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I realize I've gone a while with no post and now 2 in 1 day!!
I started out with a 120L boiler and I think 5 or 6 4" bubble cap plates. Over the years I have added 2 or 3 plates every once in a while and am currently running 11 plates. Somewhere during that time it was suggested to add a 2' section packed with raschig rings, which I did.
Well I have ordered more tees and plates, but have miscalculated and ran out of vertical space. So looking for a neutral spirit, what would you do? Take the plates up to 14 or 15..., or stay with 12 plates and a 2' packed section?
I will throw out that during my last clean out the ceramic rings had way more odor to them than the plates did. Thanks in advance for any advice!
Comments
Rashig rings exspecially in small sizes and ceramic will collect smear etc. it will only work in a continiuos process were the product is always identical. Not running in batches.
And if you are running already 11 plates and its not neutral enought i would look at your destilling management (and schema), fermentation or chemical methods (pH adjustments, activated carbon, potasiumpergamanate), NOT add more plates.
@Oswald : 11 plates is never enough for a real neutral/vodka, no way to fix that in fermentation. 16 plates at least, 20 or 24 if you have the height and money. Getting a packed section to put above the current plates is sound advice, way cheaper than getting more plates. Unless your column is wider than 4" that is.
agreed, 24 plates does me good for 190, 30 plates adds about 20-30% more speed...
So would you use the 13 plate and 2' packed section or go with 15 or 16 plates if it was your setup?
While discussing this - how does putting it through 15 plates twice stack up
Yes, but is it forbidden to do first enhanced strippruns (relative Quick with plates) putting early tails and head back to next stripp and do spirit runs on diluted products? A whole world of oppertunities is then availible. A light potassiumpermanganate treatment + a pH Rise in next run.
If you have limited distillation capacity (eg. total theoretical stages, whether plates or packing), I can't see why you would recycle heads and tails if your goal is cleaner neutral.
Yes - drop the first load of heads and tails then a lessor second cut on the second run.
3X Neutral = three runs.
I'm more like I am now than I was before.
There was a diminutive and knowledgeable contributor to this forum who used to say, "The further you get from the yeast, the better your neutral will be."
I agree.
I'm more like I am now than I was before.
I run mainly sugar washes and strip at 85%, carbon filter that, treat with sodium carbonate, then run a second time. Currently I am holding 91% to 92% on the 2nd run, then carbon filter again and cut with distilled water. Then let it sit in SS containers for 6 months. I do fairly agressive heads and tails cuts on both runs. I don't have have any particular problems with the taste, just wanted to try and do a little bit better.
From a vegemite eating country?
=))
No he's talking about @minime. He's Canadian.
StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand
Oh, I get it!
For some reason I was thinking of tar-saturated salt... B-)
I'm more like I am now than I was before.