First of all a warm welcome to our guests from Ireland and Viet Nam. Thanks for joining the iStill Blog! Ireland ... Poitín. Viet Nam ... dunno actually. What are you guys making/drinking over there? On today: Some steep learning curves happening here. Me, getting to know how an automated design works. The iStill 50, tuning in and stepping up its performance. No, I didn't flood the column. I was wrong. The still actually has a function to detect potential flooding and counter acts if such a situation was to ocure. No, what I encountered, that is just how the iStill works! Contrary to hand controlled LM, it doesn't go slowly at a continuous pace. Instead, it equalizes the column, and draws off product at a pretty fast rate. Depending on what setting you choose (like "stay within 0.1 degree of azeotropic boiling point"), it will continue to draw off until it cannot stay within the set parameters. Then it stops collecting, starts equalizing, and another collection phase takes place. Contrary to hand operated LM's or VM's, it sorta runs and rests, runs and rests. That was my learning point. Funny thing is that the iStill is learning too. On the first run, it collected like 0.1 liters before shut down. It then decided to open the needle valve much less for the second "batch". I guess it has some kind of algorithm that drives it to look for a maximum amount take-0ff within the set parameters (for instance "stay within 0.1 degree of azeo boiling point"). The second stabilization got me 0.2 liters. And right now it is throwing out like 0.6 to 0.7 liters in one time. From a boiler that is slowly depleted in alcohol. Impressive. So, did I achieve my goal of cleaning up that undrinkable vodka? Yes I did. It is a vodka, not a neutral, but the hotness has gone and so has most of the taste. Good job! New plans for tomorow? Yes! Let's see if we can use the iStill to make a whiskey. I am not talking about using the potstill function, or about taking packing out. I want to use her as is. In full 96% attack mode. So what do you think? Can we make a whiskey like that? [polldaddy poll=7052055]