Just a thought whilst processing today

[Julian]

Having successfully made some rather spectacular emulsions of late ... reasons unknown, I thought I'd stop washing of any kind for a while and rely on settling and soap testing.

During the batch today which, incidentally, is my 150th, I thought about glycerin washing.  I've only done this once as it turned out to be a right pain in the bottom, but I reasoned that if the glycerin could be left hot in the processor and the bio removed from the top, then the process would be much easier with a "standard" GL, assuming the next load of feed stock was available to transfer to the processor.

Thoughts then wandered to an adjustable dip pipe with which to remove the bio, on the assumption that the interface is never the same level on any two batches.

Anyone think the idea has any merit?

(Ducks, awaiting incoming)

[julianf]

It sounds like youre doing WBD (else the glyc would be gone)

Whilst WBD does not exactly seem incompatible with glyc washing, it does seem un-necessary.

But then youre back to cold glyc.


What about dumping the glyc into that tank that you have on loan?  You know - the red one?

[Julian]

I am WBDing at the moment but if I tried this idea, obviously I wouldn't.

The idea was not to dump the glycerin, but use it whilst it was still hot in the processor.

I've got a couple of tanks awaiting conversion into a long awaited new processor, but neither is red nor on loan ... confused of Surrey!

[Jamesrl]

What's the betting that WBDing is the cause of your emulsion probs?

I dumped that idea years ago and proper glyc washing is a god send to the amateur brewer (150 batches, phaa! ).

[Chug]

I cant think why you would want to wash after WBD, but hey ho, whatever rocks ya.

What is your reason for suspecting WBD causing Julian's emulsions Jim?

[Jamesrl]

What is your reason for suspecting WBD causing Julian's emulsions Jim?

The possibility of partial reversing, y'know oil + water + agitation = emulsion or his conversions are crap, pick your take.

[julesandtash]

Just use KOH as your catalyst then glyc was is easy. I dump the first and second stage glycerol into a 60 litre plastic drum and keep it for the next bacth
It stays perfectly liquid, especially as there is methanol in it at that point.
Then, once all the hot oil is in the processor for the next batch, i just suck it in with the venturi

I have debated putting a coil in the glycerol drum and either pumping hot oil from the processor through it or hot water from the processor and settling tank hot water heating circuits but all it would do is make it less viscous and get sucked in a bit quicker so I'm in no hurry to do the work

You could also dry DGS's seeded glycerol was which adds some methoxide to the glycerol before injection. With already liquid KOH glycerol, a few litres of methanol makes it a whole lot thinner

[Julian]

That would be a way around it, but as always I try and do thing as cheap as possible.

It was just an idle thought whilst rung the batch.  What I didn't add was I considered how to adjust the dip pipe to sence the glycerin level.

I remember seeing a electrical devise (I think it was a GL design) which used resistance to detect the interface.  It would of course need to be gas safe, but I remember my days installing inert gas systems on tankers where the design department suddenly specified electronics in the pump room and other hazardous areas.

These panels were supplied via Zener Barriers.  They were a mystery to me then and are still today, but I was wondering if anyone with a modicum of electronics knowledge could confirm their suitability.

[julianf]

Im not quite following this -

Surely it would be simpler to drop the glyc into an insulated container (or the special, afore mentioned, red 47kg...), demeth, pump out the bio, and then pump in the (still molten) glyc.

You then save the energy of, needlessly, demething the glyc, and the effort of making up some contraption for your processor.

Obviously there are a multitude of ways to skin your cat, but, i feel like im missing something.

[Julian]

Im not quite following this -

Surely it would be simpler to drop the glyc into an insulated container (or the special, afore mentioned, red 47kg...), demeth, pump out the bio, and then pump in the (still molten) glyc.

You then save the energy of, needlessly, demething the glyc, and the effort of making up some contraption for your processor.

Obviously there are a multitude of ways to skin your cat, but, i feel like im missing something.

Ah, just twigged ... it's orange, not red, and it's usually full of whites, water and crud awaiting separation ... might be worth lobbing some glycerin in with that lot.

Like I said, it was just a thought ... but probably not one of my better ones.

[rbdazza]

I like Nigel B's idea. A steel tin for the drained glyc with a turk burner underneath and a pipe to the inlet on the processor.

That is on my list of future projects!