Agitator Usage

edited June 2021 in Usage

Curious how everyone runs their agitator during distillation for heads hearts and tails and at what percentage output.

I have my agitator set to only run during Heat up, Fores, Heads.

Does anyone run during hearts and especially tails, tails to try assist and get those heavy molecules up?

Comments

  • We run grain-in, so we mix through the entire run. And even if I'm doing a spirit run, I'll mix.

    As far as I am aware, there is no mechanism by which it would impact the physics/chemistry of the distillation process.

    What I have seen, is that mixing through the run keeps the rate of vaporization consistent, especially in situation where you might have rolling/wavering boil.

  • Interesting. Having the agitator on certainly speeds up the heat up process and yes, the entire process.

    Mashing is an absolute yes, agitator on for the entire process. Similarly for a "grain in" run.

    Having the agitator on for the entire spirit run (without grain) would concern me IF I was doing a heads forward process e.g. brandy (obviously no grains) where low input power is required so as to prevent smearing and also heavy molecules from coming across.

    Here I would be concerned that you are inputting a negative.

  • edited June 2021

    Smearing and heavy molecules?

    The mixture in the kettle is at high temperature and boiling, there is significant mixing going on with or without active agitation.

    If you aren’t willing to abandon that theory, I’d argue that active mixing requires less power input, and creates more even vaporization. So it’s actually creating more refined separation, not less.

  • @grim said: creates more even vaporization. So it’s actually creating more refined separation, not less.

    That's my experience. The first time I used agitation I got way more separation. Same still but we used a pump to move the wash around. It also decreased heatup and run time.

  • Many thanks all. This is what's great about this forum .... you can ask from those with experience in gaining a best operating procedure.

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