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need quick responce to reflux question
 Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/11/2009(UTC)
Posts: 35
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This is my 3rd time doing a reflux run, I did 4 sugar runs collected all of it. then run it through again collecting 4 gallons of 80%. now I am trying to reflux the 4 gals with one gal water. I hooked up the hoses like the book says with the water going through the condencer last, it produced at 66Celius with no water running at all. every thing was so hot you couldn't touch it it took 5 hours to make a gal... I shut it off re did the hoses so it ran through the condencer first. (different day) it is doing the same thing almost, today it is producing at 70 C with no water running at all. if I turn the water on the least little bit it stops. the alcohol was 95 % the first gallon. help please
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 Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 6/4/2010(UTC) Posts: 360   Location: Louisiana
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" Originally Posted by: letcher52  This is my 3rd time doing a reflux run, I did 4 sugar runs collected all of it. then run it through again collecting 4 gallons of 80%. now I am trying to reflux the 4 gals with one gal water. I hooked up the hoses like the book says with the water going through the condencer last, it produced at 66Celius with no water running at all. every thing was so hot you couldn't touch it it took 5 hours to make a gal... I shut it off re did the hoses so it ran through the condencer first. (different day) it is doing the same thing almost, today it is producing at 70 C with no water running at all. if I turn the water on the least little bit it stops. the alcohol was 95 % the first gallon. help please If you are collecting distillate 70F it is fores. I can't understand how you can collect with no water running through the condenser, but when water is put to it it stops? You should knock down more vapor with the water flowing through the condenser. Maybe I'm just not understanding what you are explaining.........." |
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/11/2009(UTC)
Posts: 35
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right now the temp is 80 C and the water is shut off and its still dripping,this is driving me crazy because I dont understand whats going on. the shine is 95% pure and I have collected 1 and 1/2 gals so far so it cant be fores. maybe it being almost pure to begin with 80% its not getting to 212 because alcohol boils at what 174 degrees which is around 70 c . my home reeks of alcohol it burns the eyes if you hang out near the still too long. yesterday the heat coming from the collection would burn your hand and the jar was too hot to pick up, oh yeah my heating plate is cycling which it never did before. I am not high... I dont drink or do drugs so its not that. I have done reflux before and with no problems. any one heard from mtnwalker lately
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 6/4/2010(UTC) Posts: 360 Location: Louisiana
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Originally Posted by: letcher52 right now the temp is 80 C and the water is shut off and its still dripping,this is driving me crazy because I dont understand whats going on. the shine is 95% pure and I have collected 1 and 1/2 gals so far so it cant be fores. maybe it being almost pure to begin with 80% its not getting to 212 because alcohol boils at what 174 degrees which is around 70 c . my home reeks of alcohol it burns the eyes if you hang out near the still too long. yesterday the heat coming from the collection would burn your hand and the jar was too hot to pick up, oh yeah my heating plate is cycling which it never did before. I am not high... I dont drink or do drugs so its not that. I have done reflux before and with no problems. any one heard from mtnwalker lately Okay we had a bit of Celsius, Fahrenheit confusion. Either way its is odd that your distillate stream stops when you run water through your liebig condenser............. UNLESS you are in inadvertently running cooling water through the cross tubes and cooling the vapor in the column causing it to reflux........... |
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/11/2009(UTC)
Posts: 35
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the water supply goes to the bottom of condenser comes out the top and goes to bottom of cooling tubes and works it way up the tubes to the top and then to drain, the book does it the exact oppisite and it didnt work that way either. I am going to finish filling the gallon I have going and stop it . I think I'll distill the rest in pot mode and see if I can figure this out
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/11/2009(UTC)
Posts: 35
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I dont have caller ID on my home phone 919 778 8151 call collect if you have to I would love to talk to an advanced member
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/11/2009(UTC)
Posts: 35
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what started out as 4 gals 80% with 1 gal water added turned into 1 gal 95% and 3/4 gal 70% there was about 1 gal left in keg.I don't know if I had a vapor leak, blockage with the copper mesh, maybe I used too many cooling tubes, I have no clue. I have a good amount of smarts and this has me stumped I know if I heard someone else say this I would say impossible. I learned most of my distilling from mtnwalker and have never had any problems. well all I can do is try, try again.. thanks bayou for your imput
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/22/2005(UTC)
Posts: 817
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"HI LETCHER and everhyone. First post in long time as moved and without internet. Have missed all of you. OK, this was the first post I read. You are definately loseing alchohol vapor out of the condensor. Very dangerous. As you have described it, explosive. You need to run cooling water through the condensor so the output is barely warm. Imperative! Now, as to the shutdown of product when some water is running through thecooling tubes, you are getting 100% refllux action. Add more heat. If neccessary have seperate water flows to condenser and cooling tubes, but I have never had issues with that. I am able to control takeoff rate with small changes in heat input after properly setting my cooling flow. i use propane. If you are useing electric, you may need a larger heat source and perhaps a voltage regulater? No more wasting that hard earned booze on the angels, and no explosions to make you one. Originally Posted by: letcher52 what started out as 4 gals 80% with 1 gal water added turned into 1 gal 95% and 3/4 gal 70% there was about 1 gal left in keg.I don't know if I had a vapor leak, blockage with the copper mesh, maybe I used too many cooling tubes, I have no clue. I have a good amount of smarts and this has me stumped I know if I heard someone else say this I would say impossible. I learned most of my distilling from mtnwalker and have never had any problems. well all I can do is try, try again.. thanks bayou for your imput "
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 9/27/2007(UTC)
Posts: 168
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"Good to see you back mtnwalker.
Letcher, sounds like you need the water control system that Brewhaus sells so that you can run a constant flow to your condenser and control the flow to your column. I had a problem like that the first time I did a reflux with my HC and had to cut the flow of cooling water to my column to almost a trickle to keep the proper temp but after a few hours I had to open her up a bit to maintain it.
Also, you might turn your cooling water on as soon as you start heating up your system (if you're using electric) then you won't have that sudden temperature drop like before when turning on the water when your temp is starting to climb or has reached its proper temp."
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/11/2009(UTC)
Posts: 35
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mtnwalker, glad to hear from you, I sent some emails and when I got no response I was a little worried mostly because you had no posts on this forum glad you are ok. I wasted 3 gals of twice distilled 80% crap and it took me 16 hours to do it
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 9/22/2007(UTC)
Posts: 42
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"I would not try to reflux anything over 50%.
You are getting into some dangerous stuff withproof that high.
Also when you get high enough temps that will burn your hand you will get fusal oils in your spirit and have awful taste."
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