Theoretical issues with stripping too fast?

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Chroi
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Theoretical issues with stripping too fast?

Post by Chroi »

Other than the song ending before you get all the customers cash is there an issue with.....oh wait, wrong forum..... :roll:

Seriously, anyone every done any research into whether you can affect a final product with too fast a stripping run? Other than the obvious issues of overwhelming the product condenser, or flooding/puking etc.

Taste wise, can you screw up a final product with too much power on the first run?
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still_stirrin
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Re: Theoretical issues with stripping too fast?

Post by still_stirrin »

For a strip, not really a problem of running too fast. I'd run slow at the start to pull a foreshots cut. But then, "let 'er rip" since you're collecting it all in one vessel. Just don't "outrun" your product condenser.
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Re: Theoretical issues with stripping too fast?

Post by rad14701 »

The faster the stripping run, the more water you are carrying over into your low wines... This could actually be beneficial, unless you are stripping a wretched wash to begin with... Water being a filter, fast stripping, and the added water retained, shouldn't present problems... Scorching, due to excessive solids on the other hand, could present major problems...
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Re: Theoretical issues with stripping too fast?

Post by jb-texshine »

Some esters are produced during a slow heatup that you will miss out on running wide open from the start. Wether or not you would want them in your drink are your call.
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Chroi
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Re: Theoretical issues with stripping too fast?

Post by Chroi »

rad14701 wrote:The faster the stripping run, the more water you are carrying over into your low wines... This could actually be beneficial, unless you are stripping a wretched wash to begin with... Water being a filter, fast stripping, and the added water retained, shouldn't present problems... Scorching, due to excessive solids on the other hand, could present major problems...
Scorching is my fear.

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bluefish_dist
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Re: Theoretical issues with stripping too fast?

Post by bluefish_dist »

I know this will sound like a stupid question, but all my experience is on reflux stills. What on a pot still determines ideal rate vs a strip run? I know more power is faster, but what still dimension determines rate. On a reflux its column diameter, i.e. Vapor speed. On a pot still does the Lyme arm diameter determine take off speed, still diameter, still volume? Tried searching but the terms are too generic.
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Re: Theoretical issues with stripping too fast?

Post by rad14701 »

bluefish_dist wrote:I know this will sound like a stupid question, but all my experience is on reflux stills. What on a pot still determines ideal rate vs a strip run? I know more power is faster, but what still dimension determines rate. On a reflux its column diameter, i.e. Vapor speed. On a pot still does the Lyme arm diameter determine take off speed, still diameter, still volume? Tried searching but the terms are too generic.
For a pot still it takes a few runs to build experience on what take off rate is optimal... You want to run at a speed that isn't wasteful of time, etc, while not running so fast that you induce smearing throughout the run... Stripping runs can be one big smear from start to finish but for spirit runs you want to avoid smearing so your cuts are well defined... Every rig and even different recipe will have a different take off rate where the sweet spot is... If you run your hearts too fast you'll be able to smell tails being smeared in with them and that is your sign to reduce your take off rate to clean things up...
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bluefish_dist
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Re: Theoretical issues with stripping too fast?

Post by bluefish_dist »

So my question is what in the still influences that sweet spot? On my column still I can run a 2" and get 1 qt/hr at 1500w, or my 4" and get 1 gal per hour at 4000w, same still just different column. I would assume that running it as a pot still I would do a spirit run closer to 1500w and a strip run at 4000w. But now on my big still, I run 6000w with 4" plates and plan on running 10,000w with a 6" plates. Yet when I run this as a stripping still I run at 10,000w with a 2" shotgun condenser. So is there any way to run it for spirits at 10,000w? change the head to make it larger, larger condenser, what physical dimensions determine that sweet spot or are there no easy calculations like vapor speed on a column to determine the sweet spot.
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Badmotivator
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Re: Theoretical issues with stripping too fast?

Post by Badmotivator »

Assuming you stay between scorching your wash or overpowering your condenser (heat too high or dense) and losing your boil (heat too low) the distillate at any point in your run will be nearly identical whether you go low power or high.

Pot stills have a small amount of passive reflux. A very slow run has a small but non-zero reflux ratio which is slightly larger than the small but non-zero reflux ratio of a fast run. The effect of that slightly higher reflux ratio is probably not worth doubling or tripling your distillation time, especially if you have the option of adding a single plate or a thumper, either of which will have a much greater effect even if run at high power.

I know this is a heterodox opinion, and I've got a few flame marks on my ass for it, but I think it needs saying.
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