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...the acceptable level of methanol-content in Hungarian fruit-brandy, pálinka? 1000-1350 g/hl abs ethanol. Which means that in a bottle of pálinka you will probably have 0.2 g methanol maximum... I think you missed decimal point. 1000g/hl 10g/l 2g/200ml It means 2g of methanol in 0,5l bottke of 40...

Concentrate and water is not enough. Of course I do not think about yeast and nutrients. Product will be empty. To get high quality apple juice natural apple aroma must be added to the mash. This way you can get result comparable to cider. Aroma could be also added to final product but only a drop. ...

You can relay on your sense but some practice is required. For the first pot stil run alcometer is reccomended. At least collect product to several small yars. Next mix only tolerably smell and taste.

Check (calibrate) your alcometer. Do not stick to this 78ºC. The head temperature changes (e.g. with atmospheric preasure). My guide: 1. Write down temperature after satbilisation and head collection. 2. Set RR about 4. 3. Collect heart. 4. Stop collect heart when tepmerature rise is 0.1ºC above the...

...and did a spirit run. I made generous foreshot and head cuts. about a pint of foreshots and a whole quart of heads. Pulled the hearts until ABV started to drop and tossed the rest of the tails. In my opinion you can not relay on ABV measuring to make perfect vodka. When ABV starts drop is too la...

I made some tests. Mixture was 40ml 90% alcohol and water to volume 240ml (~16ABV). Next it was mixed with 40ml of oil. After 24h in temerature 40deg C. http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/1128/oleje.jpg From left castor, from right rapeseed oil. I can not see any alcohol extraction. The volume of uppe...

This is an example, taken from my home forum, of temperature tolerant yeast. The test was performed by Akas , translation is mine. Last weekend I had to make 20l of sugar mash. At the evening 18-12-2009 temperature was about -15°C. During cleaning my driveway I got an idea to try turbo in snowdrift....

Sorry for disturbing. I have removed my previous post as required by rad14701.

Please remember valve in RLM is bigger than in LM. Pressure is lower (in LM the valve could be placed lower) and flow is higher (usually 4 times). It means kvn of RLM valve must be up to ten times higher than LM one. My advice is always start RLM design from valve. Calculate maximum flow (from maxim...

In this design you can swith between RLM and LM (valve on takeof required). Please be sure at least 4cm height between valve and tekeof line to increase preasure (easier reflux flow control).

barbasol wrote: My heating element is a 1000w 120v 60hz Aroma hot plate.

I do not think this heating element is inside the boiler so its temperature can be much higher than 100ºC but anyway the resistance could change up to 5% (nichrome) so, as you said, it is negligible.

I have only presented an idea. It could be made of copper or SS if silicon is assumed unsuitable for 40% alcohol in low temperature and short term contact. In both designs filter tube is SS but the first is insulated.

... resistance is the intrinsic property of the element, it wont ever change It changes. Heater is unlinear element but generally the higher temperature - the higher resistance. It must me taken into account in precise calculation. But roughly to decrease current by twice (variac power is twice les...

Read this book, prepare carbon and make filtration according given rules. Remember, the lower temperature - the better filtration (adsorption) so freezing destilate and filter insulating is recomended. I think bottom supplied filter is a good design. It is self deareating, carbon is always wet and p...

guerrila distilla wrote: i doubt a 1/8" valve at atmospheric pressure would thoughput 3 gallons a minute

I think much less flow is required.
1000W - 52ml/min
2000W - 105ml/min
4000W - 209ml/min
(taken from Theory/Reflux Still Design Theory/Column Diameter)

Polish October (Polski Październik) Dry, well known in the 70’s and 80’s when made to mask moonshine smell (called then Polish Cognac) 1 l of 45% neutral spirit 4 gloves 1-2cm of ginger-race ¼ of nutmeg 2 beans of allspice 2 black peppercorns zest (without albedo) of 1/2 small orange 1/3 of vanilla ...

Detailed AAbratek description can be found at http://www.bimber.info/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2103 (in Polish but contains plenty of figures and photos).
It is much easier and cheaper to control boiler power in RLM than reflux in LM. It is a clue of invention.

cemik1, did this design originate in the early '80s during the final phase of the Russian occupation? It was published later, I think 2-3 years ago, and from inventor name it is called: AAbratek (slanted clasic LM): http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/6076/aabratek0.jpg or improoved AAbratek (slante...

5m of DN12 or DN8 (1/2 or 3/8) costs about 40USD. I know it is not copper but as I said 2.5m is enough for 4kW condenser. Corrugated stainless is very flexible and sometimes core is required:

...power management, manually or automatic. The temperature sensor could be in the boiler, the head or in the middle of the column To get ARC power management must be automatic but manual is also possible - user is resposible for analise data and set the level. In RLM systems: lower power - higher ...

I can recomend this tube:

No winding problems. Even with SS, like above, it is possible without any tools and salt or sand. Effective coil surface is also increased. SS DN12 x 2.5m is enough for 4kW.

Now I would open it but there is my first stuff on the pictures. Soldering also fixed coil in the center of condenser. I have also changed flanges from 2mm copper to 5mm brass.

Cooling inlet, outlet and ventilation. The last one is also used for cleaning (water splash).

If it is interesting you could also see a boiler connection

The design I presented allows to extend an effective column length. It is also cheap, because only one cut and soldering is required. In a classic (HookLin's drawing above) version: http://img387.imageshack.us/img387/4337/spodekgf6.jpg http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/4934/glowicagl9.jpg http://img1...

This is quite known design in my country. E.g. http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/2292/gowicain.jpg After setting by valve reflux remains constant. Product stream decreases during the process (less alcohol in keg and vapour). It could be supplemented by electronic control of heating giving real ARC. T...

There are some pictures of my column after ~300l triple rectification (sugar,tomatoe concentrate, dates, raisines mash). This took me about 3 weeks, without cleaning between processes. http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/9513/mesh4.jpg http://img56.imageshack.us/img56/274/fiting1.jpg http://img152.im...