It’s good for the distilling process, not good for fermentation, as he said, it kills off the yeast.
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The specific gravity, triple scale hydrometer arrived yesterday, day 6, so I decided to check the wash. It read around 1.06. Much higher than I expected for day 6 or a 7 day process.
Using the calculator, that works out very roughly to about 3% ABV.
I re-did the original calculations, and the amount of sugar and water I used has a potential ABV of between 12-14%. So it looks like I have a good way to go before this wash is done. Its going a lot slower than I thought it would. I added some more dead yeast and re-hydrated yeast and its back to bubbling like mad.
Here is what I dont understand about the triple scale hydrometer. One of the scales is “Potential Alcohol %” or potential ABV if Im reading that correctly. On that scale, it reads that my 1.06 SG has 15% potential ABV?
How can the current SG of 1.06 have a higher potential - 15% ABV - than my starting SG of around 1.085 - which was a max of 13%?
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I checked that sugar wash calculator (using Kg and L) and the numbers came out correctly for me.
1.060 should be about 8% approx. potential alcohol… You are not looking at the Brix scale are you? The reason I ask is 1.060 aligns up with 15 on the Brix scale (some triple scales are easier to read than others).
XXAre you still using that ‘high octane’ alcohol meter or did you get a regular hygrometer to use? XX
strike that - I re-read an noticed the words “arrived yesterday”
Cheers
G
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Ah ha! Good catch. I was reading it incorrectly. The Potential Alcohol scale is squeezed into a smaller space and I just missed that.
So, that makes much more sense now. If I have around 3% ABV now, and another 9% potential left (per the same calculator), that adds up to 12% - which is in the ball park for where I started.
I like it much better when the numbers add up! 
Thanks!
Edit. I already know I cant do math in my head when Im stoned, but it turns out I cant work an on-line calculator either. Plus it seems I cant even measure water right. After triple checking everything twice, it seems like my original wash was at 1.095 SG. That SG should have been able to produce 14.6% ABV.
Yesterday the SG was 1.06 so the alcohol content as of yesterday was actually closer to 4.5%ABV. Adding in the 8% potential as of yesterday brings the total possible to about 12.5%, or about 2% lower than the max potential.
Today is 7 full days, and the SG is still up at 1.049 or so, which works out to about 5.9% ABV.
Bubbling is still going fairly well, but at this rate this is going to take another week to finish!
Ive been reading more wild ideas on moonshine, sugar wash, DIY yeast nutrients and PH in the wash.
This is just like growing weed. There are at least 17 radically different, often mutually exclusive ways to do it “just right” 
My PH was at 3.0, and those that do mention PH say to keep it between 4.5 and 5.5. So I have added some baking soda to raise the PH to 4.8, and pitched some more yeast. We will see what happens…
EDIT #2: Raising the PH made a huge difference. Based on more reading Im going to add some epsom salt, and …wait for it…some tomato paste! Some of you are saying I told you so, and wondering why it took me so long. The main reason is I found some in the pantry that wasnt expired, which meant no trip to the store. Plus, after more reading I realized its not the tomato paste that makes for a slow ferment. Lots of other factors.
So,you guys think Im ready to apply for my master brewers license yet? LOL! 
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Time to fess up. First - an apology to those of you who suggested the tomato paste. Turns out I stopped reading the thread on that too soon. Its not the tomato paste that slows things down. Lots of other factors involved. I did eventually end up adding some tomato pasts and it did speed up the reaction in the fermentor. My bad.
So. This has been an interesting, but frustrating, and in the end not very satisfying experiment.
The fermenting took way longer than I was expecting, but did eventually turn out a soso ABV - not great but not horrible. The potential ABV when I started was around 14% max. I actually ended up with around 11% when I quit. If I had waited till the fermentation had actually finished, I probably could have gotten a bit closer - maybe 12%. As it was, after 10 days the SG was still at 1.008 or so and I was needing some alcohol to process my harvest, so I pulled the plug.
My still ended up being grossly inefficient. The first round of distillation only got me up to 60% ABV when I quit… The first part of the distillation - maybe 25% - went ok with a solid 80% ABV, but the ABV just kept dropping as I continued. I was trying to get at least 90% of the potential alcohol out of the mash, but the last 50% or so just had way to much water in it The ABV was down to 10% and I had still only gotten a return of maybe 70% of what was in the mash. That brought the final ABV of the first round down to 60% or so.
I did a second run and it still was just barely 80% and I lost another 20-25% or so of the available alcohol.
Turns out my still had leaks I wasnt aware of until it was too late. That plus it was just too crude. On top of that, I didnt realize that the stupid electric burner I was using would not stay on. It constantly cycled between full ON and full OFF based on its own internal heat sensor.
Net result was everything taking forever and not ending up with anywhere near what I wanted as far as ABV.
I ended up processing my harvest with some 80%. There is a huge difference in the amount of water that gets left in the final Green Dragon.
Trying to get the alcohol out of the green dragon was a total waste. I had about .8 liters of GD and got only a few teaspoons back out of the still, and that was only 75% ABV.
I did end up with some usable RSO, but this is not an efficient way to get from here to there.
I may try making a reflux still for next time to see if I can recover the alcohol from the next harvest, but I will be starting with good old store bought Ever Clear.
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Well, you persisted and got results, but more importantly you learned a lot of new stuff.
Perhaps the moral is “it’s the journey…”
Good stuff
G
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Ugh…I’m sorry to hear this, @anon32470837. I’ve been following along and hoping for the outcome you wanted, but as @Gpaw said, at least you learned a lot of new stuff.
I know you’ve spent a lot of time researching and working on this project, but if you have a few minutes to spare, you should watch this video, which simplifies the process of making ethanol, which this person wants to use as a solvent:
Then he uses a method for refining it further into 100% ethanol, which includes using molecular sieves. You can watch it here:
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Indeed! I was hoping for a shorter journey though…
That is actually almost exactly like the first series of videos/texts I watched about making ethanol - and the one I based my original trials on. He is using less sugar and more yeast than some. The one other thing in this one that was different is that he admitted it could take “weeks” to finish. He also admitted that adding yeast nutes, while not necessary, can help prevent or eliminate ‘stalls’.
Im still trying to get past all the different “best” ways to ferment and narrow it down to the fastest. Its just like growing pot though. Way more anecdotal, unscientific, and old wives tale type of evidence than real science. Makes it hard to get started when you are on a budget and cant really afford to experiment on your own.
Im probably not going to ever do a fermentation again, but I will likely try stills one more time. Fortunately, there is actually a fair bit of real science behind still design
I would love to try that, but its way outside my budget. I just dont have the equipment and cant afford it. Sure looks and sounds cool though
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To be honest, this thread got my attention because I saw that it included using an electric distiller.
I’ve made RSO the classic Rick Simpson way (rice cooker and coffee mug warmer). I’ve used IPA and Ever Clear. I’ve tried other vessels for “cooking off” the solvent, but then I saw someone use the Megahome Distiller and capture a majority of his solvent to use again, and I loved that idea. But if I could also make my own super high proof alcohol without too much trouble, I was going to try that, too. Unfortunately, since it didn’t work out too well for you, I think I’ll steer clear of it for now, too.
But I do have my Megahome Distiller ready to put to work. I can’t get Ever Clear to save my life because everyone is buying it to make hand sanitizer! But I do have a gallon of 99.9% pure IPA. I know it’s not ideal, but I plan to run it though the distiller and eliminate anything that makes is less than 100% pure before I run my first batch of RSO with it.
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What’s IPA?
I have used isopropyl once, in my electric distiller, it was very stinky. After it goes through the still once it loses a lot of the smell though.
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@anon32470837 with a bit of past experience in making my own hard liquor, let me suggest something for your initial wash. i’d ditch the straight sugar wash, even when using tomato paste as a nutrient source. What i suggest doing is making up rum washes using sugar and molasses, and over pitch on the yeast, reason being is the molasses has plenty of nutrients in it and also over pitching on the yeast will allow some of it to be cannibalized by others, saying that some make whats called a yeast bomb by boiling some yeast to kill it but when adding that it provides nutrients for the active yeast.
I always got a nicer end product plus i enjoy the rum taste, but when distilling to 95.6% not a lot of flavor comes over but some still does, with tomato paste sugar washes mine typically had not so great aftertastes to them even when distilled to higher purity.
Also when making up washes its easier to just make up 9-11% washes and use regular bakers yeast, one the lower percentage washes ferment faster and they aren’t stressed as much vs your higher % washes which creates less diacetyls and higher carbon chain alcohols that contribute to off flavors. Distillers yeasts and or turbo " which has added nutrients typically DAP" arent worth it imo because of the above issues.
Also when doing runs, i typically would always do a fast and hard strippign run first usallying netting you around 45% end product but then id condense a couple batches and do a higher purity run, if i was running in pot still style my end product after going through the range and dropping out the back, you would typically be in the 80% range, or if i was going for a neutral spirit id run my still in a reflux setup and at a slower output due to refluxing but that would get 93-95.6% depending if i was pushing a little or taking my time.
Also you can reuse a bit of your dunder from your still to make your next batch, also carries over flavors 
and or re use some of the yeast and solids slurry that accumulates on the bottom of your fermentations vessels after that drops out of suspension, you can aid in that by throwing it in a fridge or in cold temperatures.
Also if needed a standard heat blanket from say walmart or wherever bungied around your fermenter does wonders at keeping things warm in a cold environment.
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It seems you already know the answer to that question, @Shadey. BTW, did you use the charcoal sachet when distilling the isopropyl alcohol (IPA)? I know it’s suggested for distilling water to help with flavor…
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@anon32470837, I have been distilling 2 decades, what Mr. Sparkles is saying above is solid gold.
Cheers
G
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@Mr.Sparkle, I’m running a 2" column, 40" tall with a classic Nixon McCaw head. You must have something different if you can run as a pot - a Bokabob maybe?
Cheers
G
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Yep ran a 2" Bokakob for a few years, made a double helix condenser that also had a center 1/2" cold finger worked well.
I was just gonna make a second head that being a simple lyne arm with liebig condenser for doing the rums and or stripping runs, but never got around to it, or i should say pursued it further just was at a point where to really trial the stuff i wanted to a lot of batches would and did just ended up being either tossed or stored for years, i never drank anywhere near what i could make. Same situation for weed i have now.
But yeah retired out of that hobby i just rarely drink apart from social gatherings and the odd weekend beer or rum, kept my condenser though just incase i pick it back up when i have space or time.
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No I didn’t bother as I was not going to drink it. Does it make a difference to the smell?
Every one hear calls it ISO, hear being around my area, not the site lol, it was the A on the end that threw me lol should have guessed, late night stoner brain problems 
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I think the ISO/IPA is a regional thing like pop/soda.
Cheers
G
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Need to infuse a good Bourbon or a nice Scotch.
I spose neither of these any good for refining?
Dont get discouraged by my problems. In the end, the fermentation process worked ok other than taking way longer than I was expecting.
As far as the still not working - it did work moderately well at first. It was the leaking that started later that killed the recovery of the alcohol after I processed the bud into Green Dragon. I managed to get just barely enough 80% ABV from my still on the first go round, which is not bad for a simple pot still. The down side is that to get that %, I had a lot of waste as far as total amount of alcohol recovered.
With a better still design, and no leaks, I think that the recovery process, after making RSO, would be worth doing. It was mainly the leaks and my crude pot still that hampered the end result.
I think your advice on doing lower ABV runs is excellent, but I doubt I will try fermenting again. I will for sure keep your advice in mind if I do. However, I did actually end up way over pitching the yeast and using yeast bombs in addition to the tomato paste. It still took forever, but that is likely due to the hi sugar content - as you suggested.
As far as flavors - I dont care as Im never going to drink any of it
I would love to see some details about yours and @Mr.Sparkle reflux columns.
I need to keep my next still as simple and cheap as possible. Ive been reading about liquid management vrs vapor management reflux columns till my eyes are blurry. Both of you are using liquid management types.
From a cost and ease of build standpoint, a simple vapor management column is by far my preference, but Im wondering how much better it would work over a simple pot still, or if its even worth messing with?
My “ideal” reflux column would be a simple 3/4" x 16" copper pipe stuffed with stainless or copper scouring pads. That would feed into a simple liebig type condenser. I could probably stretch that to a 1" x 24" tall column, but thats pushing my limits size and cost wise. I already have almost everything I need for the smaller column in my junk bin.
I can easily add a thermometer at the top to monitor vapor temps. I think I even have a brass gate valve I can use to close the column off until it reaches equilibrium - or as close as I can get with this simple a setup.
How well do you guys think this simple a column would work as far as %ABV, recovery ratio, and speed?
Thanks for the tips!!
Edit: Dont forget - flavors, smells, and taste dont matter at all to me. I am NOT going to drink any of this. Efficiency and low cost are the top two considerations. Speed of processing is a close third.
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well if not concerned about doing multiple runs to condense things and reflux isn’t need, straight pot still “lyne arm” and liebig condenser is the way to go for simple build and cost and you just run it as hard and as fast as you can condense the vapor and not have puke over from your boiling vessel, and do 3 condensing runs, 40%, 65-80%, and your last 90-95% run.
As far as pipe diameter consider that a 3/4" pipe is 55% of what area a 1" pipe would be, and us running 2" columns were at about 8 times the area as a 3/4".
Now if just wanting to make resin and the plan is to only use it as a solvent which will all be evaporated off afterwards, can i give you a suggestion for a fellow canadian…
Consider methyl hydrate, aka methanol which you can pick it up at homedepot and or canadian tire for $12 per 4 liters, its more aggressive than ethanol polar solvent wise, but does the same job, and you just evaporate off the rest, and yeah methanol is poisonous in high enough concentrations, but in a evaporated off resin/oil state the amount in it is insignificant especially considering dose amount, as consider that a standard glass of wine can have between 0.5-3ml of methanol in it.
There are a few of us @TrevorLahey that use it for this purpose we just don’t talk about it that much due to the methanol poisonous aspect, but if you understand that and evaporate off the methanol from your extract then its a perfectly viable method, heck classic RSO recipes use naptha and id rather use methanol any day over that… but each to their own.
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