A Practical Handbook on the Distillation of Alcohol from Farm Products

by F. B. Wright

Fig. 57—Small Beet Distillery.

In Fig. [57] is shown a view of a small plant for the distillation of beets, the figure giving a good idea of the arrangement of the diffusion battery in relation to the still and rectifier. The juice from the diffusion battery is pumped into the overhead tanks from which it descends into a dephlegmator and from thence into the still, the vapors from the still passing into the rectifier. The still is a direct, fire-heated still and adjacent to the still is a water heater from which the water passes to the hot water reservoir located above and to one side of the diffusion vats.

A large plant for the distillation of beets is shown in the Section Fig. [58]. The beets from the beet silos are carried to suitable washing machines, A, see [Chapter VII], in which they are thoroughly cleaned of dirt and gravel. From the washers they are lifted by a conveyor B to a distributor C by which they are conveyed to the cutters or slicers. These consist of horizontal apertured plates revolving at a high speed, and carry knives which plane off slices from the beets. These drop through the apertures of the plate and are conveyed to the diffusion batteries, as by a movable chute D oscillated with a jigging motion through suitable gearing.

The diffusers F should be arranged so that small trucks may be driven beneath them to receive the spent slices and carry them to the spent beet silos. U indicates a gauging tank into which the juice runs from the diffusers. From thence it passes to coolers (not seen) and thence to the fermentation tanks G. R indicates a small engine for driving the beet slicers and S a battery of pumps whereby the wash may be forced up into the reservoir I from which the wash descends into the still K. H and J are reservoirs for hot and cold water respectively.

Fig. 58.—Large Beet Distillery.

From the distilling column K the phlegm or raw spirit passes to the phlegm tank L from which it is drawn as desired into the rectifying column M, thence into the coolers and condensers and thence into the alcohol tanks N.

On the other side of the building as indicated by the chimney is the boiler for generating the motive power for the plant and for supplying the steam necessary for the distilling and rectifying columns and the hot water for the diffusion batteries. The boiler should be very capacious and it would be well to have two, one in reserve.

If possible, advantage should be taken of the natural slope of the ground so that the trucks bringing beets from the silo to the washer and carrying the spent beets away may roll downward by their own weight. The silos for the spent beets should be excavated from the ground and the trucks be constructed to tip their contents into these pits. The natural slope of the bottom of these pits should drain away the water and means be provided whereby carts can load with the spent beets to carry them away.