Lava Rock vs SPP vs Stainless Scrubbers - TEST

[Andrew_90]

Would have been nice to see where Raschig Rings fit in to the above media comparison. My 4' Column packed with .25" Raschig Rings gets 96% (could be reading errors as I use a hydrometer).

[Oatmeal]

You might run 12ish inches of your rings, work the math, and post the results Andrew_90. I'd be curious. I'll have a lava/scrubbie comparison here in a bit, but won't be able to he HETP without knowing my power input (running propane).

[Northsouth]

I believe Mash Rookie did a whole thread comparing different packings. He was very good at testing and documenting his results. You might do a search, shouldn’t be hard to find.

This one I think viewtopic.php?t=30727 ?

Yep, read that, all 19 pages, every post. And all I could find in here with "lava rock" and "SPP" too, although my capacity for retaining information is not what it used to be at 18. Seeing is believing, and now I believe that all are good, and not that different as some wish to claim.. SS scrubs are also cheap and simple, so consumers advice, at least for beginners such as myself, go with SS scrubbers, at least for a start.

[Saltbush Bill]

at least for beginners such as myself, go with SS scrubbers, at least for a start.

That would depend on how much copper is already in the still, if its a full stainless still and boiler it would be better to run Copper Scrubbers or Copper Mesh.

[cob]

You might run 12ish inches of your rings, work the math, and post the results Andrew_90. I'd be curious. I'll have a lava/scrubbie comparison here in a bit, but won't be able to he HETP without knowing my power input (running propane).

weigh your tank before and after. propane is 4.11 lb/gal @77f. 91574 BTU/gallon. this will get you close.

[RC Al]

Not as simple cob
I wish I got 100% efficiency with gas, but mines closer to 30%, that would need to be bench marked beforehand.

[bitter]

With a know volume and set point if you track temp change will get you close. Can go back and see effective equilivant watts applied to liquid.

[airhill]

Did anyone come out with a rough HETP for lava rock run at optimal speed?
Look if its in the forum somewhere just tell me to go and search but all I can find is fan boys (not meant in a bad way). Someone even claimed its better than spp
I have never used it,its not readily available where I am. I have used ceramic saddles scrubbies and now spp.

[Salt Must Flow]

Did anyone come out with a rough HETP for lava rock run at optimal speed?
Look if its in the forum somewhere just tell me to go and search but all I can find is fan boys (not meant in a bad way). Someone even claimed its better than spp
I have never used it,its not readily available where I am. I have used ceramic saddles scrubbies and now spp.

I plan to test that very thing this week. I was going to follow the protocol outlined in this topic, but if anyone knows of a better way, I'd love to hear how.

[airhill]

Salt
You do realize that scrubbies and spp are far more consistent in their composition and structure than lava rock (that is a generalisation rather than the stuff you are using.
There is a long thread on the old Artisan Distillers forum entitled "testing the spp" initiated by Riku. A number of posts are no longer there but Riku did provide figures for spp and scrubbies, perhaps in a similar vein to this for rock.

[Salt Must Flow]

Salt
You do realize that scrubbies and spp are far more consistent in their composition and structure than lava rock (that is a generalisation rather than the stuff you are using.
There is a long thread on the old Artisan Distillers forum entitled "testing the spp" initiated by Riku. A number of posts are no longer there but Riku did provide figures for spp and scrubbies, perhaps in a similar vein to this for rock.

I think I found it. I believe this is the topic you were referring to. I searched through the first ten or more pages of that topic. HETP is mentioned many times, but no mention of HOW it was calculated (none that was obvious to me). He lists the time, ml collected and sometimes mentions % ABV, but no mention of how it was being calculated.

Before you asked if, "anyone come out with a rough HETP for lava rock run at optimal speed". That's why I listed that topic before ... to show a protocol that I found for how to test & calculate HETP. If that is not the appropriate way to test it, I'd be interested to know so that I do not waste my time doing it that way. If it is the appropriate way to test it, I didn't see any mention of removing packing in that Artisan Distiller topic.

I would be happy to do as much testing as needed, but first we need to agree on 'how'.

[airhill]

I did not really contribute to that thread as I did not have spp at the time,and there was someone posting who I regarded as the French say a tnuc; however on page 7 Riku said:-
Re: Testing the SPP

"Post by rkr » Sat Mar 24, 2012 12:25 pm
I use platecalculator. Set the RR to get the output volume I had. Then Adjust the number of plates to just get azeotrope on top. This works quite well for larger amounts of low wines but as can be seen, gives too high values when using small low ABV mashes. Then of course I divide the column length by the number of plates to get the HETP."

I was not having a go at you re the lava rock it was just a comment by a member who appeared to take offense at another member when questioned on the science (and safety) behind his claims that Lava rock was the be all and end all for column packing, that irked me a little as I do not believe it.

[Salt Must Flow]

I did not really contribute to that thread as I did not have spp at the time,and there was someone posting who I regarded as the French say a tnuc; however on page 7 Riku said:-
Re: Testing the SPP

"Post by rkr » Sat Mar 24, 2012 12:25 pm
I use platecalculator. Set the RR to get the output volume I had. Then Adjust the number of plates to just get azeotrope on top. This works quite well for larger amounts of low wines but as can be seen, gives too high values when using small low ABV mashes. Then of course I divide the column length by the number of plates to get the HETP."

I was not having a go at you re the lava rock it was just a comment by a member who appeared to take offense at another member when questioned on the science (and safety) behind his claims that Lava rock was the be all and end all for column packing, that irked me a little as I do not believe it.

Oh no, I didn't take any offense. I've just been searching lately how to calculate HETP and haven't come across a widely accepted method. Some methods I've read sound extremely complicated, some are too vague, etc...