Gin Basket doubles as very efficient Second Column

We make our gin using grain spirit in single batches on the fly, connecting the gin basket (modified 50L home brew conical fermenter) in the vapour line directly off the column on the 3rd distillation. We take the pipe down alongside the column and then connect to a T at the bottom of the gin basket. One end of the T goes up to the basket and the other is a condense line back to the pot. The commercial product has been much cleaner than the trial batches we made using a 4" Dash & until last week I put this down to the 8" Crystal Dragon being more efficient. Up to now all of our gin runs have only been half full pots but last week I did a full pot of one of our gins that has hop flowers in the botanical mix. As a result the gin basket was close to full - its about 14" diameter and the botanicals were about 14-16" deep, hops at the bottom, because they can waterlog and channel the vapour, and the rest mixed on top. The ABV held up very high falling to @ 90% after about 15 hours. Around this time, most of the lighter flavours had disappeared from the product coming off the still, there was a slight smoky taste and what I though at the time was a hint of tails (but on re-tasting a sample later it was probably well stewed juniper). I'd collected a pretty good amount of gin so I decided to cut to tails. I put the column into full reflux, opened the gin basket and removed the botanicals and then started collecting again. Within minutes the ABV off the parrot had fallen to 50% and with half an hour it milky white and down below 20. When I drained the pot the ABV reading was 0, it was very milky yellow and had a strong smell of hops and cinnamon, indicating there was a lot of reflux condense from the basket in it. Its seems that the packed gin basket was working as a very efficient second column!

I'm thinking that the in the future when I'm making neutral spirit it might try packing the gin basket and keep it the vapour line to improve efficiency. I'd just got to work out what will be the best packing material. It needs to be something that isn't too heavy and can go in a bag that 'we can remove easily when we make gin.

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Comments

  • It's a lot of ceramic saddles but in a couple bags they may suit?

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  • @punkin said: It's a lot of ceramic saddles but in a couple bags they may suit?

    That's kind of what I was thinking, like a couple of beanbags, but how heavy would they be? My other thoughts were a modular insert with 4 or 5 perforated trays or, thinking way outside the square, a big bag of glass wool.

  • Some scoria would work too and is preferred by some (although kapea hates it for contamination) light and high surface area.

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  • @punkin said: Some scoria would work too and is preferred by some (although kapea hates it for contamination) light and high surface area.

    But where will I get scoria around here. Was thinking maybe a backhoe of river pebbles until it rainedthe Now the creeks flowing again so will have to dry them very or they'll shatter. ;)

  • Wang Bunnings? Benalla?

  • Really wish I could find a decent source for bulk packing.

    8" x 20'

    7 cubic feet, give or take.

  • @grim said: Really wish I could find a decent source for bulk packing.

    8" x 20'

    7 cubic feet, give or take.

    How many theoretical plates in 20' of packed column, 20 bizillion?

    Azeotrope is azeotrope. You gotta break out the shopvac to get past that.

    I'm more like I am now than I was before.

  • edited May 2016

    @HurdleCreek said: But where will I get scoria around here. Was thinking maybe a backhoe of river pebbles until it rainedthe Now the creeks flowing again so will have to dry them very or they'll shatter. ;)

    Garden Centres/landscaping supplies sell it either by the bag or by the scoop. Worth a ring.

    Toil & Soil Garden Supplies @ Yellow Pages AU

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  • edited May 2016

    Round here scoria is made to order.
    I do know the chemical makeup of it, and would never consider using it for still packing.

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    I'm more like I am now than I was before.

  • edited May 2016

    Yes, I took that photo. Here's another - a few hours later after the sun came up.

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    I'm more like I am now than I was before.

  • Your scoria is prolly just made in a production facility that is not in compliance is all. Sometimes they'll build those plants in really bad neighborhoods where management can get away with bloody murder.

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  • edited May 2016

    Fucking management again.

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  • @Kapea said: Round here scoria is made to order.
    I do know the chemical makeup of it, and would never consider using it for still packing.

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    But it looks like catching it in a bucket would be a bitch.

    Zymurgy Bob, a simple potstiller

    my book, Making Fine Spirits

  • edited May 2016

    @Smaug said: Your scoria is prolly just made in a production facility that is not in compliance is all. Sometimes they'll build those plants in really bad neighborhoods where management can get away with bloody murder.

    Yeah, it's in the ginormus parking lot of one those fecal therapy places that @CothermanDistilling is so fond of...

    I'm more like I am now than I was before.

  • I use a carter head with thump tube as a second column for my neutral with reflux return to my primary thumper. works great with scoria.

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