How do you guys connect multiple columns? I’m trying to decide between either
- Connecting from my dip tube to an HFS manifold like so:
https://hardwarefactorystore.com/products/pipe-maniford-stainless-steel-304-w-4-port-npt-male
Where each of the 4 MNPT ports are connected to valves that are connected to the top of all of my four material columns
OR
- Connecting all of the tops in series with some sort of rubber hosing then connecting the end of the last column to the pot.
I’m going to be using cold butane with nitrogen push. Which would you guys prefer? Or is there a more efficient way to do this that I haven’t thought of? let me know
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Look at how bhogart has there manifols set up on there bfe extractors thatll give you an idea, you can do alot with a manifold and run all your columns off one port and use the others for distilling gas while running and have several honey pots all going so you never have to shut it off. You can also do a bery good vapor push without using nitro if you have the manifold set up right
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Option 2 would allow the solvent to take the path of least resistance and thus wouldn’t evenly distribute solvent between all the material columns.
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I’m looking forward the the column to column vapor push. I just got 3 jacketed columns I’m setting up to be able to run one, recover a portion of the tane, then run the next, etc. The first column will be getting nice a warm by the time the second column has had solvent run through it. Using the manifold, I will use the vapor pressure from the first column to help push through the second column during recovery. I’m not sure how much vapor pressure I’ll be creating, this is all just theory at the moment…I need to rearrange my rack and mount it all up.
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If possible set it up so you can isolate the warm column after you push with it and only recover it, you can recovery it almost completely. I would only lose a few #s for the whole days after running 20+ columns doing it this way. Once you get it dialed its just constantly going in order 1.2.3 and back to the beginning again. I would even sometimes just run tbe first column once and then just keep adding a few #s of gas and using that column for the push.
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So this is a tried and true method. Very good. All columns are valved, and my manifold set up should allow for isolating and recovering columns individually. I thought three columns would be the bare minimum for this kind of set up with the three basic stations…injection, vapor push, final recovery.
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Ya i did it this way for yrs, it works really good if your able to isolate so rigjt when you see the liquid stop open the valve controlling the columns and it will put the brakes on it so you dont get undesirables in your extract from the hot vapors. Then the hot column recovers very fast and then can be taken off. I use a heat wrap and would be about 60 psi or so when i opened it up and the only way for it to escape is thru the bottom off the flooded column. You’ll see the hot vapor come out then open the valve so the vapor has another way to escape.
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Yep. All it takes is a little thoughtful plumbing and you can make anything happen.
To answer the first question, either will work. I like the manifolds from hfs, but you can also just use hoses with MJIC tee’s.
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It’s this kind of stuff that really gets me going. I’m a machinist…in the private sector profit margin was 5%. So every little bit you could do to make the process more efficient…the more money the shop made. That is how I’ve maintained gainful employment. That mind set directly applies to extraction. Being able to run efficiently, utilizing the recovery pressure to my benefit from column to column…would fucking sweet. I love improving process…
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Also not losing a bunch of gas and going faster a win win in my book.
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So that’s it though… This offers multiple gains across the board. That is effectively moving forward towards high efficiency…its a no brainer move. Especially when I only run 3" columns and I got 3 3x48 jacketed spools for under $500 new. The value is there for me. Now I can conserve butane by having a heated recovery on my material column, not pull hot vapors through my system and into the collection bringing undesirables, my throughput will go up…and I’ll finally have a big boy rig all scaled down to fit my needs lol.
Ya it worked great for me, started doing it when 4 pumps hot looped back wasn’t enough or fast enough. Cost effective and efficent and saves time not having to distill gas as much back into your tank.
What happens if you guys just let the butane run through to the collection pot and recover with the material column open to the collection pot? Is that not enough to get all of the butane? I notice that there’s a bunch of cold shit at the bottom of my material column around the reducer and I always wonder if I’m really grabbing everything
Your not, if you just try to recover the column without pushing or heating you will lose gas no matter what. You will lose some with pushing or heating but way less and it will make it faster to swap columns
How about if you use nitrogen to push it? I’m running passive cold butane with nitrogen
Youll have to weigh your tank in the beginning and end to know how much loss. Try all the ways and use whats best for you, my system was big and running lots of columns so using nitro and having to burp wasnt really an option. I would still warm your column even if you push with nitro but until you try all the different ways and weigh your tank you wont know which is best. I pushed solvent in the -60 range this way, i didnt like the idea of adding anything else and having to release it on that size system.