Vatoe wrote:It's all good re above.
I probably have guessed the answer to this, but I'll ask it anyway. When you state in your original post "...once your column is up to temp and in full reflux just slowly close your reflux valve until you get a drip or two every second...." Is the "reflux valve" you are referring to here the valve that controls the inlet water flow to the RC? Also "full reflux" means I assume that all plates are loaded with liquid and bubbling away nicely. I think I caught Sam's youtube video in that regard.
So, if I am getting my head around this process correctly, closing the inlet valve, essentially drops the cooling capacity of the reflux condenser (due to restricted water flow), which therefore allows the escaping of some vapour, which passes through to the PC. The PC essentially acts as a better cooler (even if the cooling water is used in a in RC out to PC fashion) and returns the vapour back into liquid form.
My current still is essentially a 'set and forget' still where the controlling of the water flow to a large degree does not effect the temp of the still. Whilst I appreciate the reflux still I have is different to a bubbler, all the bits are hidden in my copper column and by virtue of ease of operation is pretty limited as a learning tool - I am still learning though if that makes sense :o
cheers, once again.
I preface this as someone who has only run a liebig on a pot his stilling career BUT I know you can plumb these things any which way you like.
Personally I intent to have a Y splitter on my water pump...1 goes to Reflux Condenser, 1 goes to PC. I'll run the PC one flat out...cause that's it's job...and the RC will have a valve for controlling how much vapor is allowed access to the PC.
From what I've read it doesn't need to be any more difficult than that.
You are correct that closing the reflux valve will reduce water flow and hence cooling capacity, allowing vapor to slip past and be condensed by the PC.
"Full Reflux" means that all plates are loaded and there is adequate flow in the RC to knock back ALL vapor.
All the pros here, please correct me if I'm wrong.