14.4% conversion

[Dickjotec]

I will give it a go on 160L next time I brew, probably next week. I use ASM on the s2 use 2 tam105 and 2 eductors so it is very similar.
BTW I also have a new bio helper for the future, mine goes home for the night though.

My grandson and a spare cat!

[Manfred]

My latest project. I like to delegate, as appropriate 

  Oh deer, these cute little buggers suck money out of your wallet faster than their mothers at the hair dressers.    mother says NO but I can't.

  Teach them all you know then in five years time they will be telling you how to do it properly. 
 Congratulations.

[Tony]

Congrats - I'm looking forward to grandchildren, particularly getting all the fun bits then handing them back when they need changing or are getting grotty

[neisel]

So, I've been having a problem with having to do too many water washes due to making soaps in my process. I've been using the no tit calculator but still must be dosing too richly - http://www.biopowered.co.uk/forum/tools/notitration.php

Tomorrow I'm going to start a new batch - 140 litres of lovely clear golden oil which will be heated to about 65 degrees & then glyc washed.

What % & litre amounts of methanol & how many grams per litre of KOH should I use for Stage 1 & Stage 2 to achieve 100% conversion with very little soaps so I can wash it no more than 3 or 4 times & be done with it?

TIA.

[Tony]

My understanding is that soap has two sources, one from the neutralisation of free fatty acids with catalyst (so you get more soap the higher it titrates).

The other is from water present with the oil and catalyst.

There is some water inherent in methoxide made from methanol and potassium/sodium.  There is some water created when free fatty acids are neutralised.  And of course any water that was in the oil to start with.

How are you drying your oil?

[neisel]

The oil is from 3 different places, 2 expensive gastro pubs, 1 which changes it every week & 1 twice week & from a good Thai restaurant where it's changed weekly. It's so good I swear I could sell the stuff that's changed twice week to CTAs  businesses less discriminating about their oil where it would be re-used for many more weeks.

It's strained through a kitchen sieve into a full IBC where it sits for at least a month & is pumped from the top, then glyc washed as the first stage of the process.

I do not believe the oil is wet. I used to heat it up, circulate it & let it sit for an hour or 2 before glyc washing but stopped bothering with that after getting about a tablespoon of water (at most) from 140 litres.

[neisel]

Are we baffled or what?

[Glycer-rides]

That sounds like very good oil (Gastro, like most of mine).

Watery methanol would be my first check.

[neisel]

The methanol is new (not reclaimed) from a reputable supplier & decanted from a sealed barrel. I don't have any way of testing it but I think it's OK.

Assuming the oil is dry, the methanol is good, the KOH is pure can is it possible that I've been overdosing & creating soaps?

If that could be the case could someone please recommend dosages, %s, volumes I can use on a 2 stage conversion that will minimise or largely eliminate soaps?

140 litres of glyc washed feedstock is the starting point.

TIA.

[willbuild]

do a titrated test, it will give you an idea how acidic it is. that will give you a guide how much to use on 1st stage to achieve around the 90% pass

[neisel]

do a titrated test, it will give you an idea how acidic it is. that will give you a guide how much to use on 1st stage to achieve around the 90% pass

I don't have any of the stuff to do this, never done it.



Assuming the oil is dry, the methanol is good, the KOH is pure & that the Ph is neutral is it possible that I've been overdosing & creating soaps?

If that could be the case could someone please recommend dosages, %s, volumes I can use on a 2 stage conversion that will minimise or largely eliminate soaps?

140 litres of glyc washed feedstock is the starting point.

TIA.

[julianf]

Could your problems be to do with bio migration from the glycerol wash?

That happened to me once - i overdosed due to there being less veg than i thought (some of the total volume was recovered bio)


If that is a possibility, you could do a 90/10 before you start to check?

Or keep the dose low on S1, and the error will be taken out by the test at the end of S1.

[Glycer-rides]

No quantitive data on the glyc. wash given (it's a dark art anyhow).

Try 16% and 5 g/L koh for S1.

[neisel]

Ta.

16% of 80% or of 100%?

[Glycer-rides]

16% for the whole.
The calculator thing you're using will work it out...