbers packed in around the reflux tubes, besides the 4 big copper rolls, and I get a little more cooling effect this way. Love to have a variac, but they're so damned expensive.
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Rat, i thought you had said you switched to 120 at 90 degrees F. Which i thought was too low. I guess ill have to go back and re read your post. Sorry for the delay.
I dont think it makes any real diference where you take the temperature reading as long as you find the temperature that allows you to leave the240
or dual elements on as long as possible before switching to low power. Again my confusion came from reading your post in correctly.
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A bit of friendly banter is both expected and encouraged. We want this to be a place that people enjoy to come to, but at the same time we have to remember that it is ultimately a place where people come to get information. There are more and more threads where a person has to go through several pages of off-topic nonsense in order to find the information that they are looking for. That is beyond friendly conversation, and is precisely what the Just for Fun section is for! If you want to shoot the bull, take it to the appropriate section. This is a technical section, so let's keep it that way for those seeking technical information. 'Nuf said.
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I too Scotty, I am sure we can all learn something for each other. I was merely trying to be funny by refering to you Quote and picking up a turd by the clean in and that working in a wastewater treatment plant one sometimes has to actually reach down in places they don't want to and pick up some unpleasent things therefore learning how to keep it off of you, hench picking up a turd by the clean in. My mistake I will try and keep to distilling!!!!! Cheer up!
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Originally Posted by: scotty Rat, i thought you had said you switched to 120 at 90 degrees F. Which i thought was too low. I guess ill have to go back and re read your post. Sorry for the delay.
I dont think it makes any real diference where you take the temperature reading as long as you find the temperature that allows you to leave the240
or dual elements on as long as possible before switching to low power. Again my confusion came from reading your post in correctly. 90* C & that was because it where I caught it. Refluxing now. Same symptom, temp starts to slowly rise and somewhere after 35*C it just shoots through the roof. Switched to 120 & the CM is taking care of the temp even though the router controller is wide open. From now on I'm not going to use the router controller anymore. Strips don't matter & CM controlls the reflux just fine.
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Im surprised that you are going to stop using the RSC for any reason. Wheather im doin pot or reflux, i go to 80% on the RSC as soon as i get yield. However, i have no experience with a stripping run. For neutral, i just run extra slow and separate factions An for whiskey i simply tripple distill at a standard rate (5 DRIPS/SEC ) IF IT IS POSSIBLE TO COUNT THEM. i I only do Irish style whiskey.
This winter i want to try burbon with flaked corn and rye malt.
Any recomendations there.
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Scotty - I only make neutrals. At this point it looks like the RC is only now good for the on/off switch. I left my RC on full the whole time & the water was able to keep the temp well in check. Stripping is temp independent - hard & fast is what you want. With the 4500w element hooked to 120v the CM function works really well.
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I've never done a hard and fast run. Dont you lose some of the alcohol?? Remember i have no experience with that method.
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No, it's a stripping run - strip out the alcohol hard & fast. Since it will be refluxed later quality does not matter, only quantity.
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Hey Rat..not needing that goofy router controller is the best news I heard all day. If you dont need one they means I prob wont either. Thanks for doing the science on that angle. Suspect It would still be essential to have one for pot stilling..if somebody wanted to do that for some reason. Originally Posted by: ratflinger Scotty - I only make neutrals. At this point it looks like the RC is only now good for the on/off switch. I left my RC on full the whole time & the water was able to keep the temp well in check. Stripping is temp independent - hard & fast is what you want. With the 4500w element hooked to 120v the CM function works really well.
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Heeler do you know if this 15A controller will work with 1500W element. I was gifted this and not sure it will work http://www.amazon.com/SE...=router+speed+controller
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1500 watts divided by 120 volts = 12.5 amps
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Thanks Scotty. I just didn't want to burn it up as it works on the drill press
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Well I dont know what a stepless speed controller is buuuuut.......I am absolutley positive it will work with a 1500 watt element. In fact I use a 4500 watt element
120 volts ( its a 220 element but I plug it into 110) and it only pulls about 11 amps going full blast on that circut. In my opinion a speed controller is just a no brainer. I'm not knocking the other ways but I've tried the gas route and the electric route and eletric is all they say it is. I still use gas during heatup and then turn off the gas and its just the internal element to the end.
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Originally Posted by: heeler Well I dont know what a stepless speed controller is buuuuut.......I am absolutley positive it will work with a 1500 watt element. In fact I use a 4500 watt element
120 volts ( its a 220 element but I plug it into 110) and it only pulls about 11 amps going full blast on that circut. In my opinion a speed controller is just a no brainer. I'm not knocking the other ways but I've tried the gas route and the electric route and eletric is all they say it is. I still use gas during heatup and then turn off the gas and its just the internal element to the end. 4500 watts divided by 4 4500/4=1125 watts tells me 9.375 amps-- but real measurement and formula are not always the same. Heeler, did you ever measure the resistance of that element-- I just like messing with these formulas. and my calculator isnt always correct either.
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"Measure the resistance of the element? Ya know I may have and did'nt know it. What does that mean Scotty?
Or should I say --how do you measure the resistance of the element?"
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