 Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/21/2007(UTC)
Posts: 2
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where can i find the chart that shows where each form of alcohol come off?(example methonal 68c,ethonal 73c.)thanks for any help.
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 Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 9/27/2007(UTC)
Posts: 168
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"This chart and quote comes from the Home Distillation of Alcohol web site http://www.homedistiller.org/ Check it out, it is really helpful. The alcohols in the wash begin to vapourise from the wash around specific temperatures. If by themselves they would be ... Acetone 56.5C (134F) Methanol (wood alcohol) 64C (147F) Ethyl acetate 77.1C (171F) Ethanol 78C (172F) 2-Propanol (rubbing alcohol) 82C (180F) 1-Propanol 97C (207F) Water 100C (212F) Butanol 116C (241F) Amyl alcohol 137.8C (280F) Furfural 161C (322F) Once together, a mixture of several of them will be slightly different however. You no longer get them coming off seperately, but always as a mixture. Fortunately for us though, each of the species will tend to dominate around its boiling point temperature, thus we know whats ""mostly"" coming off at that point. By tracking the temperature of the vapour, you have a fairly good idea when you're collecting the Ethanol your after (78-82 °C), vs when it is starting to get lean and you're into the higher alcohols. Cheers! TS"
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 Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 5/20/2008(UTC)
Posts: 13
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"The temperature chart is very helpful. I do have a few questions about the location of the temp. readings.
Are these temps in reference to the column 'vapor' temp or the temp of the wash ?
I run an electric 12 gallon water heater with a SCR to control the vapor temp. I can control indefinately to any temp plus or minus 1 degree after the vapor starts (this is my temp sensor to control the SCR) which cuts the voltage.
I begin to get a slow drip at 168 F and it will drip indefinately. If I run the temp up to 171 the drip begins to become just shy of a steady stream.
So, what column/vapor temp should I run ?????"
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 9/27/2007(UTC)
Posts: 168
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I'm thinking that it is the wash temp. I try and keep my temp at the top of the column around 172 to 175 degrees F. I did a surgar wash i reflux mode and collect 500ml's at a time. The first 2 collections I was getting a 95% abv at a temp of 175, I increesed my water flow and the next 500ml's I got a 96% abv at a temp of 172f. I guess I got lucky on that one because my next 3 collections I was back at 95% abv....not that I'm complaining.
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 5/20/2008(UTC)
Posts: 13
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"I am presently controling to column/vapor temp. I would love to know what % Ethyl Acetate to expect. I set my setpoint for 171 expecting the drip to stop. Just as an experiment I let it run for 24 hrs. and it just kept coming. My hopes/plan was it would stop and all the 'bad stuff' would be gone and the Ethynol would be ready. Hell, I only started with a 10 Gallon, mixture of corn and sugar wash with a abv of around 10%. I ran the temp up to 172 and let it go. I am saving it for a second run. QUESTION... If your getting 95 and 96% abv on first run I would love to have your sugar wash recipie. Thanks for helping a rookie.  "
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 9/27/2007(UTC)
Posts: 168
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"Hey LOCOMIKE,
No worries with the help, I'm still learning myself with every batch I make. THe ethyl acetate is pretty low just like the level of methanol, I will throw out the first 100mls I collect.
The sugar wash recipe is pretty simple and it did take awhile to distill my 25 liters, I ran it pretty slow and kept a good eye on the water temp in my cooling system.
In the recipe I just used 15lbs of sugar in 2 gallons of water and heated it up on the stove to help the suger dissolve, then poured it into my 30 liter fermenter and topped it off with water up to 25 liters. Once the temp was below 100degrees farenhite, I do a gravity test which should be around 1400. I then add my yeast (I've been using the Black Label Turbo Yeast that Brewhaus sells)
and after 5 days I take another gravity measurment and hopefully it's at 00.
I've averaged 15% to 17% abv.
Hope this helps!
TS"
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 5/20/2008(UTC)
Posts: 13
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"In regards to ""hope this helps""...... we will know in 5 to 7 days LOL. I just started 2 new 25 L washes using your recipie with the exception of your yeast.
I already had some Liquor Quik™ Vodka Pure with AG yeast that I purchased before I found Brewhaus. It advertises 13% abv if all is correct."
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 9/27/2007(UTC)
Posts: 168
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Sounds like a plan, good luck!
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 5/20/2008(UTC)
Posts: 13
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"Well, the wash is done and the shine is dripping. I did two identical 5 litre washes and set them side by side in the dining room (much to the dismay of the wife). All was well for about 5 days with the specific gravity dropping 10 to 20 each day. When it stopped I checked the % ABV. 3 % in one wash and 8 % in the other. Damn what a dissapointment. So I transfer the wash to 5 gallon glass jugs, put the cap on and move them to my gagage workbench to run off that evening. My wife calls me at work, the jars have popped the lids. She repalces and POP again. I get home from work to find out the wash has started again. Seems the 80 deg F in the garage was much better than the 72 deg F in the wifes dining room. Note to self- Give the dining room back to the wife ! Anyway, ended up about 12% ABV which is what was advertised by the yeast packet The drip watching has been going for about 18 hours now ( I run very slow with a 172 deg F vapor column temp) with the first gallon coming off about 158 proof. I will let the first run finish, cut with spring water and re-run followed by a day of filtering through a 4 ft. carbon snake. HOPEFULLY, I will have a end result of an alchohol with ZERO flavors ! "
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 9/27/2007(UTC)
Posts: 168
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"Sounds like you're rolling along, but at those temps and time on the still, it sounds like you should get a higher abv. What is the lenght of your colume and what are you using for packing?
I set my still up in a pot distilling mode and distilled a corn wash on Sunday. It was a stripping run that took about 7 hours to do 25 liters of mash, I'll do another run on it next weekend. I got about 4 liters of distillate out of it with the first liter ws 75%abv and the last liter was 40%abv. I'll use the last 1.5 liters for my next batch."
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 5/20/2008(UTC)
Posts: 13
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"Duh, my mistake on the proof. I read the scale wrong due to not enough level in the cylinder (bottomed out). The run is completed with the following results: 13 Gallons of wash. Distilled at 172 for 40 hrs. End result = 2 Gallon of shine 193 proof or 95 % to 96 %ABV. I couldn't be more satisfied. :) Thanks for the coaching. Now off to cut with spring water to 40% ABV and filter through a 4 ft. Carbon Snake. To answer your question..... 4 ft double reflux 2 3/4 inch copper column packed with SS mesh screen top and bottom with 1/4 ceramic rings in the middle. "
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 9/27/2007(UTC)
Posts: 168
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"Glad to hear that it all turned out great!
TS"
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