Losses in distilation

Rocky_Creek · Post by **Rocky_Creek** » Tue May 31, 2005 8:42 am

Anyone have an insight into the differance in the amount of loss of alcohol due to distilling in a pot still vs. a compound still ?

Post by **Grayson_Stewart** » Tue May 31, 2005 8:55 am

Thats like comparing apples to oranges. Are you talkin about multiple redistillations with a pot still versus a single run with a column?

Rocky_Creek · Post by **Rocky_Creek** » Tue May 31, 2005 9:01 am

Well let's say one run in each.

Post by **Grayson_Stewart** » Tue May 31, 2005 9:51 am

assuming you use a 20% wash in each setup and have 15 gallons....there is 3 gallons of potential alcohol in each wash. A single run in each is still apples to oranges, but her's a go at explaining why.

Pot still: The vapor will initially come off at about 140 proof or 70% and for a single distillation you would collect down to about 80 proof or 40%. At 40% there will be about 7% alcohol left in the original wash or about 1 gallon.

Column: With a column you can get 190 proof continually throughout the run once you equalize the column. Towards the end of a run with a column you can decrease the take off and increase the reflux and as long as you can maintain the temperature at about 174 F in the top of the column you can remove the high % product and squeak out the last little bit. I've never measured the % left in the boiler but by estimating the amount of product recovered ther is about 2% left in the boiler.

Rocky_Creek · Post by **Rocky_Creek** » Tue May 31, 2005 11:08 am

Thanks. That's what I was looking for.