The processing of of the more volatile alcohol too. However, the primary effect will be to increase the percentage of alcohol in the vodka. This is good. The
secondary effect is to reduce the vodka production. This is bad. We would like to keep our product on spec (100 proof vodka) and also not lose production. To overcome this problem, we must first increase the heat input to the big can. To prevent the extra water vapor from diluting the vodka in the bottle, we must also increase the heat removed from the No. 1 coil. This is done by adding an additional length of coiled copper tubing to the No. 1 coil. As a consequence of adding more heat to the big can, and also removing more heat from the No. 1 coil, more liquid will drain out of the 12-oz can, back to the big can. This liquid is called reflux. This reflux is revaporized in the big can and circulates back and forth between the big can and the 12-oz can. This recirculation helps to separate the lighter, more volatile alcohol from the heavier, less volatile water.
There are several ways to describe what is happening. As a chemical engineer, I would say that we are increasing the internal
reflux ratio of the still. But what I would rather say is that we are making the still work harder. Harder in the sense that we are increasing
both the reboiler heat duty and the condenser heat removal duty. By the reboiler duty, I mean to say the amount of firewood burning under the still. By the condenser heat removal duty, I mean the amount of heat radiating away to the air from the No. 1 condensing coil.
secondary effect is to reduce the vodka production. This is bad. We would like to keep our product on spec (100 proof vodka) and also not lose production. To overcome this problem, we must first increase the heat input to the big can. To prevent the extra water vapor from diluting the vodka in the bottle, we must also increase the heat removed from the No. 1 coil. This is done by adding an additional length of coiled copper tubing to the No. 1 coil. As a consequence of adding more heat to the big can, and also removing more heat from the No. 1 coil, more liquid will drain out of the 12-oz can, back to the big can. This liquid is called reflux. This reflux is revaporized in the big can and circulates back and forth between the big can and the 12-oz can. This recirculation helps to separate the lighter, more volatile alcohol from the heavier, less volatile water.
There are several ways to describe what is happening. As a chemical engineer, I would say that we are increasing the internal
reflux ratio of the still. But what I would rather say is that we are making the still work harder. Harder in the sense that we are increasing
both the reboiler heat duty and the condenser heat removal duty. By the reboiler duty, I mean to say the amount of firewood burning under the still. By the condenser heat removal duty, I mean the amount of heat radiating away to the air from the No. 1 condensing coil.
