TheMechWarrior

Carbon is never "spent". See here:

Yes, that is correct. At times the filter can "blind" due to excess organics etc and at those times the pressure will spike. That's when the pressure relief and the duplex filter comes in handy. If you are automating you automate the changeover well below your pressure relief settings. If not you just keep an eye on the pressure differentials and manually change over when needed. Cheers, Mech.

The TCW is Ex rated as could be the one you build but you are not ready for a build like this. Simple how to guides don't exist either, that's why TCW are here. If you don't have the knowledge and skills to build one of these reliably and safely you'll likely end up costing yourself a great deal of time, effort and money you could have better spent on your distillery. Know your limits and spend your time and efforts where they will provide the best return for your business. At the end of the day if you need a bottle washer, $3000 is not a lot of coin in the scheme of your total start-up costs. It will pay for itself in no time. Cheers, Mech.

Sorry Michael, "equivalent" was a poor choice of wording. As you eluded to I simply meant he could build his own very easily with the help of Google.

I ran carbon for many years using the acid-base regen system. The only real downside was the enormous amount of water you use in the process. If it was my money I'd be putting in place and acid and base recovery system as well as a water recovery system. My columns were 10kL each and I ran them in a duplex configuration so I always had a column ready to go as needed. From memory I used 7T of carbon and a million litres of water initially and then I'd top-up with an extra tonne of carbon every year or two. With the fresh carbon we used it had a great deal of fines that needed to be flushed out, hence the massive water use. Wash forwards for a time and then back flush for a time and repeat over and over until you've removed all the fines. My columns contained a bank of 200micron wedwire filters at the base and the columns were classed as a pressure vessel. The acid and base cleaning (at temperature) is all about breaking down and removal of the inorganic and organic residues. We didn't use "built" chemicals, so no sequestering/chelating or wetting agents, as a result we needed a stronger dose and a longer clean but the cost difference was staggering. I hope this helps.

You can build the equivalent to TCW for around $500. The parts are readily available on the web

Peter, I know the company you are talking about. Have you raised this with them? I and I guess many others would be interested to hear their reply. It doesn't sound Ultra Premium, it sounds like they either sent you the wrong product or there was a stuff-up in the manufacturing process at some stage...their internal testing should have picked up on this though. They have storage tanks over 100kL, I'd like to think a production error would have been picked up before it got you.

Carbon should last more than a few runs depending on what you're throwing at it. What qualitative test are you using that tells you it is in need of a regen? To regen carbon simply water rinse-acid-water rinse-caustic-water rinse-acid-water rinse. All at temperature, around 60oC. Let me know how you go. Your qualitative test should tell you how effective the clean was. Cheers, Mech

Degradation of colour is a given regardless of the colouring method used. You'll want to make small batches that sell quickly or you'll be looking for ways to stabilise your natural colour such as small amounts of ascorbic acid. Either way you're up for some experimenting. Colour degradation occurs slowly and over time. You'll start out with a vibrant green absinthe that will fade to a khaki green. Cheers, Mech

I run absinthe and gin via a pot still as you describe and I don't have any issues with carryover of solids. I don't have immersion elements and scorching to worry about though and I run it with a great deal of free head space in the still. You say you are using a 300G charge, what is the overflow volume for that still? I suspect you have too much product in the still, you either need to reduce the boil rate to suit the charge volume or reduce the charge volume...unless I'm missing something obvious. Cheers, Mech

Hi meerkat, I've seen 17%abv to 55%abv for liqueurs in my travels. Hope that helps. Cheers, Mech.

All went as expected. When I first started I'd increase the deph to compensate for the abv drop, drastically extending my run times to recover every last bit of ethanol. Now, what I find is that drop off in abv is your indicator that you've hit your tails. Do you your cut as soon as your taste buds tell you and then ramp up the heat and turn off the deph. Recycle your fores and feints into your next run and repeat. Cheers, Mech

Hi Mike, Sent you and email last week mate. Cheers, George

Welcome AB1965.

Try here mate: http://adiforums.com/index.php?/topic/1987-cleaning-the-inside-of-copper-still/#comment-11329

A weak citric acid solution (1% is plenty, try a 0.5% solution for starters) pumped in from your product collection point, recirculate with your boiler set to 50oC-60oC Pete. Get the flow rate right and it might just cover all of the inside of the still, if not you may have some minor scrubbing to do. Rinse, repeat cold with bicarb soda and rinse and you're done. I've also distilled a vinegar solution with the condensor flow cut back to near nothing, you want to see acetic acid vapour chugging out. I prefer the other method though, less extreme. Your still should be shiny like new.

I would not recommend the use of a place in your name, you simply can't protect your brand image. There's nothing to stop Rhode Island Distillery followed by Rhode Island Artisan Distillery followed by Rhode Island Distillery & Brewery etc I'm sure you get the drill. No imagine you're a visitor to the area and you're trying to recall which one of these you were mean't to be visiting? Not to mention the unnecessary angst it will create with the owners of each of the individual enterprises...all of which could be easily avoided by foreseeing this and not going down that path in the first place. Just my 2 cents.

With respect to the "reactivation" comments while technically Google is correct in the real world you can "regenerate" your carbon via an acid-caustic-acid wash cycle with plenty of rinse water. You'll extend the use of your carbon by years. I was using carbon like this in 6T columns processing a million litres of product per day through 2 columns, each being washed daily with a simple acid clean and as required they's get a full regen cycle. The carbon remained fully functional for years using that technique.

I'll also be in SF, would love to visit Spirit Works and the Napa area.

All, I'll be in California for meetings on Sat 9th and Sun 10th. I'll be arriving Monday 4th nice and early in the morning. Monday 4th - Friday 8th I'm free and keen to visit as many distilleries as possible in that time. Suggestions/Invitations for places to visit welcomed. My passions are gin and botanicals. I'll be based in Laurel Canyon near LA but I'll have a car and I'm willing to travel. Cheers, George Burgess Devonport Distillery www.devonportdistillery.com.au

We have a distillery down here in Tasmania that uses a high temperature hot water boiler. He runs the heating coils into the bottom of his copper pot still and his whisky is to die for.

Yeah, eductors are great. As already pointed out if you are planning on using DSI then you need culinary grade steam. Additionally DSI will add volume, so allow for a 20% increase in volume.

The speed will be determined by the style of gin being made and the ratio and type of botanicals being charged to the still versus any associated baskets.

I wouldn't make any more than a litre of that recipe, don't waste too much of your good spirit on it As for your carter head question they will carry what you can fit in them.

PeterB, You'll find your botanical basket will need to be sized at 5% of the total ethanol still charge in the boiler. So for a 500L still charged with 250L of ethanol, you're looking at a 12.5L basket mate. That should do the trick, if you'd like some more room by all means double it. Cheers, George.