Glass Marbles for Reflux Column Structured Packing

[ben stiller]

I will be watching this one as well. Be great to see a direct comparison to lava. A video would be awesome and it sure does
look badass.

[Kegg_jam]

That thing must weigh a ton.

[Hound Dog]

That thing must weigh a ton.

+1 on weighing a ton. It is bad ass! Should be easy to clean up too. How much do you pay for marbles? I see them on line at Moon Marbles for $32/6lbs. That's around $160 + shipping. Interested to see how they work.

[700G]

That thing must weigh a ton.

+1 on weighing a ton. It is bad ass! Should be easy to clean up too. How much do you pay for marbles? I see them on line at Moon Marbles for $32/6lbs. That's around $160 + shipping. Interested to see how they work.

It's actually not a whole lot heavier than the lava rock, which is surprising. I think with shipping, the marbles were about $120 or so.

[Hound Dog]

That thing must weigh a ton.

+1 on weighing a ton. It is bad ass! Should be easy to clean up too. How much do you pay for marbles? I see them on line at Moon Marbles for $32/6lbs. That's around $160 + shipping. Interested to see how they work.

It's actually not a whole lot heavier than the lava rock, which is surprising. I think with shipping, the marbles were about $120 or so.

Not bad! Can't wait to see how it performs.

[still_stirrin]

...It's actually not a whole lot heavier than the lava rock, which is surprising. I think with shipping, the marbles were about $120 or so....

I paid $3 USD for 2 lb. here: http://www.hobbylobby.com/Floral-%26-We ... les/p/3504" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I bought 2 bags for a 2" x 39" copper column...more than I needed. One bag just about filled it. You must have more $$$ than me.
ss

[700G]

Went to fire up the test last Wednesday, but my controller took a dump. Back in action today! So far so good. First jar is running 96.4, at the same speed as lava:

[700G]

I'm watchin' ya', 700G.

So, when you run it, could you take a video and post it? I'm terribly curious what the column insides looks like when running.
ss

I wish there was a way to post videos anonymously, cause I definitely want to! I take a lot of videos with the Pyrex column.

[700G]

On jar #18 now, the cooling water temp has raised just a bit allowing a slightly faster output and the ABV is running higher at 97.1. Yes, I'm using a temp corrected ABV. Weird!

[LBHD]

700g - what kind of wattage/amperage + boiler size + %wash are you running out of curiosity?

I have a 4" column and I was not happy with the copper packing situation... wondering if this might be a help

[700G]

700g - what kind of wattage/amperage + boiler size + %wash are you running out of curiosity?

I have a 4" column and I was not happy with the copper packing situation... wondering if this might be a help

Running a wash that is 15 gallons and approximately 30% in a 25 gallon boiler around 17 amps powering a 5500W element.

[LBHD]

700g - what kind of wattage/amperage + boiler size + %wash are you running out of curiosity?

I have a 4" column and I was not happy with the copper packing situation... wondering if this might be a help

Running a wash that is 15 gallons and approximately 30% in a 25 gallon boiler around 17 amps powering a 5500W element.

Thanks!

[Monkeyman88]

On jar #18 now, the cooling water temp has raised just a bit allowing a slightly faster output and the ABV is running higher at 97.1. Yes, I'm using a temp corrected ABV. Weird!

Me thinks your alcoholometer is out. Lol. Have you checked it in water?

[700G]

On jar #18 now, the cooling water temp has raised just a bit allowing a slightly faster output and the ABV is running higher at 97.1. Yes, I'm using a temp corrected ABV. Weird!

Me thinks your alcoholometer is out. Lol. Have you checked it in water?

Nope, it's dead on.

[Hound Dog]

Went to fire up the test last Wednesday, but my controller took a dump. Back in action today! So far so good. First jar is running 96.4, at the same speed as lava:

Marble-Test.jpg

Great to hear your success!

[700G]

Run number three with the marbles is underway right now. I'm running a little faster at azeotrope than with lava and cleaning is way easier. I think I'm gonna stick with marbles for a while

[Brutal]

Run number three with the marbles is underway right now. I'm running a little faster at azeotrope than with lava and cleaning is way easier. I think I'm gonna stick with marbles for a while

Who would have thought it was possible. On paper it doesn't make sense. Thank you for posting your observations with marbles.

[LBHD]

700g - sorry for the repeated q's-

how tall is your marble column?

[700G]

700g - sorry for the repeated q's-

how tall is your marble column?

No worries, always glad to help. It's a 48" column with about 45" of marbles. Just now finished another run.

[FuelMaker]

Sorry to keep peppering you with questions 700..

Did you etch or roughen your marbles in any way? I have to wonder how roughened marbles would compare to etched SPP in a head-to-head comparison.

[700G]

Sorry to keep peppering you with questions 700..

Did you etch or roughen your marbles in any way? I have to wonder how roughened marbles would compare to etched SPP in a head-to-head comparison.

No, smooth right out of the bag.

[drmiller100]

Marbles are THE most efficient column packing depending on how you measure efficiency.

I measure efficiency by using a controlled wattage, controlled alcohol content in the beer, given length of column, running it at 95 percent and minimizing reflux to maximize product pull.

If you run a column "too tall" it does not hurt efficiency. If you run it too "short", you have to increase reflux to maintain 95 percent.
With marbles you can run the shortest column and still get the maximum speed.

I tried rocks, marbles, lava, rings, 7 types of mesh in 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 inch diameter columns.

Marbles are the most CONSISTENT packing material. No stovepiping, each level is GUARANTEED consistent.

Chaos theory at its finest.

[BoisBlancBoy]

Anyone know how to figure how many marbles, in weight I would need for 3"x48" column?

[drmiller100]

Anyone know how to figure how many marbles, in weight I would need for 3"x48" column?

from the guy above, 2 inch by 44 is 6.75 pounds.

pi r squared, says 3.14 square inches, by 44 is 138 cubic inches.

6.75/138 is .049 lbs/cubic inch

1.5*1.5*3.14*48 is 339 *.049 =

16 pounds.

fwiw, 48 inch is pretty silly long for a 2 inch column with marbles. 32 is probably enough, and 36 gives margin. longer doesn't hurt anything though, or so she says.

Should be about a 2000 watt boiler????

[dirtybird33]

That sounds a little under to me. my 48"x2" column took pretty much 8.5 lbs. The size of the marble will make a difference. Mine were 5/8" marbles from DollarTree

[dirtybird33]

I figgure It should be 19.2 lbs (that could be different depending on how the marbles stack in a 3 inch tube vs a 2 inch tube.

[BoisBlancBoy]

Anyone know how to figure how many marbles, in weight I would need for 3"x48" column?

fwiw, 48 inch is pretty silly long for a 2 inch column with marbles. 32 is probably enough, and 36 gives margin. longer doesn't hurt anything though, or so she says.

Should be about a 2000 watt boiler????

Thanks Drmiller! Could you explain this further? If I've got the length why not fill it?

Also I have either a 7 or 15 keg boiler on a propane burner, no idea of the btu rating.

[drmiller100]

[

Thanks Drmiller! Could you explain this further? If I've got the length why not fill it?

.

yeah, no reason not to fill it. but if say marbles came in 5 pound increments, 15 pounds would be "enough."

so this is kind of iffy, but I always thought the column would fluid fill first at the bottom of the marbles when you ran it too hard.

So, I got in the habit of making a "basket" for the bottom - like a rounded bowl of mesh. seemed to help, but it may have been my imagination.

[shadylane]

...It's actually not a whole lot heavier than the lava rock, which is surprising. I think with shipping, the marbles were about $120 or so....

I paid $3 USD for 2 lb. here: http://www.hobbylobby.com/Floral-%26-We ... les/p/3504" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

The sack of marbles from Hobby Lobby has a tag on them that says
"Decorative use only - Not a toy. Not intended for Children or Food use. This item May Contain a Water Soluble Surface Coating"
What is the coating and is it toxic? The marbles feel waxy

[drmiller100]

...It's actually not a whole lot heavier than the lava rock, which is surprising. I think with shipping, the marbles were about $120 or so....

I paid $3 USD for 2 lb. here: http://www.hobbylobby.com/Floral-%26-We ... les/p/3504" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

The sack of marbles from Hobby Lobby has a tag on them that says
"Decorative use only - Not a toy. Not intended for Children or Food use. This item May Contain a Water Soluble Surface Coating"
What is the coating and is it toxic? The marbles feel waxy

put some water in your still with the marbles in. run it up to temp with no cooling water so steam comes out the top. let it cool off and throw away the water.