FLUTE TALK

[Saltbush Bill]

I'll be waiting for the results of your tinkering Swedish

[thecroweater]

What you will get from 2 plates would be about on par with a pot still and thumper. Nothing what so ever wrong with that if that's what you are chasing but a pot still and thumper is going to be easier to get a consistent result. If 3 or 4 plates is giving you a product that is to light that is a direct result of how you are running it and it really is that simple. Maybe your vapour speed (heat) is to low, maybe your reflux is too high, maybe it is a combination of both but the fact is played columns have enough variables to get (with in reason) any product you like without reducing plates to a point where you struggle to keep it stable and consistently loaded. Personally I don't see any good reason to go with less than 4 plates as 3 plates will work fine but you have reduced your variable parameters to achieve a result that was already with your reach in the current configuration.

[Dima]

Happy Belated 8th birthday to "FLUTE TALK" !
Reading you was tough and time consuming, but in the end it was well worth it!

[emptyglass]

Happy Belated 8th birthday to "FLUTE TALK" !
Reading you was tough and time consuming, but in the end it was well worth it!

No one wants to be told to "go read", but for those that do, this thread is still the most informative thread out there.

[30xs]

Happy Belated 8th birthday to "FLUTE TALK" !
Reading you was tough and time consuming, but in the end it was well worth it!

No one wants to be told to "go read", but for those that do, this thread is still the most informative thread out there.

I’ve read all the way through it, and about to give it another read. Makes one want to go find a piece of 4”, that’s for sure.

[WIski]

A Flute is a bit of a complicated beast as Blue fish has eluded to earlier. The amount of heat, plate count, and the amount of reflux being the variables obviously. It's a dream machine that only time on water can teach operation technique to result. You really can go from pot still to vodka column by manipulating the variables. Not for everyone, but, with the information provided by our Forefather's in this thread it is very doable and worth every sweat bead. YMMV

[Dima]

This is what I've built, 4 plates and packed section. Not all of it fit under ceiling in my basement (still too cold in garage)
Gives me 95% if i run slower but @93-94% i can collect almost a gallon an hour
Was doing an experiment, hooked up a DCV to output from dephleg to control temperature above dephleg, worked good for some time but then I realized it was a waste of time. One thing i did find useful from experience is temperature of water coming out of my dephleg - in my case 60°C is the magic number to have a steady frow of product and good compression of tails.
P.s. controller is for brewing, I always use SCR which i recently replaced with ssr+pot, just wanted to see temps and only had one plug in basement.