Allan Posted August 25, 2019 Share Posted August 25, 2019 Hey all, I've done plenty of searching, but forgive me if this has been answered ad nauseam - haven't found anything on the topic. I'm wondering if your run-of-the-mill (think DeWalt, Aircat, Etc...just search "pneumatic drill" on amazon and you'll get the breed) tools would be acceptable for mixing a small tank (70 gallon stainless variable capacity) of booze? I deal mostly in lots of this size...so I'll empty a barrel and proof it down. Approach thus far has been to pump-over. That's fine. But I'd prefer a more efficient method for mixing re: proofing down. I Know that the ideal would be a multi-thousand dollar "ATEX" industrial pneumatic mixer (the kind I see which are designed for 55 gallon drums and such) would be the "obvious" answer. Still. Does anyone have any insights into the safety of these pneumatic hand-held drills? My guess is that the concern would be static electricity ...? We've all seen these stainless steel mixing chucks, the kind that you might use for typical food use or perhaps mixing paint or whatever...I've got one with a 1/2 inch chuck for a standard drill, and I see all these pneumatic drills that are really built for socket sets and whatnot. Any insights would be appreciated. Would love to save the money in the short term, but wifey and kids would probably appreciate the pump-over method if there's any doubt otherwise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackheart Posted August 26, 2019 Share Posted August 26, 2019 HDPE Paddles work great too. A little bit of elbow grease, but pretty reasonable and no explosion risk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kleclerc77 Posted August 26, 2019 Share Posted August 26, 2019 Why the intense mixing? Use a paddle if you feel the need to agitate, otherwise proof slowly and allow it to rest. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Posted August 26, 2019 Author Share Posted August 26, 2019 Thanks, yes, I should have specified that I also have SS mixing paddles, HDPE paddles etc. Getting a tank fully turned over manually with paddles and pump-overs does the job, yes. No disagreement there. I have a use for the pneumatic-powered mixing paddle in other operations outside of ATEX concerns. But would like to use it in the distillery if I could. Having said that, my question really has to do with whether or not these pneumatic drills are safe. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Posted September 23, 2019 Author Share Posted September 23, 2019 On 8/26/2019 at 8:44 AM, kleclerc77 said: Why the intense mixing? Use a paddle if you feel the need to agitate, otherwise proof slowly and allow it to rest. As a follow-up...in your experience, does a vessel not require significant mixing in order to maintain a homogenized state? I've found that proof levels change rather quickly over short periods of time - stratisfying - from one part of the tank to the other (water tends to sink to the bottom, ethanol tends to rise to the top - lower proof at bottom of the tank, higher at the top)... When trying to get accurate measurements and really dial things in, it occurs to me that the only way to really keep things balance is through a venturi, aggressive agitation, or consistent pumpovers (allowing of course enough time for air bubbles to dissipate before taking readings). But this also has to to with sugar additions for vermouth, infusions, etc. (aside from simply getting consistent proofs across a tank) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HedgeBird Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 On 8/25/2019 at 4:57 PM, Allan said: I'm wondering if your run-of-the-mill (think DeWalt, Aircat, Etc...just search "pneumatic drill" on amazon and you'll get the breed) tools would be acceptable for mixing a small tank (70 gallon stainless variable capacity) of booze? I deal mostly in lots of this size...so I'll empty a barrel and proof it down. Approach thus far has been to pump-over. That's fine. But I'd prefer a more efficient method for mixing re: proofing down. I Know that the ideal would be a multi-thousand dollar "ATEX" industrial pneumatic mixer (the kind I see which are designed for 55 gallon drums and such) would be the "obvious" answer. Still. We use pneumatic mixers and have never had an issue. You can find comparable mixers on eBay at a fraction of the price:https://www.ebay.com/itm/50Gallon-Pneumatic-Bracket-Mixer-Tank-Barrel-Air-Mix-Stainless-Steel-Clip-Paint/173855013130?epid=2256269422&hash=item287a90f90a:g:8fMAAOSwptZcPWdq Use some combination of the follow words on eBay and you should find lots of options that will be better than a hand drill/driver: pneumatic, stainless, sanitary, air, mixer, agitator, drum, barrel, etc. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silk City Distillers Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 Anything you can mix with a pneumatic hand mixer you can mix equally as well with a paddle. If you already have a pump, why not just use the pump? A tank of mixed ethanol and water will not stratify. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Posted September 23, 2019 Author Share Posted September 23, 2019 2 minutes ago, Silk City Distillers said: Anything you can mix with a pneumatic hand mixer you can mix equally as well with a paddle. If you already have a pump, why not just use the pump? A tank of mixed ethanol and water will not stratify. Either my instruments are off, or we're misunderstanding each other here (maybe on proof, or timeframes?) ... I can sample from the top of a tank, and the bottom, and I have two different readings.... You're saying that ethanol and water exist in a perfect tango? This hasn't been my experience...can you expand on this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Posted September 23, 2019 Author Share Posted September 23, 2019 2 hours ago, HedgeBird said: We use pneumatic mixers and have never had an issue. You can find comparable mixers on eBay at a fraction of the price:https://www.ebay.com/itm/50Gallon-Pneumatic-Bracket-Mixer-Tank-Barrel-Air-Mix-Stainless-Steel-Clip-Paint/173855013130?epid=2256269422&hash=item287a90f90a:g:8fMAAOSwptZcPWdq Use some combination of the follow words on eBay and you should find lots of options that will be better than a hand drill/driver: pneumatic, stainless, sanitary, air, mixer, agitator, drum, barrel, etc. Thank you. This. Very helpful. (Also, I award you +10 points for replying to the actual question) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silk City Distillers Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 38 minutes ago, Allan said: You're saying that ethanol and water exist in a perfect tango? This hasn't been my experience...can you expand on this? This is correct, a homogenous mixture of water and ethanol will not separate or stratify. Realize that underlying this is constant Brownian motion in the tank, which means in order to stratify, it needs to overcome that. What you are likely seeing is the impact of small temperature differences at the top and bottom of the tank. Mixing ethanol and water generates heat, the tank will be warmer at the top, even after some time. If when gauging you only correct for one temperature, and assume the other liquid is the same, you’ll read slightly higher proof at the top. For unmixed, non-homogeneous mixtures: Very cold water and poor mixing might see warmer ethanol floating on top. Cold sugar syrup would see this amplified. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silk City Distillers Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 4 hours ago, Allan said: When trying to get accurate measurements and really dial things in, it occurs to me that the only way to really keep things balance is through a venturi, aggressive agitation, or consistent pumpovers (allowing of course enough time for air bubbles to dissipate before taking readings). This isn't necessary and is going to likely be counterproductive, resulting in greater levels of evaporation in an open tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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