[biofuel] New Distillers FAQ
x-charset ISO-8859-1NEW DISTILLERS Frequently Asked Questions (Feb'03) Posted near the 1st of each month, to the NEW_DISTILLERS newsgroup at www.yahoogroups.com Please email any additions, corrections, clarifications required, etc regarding the FAQ to Tony Ackland ([EMAIL PROTECTED]), however please direct any general questions to the newsgroup itself. *** 1) Is distilling hard to do ? 2) Is it legal ? 3) Will it make me blind ? 4) Whats the difference between a pot still, reflux still, and fractionating column ? 5) How do I get or make a still ? 6) How do I make a whisky / rum / vodka / gin ? 7) Should I use sugar or grains ? 8) Can I use fruit wine ? 9) How do I make a Turbo-all-sugar wash ? 10) How do I run a Pot still ? 11) How do I run a Reflux still ? 12) Can I use a reflux still to make rum or whisky ? 13) How do I measure the strength of it dilute it ? 14) How do I get rid of that off-taste ? 15) Why do my spirits turn cloudy when diluted ? 16) How do I flavour/turn the vodka's into something else ? 17) What web resources are there ? 18) How do I contact the NEW DISTILLERS news group ? 19) Can I run my car on it ? 20) How do I convert between gallons and litres and 21) What is a Thumper ? 22) Can methylated spirits be made safe to drink ? ** 1) Is distilling hard to do ? Nope - if you can follow instructions enough to bake scones, then you can sucessfully distil. To distil well however, will require you to understand what you're doing, so read around and get a bit of information under your belt before you begin. 2) Is it legal ? Probably not. It is only legal in New Zealand, and some European countries turn a blind eye to it, but elsewhere it is illegal, with punishment ranging from fines to imprisonment or floggings. This action against it is usually the result of either religous beliefs (right or wrong), but more generally due to the great revenue base it provides Governements through excise taxes. So if you are going to distil, just be aware of the potential legal ramifications. 3) Will it make me blind ? Not if you're careful. This pervasive question is due to moonshine lore, which abounds with myths of blindness, but few actual documented cases. The concern is due to the presence of methanol (wood alcohol), an optic nerve poison, which can be present in small amounts when fermenting grains or fruits high in pectin. This methanol comes off first from the still, so it is easily segregated and discarded, and easily observed via changes in the vapour temperature. A simple rule of thumb for this is to throw away the first 50 mL you collect (per 20 L mash used). Probably the greatest risk to your health during distilling is the risk of fire - collecting a flammable liquid near a heat source. So keep a fire extinguisher nearby. The cases where you do hear about people poisoned by illict spirits have been the terrible situations where adulterants such as methanol, antifreeze, battery acid etc have been added to the spirits afterwards by unscrupulous sellers (for what misguided reasons ??). If you have had a healthy fermentation take place, it is infact very difficult to make methanol. The other problems have been lead poisoning when people have used lead-based products (ie lead solder) when constructing their still, instead of something more appropriate for food-grade vessels. The rules should infact be dont buy spirits from an unknown supplier - but its very safe to distill for yourself. 4) Whats the difference between a pot still, reflux still, and fractionating column ? A pot still simply collects and condenses the alcohol vapours that come off the boiling mash. This will result in an alcohol at about 40-60% purity, with plenty of flavour in it. If this distillate were put through the pot still again, it would increase in purity to around 70-85% purity, and lose a bit of its flavour. A reflux still does these multiple distillations in one single go, by having some packing in a column between the condensor the pot, and allowing some of the vapour to condense and trickle back down through the packing. This reflux of liquid helps clean the rising vapour and increase the % purity. The taller the packed column, and the more reflux liquid, the purer the product will be. The advantage of doing this is that it will result in a clean vodka, with little flavour to it - ideal for mixing with flavours etc. A fractionating column is a pure form of the reflux still. It will condense all the vapour at the top of the packing, and return about 9/10 back down the column. The column will be quite tall - say 600-1200mm (2-4 foot), and packed with a material high in surface area, but which takes up little space (pot scrubbers are good for this). It will result in an alcohol 95%+ pure (the
[biofuel] New Distillers Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
NEW DISTILLERS Frequently Asked Questions (last modified Feb'03) Posted near the 1st of each month, to the NEW_DISTILLERS newsgroup at www.yahoogroups.com Please email any additions, corrections, clarifications required, etc regarding the FAQ to Tony Ackland ([EMAIL PROTECTED]), however please direct any general questions to the newsgroup itself. *** 1) Is distilling hard to do ? 2) Is it legal ? 3) Will it make me blind ? 4) Whats the difference between a pot still, reflux still, and fractionating column ? 5) How do I get or make a still ? 6) How do I make a whisky / rum / vodka / gin ? 7) Should I use sugar or grains ? 8) Can I use fruit wine ? 9) How do I make a Turbo-all-sugar wash ? 10) How do I run a Pot still ? 11) How do I run a Reflux still ? 12) Can I use a reflux still to make rum or whisky ? 13) How do I measure the strength of it dilute it ? 14) How do I get rid of that off-taste ? 15) Why do my spirits turn cloudy when diluted ? 16) How do I flavour/turn the vodka's into something else ? 17) What web resources are there ? 18) How do I contact the NEW DISTILLERS news group ? 19) Can I run my car on it ? 20) How do I convert between gallons and litres and 21) What is a Thumper ? 22) Can methylated spirits be made safe to drink ? ** 1) Is distilling hard to do ? Nope - if you can follow instructions enough to bake scones, then you can sucessfully distil. To distil well however, will require you to understand what you're doing, so read around and get a bit of information under your belt before you begin. 2) Is it legal ? Probably not. It is only legal in New Zealand, and some European countries turn a blind eye to it, but elsewhere it is illegal, with punishment ranging from fines to imprisonment or floggings. This action against it is usually the result of either religous beliefs (right or wrong), but more generally due to the great revenue base it provides Governements through excise taxes. So if you are going to distil, just be aware of the potential legal ramifications. 3) Will it make me blind ? Not if you're careful. This pervasive question is due to moonshine lore, which abounds with myths of blindness, but few actual documented cases. The concern is due to the presence of methanol (wood alcohol), an optic nerve poison, which can be present in small amounts when fermenting grains or fruits high in pectin. This methanol comes off first from the still, so it is easily segregated and discarded, and easily observed via changes in the vapour temperature. A simple rule of thumb for this is to throw away the first 50 mL you collect (per 20 L mash used). Probably the greatest risk to your health during distilling is the risk of fire - collecting a flammable liquid near a heat source. So keep a fire extinguisher nearby. The cases where you do hear about people poisoned by illict spirits have been the terrible situations where adulterants such as methanol, antifreeze, battery acid etc have been added to the spirits afterwards by unscrupulous sellers (for what misguided reasons ??). If you have had a healthy fermentation take place, it is infact very difficult to make methanol. The other problems have been lead poisoning when people have used lead-based products (ie lead solder) when constructing their still, instead of something more appropriate for food-grade vessels. The rules should infact be dont buy spirits from an unknown supplier - but its very safe to distill for yourself. 4) Whats the difference between a pot still, reflux still, and fractionating column ? A pot still simply collects and condenses the alcohol vapours that come off the boiling mash. This will result in an alcohol at about 40-60% purity, with plenty of flavour in it. If this distillate were put through the pot still again, it would increase in purity to around 70-85% purity, and lose a bit of its flavour. A reflux still does these multiple distillations in one single go, by having some packing in a column between the condensor the pot, and allowing some of the vapour to condense and trickle back down through the packing. This reflux of liquid helps clean the rising vapour and increase the % purity. The taller the packed column, and the more reflux liquid, the purer the product will be. The advantage of doing this is that it will result in a clean vodka, with little flavour to it - ideal for mixing with flavours etc. A fractionating column is a pure form of the reflux still. It will condense all the vapour at the top of the packing, and return about 9/10 back down the column. The column will be quite tall - say 600-1200mm (2-4 foot), and packed with a material high in surface area, but which takes up little space (pot scrubbers are good for this). It will result in an alcohol 95%+ pure (the
[biofuel] NEW DISTILLERS Frequently Asked Questions
NEW DISTILLERS Frequently Asked Questions (Feb'03) Posted near the 1st of each month, to the NEW_DISTILLERS newsgroup at www.yahoogroups.com Please email any additions, corrections, clarifications required, etc regarding the FAQ to Tony Ackland ([EMAIL PROTECTED]), however please direct any general questions to the newsgroup itself. *** 1) Is distilling hard to do ? 2) Is it legal ? 3) Will it make me blind ? 4) Whats the difference between a pot still, reflux still, and fractionating column ? 5) How do I get or make a still ? 6) How do I make a whisky / rum / vodka / gin ? 7) Should I use sugar or grains ? 8) Can I use fruit wine ? 9) How do I make a Turbo-all-sugar wash ? 10) How do I run a Pot still ? 11) How do I run a Reflux still ? 12) Can I use a reflux still to make rum or whisky ? 13) How do I measure the strength of it dilute it ? 14) How do I get rid of that off-taste ? 15) Why do my spirits turn cloudy when diluted ? 16) How do I flavour/turn the vodka's into something else ? 17) What web resources are there ? 18) How do I contact the NEW DISTILLERS news group ? 19) Can I run my car on it ? 20) How do I convert between gallons and litres and 21) What is a Thumper ? 22) Can methylated spirits be made safe to drink ? ** 1) Is distilling hard to do ? Nope - if you can follow instructions enough to bake scones, then you can sucessfully distil. To distil well however, will require you to understand what you're doing, so read around and get a bit of information under your belt before you begin. 2) Is it legal ? Probably not. It is only legal in New Zealand, and some European countries turn a blind eye to it, but elsewhere it is illegal, with punishment ranging from fines to imprisonment or floggings. This action against it is usually the result of either religous beliefs (right or wrong), but more generally due to the great revenue base it provides Governements through excise taxes. So if you are going to distil, just be aware of the potential legal ramifications. 3) Will it make me blind ? Not if you're careful. This pervasive question is due to moonshine lore, which abounds with myths of blindness, but few actual documented cases. The concern is due to the presence of methanol (wood alcohol), an optic nerve poison, which can be present in small amounts when fermenting grains or fruits high in pectin. This methanol comes off first from the still, so it is easily segregated and discarded, and easily observed via changes in the vapour temperature. A simple rule of thumb for this is to throw away the first 50 mL you collect (per 20 L mash used). Probably the greatest risk to your health during distilling is the risk of fire - collecting a flammable liquid near a heat source. So keep a fire extinguisher nearby. The cases where you do hear about people poisoned by illict spirits have been the terrible situations where adulterants such as methanol, antifreeze, battery acid etc have been added to the spirits afterwards by unscrupulous sellers (for what misguided reasons ??). If you have had a healthy fermentation take place, it is infact very difficult to make methanol. The other problems have been lead poisoning when people have used lead-based products (ie lead solder) when constructing their still, instead of something more appropriate for food-grade vessels. The rules should infact be dont buy spirits from an unknown supplier - but its very safe to distill for yourself. 4) Whats the difference between a pot still, reflux still, and fractionating column ? A pot still simply collects and condenses the alcohol vapours that come off the boiling mash. This will result in an alcohol at about 40-60% purity, with plenty of flavour in it. If this distillate were put through the pot still again, it would increase in purity to around 70-85% purity, and lose a bit of its flavour. A reflux still does these multiple distillations in one single go, by having some packing in a column between the condensor the pot, and allowing some of the vapour to condense and trickle back down through the packing. This reflux of liquid helps clean the rising vapour and increase the % purity. The taller the packed column, and the more reflux liquid, the purer the product will be. The advantage of doing this is that it will result in a clean vodka, with little flavour to it - ideal for mixing with flavours etc. A fractionating column is a pure form of the reflux still. It will condense all the vapour at the top of the packing, and return about 9/10 back down the column. The column will be quite tall - say 600-1200mm (2-4 foot), and packed with a material high in surface area, but which takes up little space (pot scrubbers are good for this). It will result in an alcohol 95%+ pure (the theoretical limit without
[biofuel] Re Ethanol from bread waste?
Gary, I can't seem to get this link to work - any ideas? http://homedistiller.org/wash-grain2.htm#bread works OK for me. Tony Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Get A Free Psychic Reading! Your Online Answer To Life's Important Questions. http://us.click.yahoo.com/Lj3uPC/Me7FAA/ySSFAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Re Ethanol from bread waste?
Bread has been used in the production of vodka before, basically as a source of the starch. See http://homedistiller.org/wash-grain2.htm#bread for more details. Tony Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Get A Free Psychic Reading! Your Online Answer To Life's Important Questions. http://us.click.yahoo.com/Lj3uPC/Me7FAA/ySSFAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Re: Biogas from chicken manure
thanks Keith Peter. Doing the research for a friend of my fathers, so I may be back later with more questions once he's had a chance to work through all those links. Tony Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Get A Free Psychic Reading! Your Online Answer To Life's Important Questions. http://us.click.yahoo.com/Lj3uPC/Me7FAA/ySSFAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Biogas from chicken manure
Does anyone have pointers re producing biogas / methane from chicken manure, and its subsequent use in firing heaters for nurseries ? Tony Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Get A Free Psychic Reading! Your Online Answer To Life's Important Questions. http://us.click.yahoo.com/Lj3uPC/Me7FAA/CNxFAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Re: New Distillers FAQ
*poink* well, that was a load of BS. no documented cases? what about the 2 or 3 dozen people killed in a single incident in China a year or so ago? Paul - could you please give me a few more leads about what happened there ? Of the cases I have heard of, poisoning from illict spirits has only been due to other contaminants being mixed into either the brew before distilling, or added as adulterants afterwards. Antifreeze and methanol being the common culprits (they're all alcohol aren't they ??). Not recommended behavour. Those are the practices of unscruplous sellers, not a home-distiller making for personal consumption. The point maybe to make is dont buy alcohol from an illicit seller who you dont know, not dont distill yourself. Adding adulterants is not the same as making up your own safe brew with a clean fermentation and basic housekeeping guidelines that any brewer knows. Its quite hard to actually make methanol via fermentation of sugar or grains. The only other problems I'm aware of is when lead-soldered condensers have been used (ie http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00016616.htm ) - hence the need for education around safe practices, materials, etc and again, not something that you're likely to do to yourself, particularly if you have read the guidelines. No - you dont need a well equiped lab. More a matter of understanding clearly what you're doing, and why. Read around - there is now quality information available on the subject (as pointed out in the FAQ) Tony Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Get A Free Psychic Reading! Your Online Answer To Life's Important Questions. http://us.click.yahoo.com/aM1XQD/od7FAA/uetFAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] New Distillers FAQ
NEW DISTILLERS Frequently Asked Questions (Feb'03) Posted near the 1st of each month, to the NEW_DISTILLERS newsgroup at www.yahoogroups.com Please email any additions, corrections, clarifications required, etc regarding the FAQ to Tony Ackland ([EMAIL PROTECTED]), however please direct any general questions to the newsgroup itself. *** 1) Is distilling hard to do ? 2) Is it legal ? 3) Will it make me blind ? 4) Whats the difference between a pot still, reflux still, and fractionating column ? 5) How do I get or make a still ? 6) How do I make a whisky / rum / vodka / gin ? 7) Should I use sugar or grains ? 8) Can I use fruit wine ? 9) How do I make a Turbo-all-sugar wash ? 10) How do I run a Pot still ? 11) How do I run a Reflux still ? 12) Can I use a reflux still to make rum or whisky ? 13) How do I measure the strength of it dilute it ? 14) How do I get rid of that off-taste ? 15) Why do my spirits turn cloudy when diluted ? 16) How do I flavour/turn the vodka's into something else ? 17) What web resources are there ? 18) How do I contact the NEW DISTILLERS news group ? 19) Can I run my car on it ? 20) How do I convert between gallons and litres and 21) What is a Thumper ? 22) Can methylated spirits be made safe to drink ? ** 1) Is distilling hard to do ? Nope - if you can follow instructions enough to bake scones, then you can sucessfully distil. To distil well however, will require you to understand what you're doing, so read around and get a bit of information under your belt before you begin. 2) Is it legal ? Probably not. It is only legal in New Zealand, and some European countries turn a blind eye to it, but elsewhere it is illegal, with punishment ranging from fines to imprisonment or floggings. This action against it is usually the result of either religous beliefs (right or wrong), but more generally due to the great revenue base it provides Governements through excise taxes. So if you are going to distil, just be aware of the potential legal ramifications. 3) Will it make me blind ? Not if you're careful. This pervasive question is due to moonshine lore, which abounds with myths of blindness, but few actual documented cases. The concern is due to the presence of methanol (wood alcohol), an optic nerve poison, which can be present in small amounts when fermenting grains or fruits high in pectin. This methanol comes off first from the still, so it is easily segregated and discarded. A simple rule of thumb for this is to throw away the first 50 mL you collect (per 20 L mash used). Probably the greatest risk to your health during distilling is the risk of fire - collecting a flammable liquid near a heat source. So keep a fire extinguisher nearby. 4) Whats the difference between a pot still, reflux still, and fractionating column ? A pot still simply collects and condenses the alcohol vapours that come off the boiling mash. This will result in an alcohol at about 40-60% purity, with plenty of flavour in it. If this distillate were put through the pot still again, it would increase in purity to around 70-85% purity, and lose a bit of its flavour. A reflux still does these multiple distillations in one single go, by having some packing in a column between the condensor the pot, and allowing some of the vapour to condense and trickle back down through the packing. This reflux of liquid helps clean the rising vapour and increase the % purity. The taller the packed column, and the more reflux liquid, the purer the product will be. The advantage of doing this is that it will result in a clean vodka, with little flavour to it - ideal for mixing with flavours etc. A fractionating column is a pure form of the reflux still. It will condense all the vapour at the top of the packing, and return about 9/10 back down the column. The column will be quite tall - say 600-1200mm (2-4 foot), and packed with a material high in surface area, but which takes up little space (pot scrubbers are good for this). It will result in an alcohol 95%+ pure (the theoretical limit without using a vacuum is 96.48 %(by volume)), with no other tastes or impurities in it. 5) How do I get or make a still ? If you're after a pot still, these are generally home made using what-ever you have at hand - say copper tubing and old water heaters or pressure cookers. You don't really need any plans for these - just follow any of the photos about. Reflux stills can be made from plans on the net, or bought from several manufacturers. For reflux still plans see The photos section at http://homedistiller.org/photos-ns.htm for Offset head designs, and http://homedistiller.org/photos-reflux.htm for general reflux
[biofuel] Language
Guys, Could you please keep the use of profanities down to a minimum. My companies email virus filter blocks also based on inappropriate content, and this means that I get to lose the whole days digest of emails just because some idiot can't express himself clearly enough without swearing. Tony Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Make Money Online Auctions! Make $500.00 or We Will Give You Thirty Dollars for Trying! http://us.click.yahoo.com/yMx78A/fNtFAA/i5gGAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] RE: Methanol .. was IS BUSH NUTS?
The soda - aspartame-methanol toxicity link has been discounted many times - the concentrations are far too low. See http://www.urbanlegends.com/ulz/nutrasweet.html It comes down to your ability to swill 375 cans of soda in a couple of hours. Tony Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- New Yahoo! Mail Plus. More flexibility. More control. More power. Get POP access, more storage, more filters, and more. http://us.click.yahoo.com/Hcb0iA/P.iFAA/46VHAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuels-biz] [Distillers] 1984 Orwell style
From one of our members ... * About one month ago, I had someone ring my doorbell. When I answered, I was met by 2 men displaying badges and identifying themselves as agents of the state tax department. They asked if they could talk to me for a minute, to which I consented. They had a folder, with my name on it, which they referred to. They said they had information that I had bought a distillation device From a company in Canada. I had not bought anything from Canada, but had bought a ss still from a company in the US on E-bay. I HAD requested information from the Canadian company, but didn't buy anything. To make a long story short, they wanted to know where the device was now. I told them I had sold it to someone in another state 3 years ago as it didn't distill water fast enough. They told me that they had to track down all stills that might be used to produce alcohol without a permit. I find this totally incomprehensible that a state agency would spend the money to investigate a still purchase that could produce such a small amount of alcohol. They seemed to be satisfied and left..Keep wondering if they will be back with a warrant. I would like to really pursue this, but I don't want to call any further attention to myself. Ridiculous. Bottom line===BE CAREFUL. Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Buy Stock for $4. No Minimums. FREE Money 2002. http://us.click.yahoo.com/k6cvND/n97DAA/ySSFAA/9bTolB/TM -~- Biofuels at Journey to Forever http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuel at WebConX http://www.webconx.com/2000/biofuel/biofuel.htm To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] [Distillers] 1984 Orwell style
From one of our members ... * About one month ago, I had someone ring my doorbell. When I answered, I was met by 2 men displaying badges and identifying themselves as agents of the state tax department. They asked if they could talk to me for a minute, to which I consented. They had a folder, with my name on it, which they referred to. They said they had information that I had bought a distillation device From a company in Canada. I had not bought anything from Canada, but had bought a ss still from a company in the US on E-bay. I HAD requested information from the Canadian company, but didn't buy anything. To make a long story short, they wanted to know where the device was now. I told them I had sold it to someone in another state 3 years ago as it didn't distill water fast enough. They told me that they had to track down all stills that might be used to produce alcohol without a permit. I find this totally incomprehensible that a state agency would spend the money to investigate a still purchase that could produce such a small amount of alcohol. They seemed to be satisfied and left..Keep wondering if they will be back with a warrant. I would like to really pursue this, but I don't want to call any further attention to myself. Ridiculous. Bottom line===BE CAREFUL. Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Buy Stock for $4. No Minimums. FREE Money 2002. http://us.click.yahoo.com/k6cvND/n97DAA/ySSFAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Please do NOT send unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Kiwi_Distiller moving on ..
Guys Gals, Just a couple of months pre-warning here. Most of you are fairly aware that my Distilling site has already moved FROM http://www.geocities.com/kiwi_distiller TOhttp://homedistiller.org (along with a mirror at http://distiller.servebeer.com ) - with a great big thanks to Dave DC for letting me use their server space. I've kept the kiwi_distiller site running up to date in the background anyhow. Well, Geocities have turned up the pressure, and are now making that harder to do. As from April, I'll close the kiwi_distiller site, and only maintain the homedistiller and servebeer sites. Thanks for your patronage at the old site, and don't forget to update your bookmarks to the new one. cheers Tony http://homedistiller.org Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- FREE COLLEGE MONEY CLICK HERE to search 600,000 scholarships! http://us.click.yahoo.com/iZp8OC/4m7CAA/ySSFAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Please do NOT send unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Blueflame text
Ken, I've got an HTML version of it on my site. See http:\\homedistiller.org\blueflame.htm Tony http:\\homedistiller.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Please do NOT send unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] New Distillers FAQ
NEW DISTILLERS Frequently Asked Questions (Sept'01) Posted near the 1st of each month, to the NEW_DISTILLERS newsgroup at www.yahoogroups.com Please email any additions, corrections, clarifications required, etc regarding the FAQ to Tony Ackland ([EMAIL PROTECTED]), however please direct any general questions to the newsgroup itself. *** 1) Is distilling hard to do ? 2) Is it legal ? 3) Will it make me blind ? 4) Whats the difference between a pot still, reflux still, and fractionating column ? 5) How do I get or make a still ? 6) How do I make a whisky / rum / vodka / gin ? 7) Should I use sugar or grains ? 8) Can I use fruit wine ? 9) How do I get rid of that off-taste ? 10) How do I measure the strength of it dilute it ? 11) How do I flavour/turn the vodka's into something else ? 12) What web resources are there ? 13) How do I contact the NEW DISTILLERS news group ? 14) Can I run my car on it ? 15) How do I convert between gallons and litres and 16) What is a Thumper ? 17) Can I use a reflux still to make rum or whisky ? ** 1) Is distilling hard to do ? Nope - if you can follow instructions enough to bake scones, then you can sucessfully distil. To distil well however, will require you to understand what you're doing, so read around and get a bit of information under your belt before you begin. 2) Is it legal ? Probably not. It is only legal in New Zealand, and some European countries turn a blind eye to it, but elsewhere it is illegal, with punishment ranging from fines to imprisonment or floggings. This action against it is usually the result of either religous beliefs (right or wrong), but more generally due to the great revenue base it provides Governements through excise taxes. So if you are going to distil, just be aware of the potential legal ramifications. 3) Will it make me blind ? Not if you're careful. This pervasive question is due to moonshine lore, which abounds with myths of blindness, but few actual documented cases. The concern is due to the presence of methanol (wood alcohol), an optic nerve poison, which can be present in small amounts when fermenting grains or fruits high in pectin. This methanol comes off first from the still, so it is easily segregated and discarded. A simple rule of thumb for this is to throw away the first 50 mL you collect (per 20 L mash used). Probably the greatest risk to your health during distilling is the risk of fire - collecting a flammable liquid near a heat source. So keep a fire extinguisher nearby. 4) Whats the difference between a pot still, reflux still, and fractionating column ? A pot still simply collects and condenses the alcohol vapours that come off the boiling mash. This will result in an alcohol at about 40-60% purity, with plenty of flavour in it. If this distillate were put through the pot still again, it would increase in purity to around 70-85% purity, and lose a bit of its flavour. A reflux still does these multiple distillations in one single go, by having some packing in a column between the condensor the pot, and allowing some of the vapour to condense and trickle back down through the packing. This reflux of liquid helps clean the rising vapour and increase the % purity. The taller the packed column, and the more reflux liquid, the purer the product will be. The advantage of doing this is that it will result in a clean vodka, with little flavour to it - ideal for mixing with flavours etc. A fractionating column is a pure form of the reflux still. It will condense all the vapour at the top of the packing, and return about 9/10 back down the column. The column will be quite tall - say 600-1200mm (2-4 foot), and packed with a material high in surface area, but which takes up little space (pot scrubbers are good for this). It will result in an alcohol 95%+ pure (the theoretical limit without using a vacuum is 96.48 %(by volume)), with no other tastes or impurities in it. 5) How do I get or make a still ? If you're after a pot still, these are generally home made using what-ever you have at hand - say copper tubing and old water heaters or pressure cookers. Reflux stills can be made from plans on the net, or bought from several manufacturers. For reflux stil plans see Stillmakers Build a World Class Distillation Apparatus at http://www.Moonshine-Still.com (Free!) or Gert Strands : http://partyman.se/Engelsk/default.htm (US$5). A good book is Ian Smileys Making Pure Corn Whisky at http://www.magma.ca/~smiley/main.htm, with full design details. See the list of web resources below for links to sites selling ready-made stills. For fuel alcohol stills see the Mother Earth Alcohol Fuel manual at http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library/ethanol_motherearth/meToC.html, and the The Manual for the Home and Farm Production of Alcohol Fuel by S.W. Mathewson at
[biofuel] Still sizing
Martin Gaw Peter ... Some more comments on how to design a larger still. Its a process where you need to ask the right questions as you go through it. The answers then change how you proceed from there, or send you back to the start ... 1) What purity and flowrate do you want to produce at ? So, for example, wanting 5 gal/day (19 L/day), do you want this in 12 hours or 4 hours ? Say you chose that you want it in 4 hours. This means that you want to collect your distillate at around 80 mL/min. But you'll need a certain amount of reflux action happening, to get the purity you require. So we'll need a heat source which can actually generate quite a bit more vapour than that. But how much reflux ? That going to depend on the column design. Normally I'd suggest that you'd use stainless steel wool/scrubbers for the packing of the column. These will give you about 1 HETP (theoretical stage = equivalent to a single pot distillation) for each 13-15cm of packing. Fine for small stills. But, if you're into these high flowrates, and likely to be using it quite frequently, if not daily, then may want something less likely to block up/foul and is easier to clean. Its also harder to pack a wider column such that it will get a nice even flow over all the packing - structured packing will do this easier for you if you're into large diameters. So then you're talking about using small marbles or rachig rings or very short lengths of copper tubing (=homemade rachig tubes). These have greater HETP's and you may need 20-40cm of each to get the same purification happening. 2) Depending on cleaning needs, etc decide on the type of packing This will now make the column quite a bit taller (and a touch wider), if you decided to use something less than stainless steel scrubbers. But there's a trick here.. extra height isn't really going to cost too much more in the long run. So why not go silly and make it quite a bit taller. Say you've worked out, from http://www.geocities.com/kiwi_distiller/refluxdesign.htm that you need to do the equivalent of 8 stages/HETP's to get the purity you want. These HETP's are assuming a particular reflux ratio. If you make the column taller (guess, lets say 10-15 stages), then you can afford to run less reflux (and downgrade how good the HETP's are), as you have surplice capacity to get the purity you want. E.g. so rather than needing to run at a reflux ratio of say 4 (return 40 mL for every 10 mL you keep), you may be able to deliver the same purity with a taller column running at a reflux ratio of 2. This will speed up your collection rate heaps. It just means that you'll need a wee ladder to read the top thermometer (why not use a thermocouple instead ?), and that your condenser will be up in the roof too ... (fun if you have low water pressure) Then you can use the calculator in http://www.geocities.com/kiwi_distiller/dtw.htm#use_fract backwards ... e.g. use it to estimate the heater size you need. E.g. if you want 80 mL/min at a reflux ratio of 4, then you'll need approx. 6.1 kW heat, but only 3 kW if you only need a reflux ratio of 2. So, even though its cost a little more for the taller column, you'll save when trying to heat it. A smaller element also means that the column can be skinnier (thus not quite so much packing etc required) See how it sorta goes in circles ? 3) So you've picked your element size, This then lets you estimate the column diameter from http://www.geocities.com/kiwi_distiller/reflux_calc.htm (remember just to beef it up slightly from that predicted). Note that this calculator also estimates how long the pot will take to heat up. Consider using a second boost element in there if this time is too long for you. 4) Size your condenser. Once you know how much heat you're putting into the system, you then know (exactly !) how much heat you have to take out of it (clue - its the same amount). Size your condenser to handle this .. see http://www.geocities.com/kiwi_distiller/cond_calc.htm 5) Pick the pot. This won't really affect any of the above. Just make sure you can fill/empty/clean it ok. In a nutshell, what I'm suggesting, is that if you want to make something bigger than a usual hobby still, possibly down-grade the type of packing you're going to use, but definitely make it heaps taller than what you would usually. This will allow you to run at a lower reflux ratio, and hence get the through-put you're after, without needing a huge heat input. Tony Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Please do NOT send unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Still plans
Martin, For still plans I could suggest that you modify a Nixon-Stone still. http://www.gin-vodka.com See the photos section (page 1) at my site, http://www.geocities.com/kiwi_distiller for a couple of examples/versions of it. To get the purity, you will require a tall, well-packed column, and a good control over the reflux ratio. This still will do both those things. I presently run one for drinking alcohol (its legal here in New Zealand). However, it is not up to the quantity that you require. With a 1380W heater in it, I presently take about 93% alcohol at 40 mL/min (0.6 gal/hour). Higher purity is easily achieved, but at a slower rate. Sounds like you'd be more in the 2x or 3x version of this (3-4 kW) ? To modify it would be only a change in the column diameter (say to 2-2.5 inch ?) and a beefed up condenser. It would be a batch still operation, or are you after something more continuous ? Tony Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Please do NOT send unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] RE: Continuous still ?
Sorry guys - forgot about diagrams getting removed in this NG I've put my two concept sketches at http://www.geocities.com/kiwi_distiller/image/cont.gif (5 kB) http://www.geoc4ities.com/kiwi_distiller/image/cont2.gif (4 kB) Tony Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-~ eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/0/_/837408/_/982608759/ -_- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: [biofuel] Corrosiveness of Alcohos?
Does anyone have any other information on what corrosive effects alcohols have on engines or fuel pumps? Coulson, Richardson Sinnott report that: aluminium, aluminium bronze, brass, copper, gunmetal and bronze, high Si iron, nickel, nickle-copper alloys, platinum, silver, stainless steel (18/8, molybedenum, austenitic ferric), titanium, tantalum, and zirconium, nylon 66 fibre plastics, PCTFE, PTFE, polypropylene, and furane resin, hard rubber, neophrene, nitrile rubber, chlorosulphinated polyethylene, and silicone rubbers, concrete, glass, graphite, porcelain and stoneware, and vitreous enamel are corrosion resistant to alcohols, beer water up to 100C. lead, mild steel (BSS 15), cast iron, and tin, acrylic sheet (eg perspex), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resins, rigid unplasticised PVC, plasticised PVC, polyethylene (low high density), polystyrene, melamine resins, epoxy resin, phenol formaldehyde resins, polyester resins, butyl rubber halo-butyl rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, soft natural rubber, and polyethylene rubber and wood are not corrosion resistant to them. Tony http://www.geocities.com/kiwi_distiller -- eGroups Sponsor -~-~ eGroups eLerts It's Easy. It's Fun. Best of All, it's Free! http://click.egroups.com/1/9698/5/_/837408/_/972848550/ -_- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: [biofuel] marbles, Raschig rings, pot-scrubbers
I agree here re scrubbers lacking thermal mass (heat capacity). Once option here, to maintain the delicate strata of temperatures in the column is to make sure that the outside of the column is well insulated. This way stray wind gusts won't suddenly cause it to cool down unexpectedly upset the thermal profile. Some poor still designs rely on this side cooling of the column, so as to cool some of the vapour and thus increase the reflux ratio a bit. Unfortunately they're disrupting their efficiency in doing so. Far better to be doing any cooling and condensing above the packing, so that the column has a nice even temperature gradient from the top (78 C ?) to its base (84 C ?) to allow a smooth transfer of ethanol to the vapour and water to the liquid without having to overcome local heat losses. See http://www.geocities.com/kiwi_distiller/heatmass.htm for a heat mass balance model/calculator for a typical 4 plate column (equivalent say to 1m of marbles). Dial up a bit of extra heat loss adjacent to one of the sides, say half way up the column, and see how the vapour flowrate purity will decrease. Tony -- eGroups Sponsor -~-~ eLerts It's Easy. It's Fun. Best of All, it's Free! http://click.egroups.com/1/9699/5/_/837408/_/972435443/ -_- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: [biofuel] Lactose
Can lactose (milk sugar) be fermented to make ethanol? I understand that most of the commercially made alcohol in New Zealand is made from lactose. See : http://distillers.co.nz/html/pr34.html I think however that it needs a particular yeast or enzyme to be able to do it. Tony -- eGroups Sponsor -~-~ Get FREE long-distance phone calls on Tellme! Dial 1-800-555-TELL, say Phone Booth http://click.egroups.com/1/9816/5/_/837408/_/971906119/ -_- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: [biofuel] Small pilot plant details using A3 molecular sieve to create anhydrous ethanol
David Greg, While I know the basic theory ... Could you please explain how they work ? How are they different to using adsorption (e.g. via lime or corn-grits etc) Tony Wish you had something rad to add to your email? We do at www.supersig.com. http://click.egroups.com/1/6810/5/_/837408/_/96411/ Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: [biofuel] Re: Biofuel list
I had the same problem yesterday too - its simply the merger of Egroups and Onelist. I had origianlly signed in via Onelist - now its Egroups wanting the info. Its explained on the sign-in page. They (E/One) still know your settings etc for your Groups, preferences etc. Easily fixed just by signing in, under the Egroups setup. Tony Best friends, most artistic, class clown Find 'em here: http://click.egroups.com/1/4054/4/_/837408/_/959211847/ Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
