***Looking at Methanol recovery***

[RIngrey]

My processor doesn't support methanol recovery. As I have plenty of Glycerine (Potassium based) I'm looking at recovering the methanol if possible. I was looking at buying a small still so that I could distill the meth from the glycerine. Would this work?

[Tony]

Have you done any water prewashes IE contaminated the glycerol with water?

[RIngrey]

No prewashes as I seem to produce good results without doing it. So my glycerine is uncontaminated with water.

[Tony]

You should be good to go on recovering Meth from the Glycerol then

[RIngrey]

Will a Still do the job?

[Tony]

Yes, but it might just be easier to add a condenser to your processor and heat it in that (assuming it's not plastic?)

You don't need a venturi for it to work, you'll still collect the Meth - though this could be speeded up by bubbling air through it.

[hifly]

if you are in the uk you will find it difficault to buy a still as they are ilegal to sell, i made one from a berco boiler to de-meth my glyc, i fitted a bubbling ring in the bottom to force ait through the condencer. worked fine.

[K.H]

Hifly stills are readily available on ebay,they get around the law by saying "for distilling water"
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Smart-Still-Still-Spirits-Distillation-unit-/110565063299?pt=Home_Brew&hash=item19be30fa83

[Tony]

if you are in the uk you will find it difficault to buy a still as they are ilegal to sell, i made one from a berco boiler to de-meth my glyc, i fitted a bubbling ring in the bottom to force ait through the condencer. worked fine.

The more I hear about bubbling air in being an effective way to push off the Meth, the more I want to try it on my processor to see if it speeds demething up.

It makes sense pushing an air bubble all the way up through the liquid you want to Demeth, which will also help with agitation.

[Stumpy]

I always bubble air in through the drain on my processor, it speeds up the methanol reclaim vastly on my plant.

[Julian]

I tried bubbling from the processor, through the condenser using a small compressor, for quite a time.  It worked very well, nearly doubling what I can distill with the venturi and sometimes over loading the condenser.

I had problems, however, in humid weather, as the recovered methanol appeared to be absorbing the moisture from the in coming air.

A water trap on the air line made no difference and I got half way through making a desiccant dryer, but the resistance through it was quite high and drying the desiccant would have been a pain, so I reverted to using the venturi.

[Jamesrl]

I tried bubbling from the processor, through the condenser using a small compressor, for quite a time.  It worked very well, nearly doubling what I can distill with the venturi and sometimes over loading the condenser.

I had problems, however, in humid weather, as the recovered methanol appeared to be absorbing the moisture from the in coming air.

A water trap on the air line made no difference and I got half way through making a desiccant dryer, but the resistance through it was quite high and drying the desiccant would have been a pain, so I reverted to using the venturi.

That's where a Squirrel excels, rapid demeth and no moisture drawn in, add a still head heat exchanger and the condenser can cope with a greater volume of vapour for less energy input.

[Julian]

I tried bubbling from the processor, through the condenser using a small compressor, for quite a time.  It worked very well, nearly doubling what I can distill with the venturi and sometimes over loading the condenser.

I had problems, however, in humid weather, as the recovered methanol appeared to be absorbing the moisture from the in coming air.

A water trap on the air line made no difference and I got half way through making a desiccant dryer, but the resistance through it was quite high and drying the desiccant would have been a pain, so I reverted to using the venturi.

That's where a Squirrel excels, rapid demeth and no moisture drawn in, add a still head heat exchanger and the condenser can cope with a greater volume of vapour for less energy input.

I tried a Squirrel and mine certainly didn't excel!

[Jamesrl]

I tried a Squirrel and mine certainly didn't excel!

And by your own admission neither do your Venturis so me reckons your opinion on Squirrels should be discounted.

[Julian]

I tried a Squirrel and mine certainly didn't excel!

And by your own admission neither do your Venturis so me reckons your opinion on Squirrels should be discounted.

Did I express one?