flyhigher87

Hey guys thanks for all the replies this has been good reading.

Thanks guys!  All your ideas sound way smarter than my way. I'll have to think about what we'll do.  Comparable to other Distilleries our space is tiny so a vacuum with a hepa filter and a mop may be my best option. Our drainage sucks we only have one. Problem is the main drain is only two inches under the floor so no way to get a proper slope to drain the water.  So I'm thinking to do it proper I would need to dig and drain to a sump and pump to the main water discharge. Big pain in da butt. 

While we are on the topic of air and airborne contaminants.

What do you guys do for ventilation?  Again my concern is a standard industrial fan in the ceiling will let a lot of dust in especially if it's not running like at night or something. I was thinking the ones that have dampers that close if the fans not running. But again we have crazy dust down here it would open me up to a huge dust source. 

So I have a question that's probably ridiculous but I'll ask anyways. Do you guys sweep your floors?  Now before I'm castrated hear me out. I'm setting up shop in Peru.  Which quite possibly is the dustiest place on earth. Now currently we are winding down construction. So yes there is significantly more dirt than is usual. But as I dust i am wearing a dust mask because if I didn't I would be coughing. 

Now to my question, as I try not to Gag in the cloud of dust, I am cringing at the thought of the amount of possible contaminants and bacteria I'm putting in the air that could and will in the future get in my fermenters. (Closes top fermenters, which I chose knowing Peru is dusty, but still it will get in)

So I ask again, do you guys sweep the floor?  I'm wondering if mopping twice is a better idea.  Please let me know what you guys do and think.

Bought a small still from them. Had them ship it down here to Peru. They did everything for me as far as shipping since I know nothing about importation. Still is sitting in the harbor as I type so I'll let you all know how it works when I get it. But so far everything with Paul and Susan has been great!

I have had this happen to a test still of mine.  I was distilling wheat grain in direct fire.   Kettle was stainless steal, but I had copper mesh scrubbers for packing.  The bottom of the first scrubber was covered in a silver looking metal liquid.

I am going with Glowe8 's theory.  I looked up copper sulphide and it looks to be exactly what I experienced(picuture and link below).  I know there is no way to know for sure unless it is tested.  But I am thinking one of the reasons we use copper stills is to remove sulphur compounds.  So it would make sense that it is a sulphur based compound.  Anyhow that is just my thought, let us know if you get it tested.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper_extraction_techniques

I'm going to throw another question out there.  Is it common for a somewhat heavy element with a high boiling point to be carried up with the distillate??  Manganese has an atomic number of 25, sulphur is 16 both have boiling points well beyond the boiling point of water.  Trying to understand the concept here, are they just some how attached to the water and alcohol molecules and are carried up with them? Or are they part of another compound with a much lower boiling point?

I did engineering for a pumping systems company. And we used to install duplex strainers prior to the pumps. And they would set off an alarm if the differential pressure got to high. Sounds like a pretty similar system. Just filters such smaller particles. 

Mech warrior. Thanks for for all your input

Wow!! your system is wayyyy bigger than mine.  Haha but yes it helped.  What kind of pressures were you seeing on the vessel that it needed to be classified as a pressure vessel?  Is that mainly because of the pressure loss across the 200 micron filters so you needed a large pressure upstream of the filters?  Or was there another reason I am missing?

So I just read on a beer brewing forum that an all grain mash does not require you to add any yeast nutrients.  They claimed that the grain contained all of the nitrogen and other nutrients required by the yeast. 

Any thoughts on this?  Anyone out there running all grain mashes and found they do not need nutrients?  Or tried it and found they did need nutrients?

Thank you guys.  Mechwarrior any clue what the chemistry is behind the acid then caustic wash, ionic bonding or just breaking down the impurites?  I believe the 145 C steam regen is just heating above the boiling point of the impurities.  I am curious if the acid/base will get into the small pores properly.  I am think I would have to run it at the same bed time as that of a vodka run.  Make sure it has the proper time and velocity to get into the pores. 

Navenjohnson I have actually read that before.  It is a great resource best I have seen for the practical use of carbon, but not much info on regeneration.  Unless I missed it.

Hey guys,

   I searched and could not find any information on regenerating activated Carbon.  Is this something most small distilleries do?  Or are you guys just using new carbon every few filtration runs?   If so what is your technique how much how often do you replace it?  I have found very technical literature(phd dissertations and what not) on regenerating activated carbon mostly by running steam through it.  However, I am planning to install a low pressure steam generator 15psia.  The literature I read says the steam should hit 145 C and according to steam tables 15 psi steam is only like 102 C.  Anybody with any information on how they regenerate carbon or even if you do not regenerate carbon, please let me know it would be a big help.

Jonathan

Boozios Liquors

Hi, I wanted to introduce myself.  My name is Jonathan I was a chemical engineer in the united states, who fell in love with a peruvian girl.  So you guessed it i'm now living in Lima, Peru.  We are opening a small restaurant and would like to open a small Vodka distillery in the next 6 months or so.  Anyhow I just wanted to say hello and i'm sure i'll have lots of questions in the future.

Jonathan

Boozios Liquors

Damn that thing is beeeeaaautiful.  Love it good luck