"condenser fog"

[squigglefunk]

"cold" vapor coming out of the condenser? just not enough knock down power? I am at a trickle on the heat input?

[NZChris]

What's burning?

[OtisT]

Could be a scorch. Get your nose in there. Does it smell burnt?

How far up does your wire mesh go? If not far, maybe try adding some further up?

[HDNB]

What's burning?

+1

smoke not fog. have fun cleaning the element.

[squigglefunk]

oh man it for sure is not burning this is a spirit run

[squigglefunk]

Could be a scorch. Get your nose in there. Does it smell burnt?

How far up does your wire mesh go? If not far, maybe try adding some further up?

no on the scorch

i did have a thick twisted wire all the way up the liebig when I noticed this the other day, pulled the wire out, that didnt help

the copper mesh is just a little plug about 2 inches up the end

[squigglefunk]

What's burning?

+1

smoke not fog. have fun cleaning the element.

propane fired and I aint scorched yet...

well there was that one mash I burned the corn to the bottom of the pot

but never on a run!

I think maybe huffing or shocking something, it seems as my water warms up the issue is going away or maybe its because the proof is dropping?

I Have the water at a mere trickle and it doesn't make the issue worse that I can see and turning it up doesnt seem to really help or make it go away 100%

[EricTheRed]

Check for pooling.
I had a similar problem where one of my shotgun tubes would get blocked by liquid and then would 'purge' itself along with some vapour

[shadylane]

If the distillate is cool. It's not the condenser being overpowered.

On stripping runs, often Co2 will be cooled in the condenser and when exiting will cause moister in the air to fog. But you said this is a spirit run so there shouldn't be any Co2.

[squigglefunk]

Check for pooling.
I had a similar problem where one of my shotgun tubes would get blocked by liquid and then would 'purge' itself along with some vapour

its a straight 3ft riser up, reduces to 1/2" takes a 90 travels horizontal for about 6-7 inches then about 60 degrees down on the condenser . trying to see where it could be pooling.

[squigglefunk]

If the distillate is cool. It's not the condenser being overpowered.

On stripping runs, often Co2 will be cooled in the condenser and when exiting will cause moister in the air to fog. But you said this is a spirit run so there shouldn't be any Co2.

well I lied...

could be some Co2 I guess as I did throw about 4-5 gallons of cleared wash in there

I know its not scorching tho my still really just doesn't burn anything

I am playing with the condenser setttings as I dont want to run out of water and have it backed way off now with no real increase in the fog huffing out

but now it looks there's "cold fog" literally coming off the stream of booze as it travels down into the jar ?

so maybe this is a combo of cold air in the room, cold water in the condenser .... >? I dunno the liquid is still cool to the touch, not warm

[jonnys_spirit]

If you hold a light behind it so you can get a really good look is it like tiny little droplets misting out of the condenser?

cheers,
-jonny

[HDNB]

If you hold a light behind it so you can get a really good look is it like tiny little droplets misting out of the condenser?

cheers,
-jonny

damn, you got better eyes than me brother! would be a good tell if it's vapour condensing in the air tho.

[squigglefunk]

If you hold a light behind it so you can get a really good look is it like tiny little droplets misting out of the condenser?

cheers,
-jonny

really not with the mesh there, it looks saturated with liquid with a nice surface tension that comes off in a nice single point that is streaming steadily then every now and then ... well you see the SMOKE!

[NZChris]

well I lied...

could be some Co2 I guess as I did throw about 4-5 gallons of cleared wash in there

I know its not scorching tho my still really just doesn't burn anything

What wash?
Have you done a starch test?

My first scorch was from a still that had never scorched before, the first symptom was smoke out of the condenser.

[shadylane]

app.php/googlesearch?cx=012980085383122 ... itesearch=

[squigglefunk]

What wash?
Have you done a starch test?

My first scorch was from a still that had never scorched before, the first symptom was smoke out of the condenser.

it was a sugarhead wash, and it definitely isnt scorching

[kimbodious]

what was the air temperature at the time?

[jonnys_spirit]

If you hold a light behind it so you can get a really good look is it like tiny little droplets misting out of the condenser?

cheers,
-jonny

damn, you got better eyes than me brother! would be a good tell if it's vapour condensing in the air tho.

You can barely see the mist in this foto just left of the condenser output and wafting above the rim of the funnel.

Wondering if it’s this or similar. If it isn’t smoke.

Cheers!
-j

[squigglefunk]

app.php/googlesearch?cx=012980085383122 ... itesearch=

aww thank you, i loves me some spoon feedin

[squigglefunk]

You can barely see the mist in this foto just left of the condenser output and wafting above the rim of the funnel.

Wondering if it’s this or similar. If it isn’t smoke.

Cheers!
-j

i gotcha, i would say its def closer to mist than smoke ...













it aint smoke ...

[jonnys_spirit]

I see that mist regularly but need to backlight / silhouette it to get a really good view of it. This is with more than adequate PC cooling. It's not ethanol vapor because the condenser is doing it's job well. It's not smoke either. It does look like a mist when you backlight it just right.

I'm not sure exactly what it is or why it's coming out of the cool end of the PC but it's normal for me if I look for it and I check for vapor leaks oftem throughout a run.

If it were uncondensed vapor I don't think it would be visible like this.

Cheers!
-j

[cranky]

It happens to me all the time, especially in the winter. There are lots of threads and posts about it. I don't worry about it, it's just fog probably caused by warm air mixing with colder humid winter air.

[still_stirrin]

Clouds.

Is the ambient air cold where you are? It could simply be humidity condensing in the air inside the spout. The dripping condensate will “pull “ air along with it and that movement must be made up/backfilled with ambient air that gets chilled inside the PC. When it does, humidity can form “clouds”.

If it was alcohol vapors, you’d smell it … unless your “smeller” is non-functional. Likewise, if it was a scorch you would know it too because that is an objectionable aroma.
ss

[squigglefunk]

Is the ambient air cold where you are? It could simply be humidity condensing in the air inside the spout. The dripping condensate will “pull “ air along with it and that movement must be made up/backfilled with ambient air that gets chilled inside the PC. When it does, humidity can form “clouds”.

something like this was kind of what I was thinking but man I swear it does smell like booze

[Chauncey]

Here's what I've learned

If your cooling water is cold AF

And the surrounding environment has the proper RH temp dew point etc

When the hot vapor hits the cold ass condenser/coolant

It makes fog

Like exhaling into an icy glass after a good swig

I still don't like it, freaks Mr out. but cold humid nights in Louisiana make it happen for sure.