 Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/29/2011(UTC)
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I am curious what proof alcohol others are achieving when running a PSII in reflux mode during spirit run. I am consistently at 178 proof. I feel like it should be higher but do not know what to do to increase it but that is a different thread!
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 Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
Joined: 7/25/2009(UTC)
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I don't think that there is such a thing as 178% please clarify.
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
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" Originally Posted by: scotty  I don't think that there is such a thing as 178% please clarify. Sorry, I meant ""Proof"" will fix!"
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"For me it's usually 93%. When I'm in a particularly patient mood it's just a hair over 94% ... but that's rare.
There are plenty of threads that discuss techniques to help improve your abv."
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/29/2011(UTC)
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" Originally Posted by: John Barleycorn For me it's usually 93%. When I'm in a particularly patient mood it's just a hair over 94% ... but that's rare.
There are plenty of threads that discuss techniques to help improve your abv. At what rate do you usually collect?"
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered
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Usually around 800 mL/hour.
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/29/2011(UTC)
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Thanks John. I guess I need to slow it down I am collecting a lot faster. Probably twice as fast.
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered
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"You should definitely get a higher abv if you slow down below 1000 mL/hr. The key thing to keep in mind is that your collection rate affects your reflux ratio. For a given power input, if you're collecting faster your reflux ratio will drop since you're removing more vapor (in a CM) from the system (less vapor condenses to travel back down the column) ... so will your abv will drop off. You might be tempted to push up the power to get more vapor so you can continue collecting faster (i.e. - if you're generating more vapor and collecting at the same rate, the reflux ratio increases). But that only works to a point. You can drive the column too hard. I tried that a few times and I ended up with poor separation (smearing). So you have to find the sweet spot for your rig. On a few occasions I tried collecting around 500 - 600 mL/hr & that's where I got the 94%+. But I really never did it enough times to develop the ""fine tuning"" ... I'm too impatient to split hairs over a 1% - 2% improvement given the added time.  "
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/29/2011(UTC)
Posts: 25
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Thanks again John. The odd thing is I was collecting in the 92%-94% range and then I switched from propane to natural gas. % has gone down with the natural gas. Perhaps the lower BTU's of the Natural Gas is not creating the vapor/reflux that the propane was.
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 Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 2/13/2014(UTC)
Posts: 8
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Are you using the same burner?
Generally they will need to be adjusted differently to run the same way. May even need different parts. Orifice or regulator.
Does the flame look different. Maybe just the air shutter needs tweaking.
Insects can nest in the burner and throw things way out of whack or a little out.
That's all I can think of.
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