How does Plates affect you distillate? How many do I need?
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- Опубликовано: 5 окт 2024
- In this quick video we will be looking at how many plate you need if you are running a bubble plate setup.
If you will like to learn more about the VLE Vapor Liquid Equilibrium chart please check out the video below.
• Ep 013 - VLE, Reflux, ...
If you are interested in a still like mine, please check out Still tec link below.
stilltec.co.za/
Have a lekker day.
I use a T500 still kit and I use 3" 4 floor plates with same plates you use in this video three ups and one down with 20% abv still spirits turbo yeast wash and get 96% ABV 20c using all four plates and run it between 50c/51c and works perfectly. I also use birdwatchers TPW wash at 14% ABV still same 96% I have also used kale wash at. 12% ABV and 96% ABV. Takes roughly about 4/5hrs till finish. I take out 250mls forehead/heads all in one hit and collect 3.2/3.4 heart on all mentioned washes and use my tails for next run.
The idea to is how fast you run your still and how good you are on running it. If you do the slowest run as mentioned at 50c/51c you will constantly get the 96% max and if you run it say 65c/67c your going to roughly get less ABV and more water in but more volume. Or if you do a stripping run at the fastest so it don't get stupid hot and steamy you can get huge volume but Les ABV but less time on finished item. So it all down to the user and testing your still skills and experience
The bubble plate system will work as your filter to kill most of the impurities and give you the best tasting and smelling spirit. So no more need wasting your time with carbon filtering system.
I will say that getting 80% abv is down to not using a voltage controller which plugs into your boiler and need to balance the voltage to flood all your plates first for at least 20/30 minutes max first or you will get less ABV the whole point for plates is to balance the plates flood them for above minutes and and make sure you got your condenser intake water on to keep it cold as possible and one ready gradually turn up voltage and balance water as well to send the vapes up through the condenser and then get your temperature right for good flow and the do cuts foreshots/heads and 96% guaranteed
This voltage controller is what give you the control of the bubble plates to get you 96%
Remember this for perfectly drips to a knowledge and get the perfect temperature.
1) Two drips and one long dribble constantly means perfect temperature
2) Three drips and one long dribble constantly means slightly fast but still awesome temperature
Don't matter what still or boiler or still you use remember once you get the balance right the check your temperature and that the temperature of your still and note it down. This will always return the same and used on every wash don't matter what you add in your boiler or even if you don't use bubble plates. If you don't use bubble plates just condenser and boiler you might get lower ABV. The bubble plate will give you roughly 3%/4% extra which means more volume
My trick for you if you didn't know this anything under or above is not recommended but still works
👍👍👍👍
Excellent advice
Excellent advice
Dude, This is super info, I have pinned you comment.
Will have to do some adjustments on how I run if I want Neutral.
Wow, thank you for your extremely detailed response. This is more insight and information than I’ve received, even from a“commercial distiller”.
Thank you!🙏🏻
Really helpful info, broer! Never heard of the VLE chart. Thanks!
Brother you like to deep dive into info, the vapor liquid phases are super interesting, and then packing vs plates also super interesting.
@@BEAVERDIY My nerd senses are tingling;-)
Sweet, brother do some of your deepdive magic you always find things that no normal human can find.
@@BEAVERDIY Hahaha!
i usually dont comment but i just want to say... that was such a good explanation, thanks a lot.
Thank you very much Ben, appriciate the comment
Hey Beaver i'm first sitting back to enjoy video
Good vid Beaver, it put some numbers on what I had sort of worked out intuitively and through experiment.
Awesome Thank you Ledzep
Awesome, thanks man. I hadn't heard of the VLE chart, I'll have to check that out. Always learning a bit at a time.
Awesome, super interesting thing once you see how Vapor reacts
@@BEAVERDIY I assumed someone had done the homework and had that data. It'll be good reference points.
A Turbo 500 does over 90% right out of the box. It can be de-tuned to around 80% for flavor by removing half the packing. With all the packing removed its a pot still. At around $600.00 it can do anything the flute stills can do for a fraction of the price.
True that Brian,
With some fiddling you can make a T500 into anything.
Just here in SA a T500 is crazy money, more than half of what this still cost.
Will like to own a T500 someday think it is an awesome bit of kit.
I would really appreciate it if you can run an experiment to show how 2 /4 and 6 plates influence the flavour you are getting off the still when running a brandy or whiskey.
Beaver, great video!! I was curious about what that change was per plate. Thanks for the info!!
Plates are super interesting super grateful I am able to play with them
Awesome experience for whiskey distilling
Yes I love to see a video on using a lot of bubble plates I have a single bubble plate in a tower of 4 stacked I was wondering about adding another tower on top to make it 8 if that would help with anything
Thank you for explaining that. When using less plates to run a whiskey, are you running the reflux condenser at all? And do you use less power through out the run? Im still working on finding that balance. Thanks for the videos! 🥃
In my opinion, any time you making whisky you need some reflux. In the beginning, run a full reflux and balance your column at 160 to 170 F for 15 minutes. That means the temp at the top of your column is 160 to 170F, and the reflux is being able to condense down all the vapor coming to it. In this 15 minutes of full reflux column balance, you will collect most of you acetone, methanol "not all", and harsh alcohols. Then ease down your reflux to collect your foreshot/head. When you get to heart cut, maintain minimum reflux, it helps. Then, when you feel that you are getting into tails, go into full reflux mode again. This will help you to collect most of the leftover clean alcohols in your column. After 15 minutes, eas your reflux and pick the last bit of heart.
I learned this from Mr. Bever, thanks Bever for good contents and great efforts.
Thank you for the informative video, Cheers
Great video Beaves!
I find the plates make little difference, it’s your reflux chamber/deflag that’s doing most of the work, for instance I can get 94%with 6 plates and I can still get %90 with 3 plates just by adjusting the flow rate through the deflag.
What’s interesting though is that with less plates I can still get a lot more grain or molasses flavour come through at a high ABV, where as on a pot still those flavours are usually towards the end of the hearts cut.
Hi Beaver
I have a question bro, where did you get your column from and if you put packing in between two sections instead of adding another two plates would that increase your ABV?
Hi Paul.
I bought it from a company called Stilltec, the packing does increase the ABV as it allows vapour liquid interaction to be more effective
Thank you Beaver, its awesome to see you producing content again.
Have a great Sunday bro
What is the size of the column?
Love your channel thanks for all your
Dedication and feedback.
Two plates is what I tried, decent results, what I’m wondering is the extra height with empty tee piece or spool piece will add to it, what you think
I have a 4 plate tower so far only used 2 for rum
Nice
Thanks for the incredibly informative video Mr beaver. I was actually contemplating purchasing some plates for my setup and now I'm definitely going for it. I have one quick question also; do you still have the pdf for your homemade hydrometer, and if so, can I please get it from you sir?
Awesome video 🍻
Dankie my vriend n sommer n kort een was heavy siek die laaste paar weke, bly om terug te wees.
@@BEAVERDIY eish, sterkte man. dink my moet bietjie meer drink om al die goggas dood te maak.
I was looking up the VLE chart you mentioned on-line and I'm not sure I was looking was the right chart, but what I found did not make any sense to me. Would you be able to maybe show the chart and explain how to read it or understand what it is saying?
Love your channel Beaver.
So here’s one for you. Running a 4plates hybrid still and the 2 plate up keeps drying out?? I’ve vented the still and dropped all the distillate back into the boiler and started over. Eventually it happened again? Checked all the plates physically and nothing wrong with them.
Can not figure this one out??
Hi Beaver! Excellent explanation on the bubble plates. And very important the percentage (15%) of inneficiency of each plate. Quick question: for fruit brandies how many plates do you suggest?
Hi Geo,
Super sorry for the late reply, I run between 2 to 3 plates, if I want the light flavour 3 plate if I want the some deeper flavor I go for 2 plates.
Cheers
@@BEAVERDIY Awesome! Thanks for the tip Beaver! Greetings from Greece!
@@BEAVERDIY Really interesting video! Follow up question to this for a brandy or whiskey, if you were to run the 2 to 3 plates as you recommended to Geo, would you only do the single distillation of the wash before aging it? i.e. do you consider the partial redistillation achieved by the addition of your plates giving you comparable results to using a basic pot still (no plates, no reflux condenser), but doing both a stripping run, and a spirit run?
Cheers, and greetings from downunder here in New Zealand!
What temperature at the top of the pre condenser should you be aiming for?
Thanks for a good video. Have you tried a packed column section on top of your bubble plates? I believe the plates will do the heavy lifting and you will be refluxing in the packed column from a starting point of ~90% (i.e. whatever you currently get now at your top plate). In packing you should get multiple reflux interactions and you might find you get to 94% even with a relatively short additional section.
Hi Stefan.
I have order a spool tube to add to the still, super Idea to place it at the top, whould you suggest before or after deflag.
@@BEAVERDIY Hi mate - before deflag. Packed with SPP if you have it, or marbles. I’m hoping you can get to azeo.
Cheers
@@stefanluke2771 Hey Stefan - what is the packing doing that an extra bubble plate wouldn't do? Genuinely curious and trying to wrap my head around it. Does it give the still a wider "sweet spot" or something?
@@erich1394 Hi mate - Nothing really different, it's just like extra plate(s). Probably cheaper. There are maths that predict how many notional plates for a given volume and type of packing, but I haven't bothered to work it through. I happen to have 6 plates, and I put a 500mm 4" pipe filled with copper scrubbies on top when I want to do neutral. I probably could put another 6 plates on there and get the same result but what I have gets me comfortably to 95%.
@@stefanluke2771 Hey - Thanks for your insight Stefan! It definitely helps. I hope you have a great weekend.
Hi Beaver, the new still is a beauty. What difference does the dephlegmator make to your abv. Does it increase you abv if you run more water thought it, increasing the reflux?
Hi Neil,
Thank you yes the high % of reflux you add to the run the more you will force interaction between the vapor and the liquid, depending on how high you set the reflux you can get some serious ABV off.
Thanks Beaver, Assume with older setup you do 2 to 3 distillationst. So now does the single run with two plates make a nice whiskey? If so, a lot of energy and time is saved.
Thank you for a very interesting and informative video. I wonder how the quality / taste of whiskey differs if you e.g. uses 2 bubble plates compared to a pot still that gives the same ABV on the distillate.
I remember Jesse from Still It was using 2 bubble plates in his pot still for his whiskey as it raised the ABV a little bit.
I am not sure if that is correct but it makes intuitive sense to me that if 6 plates don't give you 94% whilst it should, then I would guess that its running too quickly (either too much power in or ambient temperature is high).
Hi Martin,
Yes Vapor speed does have a play a roll, but with the run with the 6plates I RUN with a PID and a really low take off speed to get that ABV, and the reflux was set to around 10%, The if I ran it slower the Efficiency went up to around 90% of a full distillate
Thanks but I’m really confused. I have a 2” column with only a dephlagmator and run at 172 at the start of my hearts and end at 168.
What size column is that 3 or 4”?
Hi Scott,
it is a 3" column, the way you run your still will greatly increase the ABV you get on my old still I was able to get higher ABV at the same take off as on the new still.
Cheer
If you are in the Transvaal, you need to take your altitude in to consideration, you might be at 6000 feet. The still is made in a sea level country! Howzit? Thanks hey!
Good vid! How did you determine your plates were 85% efficient?
I have a 2" column that I pack with copper. Would I benefit in any way from replacing the packing with a bubble plate?
Hi Mathew,
For what I have experienced the packing strips flavor a lot better than plates, if you are looking for high proof with flavor then plates are the way to go.
Any updates? Curious of how you feel the flavor of this plated run vs a standard strip & spirit through a pot still.
Hi Rubberduck,
Still busy with a few experiments, will form part of the Back to basics series I am starting soon.
Hello, so I was wondering are you running copper mesh and or rashing rings in you column? And how much knock down are doing with your precondencer? I run a 3 inch mile high still with only 3 bubble plates. 1 roll of copper mesh with 2 cups of rashing rings in my column and I am getting 186 proof. With just enough knock down in my precondencer to keep the plates loaded. Thank you for the video👍
Pre condenser set to knock 25 back only enough to load plates, old still I used packing it strips flavor alot faster than your plates
Ok, good to know. Any chance of a video explaining more of that?
Fascinating. Thank you. 👍
So have you given up on stripping runs for whiskeys at this point and switched to one and done with a couple of plates?
I think this is where people get confused. I only use plates for one and done runs. If I'm doing larger volumes and stripping first, no need for plates.
What gaskets are you using?
Hi DK,
Currently using Silicone gaskets, looking to upgrade to PTFE.
Sorry for the late reply.
I'm sorry but in the video it looked like you were signing one and a half , but you were saying two plates.
What volume do you get before hitting tails?
Thanks for a very informative video looking forward to more videos on the operation of this type of still. I’m new to distilling and have the same type of still.
gck4w
#vum.fyi
Cya, I'm drunk on DIY moonshine & see no response to you're comments so I reckon you don't care for feedback on your uploads. I'm no pedant but only follow peeps interested in responding to their followers.
Hi Chegs,
Sorry for not responding to the previous videos comment have been recovering from a lekker bad virus.
Normally I replay on all comments.
Sorry again.