Complete novice here and first post on this site so please be gentle. 
I want to try my hand at distilling grain into something like vodka and have acquired a small Barnstead still ( Model A1011) to be the core of my rig. It has an output capacity with H2O of one gallon an hour using 120V AC and 2600 watts.
I am writing this post primarily in order to find someone who can tell me the best way to control the current to the heating elements.
The still, as you might already know, was designed to continuously boil water for the purpose of creating laboratory grade H2O, so there is nothing designed into to modulate the current except for a low water cut off. With the need to keep the boiler at 172*F I know that I have to have some sort of pyrometer/probe, and then I suspect, some sort of contactor that will take a signal from the pyrometer and modulate the current going into the machine.
The folks at Auberinstruments.com seemed to have what I thought that I needed but kindly advised me against the purchase and referred me to this site for first hand suggestions.
Rather than bore you silly here, Ill wait until after I get some response to this post before describing what I plan to build in hopes that someone will tell me that I am on the right track or not.
Anyway, thanks in advance for any and all suggestions, directions, assistance and general support.
Jack
I want to try my hand at distilling grain into something like vodka and have acquired a small Barnstead still ( Model A1011) to be the core of my rig. It has an output capacity with H2O of one gallon an hour using 120V AC and 2600 watts.
I am writing this post primarily in order to find someone who can tell me the best way to control the current to the heating elements.
The still, as you might already know, was designed to continuously boil water for the purpose of creating laboratory grade H2O, so there is nothing designed into to modulate the current except for a low water cut off. With the need to keep the boiler at 172*F I know that I have to have some sort of pyrometer/probe, and then I suspect, some sort of contactor that will take a signal from the pyrometer and modulate the current going into the machine.
The folks at Auberinstruments.com seemed to have what I thought that I needed but kindly advised me against the purchase and referred me to this site for first hand suggestions.
Rather than bore you silly here, Ill wait until after I get some response to this post before describing what I plan to build in hopes that someone will tell me that I am on the right track or not.
Anyway, thanks in advance for any and all suggestions, directions, assistance and general support.
Jack
