cooking to slow

[yetti]

arvo all, I have a question about my reflux still. I done my first TWP the other day and got 2L of very clear alcohol at 91% after cuts, very happy with that but my still ran for 8 hours dripping 2 drops per minute and the temp only rising from 78.8 to 79.4. The last turbo run I done was very slow as well. Has anyone else had this problem or can advise me why it would be so slow???

[Kimbo]

What sort of reflux still have you got mate?

[Canadoz]

It really depends on your equiment. My reflux head is a 2" column about 800mm long and the most power I can push into it is around 2000w.
When I get the coolant balanced to the amount of reflux I'm aiming for, I get almost exactly 1L/H @ 96-97% purity.
If I lower the reflux rate by upping the power slightly or lowering the coolant flow, I can get 92-94% @ nearly 2L/H, but I'm stubborn about hitting azeotrope on my Neutral runs.

Do you know what your column is capable of? is it a commercial model or home built? what's it's volume and height?
is it a VM, CM, or LM reflux still?

Knowing will help with diagnosis.

[Dominator]

Like Kimbo said, it depends on what type of still you have got. The speed at which your distillate comes out will be a result of any or all of, the power you put in, the amout of reflux, the ABV of your wash, the height and diameter of your column, the type of still, how high you want the ABV of your distillate, how far you open the take off valve (if one is fitted) and probably 100 other things.

Canadoz I highly doubt you collect at 96-97% as azeotrope is 95.6%

[Canadoz]

Canadoz I highly doubt you collect at 96-97% as azeotrope is 95.6%

You're probably right, My alcometer in the parrot reads consistently 96-97% @ 20 degrees celsius, but there's likely something throwing off the reading that I'm unaware of.
at any rate it always reads 95% in the demijohn by the time I've aired it and selected my cuts, so it's moot either way.

I might just be misreading the thing. ;)

[karrotbear]

Canadoz I highly doubt you collect at 96-97% as azeotrope is 95.6%

Another quick note on that. I remember seeing one episode of hillbilly stills or something (someone uploaded the youtube on here somewhere) and they showed the new bubbler pushing out close to 100% on their parrot. Not sure what would be influencing this (appart form temperature)

[blond.chap]

Canadoz I highly doubt you collect at 96-97% as azeotrope is 95.6%

You're probably right, My alcometer in the parrot reads consistently 96-97% @ 20 degrees celsius, but there's likely something throwing off the reading that I'm unaware of.
at any rate it always reads 95% in the demijohn by the time I've aired it and selected my cuts, so it's moot either way.

I might just be misreading the thing. ;)

Quick nerd clarification: The azeotrope for water is 95.6% ABW (by weight), however most hydrometers measure ABV (by volume). The binary azeotrope for ethanol and water is at 96.5% ABV. So you can get over 96% out of a reflux still (don't know how likely that is though).

There's a calculator to convert between the 2 here if anyone's interested: http://www.aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=3614&hilit=minute+boil+time&start=40

[Andy]

Canadoz I highly doubt you collect at 96-97% as azeotrope is 95.6%

You're probably right, My alcometer in the parrot reads consistently 96-97% @ 20 degrees celsius, but there's likely something throwing off the reading that I'm unaware of.
at any rate it always reads 95% in the demijohn by the time I've aired it and selected my cuts, so it's moot either way.

I might just be misreading the thing. ;)

Quick nerd clarification: The azeotrope for water is 95.6% ABW (by weight), however most hydrometers measure ABV (by volume). The binary azeotrope for ethanol and water is at 96.5% ABV. So you can get over 96% out of a reflux still (don't know how likely that is though).

There's a calculator to convert between the 2 here if anyone's interested: http://www.aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=3614&hilit=minute+boil+time&start=40

[Canadoz]

Cool. Anyway, back to yetti's question, lets hear what you're using, then we might be able to figure it out for you. ;)

[yetti]

The column is 400 high and 2" diameter. as for type not sure, had it about 7 years and got it from a home brew shop. Me thinks back yard bob was building them and he was doing a great job. It is also packed with copper mesh. Other turbos that I have done took anywhere from 3 - 5 hours and bubbled and spurted out, and the last 2 washes ( 1turbo and 1 TPW ) dripping 2 drops per second. Maybe as we all get older we only drip instead of spurt, who Knows :)) . It sits on a 30L electric boiler. thank for all the feed back.

[Canadoz]

The column is 400 high and 2" diameter. as for type not sure, had it about 7 years and got it from a home brew shop. Me thinks back yard bob was building them and he was doing a great job. It is also packed with copper mesh. Other turbos that I have done took anywhere from 3 - 5 hours and bubbled and spurted out, and the last 2 washes ( 1turbo and 1 TPW ) dripping 2 drops per second. Maybe as we all get older we only drip instead of spurt, who Knows :)) . It sits on a 30L electric boiler. thank for all the feed back.

2 thoughts.

Check for leaks. (While distilling move a mirror around close to the column and boiler. Fogs up if there's a leak.)

Ever cleaned the packing?

[yetti]

hey canadoz, I clean the packing about every 5th run. I mix citric acid in hot water and run it through the tower half a dozen times then mix bicarb soda with hot water and do the same to neutralise. great tip with the mirror, will try next run. thanks mate.

[Kimbo]

Hey Yetti, Can you adjust the coolant at all mate?

[yetti]

hey Kimbo, did adjust water flow and didn't make any different. I was told that the pin hole it drips out of might have a bit of shit in it. I will clean it out and see how we go. Also is it better to carbon filter a TPW or is it ok as is?? Thanks mate.

[SBB]

A photo of the still would be great, we would then have some idea what we are dealing with, is it a CM, LM, VM ??

[Andy]

if there were leaks to increase the time 4times wouldn't his yield be far lower?? after 7 years could the electric boiler just be dying? does the heat up time take longer?

[Kimbo]

hey Kimbo, did adjust water flow and didn't make any different. I was told that the pin hole it drips out of might have a bit of shit in it. I will clean it out and see how we go. Also is it better to carbon filter a TPW or is it ok as is?? Thanks mate.

No need to use carbon with a TPW :handgestures-thumbupleft:
and :text-+1: With what SBB said ;-)

[yetti]

The boiler is not even 1 year old so unless it has had a little fart it should be fine.I have tried to add a pic of a still the same as mine, I also cleaned out the pin hole that the alcohol comes out of ( don't know correct term for it but pin hole will do
). have fired it back up and will let you know if that has worked. thanks for all the support.

[Andy]

I have heard goo dhtings about those stills

LM system- just spit balling but maybe a problem with the valve? only letting a small about of ethanol out while the rest overflows from the reservoir

[SBB]

Or something has happened to the "copper wire the condensate trickles down" as in one or both have been bent so so not working effective ....or one has fallen off............or something???
:wtf: And a suphide gas venting hole to boot :think: :think: