Strange run...foggy glasses

[tickle]

just made my first DWWG run in the plater, had a few strange things going on. I had two glasses foged up through the run, the second from the bottom, and the very top. it was the standard 37 liter wash i always ran in the pot set up. Anyway, high BTU's (I'm on gas) to heat up, eveything looked great, backed off to equalize and settle down, the plate above the bottom fogged up like they normally do to signal the tails...lazyy activity on the plate too. i will take it apart to see if vapor is bypassing somehow. like iI said, worked great under higher power, weak under normal conditions. what intregues me is the top window...great activity, but the glass was foggy through the whole run. the conditions were pretty cold and dry, we had a pretty big snowstorm the night before.
during the run, there was also a time where the abv started to taper off, like a pot still does. was running at 87-88%, then started slowly dropping off, 85,82,80, down to 65 or so, then, crept back up to 87 again :think:

letting it air out overnight for cuts, but it seemed normal enought by taste and smell.

thoughts, suggestions?

[crow]

Sure it wasn't simply a fluctuation in water pressure or temperature

[tickle]

hadn't considered it...but it would certainly explain it. as for the foggy lenses...no idea what was up with the top plate. the abv was a bit lower than normal, but ive never stilled in freezing temps either. It was strange, bottom plate was great, 2nd plate was foggy, 3rd was great, top plate foggy. i think the second plate is bypassing somehow, will rebuild it later. :text-thankyoublue:

[emptyglass]

I'm sure your gas bottle was full and your burner runs consistant, and your water pressure constant, but might pay to check it.

For the ABV to jump up like that, sounds like you had a change in conditions.

[tickle]

thanks, I figgure you guys are right; one or the other must have been changing without me noticing. Will try to make another run this weekend, with a new bubble plate ( see guys, this is why sight glasses are nice! more than just eye candy. Well, mostly eye candy.) Like I said, strange that the top glass was fogged, but could be temperature related.

[emptyglass]

You havn't sprung a leak, or something like that?

[tickle]

That was my final thought.....precondenser did freeze up in the weather. Couldd be a small leak in there. Bummer. I closed off the outlet valves this am after pressurizing it; will know for sure when I get home! Good excuse to test the "re-seal" ability of the teflon gaskets.
I suspect you are right on.

[emptyglass]

Just sounds a bit odd mate. I'm thinking you got some funny buggers playing with your mind in there.

DWWG usually runs pretty good, from what I've seen.

[MacStill]

That was my final thought.....precondenser did freeze up in the weather. Couldd be a small leak in there.

Reckon that would fuck it for sure if it had water in it, water getting to the top plate will fog it up :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Sam.]

Just a thought from a non bubbler owner (yet) you said that there was a snowstorm the night before?

Are you running this thing outside? Or even inside what it the ambient temp? If its cold as fuck surely you would need a little extra gas to be the same as if you were running in your summer? Do you usually run your rig in those conditions?

Just a thought :think:

[tickle]

Still sorting gremlims; precondenser held 60 psi overnight. Sam, it was cold as balls, just above freezing, and it sure was the first time I ran it in the col like that.

But, the piss that came out of it is pretty good, I'm not gonna worry about it for now. The run averaged 80 ABV, bit lower than normal, but not bad. The cold conditions did something. Not sure what or why yet. It will be a bit warmer this weekend, I'll have the bad plate replaced, and see what this run is like!

[MacStill]

it wasnt condensation on the outside of the glass was it ?

I'm not asking thinking you're a dumb fuck, just wondering if the cold damp conditions did it.... I've never run a still in cold temps like you have over there :-B

[crow]

New England Nth Dakota or new England Maine , hmm well it wouldn't matter much both would be cold as fuck now :laughing-rolling: . Could even be condensing on the inside of the glass at those very low temps depending on what heating ya have in your shed or where ever you are running it. My granddad came from Hamilton , bout the most southern point of Canada so likely south of you and it was fucking cold there :teasing-tease:

[ACfixer69]

I found this same think happening on my 3 plate tree. It was driving me nuts. :twisted: After many runs and by luck I found that it was blow by between wall and plate that was letting water vapor pass and condensing on the peepers. Wrapped the plate wall dames with teflon tape and the fogging stopped. Don't have the science to prove why, just it worked. :happy-partydance: Wow this is 1st post on this site :D

AC

[emptyglass]

Congrats on the "long time lurker, first time poster" bit, AC. Good to see you.

Good point on plate bypass, could be the prob...

Keep warm.

[MacStill]

I found this same think happening on my 3 plate tree. It was driving me nuts. :twisted: After many runs and by luck I found that it was blow by between wall and plate that was letting water vapor pass and condensing on the peepers. Wrapped the plate wall dames with teflon tape and the fogging stopped. Don't have the science to prove why, just it worked. :happy-partydance: Wow this is 1st post on this site :D

AC

Welcome AC :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[tickle]

missed a few posts here, will try to cathch up...

Mac, i am a dumb fuck! never assume less. but no, i did wipe the outside of the lens. could still be cold related though. the plate that was second from the bottom fogged the pas few runs, i figure it must be passing vapor, it runs a bit lazy compared to the others. the top plate never happened before..does.nt meat it didnt just start passing, but would be strange. well, the whole thing is strange, so who knows?
Crow, New England, Boston mass. will update profile!

AC, welcome! if anybody here doesn't know know him from AD, great guy. If not for what I learned here, and his build there, i'd still be dreaming of a bubbler.
you will like it here, lots of ball busting and laughs. oh, and one or two decent builders :laughing-rolling:
maybe one day one of these aussies will come to new england, we can so them how we roll. Or, even better, a trip to austrailia...may never come back! :D

[emptyglass]

Tickle, you running bubblecaps and you say you got a "lazy" plate?
I think AC might be onto something, assuming all your platesand caps are made the same, you shouldn't really have one plate working nocibly different to the rest. Do you have a weir around the plate?

[tickle]

No, no weir. The plates are sanwiched inbetween the sections via triclamps. The second plate from the bottom is bypassing somehow, runs normally when heating up, running balls out. When dialed back for the run, its a bit lazy compared to the others. I just built a new plate tonight to replace. I think it will be OK, hope to run this weekend, will report back!