Part One of a Two Part Article Dealing with Ethanol Dehydration and Sieve Regeneration and Rotation

Bedded dehydration systems are some of the most frequently used devices for the purification of ethanol.  This article focuses on how bedded dehydration systems distil and purify ethanol to make it over 99% pure.   Ethanol is purified so it can be used as a fuel in automobiles, which currently requires ethanol to be over 99% pure.

The distillation process begins after the fermentation process.  From the beer column, rectified ethanol is pumped into the rectifier column (frequently called the stripper). After distillation occurs in the rectifier column the ethanol mix goes to the condenser.

After ethanol is condensed in the condenser the gaseous ethanol can go to one of two places: the first partial steam of vapors can be sent back to the rectifier column as reflux, or the rest of the vapors are passed through a super-heater before being taken to the molecular sieve units for dehydration.

This part of the process distils the ethanol solution and making it around 95% pure ethanol.  The last 5% of the solution is water still needs to be separated from the mixture in order for ethanol to be use as fuel.  This is done with molecular sieve.

After passing through the super heater the vapor now passes through one of what could be many dehydrating beds of molecular sieve beads. Water in the incoming vapor stream is adsorbed on the molecular sieve material.  Anhydrous ethanol vapor that is now over 99% pure has been created from the sieve loaded dehydration bed, and is now free to be collected.

The process is finalized when the ethanol vapor remaining from the molecular sieve units are condensed in the condenser and cooled down in the product cooler, bringing it closer to its ambient temperature.  The product is then stored in a product tank until it is ready to be sold.

Part two is forthcoming…

Activated Carbon/Charcoal is What Separates Tennessee Whiskey From Bourbon.

The Lincoln County Process is the process by which Tennessee Whiskey manufacturer Jack Daniels and George Dickell make their famous whiskey’s.  This process is what distinguishes Tennessee Whiskey’s from Bourbon Whiskey’s and key difference in their creation is the use of charcoal, or activated carbon in the Lincoln County Process.  The use of charcoal is an added step not included in manufacturing bourbon, which otherwise would be exactly the same.

The charcoal used by Jack Daniels is made on site from sugar maple trees.  These trees are cut down and burned, but their temperature is controlled so that the don’t burn to ash but rather turn into charcoal.  The newly created charcoal is placed in a vat along with unaged whiskey for ten days before it is stored in a barrel to age further.

The taste of Tennessee whiskey has a smoother and smokier taste to it, where as bourbon is known for having a harsher and stronger taste.  This extra step was added to improve the very harsh taste of whiskey’s in the 19th century.  The difference in taste is due to the added step of using charcoal in the Lincoln County Process, the only added step not found in making bourbon.

Charcoal has long been known for its filtration and purifying properties.  Hippocrates, the famous Greek physician and father of western medicine wrote about using charcoal in his practice to adsorb unpleasant odors.  In modern times it plays an important role in the distillation of liquids.  When distilling whiskey congeners are creating, they are responsible for giving whiskey its harsh taste, however this harshness was reduced when most of the congeners in aged whiskey were adsorbed by the activated carbon found in charcoal.