stripping run?

[fryguy17601]

I have a reflux still and I was probably just going to let it run a couple of hours in reflux and then run it again another day this week. Should I pull the alcohol off and then re-run that or should I just let it reflux and run the refluxed mash through another day. I seems to take longer than I have time for to try to get a good run off. What is best?

Thanks

[rad14701]

If you're going to run it at all you might as well pull product off, otherwise it's just a waste of time and effort... If you are low on time you could do a strip run and then a spirit run later... Or just pull the foreshots and heads and then do the rest of the run when you have time... You'll be able to run at equilibrium for a shorter time and then just check for heads when you re-run to pull the hearts and tails...

[DrTorque]

I don't see the point in running a batch in full reflux the entire time. If you're not pulling anything off, you're not doing anything.

If you're short on time, there's no harm in rushing through a stripping run now and doing the spirit run at a later date when you have more time.

[fryguy17601]

Ok, Thanks thats what I thought. I let it reflux for about 2.5 hours and then started pulling off. It was only at 84% ABV so I shutdown the reflux and started pulling it off completely and will re run that to try to get it higher. I thought after that much reflux it would be higher ABV pulling off. I am still learning.

Thanks

[fryguy17601]

do I dilute the spirit run with water to add more to the boiler?

[rad14701]

The contents of the boiler should never be greater than about 40% so you need to dilute anything higher...

If your %ABV isn't very high then you aren't allowing for enough reflux... A slower take off rate should raise both the reflux and resulting purity of the spirits... It'll just happen slower...

[scotty]

Ok, Thanks thats what I thought. I let it reflux for about 2.5 hours and then started pulling off. It was only at 84% ABV so I shutdown the reflux and started pulling it off completely and will re run that to try to get it higher. I thought after that much reflux it would be higher ABV pulling off. I am still learning.

Thanks

Do you have some sort of pressure release valve????

[MuleKicker]

what kind of reflux do you have? How tall is your collumn and what is it packed with. How much heat are you using? Electric or gas? My LM reflux has a 42" collumn, packed with copper mesh. within 2 minutes of the collumn temp rising I can stabilize at 78.3C. I run full reflux for 45 min before I start takeoff, sometimes longer. I suspect your collumn is not packed well or not tall enough, after running in full reflux that long you should be at 95%. Do you have a thermometer in the top of your collumn? if so what does it read when running full reflux? MK

[fryguy17601]

My column is 36" tall the reflux is 18" up the column with Copper scrubbers the full 18" up. I am having trouble getting anything higher than 80-90% ABV. Here is a picture of my rig. Anyones help would be good. I ran it yesterday in a full reflux for 2.5 hours and then left the reflux side open and pulled off at a slow drip and still had about 85%. I was running 5 gal sugar wash with turbo yeast. Please help and here is a picture of the rig if this helps.

[HookLine]

18" of packing will not give you much higher than that at any decent rate.

Move the reflux return line as high up as you can, and add more packing. The space above the reflux return line is dead space, keep it to a minimum. That is the main drawback of that design.

Also, insulate the packed section of the column.

[fryguy17601]

Thanks that is what I thought someone might say. I have not heard the insulating before. Why do you say to do this and what do you insulate with?

Thanks for your help.

[myerfire]

Insulate from the boiler all the way to the T or take off point. You want to keep the column warm so you don't have condensate running down the side of the column back to the boiler. A plumbing supply house should have the yellow pipe insulation and also the black insulation. The black insulation is eaten by ethenol. I like the yellow stuff better, it is rather firm with a white covering.
myerfire

[CletusDwight]

... run the refluxed mash through another day....

Correct me if I'm wrong but as I understand it:
Refluxing does nothing to the mash - it's still mash.

Refluxing for a time 'loads' the column packing with part-distilled low wines and sorts the concentration gradient ready to start pulling off the most pure stuff from the top.

If you switch off the still, the whole lot simply drains back into the pot and you're back to square one.

[DrTorque]

I believe Cletus is correct on all counts.

Insulating helps in a number of ways. With copper, you'll be transferring all kinds of heat to the atmosphere, and you'll have a heck of a time getting stability. Any plumbing supply / home improvement place should have plenty of pipe insulation to choose from. You certainly shouldn't have to run full reflux for 2.5 hours to stabilize a column.

[fryguy17601]

let me keep asking. Do you pull the heads right when it warms up or after refluxing for a while? How long should I be refluxing do you think? How do you know when it is ready to start pulling it and not wait so long. That was my problem it took me 4.5 hours of just pulling it off with no reflux.

[MuleKicker]

I know that rig well, that was the first one I built when I was learning. like hook said, that liquid line does not need to drop that far before going into the collumn, get that reflux liquid into your collumn right below your condenser. next, your pic shows alot of steam coming out of the top, build a bigger condenser or turn your heat down, you shouldnt have vapor coming out of the top, the condenser should be knocking that down. If you get rid of that dead space and fill it with scrubbers, you will get your 95%, atleast I did with my similar rig. MK