A word about molecular sieves, used to absorb water from your distilled alcohol. Ebay and amazon both sell 3A molecular sieves and they are junk. For high quality molecular sieves you need to purchase at a chem supply company like Fisher or Sigma-Aldrich they cost more but are real high quality. They cost 10-15 times more but are worth it.
Testing molecular sieves requires a thermometer a heat resistant container and the molecular sieves. Dry the molecular sieves @ 200 degrees Celcius to prepare them for use. Let cool.
Add sieves to container, put in thermometer add water to the top of the sieves. High quality 3A molecular sieves will get hot enough to burn you, 156 degrees F / 65C. The heat is due to van der Waals forces.
The cheap molecular sieves will barely heat up, they barely absord water.
Another test using methanol
When methanol is added to the high quality molecular sieves the temp will barely change if any, they won't absorb the alcohol ( in this test methanol was used )
the temp of the low quality quality molecular sieves will increase indicating that the low quality ones are absorbing methanol, the pores are larger than 3 Angstroms
Another test involves weighing them before drying @ 200C and weigh them after . If they gained weight they are fake the weight gain is due to oxidation. They should lose weight as water is driven off during heating.
I got everything to build a still but due to severe joint pain in my hand I can't work right now. I wonder what caused it this inflammation. Not gout as my lad tests indicated normal uric acid levels in my blood. My hand swelled 3 times as big and the pain was a level 9. I got opiods prescribed for pain predsinone. My hand hurt un believably to even touch. My wife though it was a spider bite, I had carelessly wiped away spider weds outside and reached into areas I could not see. Started to hurt a little the next day then the second day it was so bad I went to Dr. Any ideas on what caused this? My resting heart beat was over 90 bpm I also could not sleep even after taking 2 ambien and flexeril/ muscle relaxer
thanks
Edited by Heirloom , 28 September 2017 - 09:35 AM.