Looking for input on the Pinnacle A.E.S? We’re in the market for a High Capacity Ethanol extraction system. Any input is appreciated on the A.E.S or other preferred equipment.
Hello Everywheredan. I am interested in high capacity solvent recovery systems that are bigger than rotovaps as well. I have been looking at True Steel’s falling film (Link below). They have a 15gal/hour and a 30gal/hour. They do not advertise a price but I would imagine its somewhere around $75,000 to $100,000. I also found an inferior version of this called the SprayVap by CES. The reason I say its inferior is it has a small collection flask and it is entirely made out of glass. If the main column breaks, which can happen from heat gradients, it stops the entire process and cost a lot of money to replace. Stainless steel is obviously more durable. I got a quote for the SprayVap at $115,000. Let me know if any of this is helpful to you. Has anyone else have experience with either of these machines?
Link: https://trusteel.com/
ps: If you have a rotovap now and have not read Future’s “Optimizing your RotoVap” your missing out. Preheating the solution before adding it to the evaporation flask saved me a lot of time.
Link: Optimizing your RotoVap
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Here’s my input:
The SprayVap is great, especially if you have your material COMPLETELY winterized. There are a few tricks and things to tinker with. After 100’s and 100’s of hours around multiple units, I’ve never seen an issue with the main column.(never ever). I’ve broken multiple collection pots at the bottom though. ($1200/ea). That hurts but I break maybe 3x that in between bigger things like that. I’d say the 2 best things about the SprayVap are:
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The quality of your solvent after condensation
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The ability to run constantly while VISUALLY being able to control flow and vacuum. This is important to adjust the area of the oil flow where the last bit of EtOH flashes out of the oil right before it drops in he collection pot. You want to collect an oil with extremely minimal solvent.(the visual part is why the glass is essential. You can see where the last bit of solvent “flashes” out of the oil)
Something like Pinnacle is awesome for simply grabbing loads of solvent out of your tincture quickly. Love their stuff, honestly. That’s an especially great option for someone that plans to do room temp EtOH extraction and winterize crude after because you can run it to have about %25 of your original solvent mixed in the crude. That makes things easy when moving to the freezer.
Do all you can to see them in action! That’s really the very best advice anyone on here could ever give you.
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I think you both missed the question posted lol. The AES by pinnacle is an extraction skid. The SRS by pinnacle is their solvent recovery skid…
Both have great potentials of you have a good consultant/scientist/engineer designing your floorplan. They are not drop in solutions, they require quite a bit of forethought in floorplan design.
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Sure, you’re right. Extraction is the first step. I was following the convo’s evolution but didn’t specifically address the original question, mainly because I haven’t had any experience with Pinnacle’s centrifuge specifically.
Don’t think the AES is a spinny thing either
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Lol it isn’t at all.
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I’m not really interested in an argument. Double check your statement about the spinny thing. Personally, I don’t see why anyone would be doing EtOH extraction without centrifugation or the like. That’s why I assumed it’d be an integral part of any “Alcohol Extraction System”
No it’s not, but they have a standalone, certified centrifuge
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@future posted a picture of the Pinnacle unit over in the Delta Separations CUP - #45 by Future thread
and @PinnacleStainless confirmed that it was theirs.
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Lmao @Future why are people so fucking ignorant and think they’re always right now a days? Even on your website.
Makes me feel old, and theres mo way these guys are younger than me…
It’s funny AF to me.
Makes me feel really smart tbh…
Trusteel’s Autovap pricing:
~$105k for the 15gal/hr
~$195k for the 30gal/hr
BZB is comparable but a bit cheaper I think
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Thank you wakawkalj. That makes the Spray Vap pretty cheap compared to Truesteel’s and BZB’s. Especially if they all can run 30gal/hour. @boutybouty Can you confirm or correct my price estimate of $115,000 for the Spray Vap?
@FranzVon I’m not totally sure what size machine you were quoted by them. I think the bigger one they make is more like 68L so ~18gal/hr.
@Cannachem I bet you are young. Really smart people think they’re dumb because they have a better understanding of how much they don’t know.
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Thanks boutybouty. What sizes have you run and what were the prices associated with them? CES website does not have a lot information about the sizes/prices of each unit.
I heard that the True Steel AV 30 was closer to 250k?
I should have been more clear, those prices I got are just for the FFE units without the chiller, vacuum pump, or heater - I’m in canada so it would be cheaper to obtain those locally than to ship them.
Total out the door is more like 136k for the 15, 250k for the 30.
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