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Setup
Mount the still and condenser
on a secure stand. A large three-finger clamp or band clamp for the
still, and a smaller three-finger clamp for the condenser work well.
The ground glass joint connection between the two should be greased
with stopcock grease. Secure the still first, connect the condenser,
then secure the clamp to the condenser and stand, so that there is
no torque applied between the components.
Connect the hoses: cooling water in at the bottom of the condenser,
from top of the condenser out to the horizontal inlet tube of the
aspirator; from the bottom of the aspirator to the drain; from the
bottom of the still out to the drain (with clamp), or optionally insert
the T into the hose at the bottom, with one hose coming from the distilled
water source and the other to the drain, with clamps on each. Be sure
that the cordset is screwed tightly into the bottom of the still.
Fill the round boiling reservoir at least half full with distilled
water; be sure that the heater coil is covered by an inch of water
at minimum. You can fill either via the funnel and the two way stopcock,
through the lower arm of the stopcock (the stopcock handle is angled
to indicate which way it will flow), or if you have the T inserted
at the bottom, you can fill from there (close the drain clamp, open
the distilled water source clamp).
Turn on the cooling water. Make sure there is adequate flow to drive
the aspirator: add a little distilled water to the sample chamber
via the two way stopcock, through the upper, inner arm, then open
the stopcock leading to the aspirator; the aspirator should suck the
water out of the chamber. If not, increase the flow of the cooling
water until it evacuates easily.
Operation
Close the aspirator stopcock. Add the wine sample to the sample chamber
via the two way stopcock, through the inner arm, leaving the stopcock
open. Place a clean Erlenmeyer flask under the condenser to collect
the distillate. Turn on the power to the heating coil. Leave the inner
arm of the two way stopcock open to vent CO2 for about 20 seconds
after the water starts boiling, then close it to start distillation
of the sample. Collect the appropriate amount of distillate. Turn
off power.
Open the outer arm of the two way stopcock, to equilibrate the boiling
chamber, and open the aspirator stopcock to extract the spent sample.
Rinse the sample chamber: close the aspirator stopcock, add distilled
water to the chamber via the two way stopcock, open the aspirator
stopcock, suck out the rinse; repeat until clean.
Check the level of water in the boiling flask, add more if necessary.
Do not allow the level to go so low that the heating coil is exposed.
If the flask runs dry, and is still hot, do not add water. Turn off
the power and let it cool slowly; if you add water to a hot flask
it will crack. Damaged stills can be repaired, but damage is avoidable.
Repeat the sample test cycle again; the water in the boiling chamber
will still be quite hot, so the time is shortened considerably.
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