The distillation process separates alcohol from fermented mash using a binary column. Beer is preheated and degassed before entering the bottom of the binary column. Alcohol vapor rises to the top and is condensed to 190 proof alcohol. A portion is refluxed while the remainder is sent to storage. A rectifier column further purifies secondary alcohol streams. Fusel oils are removed from columns and blended into the final 200 proof alcohol product.

1. What is Distillation
• The distillation
system is used
to separate the
alcohol from
fermented mash.

2. Distillation System
• The distillation system starts at the beer well.
• The beer well is where the finished fermenters
get sent to be processed by the distillation
system.
• The beer well is composed of an alcohol
percentage of 16-19%, 11-13% solids (yeast and
grain solids), and the remaining is 69-73%
water.
• From here it goes to the beer tank.

3. Beer Pre-Heating
• The beer from the beer well, which is ~90º F is
pumped first to the Beer/Mash exchanger where
it is heated by the ~185ºF liquefaction product
liquid.
• From the Beer/Mash heat exchanger the beer
which is now 115°F goes to the beer tank.
• The pre-heated beer then goes to the 1501 heat
exchanger where it is further heated by Sieve
vapor.

4. Beer Pre-Heating
• The beer then goes to one of the 1505
heat exchangers where it is further heated
by beer column bottoms product (whole
stillage).
• Beer bottoms is around 228 degrees F
entering this exchanger and ~190º on exit.
• The heated beer then enters into the
degasser.

6. Beer Pre-heat exchangers
• The Beer/Mash and
1505a and 1505b
are alfa lavel plate
and frame
exchangers.
• The 1501 is a Tube
and Shell type heat
exchanger.

7. Plate and Frame Heat
Exchangers
• We have multiple
applications of this
type of heat
exchanger in
Distillation such as,
the beer/mash
exchanger,1505a&b
beer/stillage
exchangers, fusel oil
exchanger and the
final 200 proof
alcohol heat
exchanger.

8. The Degasser
• Beer from the 1505a&b beer/stillage
heat exchangers enters the degasser
vessel.
• The purpose of the degasser is to
purge off a portion of the carbon
dioxide (CO2
) contained in the beer.

9. The Degasser
• CO2
is formed from the yeast
metabolism in fermentation and
5-10% of the CO2
produced will be
entrained (trapped) in the liquid.

10. The Degasser
• The heat from the previous heat exchange
causes the CO2
to expand and the
degasser mixing and vacuum vent will
allow most of the entrained gas to escape.
• Poor degassing of the beer can result in
excess pressure in the distillation columns
and can also result in higher acidity in the
final product alcohol.

11. The Degasser
• CO2 in water at high temperature
forms Carbonic acid.
• From the degasser the beer feed
goes to the beer column.

12. The Binary Column
• Beer is pumped from
the Degasser system to
the binary column.
• The binary column has
two distinct sections.
The Binary Column

13. The Binary Column
• The portion bellow the
feed tray (beer feed
entry point) is the
stripping section.
• The portion above the
feed tray (beer feed
entry point) is the
rectifying section.

14. The Binary Column
• The stripping (bottom)
section is where the
beer is depleted of its
alcohol as it descends
down through the
column. This results in
only water and solids
(whole stillage) coming
out of the bottom of the
binary.
• The whole stillage is
pumped to the
liquid/solid separation
area (centrifuges).

15. The Binary Column
• The low proof alcohol travels up through the
column.
• Increasing in proof as it ascends up the column.
• The rectifying (top) section further separates the
alcohol and water (Alcohol which has a lower
boiling point than water and vaporizes first rising
up through the trays in the column where it
comes in contact with the falling liquid and
concentrates to 190 proof at the top of the
column.

16. The Binary Column
Continued
• This vapor is condensed with tube and shell heat
exchangers and is collected in the binary 190
overhead tank. Approximately 65% of this liquid
is sent back into the binary for reflux. The
remaining 35% is sent to the 190 surge tank to
wait for further processing.
• The reflux is used to maintain the amount of
alcohol necessary inside the binary column,
which improves the separating of the alcohol
and water and the concentrating of the alcohol to

17. Binary Column Operating
Information
• The operating temperatures of the
Binary are 228° F at the bottom and
170°F to 180°F at the top.
• Temperatures are measured at
specific points between the top and
bottom as well which give a thermal
description of the Binary
performance.

18. The Binary Column Re-boilers
• The heat source for the binary column
is indirect steam from the boiler,
utilizing two tube and shell type heat
exchangers, the 1511A and 1511B.
Steam on the shell side and binary
bottoms on the tube side which are
forced re-circulated with the 1511A
and 1511B pumps.

19. The Binary Column Re-boilers
• Mash is pulled out of the bottom of
the column and pumped through the
tubes of the horizontal tube & shell
re-boilers.
• Steam is introduced to the shell side
and transfers energy into the column
bottoms.

20. The Binary Column Re-boilers
• Backpressure is kept on the liquid
bottoms stream until part of it
"flashes" (turns to steam) back into
the base of the column.
• This ensures the tubes of the
exchanger stay full of liquid at all
times.

21. The Binary Column Re-boilers
• These re-boilers introduce the
majority of energy into the column.
• During re-boiler cleanings and re-
circulation pump maintance the
column can also be supplied with
directly injected steam

22. Binary 190 Proof Condensers
• All of the vapor off the top of the
column is pulled into Binary 190 proof
overhead condensers.
• The condensers are installed in a
series arraignment, vapor on the shell
side and liquid on the tube side.

23. Binary 190 Proof Condensers
• The liquid that is on the tube side is
cooling tower water.
• The condensed 190 proof liquid goes
to the Binary 190 tank.

24. Binary 190 Proof Tank
• This tank collects the 190 proof
condensate from the overhead Binary
condensers.
• The strength is 190 proof alcohol.
• Approximately 66% of this liquid is sent
back to the binary for reflux.
• The remaining 34% is sent to the 190
proof surge tank waiting further
processing.

25. Tube and Shell Heat
Exchangers

26. Tube and Shell Heat Exchangers
Continued
• We have multiple applications of this type of heat
exchanger in distillation such as, 1511A&B Binary re-
boilers, Binary and Rectifier condensers, 1501,1502 and
the 1561 degasser beer pre-heater.

27. Alcohol concentrates
as it moves up
through the Binary.
Resulting in 190
proof vapor coming
out the top.
The alcohol
and some
water become
vapor and rise
up in the
column
Solids and water
fall to the bottom
of the Binary and
are sent to the
Centrifuges.

28. Rectifier Column
• The purpose of the Rectifier column is to
separate water and alcohol.
• The rectifier takes secondary water
streams (liquid from the distillation vacuum
system, sieve regeneration system, binary
chimney tray, fusel washer, sieve
vaporizer purge and Co2 scrubbers) and
separates the alcohol and water.

29. Rectifier Column
• Alcohol which has a lower boiling point than
water and vaporizes first rising up through the
trays in the column where it comes in contact
with the falling liquid and concentrates to 190
proof at the top of the column.
• This vapor is condensed with a tube and shell
heat exchanger and is collected in the rectifier
190 overhead tank. Approximately 65% of this
liquid is sent back to the rectifier for reflux. The
remaining 35% is sent to the 190 surge tank to
wait for further processing.

30. How the Rectifier Column works
• The reflux is used to maintain the amount
of alcohol necessary inside the rectifier
column, which improves the separating of
the alcohol and water and the
concentrating of the alcohol to 190 proof.
• The water which has been depleted of all
alcohol collects in the bottom of the
rectifier and is pumped to the recycle
water tank.

31. Column Tray Operation

32. Column Tray Valves

33. Rectifier Column Operation
• Energy from thermo
siphon re-boiler is used to
strip the alcohol from the
water that’s flowing down
the column.

34. Thermo Siphon Re-boiler
• The thermo siphon
re-boiler uses
convection alone to
produce circulation.
The bottom product
flows to the bottom of
the re-boiler by gravity.
• The flow through a
thermo siphon re-boiler
is shown in figure.

35. Thermo Siphon Re-boiler
• The addition of heat
causes some of the
liquid in the re-boiler to
vaporize and the
remaining heated liquid
expands. The mixture
of vapor and the hot
liquid in the re-boiler
has a much lower
relative density than
the bottom liquid and a
thermo siphon flow is
produced.

36. Rectifier 190 Proof Condenser
• All of the vapor off the top of the
column is pulled into Rectifier 190
proof overhead condenser.
• The condenser is a typical tube and
shell arraignment, vapor on the shell
side and liquid on the tube side.

37. Rectifier 190 Proof Condenser
• The liquid that is on the shell side
is cooling tower water.
• The condensed 190 proof liquid
goes to the Rectifier 190 tank.

38. Rectifier 190 Tank
• This tank collects the condensate
from the overhead rectifier column
vapor.
• The strength is 190 proof alcohol.
• Approximately 66% of this liquid is
sent back to the rectifier for reflux.
• The remaining 34% is sent to the 190
proof surge tank waiting further
processing.

40. Fusel Oil
• Fusel oils are high molecular weight alcohols formed
as byproducts in fermentation.
• The higher molecular weight alcohol, or fusel oils,
have a property of being more volatile than alcohol
in dilute aqueous solution, but are less volatile than
alcohol in concentrated alcohol solution.
• Therefore, they tend to concentrate on trays in the
middle of the rectifying section of a column.

41. Fusel Oil
• If this oil builds up on the trays a fusel oil block
forms preventing vapor from moving up the
column.
• These fusel oils are removed from the column
as a liquid, side draw stream from any one of the
different draw ports.
• The liquid from the fusel oil draws are fed to the
fusel decanter (washer).

42. Fusel Oil
• The light fusel oil stream is decanted
from the fusel oil washer and sent to
the fusel oil tank.
• The fusel oil is blended into the 200
proof final produce as applicable.