This is my still. Coil reflux condenser, coil product condenser into a shottie into a short liebig. Nothing flash. Liebig has separate reservoir (blue 50 litre tub) and is cold throughout the run. Main cooling goes through shottie into product condenser then out into tank.
I start up at full power (3 ring banjo), throttle back to low power (outside ring only), stabilise 1 hour and take fores at a slow drip and heads at a fast drip. These are done at <78C.
Now my problem (I think). I adjust reflux water to get a faster output of distillate (starts at about 2 LPH and settles down at about 4 LPH). BUT.... the temp wants to run to about 80C. When it gets there, it starts to piss like a mule, sits steady for the most of it and then temp rises very slowly, but can be controlled by my reflux needle valve to within 0.1C.
I just can't seem to keep it at that magical 78.2C. If I do it dribbles like it has prostate problems :laughing-rolling: It seems to find it's own rhythm and then it settles in.
Do I need to keep it this low or can I just let it run as it wants?
I can keep the whole hearts run to 80 - 82C, then it skyrockets as the tails start to kick in. Tails are over in the blink of an eye. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
I also find that it farts and spits till about half way through the run. Everything heats up and it settles down. I've tried packing up the pooper, but it just blows right past. Is this too much heat or not enough cooling? I know it's vapour collapsing, but both shottie and condenser are too hot to touch so something is going on that I don't understand. I thought if I layered the cooling (coil into shottie into liebig) this would stop, but it hasn't. Any ideas?
I see videos of plate stills and wonder what's happening differently to mine. I never see a thermometer after the dephlegmater, always before. Also, a plate still does not have a huge 4" bore. With all the holes and cups it would probably be closer to a 2" pipe. Maybe the plates smooth out the temp stability and surging. Dunno, just brain farting here. Anyway, I just don't want to build a plate still out of principle. :text-offtopic:
Geez, what a rant. :laughing-rolling:
scarecrow