This is kind of an off the wall idea-project that I wish to build and use. From time to time folks have talked about building a "M*A*S*H" type of still out of lab glass. And yes I've thought about it too. But after taking a closer look at how much lab glass is, it's just way way out of the budget.
But it would be nice to have a "mini" lab glass still. One that I could use to experiment with on various recipies before going full board with my larger units. Yet I think this would also make a rather interesting focal point for the bar that I'm building.
My questions on this are two fold. The first is calculating just what size flask I would need for the boiler. Mind you I only want it large enough so my end run gives me enough spirit to make one bottle of whatever flavor I migh order from brewhaus.com. Those flavoring are for 750ml of 40 proof neutral spirit. Well most are I believe. Add back about 1/3 for boil over.... and well, I get confused. Math isn't one of my strong suits. Just not sure how big of a boiling flask I need!
The other question has to do with what type of column to use. There's a standard plane column that you fill with glass beads. Then there's "oldershaw", which has glass plates built in... Nice looking but extremely expensive. That leaves "snyder" or "vigreux" type columns. Are there any chemistry students/majors out there that could tell me which of the later two is the most effiecent for this type of project?
thanks folks
Jaxom
Reverse engineering a still.
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Grayson_Stewart
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If you are ordering flavor from Brewhaus, I assume you are trying to make the cleanest nuetral alcohol possible to combine with water and the flavorings you mentioned.My questions on this are two fold. The first is calculating just what size flask I would need for the boiler. Mind you I only want it large enough so my end run gives me enough spirit to make one bottle of whatever flavor I migh order from brewhaus.com.
Some liquers may be 40 proof which is 20 % alcohol, but many of their flavorings are to make 80 proof or 40% alcohol.Those flavoring are for 750ml of 40 proof neutral spirit. Well most are I believe.
For what it sounds like you are trying to do, you would want to keep only the heart or middle cut of a run. The hearts are typically going to be the middle 40% of the total alcohol output from a run. It could be slightly more, but this is a good safe volume to count on. The first 30% being discarded as heads and the final 30% being the tails. Before someone pins me on technicalities, I will say there is good usable alcohol in those front and back end 30% volumes. If you collect these to try and squeeze the usuable volumes out it will change the calculations below.
Assuming you want to make a 750 ml bottle of 80 proof (40 %), you would need 750 ml X 0.4 = 300 ml of middle cut. Since the middle cut you are after is aproximately 40% of the total alcohol the yeast produce, you would need to create 300 ml / 0.4 = 750 ml of total alcohol.
Now you need to size a wash containing 750 ml of alcohol. Assuming you use a yeast strain that will tolerate 15% alcohol, you find the total wash volume by 750 ml / 0.15 = 5000 ml or 5 liters. Adding an additional 1/3 of that volume as headspace to prevent boilover, you will need a boiler sized to accept 6650 ml. Thats some pretty big labware.
I haven't been in a lab in over 20 years so I can't answer the rest of your post.
Light travels faster than sound. That is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
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Stillhead
I have a lab still which utilizes either vigreux or an air condenser filled with rings, saddles or spirals, or a jacketed glass condenser attached to your round bottom flask.
In my experience this type of still (my boiler is 2L, and much bigger is expensive and dangerous) is not practical for anything but a simple steam distillation (for say absinthe or gin) or for further purifying your neutral spirit or store bought wine.
If you did get a big enough boiler, and managed to set it up safely, then you would find that bumping and frothing are a couple of major problems (even with a decent stir plate with magnetic stir bar, or boiling chips).
It would look cool sitting on a bar, but leaving a lab still set up all the time is bad practice, and you would soon realize this when it breaks accidentally)
Another question is heating. I heat mine with a heating mantle ran off of a Rheostat. These items don't look so pretty, and they are also expensive. Alternatively, you could use an oil bath on the stove, but I must warn you about safety and that glass is fragile.
You would need 24/40 clips to hold the glass sintered joints tight, as well as at least 2 retort stands with several uninversal/three fingered clamps. Also a scientific thermometer.
If you want a list of glassware PM me.
Maybe you could focus on a small pot still or reflux still made of copper, and then just polish it on top of your bar. It would look like a weird sort of expresso machine, and would not break on you.
In my experience this type of still (my boiler is 2L, and much bigger is expensive and dangerous) is not practical for anything but a simple steam distillation (for say absinthe or gin) or for further purifying your neutral spirit or store bought wine.
If you did get a big enough boiler, and managed to set it up safely, then you would find that bumping and frothing are a couple of major problems (even with a decent stir plate with magnetic stir bar, or boiling chips).
It would look cool sitting on a bar, but leaving a lab still set up all the time is bad practice, and you would soon realize this when it breaks accidentally)
Another question is heating. I heat mine with a heating mantle ran off of a Rheostat. These items don't look so pretty, and they are also expensive. Alternatively, you could use an oil bath on the stove, but I must warn you about safety and that glass is fragile.
You would need 24/40 clips to hold the glass sintered joints tight, as well as at least 2 retort stands with several uninversal/three fingered clamps. Also a scientific thermometer.
If you want a list of glassware PM me.
Maybe you could focus on a small pot still or reflux still made of copper, and then just polish it on top of your bar. It would look like a weird sort of expresso machine, and would not break on you.
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I use a pot still.Sometimes with a thumper
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Grayson_Stewart
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Tater,
Is that condensor basically a cylinder within a cylinder and capped off at each end? Doesn't seem like the vapor would have enough travel time to completely condense. You ever seen one like that before?
Is that condensor basically a cylinder within a cylinder and capped off at each end? Doesn't seem like the vapor would have enough travel time to completely condense. You ever seen one like that before?
Light travels faster than sound. That is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
you got cool water all way round it. the one these boys got the fill pipe
goes to bottom to other side an fills up thru 3 hole under condencer. left side center an right side
you coundnt turn the wick up to hi on that one without problem.
they got some condencers with copper pipes runin verticle thru condencer so water can run thru to make it run cooler.
so im tole
goes to bottom to other side an fills up thru 3 hole under condencer. left side center an right side
you coundnt turn the wick up to hi on that one without problem.
they got some condencers with copper pipes runin verticle thru condencer so water can run thru to make it run cooler.
so im tole