liebig condenser huffing

[jackpinesavage]

Just ran my pot still for the first time with water. When I started running water through
the condenser jacket it would huff as condensate ran out. This seemed to subside as the water in my reservoir warmed up. Would adding a ball valve to the inlet to control the in flow help? Will it behave differently when running alcohol through it?

[der wo]

It will be better with alcohol. Perhaps this will solve the problem. Or perhaps it will huff only at the end of a run.
The more water you use/need, the more huffing you will have. So a valve can be a solution.
When you search for huffing you will find the solution to have a little scrubbie or wire either at the beginning or end of the liebig. Search word "turbulator". Should help too.

[jackpinesavage]

Thanks!

[teh721]

Sounds like "vapor collapse", I monitor the water temp coming out of my condenser return line and if it drops below 80 degrees Fahrenheit I get the same result. If your using a reservoir and pump, try reducing your pumps output until the water temps begin to rise above 85 degree's and then adjust periodically and/or replace with cooler water to keep the condenser right around the 80 degree mark. You should notice a reduction in the huffing sound.

-TEH721

[jackpinesavage]

I did notice that with my reservoir pump running unrestricted the entire condenser, from cooling water outlet on down to the end, was cool to the touch.
Thank you

[Euphoria]

Sounds like you would benefit from installing a valve on the cooling water line so that you can use it to adjust and control the temperature in your condenser. You actually want the upper portion of the condenser to be a little warm, gradually getting cooler as it nears the bottom. If your Liebeig is huffing, it could be, at least in part, caused by the hot alcohol vapors being shocked by too much cold water in the top end of the heat exchanger. It sounds like it is causing the vapors to turn into condensation too quickly causing it to hiccup.

Also, is the condenser's cooling water being introduced near the Lynn Arm end or from the outflow (product) end? If you have the water going in from the outflow end and return from the upper end, it will help as well, but you still should put a metering valve in the line.

[jackpinesavage]

Cooling water inlet is at the out flow or product end. Thanks for the advice.

[Truckinbutch]

I regulate my coolant flow with a valve at the output end of the condenser to the input end .
I constantly try to maintain a balance between heat input/coolant flow/product output . I have to drive my still . I can't just turn it on and go .

[jackpinesavage]

Going to add a ball valve at that point before my next water/ vinegar clean up run.
Thanks