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Bringing back and old thread...What to do with all the d*** heads!?


PA_JoeDistiller

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Hey everyone,

I was searching around for what to do with heads (We now have 4 55gal drums filled with the stuff) and stumbled upon this thread:

http://adiforums.com/index.php?showtopic=49&page=2&hl=%2Bheads+%2Buse#entry24667

There were many good suggestions, summarized here:

Im interested in this as well and it seems "what to do with your heads and tails" is just as variable as the "what is the best still" question.

Cliff Notes:

So far we have dump them in a field (not a good idea apparently)

PH balance and dump down the drain. (seems wasteful)

Use them for fuel (fire place or auto after being "dried")

Save them for ever...(Ha.)

Save them and then destroy them after they are weighed (as per the law as per one Thurman)

re-distill them and sell them for perfume, solvent, etc. (requires a second license?)

Add them back to the next run to be stripped after fermentation (to squeeze the goods out - how many times can this be done is in dispute)

Add them back to the next run to be stripped prior to fermentation (Produces less feints in the next run (?))

Ask your self why you have so many heads you can bottle them (? fldme stated this above - not sure what it mean since I thought there was always heads though a cleaner ferment is purportedly supposed to produce less 'nasties')

Hahaha. I think that is most of them. Just like usual, Im more lost then ever after attempting to learn about this one little aspect of the whole procedure I thought I understood!

Many ideas seem cool, especially selling to perfume and this idea from teton:

We burn the heads in a bio-ethanol fireplace to heat the tasting room in the distillery.

We also got permission from the feds to have our distillery produce industrial grade alcohol so we could sell the heads as bio-ethanol. I think we will sell these fireplaces directly to locals from the distillery so that we have a local customer base for the heads. We bottle the heads in 1 liter plastic bottles and have it for sale in the front room.

We have these fireplaces at home also and just take the heads home with us to stay warm all winter.

http://www.amazon.com/CHELSEA-Wall-Mount-Ethanol-Fireplace/dp/B007JXX4LI

Chelsea Bio Ethanol Wall Fireplace

Chelsea%2BWall%2BMount%2BBio%2BEthanol%2

So now, 1 year from the last thread, what are you guys doing that is either profitable or useful? Any success in making non car destroying fuel?

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  • 1 month later...

love this idea as well. Do you treat the heads with anything before burning them in the fireplace? Or do the heads come straight off the still and into a bottle to burn in this fireplace?

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  • 4 weeks later...

John, Do you have any contacts in the bunker fuel market that you could connect me with? Also how much heads are you selling to them at one time? Im sitting on 600 gallons of heads and would love to offload it

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Hey,

I used to deal with one in the Midwest by the name of CP Recycling http://www.cprecycl.com/bio.htm. Charlie Wessels. They specialized in taking offspec (wet) methanol from biodiesel facilities.

You may also want to call your local Waste Management https://www.wm.com/enterprise/manufacturing-and-industrial/index.jspoutlet. I often hear of them buying smaller outfits like CP Recycling and offering those services too.

But based upon your geographic locale, you just want to do some basic Google searches on "bunker fuel supplier", "bunker fuel broker", etc. Especially in areas with large ports. They'll just mix the heads into the bunker fuel that they sell to the large ships for fueling their engines.

All in, go into the conversation with the mindset of your heads are worth something, not a "waste product". The btu value of heads is enormous and especially in bunker fuel, give a quick "octane/cetane/??tane" boost to what is nominally low quality fuel.

Cheers,

McKee

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love this idea as well. Do you treat the heads with anything before burning them in the fireplace? Or do the heads come straight off the still and into a bottle to burn in this fireplace?

We just burn the heads in the ethanol fireplace. I don't think my brother (head distiller) does anything else.

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Hey,

I used to deal with one in the Midwest by the name of CP Recycling http://www.cprecycl.com/bio.htm. Charlie Wessels. They specialized in taking offspec (wet) methanol from biodiesel facilities.

You may also want to call your local Waste Management https://www.wm.com/enterprise/manufacturing-and-industrial/index.jspoutlet. I often hear of them buying smaller outfits like CP Recycling and offering those services too.

But based upon your geographic locale, you just want to do some basic Google searches on "bunker fuel supplier", "bunker fuel broker", etc. Especially in areas with large ports. They'll just mix the heads into the bunker fuel that they sell to the large ships for fueling their engines.

All in, go into the conversation with the mindset of your heads are worth something, not a "waste product". The btu value of heads is enormous and especially in bunker fuel, give a quick "octane/cetane/??tane" boost to what is nominally low quality fuel.

Cheers,

McKee

This is an AWESOME idea. We are Philadelphia local, and I think I have found a few bunker suppliers in the area. You guys don't treat the heads at all or dry them?

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We just burn the heads in the ethanol fireplace. I don't think my brother (head distiller) does anything else.

Very cool, we were tossing the idea around here but it wouldn't be feasible if we had to dry the heads, if we can run them wet that is perfect

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  • 2 years later...
  • 4 weeks later...

So, I spoke with a recycler this morning and was told that (here in California) we need to register with the California Environmental Protection Agency and get a Toxic Substances Control’s identification number.  Has anyone done this, or looked into it?  Are there any concerns with doing this?  I don't want to open a can of worms if that's where this could lead, especially if one of the above alternatives makes more sense. 

Thanks! 

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I am now burning my heads under my still. 

I have a dual nozzle waste oil burner running on waste fryer oil. There is a 2 way valve on one of the nozzles. When there are heads to burn I switch one of the nozzles to the heads tank. Heads are from an alembic pot still and are in mid 70%abv. The flame can be a little erratic if burning heads only but with the other nozzle on waste oil it runs very well.

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We've been recycling in the ferment with good results so far. The cuts grew over a few batches by a total of 20%, but stabilized there. We're actually more likely to see fewer heads out than we put in and have been slowly working through the barrels of heads we put away before trying this. Yields are up, with some losses vs 100% conversion of heads to good spirit.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...
On 12/15/2017 at 1:13 PM, nabtastic said:

I've mostly used it as in spray bottles but I'm guessing it would work fine in the CIP during sanitary, wouldn't it? (to RBD and Liquid Riot)

I think using it in a CIP would be a bit overkill but I dont see why it wouldnt work. We use it in plastic spray bottles for spraying connections after everything is clean using caustic and ozone. 

Since we moved the winery into a new building, like everyone else, we have an over abundance of heads and Im looking for something to do with it. 

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3 hours ago, Silk City Distillers said:

Mixed with heating oil and burned in the boiler.

Would this need agitation to keep it in suspension? We use propane out here so I can't do this but it kind of reminds me of dual-fuel cars where the fuels have to be kept separated and burned  in order to keep the system clean (although I think that's because WVO congeals at room temperature..). 

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Please take this suggestion with caution.

I put some of my heads in a  garden sprayer, one with an air pump on the top.

I can then spray this into the flame of one of my waste oil burners.

One caution here is if the nozzle gets very hot the plastic parts could melt.

As mentioned in an above post the burner under my still has dual nozzles so I can run one with oil and the other heads.

I have tried mixing heads with waste veg oil, it will blend quite nicely but eventually splits out again. Have tried various types of detergents but haven't managed to form a permanent emulsion.

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