 Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/2/2009(UTC)
Posts: 2
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"I have just purchased the PSII complete kit. I made a wash with sugar and let it ferment. The biggest question i have is about temperature. When i start to heat it up it seems to go from nothing to about 90C on the thermometer in no time. I keep reading that most of the ethanol will come out at 78-82C. I have it set up in reflux using the cooling in the tower if i watch close i can keep the temp at about 82 but it fluctuates alot i have to turn water on and off. Is there a way to keep it more consistent? Also i will get some steady drips but then all of a sudden it will go to a flowing stream. Is it suppose to do that? I have the 1100 watt hotplate as a heat source using the plate to go in between. It seems to take forever to heat the 5gal of wash. Is there a better way to heat it up?
I know these are newbie questions, but i just want to make sure I am doing this right.
Thanks"
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 Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 9/27/2007(UTC)
Posts: 168
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You'll find that the more often you distill the better you will get at controlling the temp at the top of your column. Start your cooling with your cooling valve open all the way and slowly start restricting the flow and as the temp drops. Also if you are using a glass thermometer make sure it's accurate. Heat up a pot of water and bring it to a boil and take a temp reading, it should read 100c I had a low end thermometer and was reading 15 degrees higher than the real temp.
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/17/2007(UTC)
Posts: 167
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"i have the same setup. leave your hot plate turned all the way up. control the temp through your water. i use a 30 gallon garbage can for my water source. to keep the water cool i use frozen 2 liter soda bottles. i have a digital thermometer. when it chimes 50c i turn on the water and reset the temp to 78c. when it chimes 78c i change the collection jar and then add a 2liter Popsicle and set a timer to 25 minutes. every 25 minutes i add another 2liter Popsicle and change the collection jar. with my rig i just leave the water full speed. i have a separate water pump for both of my lines. i hope this helps. you may want to try a stripping run and then add some baking soda (not baking powder) to your spirit run.
toss what you collect before 78c. when you add the fourth 2liter Popsicle the first will probably be ready to be removed."
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/22/2005(UTC)
Posts: 817
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"Exacly right. Only suggestion is to turn up cooling water to thehead and decrease heat if neccessary to let column stabalize. Ie heat at top say maybe 72° C. Anyy drips are foreshots. then slowly increase head temp for the heads collection, then run normal. Much better product. Originally Posted by: just_me  i have the same setup. leave your hot plate turned all the way up. control the temp through your water. i use a 30 gallon garbage can for my water source. to keep the water cool i use frozen 2 liter soda bottles. i have a digital thermometer. when it chimes 50c i turn on the water and reset the temp to 78c. when it chimes 78c i change the collection jar and then add a 2liter Popsicle and set a timer to 25 minutes. every 25 minutes i add another 2liter Popsicle and change the collection jar. with my rig i just leave the water full speed. i have a separate water pump for both of my lines. i hope this helps. you may want to try a stripping run and then add some baking soda (not baking powder) to your spirit run.
toss what you collect before 78c. when you add the fourth 2liter Popsicle the first will probably be ready to be removed. "
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/17/2007(UTC)
Posts: 167
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"if you are using the 1100 watt plate you will get surging through your column if you lower the heat. i think that is why he gets the drips and then a flow,(look up puking wvhillbilly).
the hotplate will cycle on and off. which will cause surging. i hope this helps ."
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Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/2/2009(UTC)
Posts: 2
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So the temp that really matters is the temp at the top of the column?
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/17/2007(UTC)
Posts: 167
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yes. different types of alcohol come out at different temps.
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 8/17/2008(UTC)
Posts: 424
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I've got a ps2 hc. Modded the 1500w hotplate to remove the temp control. I run it wide open all the time. Use the reflux water to control the temp. I let it reflux for a hour between 65-70c, the slowly decrease the reflux water until the temp slowly comes up to 78c. Slowly is the key. The temp will sit right there until you start pulling tails.
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 2/8/2009(UTC)
Posts: 159
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What is the purpose of letting it sit at the low temp for that long?
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/22/2005(UTC)
Posts: 817
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" Originally Posted by: Wade What is the purpose of letting it sit at the low temp for that long? The concept is to allow the column to establish fractions. The higher alchohals at the top of the column and ethanol lower down. Then you can slowly take off through the condensor, reflux doing its trick. However, I have found that if I keep the head temp. down to lower temps and keep it there and slowly take the foreshots and heads off at those lower temps, I can achieve the same thing much quicker. Perhaps I might lose a few ounces of ethanol, but the heat and time saveings more than pay for it. This would only be applicable to the high capacity unit, as it will seperate and control these issues well. At my altitude, I will take off foreshots and heads at temps slowly at temps below 172° F and when temps reach 172 will run the entire hearts run fairly fast. Works for me at 195ABV. Cheers."
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 2/8/2009(UTC)
Posts: 159
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Thanks for the info, Ill give it a try if I can remmber all this on my next run.
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