how much noise does your concentric column make?

[ben stiller]

Pretty new to running a concentric and was wondering how much and what kind of noise other's concentrics make.
I am using glass for the packing that is about the size of a nickel and flat on one side and half round on the other. It packs tighter than marbles. When running my column with enough power to maintain temp I can hear the glass jingle in the column which I expect is normal? The other sound that I don't care for is a slight maybe rumbling from the top of the reflux condenser. Is this normal? I definitely am knocking down all of the vapors. I had been constantly checking with a mirror, and I found that by loosely hanging a sandwich bag on top of the column it will fog at the slightest hint of escaping vapor. Just looking to compare my set up with others.

[still_stirrin]

The only noise mine makes (electric boiler) is the sound of the water being throttled through the ball valve used to regulate the outflow. That, and the noise of the cooling fan in my control box.

Other than that, I don't hear anything. But the water flow rates are so slow, there isn't any swishing sound from its flow.

And the column (glass marble packed) doesn't make any noise (that I can hear). I do have Reflectex insulation on the boiler and the column though. So that might be attenuating some of those "ambient" sounds.
ss

[ben stiller]

interesting. I am doing a hard stripping and hear quite a bit of noise from the top of the condenser but again no vapors exiting.

[carbohydratesn]

My non-concentric reflux column makes a noise like that, when it's just barely flooding - this is one of the most efficient states a packed column can be in, as long as it doesn't fully flood Mine is packed with SPP, so it's a little different, but a similar thing is probably happening. They both pack more densely and closer together than marbles.

Liquid and vapors are filling the column, and pushing the packing around as they're trying to move up or down the column.

When I first started with SPP I had other "first" experiences. My column was too loosely packed and it made noises. A sizzling vibration sound...it sounded like the SPP was vibrating. I now believe it was the liquid and vapor bubbles surging between the SPP bits.

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 9#p7170356

My (also non-concentric) condenser makes a noise like yours too - for me, it's because the cold water going in is able to hold more dissolved gases than the hot water coming out is able to. When the water is heated as it passes through the condenser, it releases those dissolved gases, and they form bubbles. Those bubbles can get 'stuck' in wider parts of the condenser, where the water isn't moving fast enough to carry them along. When this happens, mine can make a weird squeaking noise or a slight rumbling.

I could be wrong - I'm still pretty new at this - but that's what I've gathered from mine.

[Kegg_jam]

Mine is pretty noisy when on a short stick. Have never really run in full blown reflux mode. Always in hybrid.

[ben stiller]

That is when mine is noisy as well. Short column knocking down a lot of vapors either during a stripping run or finishing out the tails on a hybrid run. This thing will strip faster than my pot still.

[ben stiller]

Did a hard stripping run with my short (12") unpacked column. I ran it pretty hard and there was no noise at all coming from the column so my deduction is that all of the noise is being caused by the packing. I was afraid that the rumbling was similar to huffing from a liebig, but now I am convinced it is just packing related. I am really impressed by the simplicity and effectiveness of this design, May never run my conventional pot still again as this one seems to do it all.

[ben stiller]

I finally ran my full column again but this time packed with regular marbles as opposed to the flat sided fish tank glass. The column made no noise at all. Did not hear the packing jingle or the noise exiting the condenser like with the other packing. Mystery solved.

[Kegg_jam]

I ran mine the other day in hybrid mode. It was quiet. Wasn't really pushing it though, just cruising on 110v instead of 220v.

[still_stirrin]

I finally ran my full column again but this time packed with regular marbles as opposed to the flat sided fish tank glass. The column made no noise at all. Did not hear the packing jingle or the noise exiting the condenser like with the other packing. Mystery solved.

Interesting....thanks for corroborating my results too.
ss

[rad14701]

What is being described is pretty much an optimal fluidized bed just shy of flooding... That's the hardest you can/should run it...

My concentric makes a distinct change in sound immediately before flooding begins, which requires immediate action... Monitor your %ABV and back the power down to see if it improves or not... I shoot for a take off rate that runs the longest at 95%... With low wines it throttles through to the very end at 95% and then you're done...

[ben stiller]

My concentric makes a distinct change in sound immediately before flooding begins, which requires immediate action... Monitor your %ABV and back the power down to see if it improves or not... I shoot for a take off rate that runs the longest at 95%... With low wines it throttles through to the very end at 95% and then you're done...

Rad, what length column are you running when you get 95%? My first keeper run with the 3 foot column ran at 91% with the takeoff less than 1/2 oz
per minute.