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is there any validity to the blue flame theory? Pleas help!!!
 Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 6/28/2008(UTC)
Posts: 2
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Hello everyone. Thanks for the wealth of info this forum has provided.
Can anybody shed some light on the theory of igniting a sample to see if a blue flame is produced to test for impurities? What if I get a blue and yellow flame?
Here's my story: I have a PSII from Brewhaus. I pot distilled an 18 gallon batch for my stripping run . After the stripping run, for every gallon I added 1 tbsp. baking soda and pickling salt. I let it sit for 1 week w/ frequent stirring. I added my reflux column and did a spirit run which produced 180proof/90% abv distillate. I diluted it down to 120proof with distilled water.
My friends (locals to the TN and KY area) adhere to the "seeing a blue flame is good" theory. They took a tbsp. and tested it out. It burned blue for about 7 seconds then it produced a yellow flame at the top. They got all freaked out by seeing a yellow flame and now they won't even sample any of my hard work.
Can anybody please shed some light on this? I was very careful to discard the 1st 100ml during my stripping run and 1st 100ml on my spirit run. I even tested the samples (hearts) which I collected at 78deg celcius and it produced a blue and yellow flame.
Is there any validity to this test? Should I just do one run in reflux mode to appease my friends and try to achieve a blue flame? Also, the people here equate strength with quality, (which I think is silly). The concensus here is that the distillate should be around 150 proof. My friends think that if the sample doesn't burn their nose hairs, produce tears in their eyes, burn a hole in their throat, and make them feel as if they were kicked in the head, then it's not strong enough. Please help. Thanks.
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Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 9/4/2008(UTC)
Posts: 5
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"""What if I get a blue and yellow flame?""
What I would recomend i to either cut out the salt alltogether. The yellow (I assume it's more of an orange color then yellow) would be the reaction of the Sodium in the salt as well as the flame itself reaching a colder temp. But would primarily be from the reaction to the salt itself. Try running a small batch with no salt added in. I would almost certianly bet that you will get the flame color that you want. As to the validity of blue is better or not I would have no idea. Just know that the blue flame indicates that the flame is burning at a much higher temp then when it turns yellow/orange. but when sodium is being burned it does throw a yellow/orange color"
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 Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 9/27/2007(UTC)
Posts: 168
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"Also, the distilled water will effect the color since it lowers the percentage of the distillant. Put a flame to it before you add the water, I'm sure it will burn blue.
TS"
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Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 9/4/2008(UTC)
Posts: 5
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"you know I did not think about the water being added. I see your point. while burning the alcohol it in return is heating the water in the mixture releasing the oxygen and would actually cause the flame itself to decrease in temp giving the yellow/orange color by shear method of adding more oxygen to the fuel. But at same time I dont see the water itself playing that big of role in it.
since I'm new at distilling I'm not quite understanding why you would add baking soda and salt in the first place. I would just not add either salt or baking soda or drop it to just a small pinch of each. Since both these contian sodium in some form would be more likly why you are not getting the colour you desire.
adding these items then redistilling you are in effect increasing the quantity of sodium in your final product then when you started. That is if I rember correcty from high school science."
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Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 9/4/2008(UTC)
Posts: 5
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"actually forget what I about the water issue. I had a major brain fart when typing (note to self: don't talk to wife while typing)
the theroy is as follows;
1) adding sodium in any form before distillation will cause higher sodium in final product. Right?
2) burning sodium cause's flame to change color. (different chemicals create different colours when burned hence nice display during July 4th)
3) Water, releasing oxygen while burning distillate, will actually help maintian the colour. (same principal when using oxy/accetlyn. To icrease the temp of the torch we add in oxygen. Notice at tip of torch we will get a blue colour flame, hence a ""Blue Tipped Hammer"")
""the distilled water will effect the color since it lowers the percentage of the distillant""
this is very true but not in effecting colour of flame as you are putting it. Yes it lowers the alcohol level, too little alcohol and we get no flame. But also the quality of the distilled water itself. (Had to grab a bottle of my wife's bottled water to read what it contians. Guess what I saw?? You guessed it ""SODIUM"")
Wanna prove or disprove my theory? Try this. Take your strongest distillate in a shot glass and light it. (I have no still yet so I used Everclear at 195 proof) flame should be blue right?
1) Now add water and untill it is diluted to 120proof (make sure distillied water has NO,ZERO, NOT A TRACE of ""SODIUM"" in any form. Light it, it should still burn blue.
2) Now do same as above but add in the sodium. It should start blue in color but then change to where you are seeing more and yellow/orange color as it starts burning off the sodium.
I have but only one question and that is why adding sodium in the first place."
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is there any validity to the blue flame theory? Pleas help!!!
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