by spiltdrink » Sun Jan 06, 2019 7:20 am
Necro post.But I'm full of coffee.
This isn't in the plated column section, so.....
Holding a packed column at full reflux until it sorts it's self out and reaches what we refer to as equilibrium is different for every rig.
It is a balance between:
The type of still.ie.Lm Vm
Column diameter
Thermal mass (thermal lag)of the packing
Hetp of packing
How much packing
How much power being thrown at the boiler
The temperature of the of output water of the reflux condenser ( hence the temperature of reflux)
The type of wash you have in the boiler
They are all related to each other.
If you are a noob firing up your still for the first few dozen times just sticking to the hour does the job, one less thing to worry about.
When you get to know your rig a bit better it's just another area in distilling to refine.The aim here is to reduce time while continuing to get a quality product.After spending hundreds of hours next to your still, waiting unnecessary starts to feel like a waste of time.
Experiment, shave off 5 min and record the results. When you get smearing, wind it back a bit. This is time saved every time you fire up your still, forever. It's not compounding interest, but it adds up all the same.
I have one (very specific) rig that takes 25 min to reach equilibrium.
I still once a week, in just one year I save 30 hours (more than three full working days of time) just by a little experimenting.
I can use that time to: experiment with ferments, do stripping runs, clean my equipment, write long winded posts, the sky's the limit!!!
Just something to chew over while you're sitting next to your still