Stratification

[Butch50]

Will the various forms of alcohols and esters and aldehydies, etc stratify in distillate if left to set still? If so, in what order? Or are they intrinsically bound up with everything else so that you have a homogenous mix? Sorry guys, I didn't do well in chemistry.

Just wondering if some of the lesser desired elements might actually be so light that they would be in the top layer(s) and could be removed.
Since putting the distillate in the freezer increases the density of the liquid, would that enhance stratification, if it occurs at all?

[Husker]

Nope, they are miscible.

See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miscible" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

or our own wiki (which has a MUCH shorter definition)

http://homedistiller.org/wiki/index.php/Miscible" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

H.

[BW Redneck]

The only slightly imiscible compounds that could be removed with anything but adsorption and distillation are the really high alcohols such as propanol and butanol that would otherwise be cut out with the tails cut.
(Cloudy and oily-feeling spirits are a testament to that fact.)

Seriously, unless you had a cheap supply of liquid nitrogen, trying to freeze the higher alcohols out with be a pointless act. It'd be cheaper to redistill than to try and freeze it. It's a lot easier to add thermal energy than it is to remove it.

[wineo]

Its impossible to really get full seperation but if you save up enough low wines,and dont keep the begining heads and ending tails,and run it 2 or 3 times nice and slow,you can get it real clean.You just have to start out with alot.

[Butch50]

Well another incredibly elegant and brilliant idea brought down by drab facts. That's what comes of staying up past my bed time I guess.

I was hoping that some of the volatiles would be light enough to stratify to the top, then could be simply burned off.