shadylane wrote:scrubbies 92% abv
rings 91% abv
scoria 90% abv
bubble plate 87% abv
marbles 85% abv
But how would they stack up if "first cost" and maintenance cost & effort factored in? Sure, the marble-packed column would need to be a little taller, but how much is really needed to reach azeo?
My 2" ID column is 1 meter tall and I can easily reach azeo with <2kW input power. And, it sure is easy to clean...just pour out the marbles and rinse. I usually soak the marbles in hot water for a short while after a run and then rinse and pour into an old pillow case for storage.
Scoria may be inexpensive to source, but how about that labor involved to get it to the correct size for your column? What about cleaning...or is it a "use once and dispose" packing?
Scrubbies are relatively easy to load and unload. But the marbles are significantly less expensive to procure. If the weight of the loaded column is a big concern, then the scrubbie solution has the advantage...a column full of glass is far from "weightless".
And rashig rings are cost prohibitive although they are designed to produce the purest product with the least amount of energy cost. That's why they are the packing of choice by major alcohol producers where purity and economic (operational) performance are necessary to stay competative.
None-the-less, thank you Shady for running this comparison of options and opportunity for us. Quantative data like this will help make design decisions in the future. And I'm sure this thread will become a "well travelled road" for upcoming novice distillers.
ss