why does my glass distillation unit burst into a steam jet instead of giving a smooth flow of distilled water

Answer 1

Because you haven't cooled the distilled product. You have to have water or some other heat absorber flowing around the condenser part of the distillation unit (I assume you're using a Western condenser, right?). Without that heat absorber, the steam that comes from the distillation process won't cool enough to condense and will remain gaseous.

Answer 2

I presume you mean why do you get steam out of the end of the condenser rather than distilled water?

If that is what you mean, the problem is due to the amount of cooling you are giving the distillate in comparison to the amount of heat you are giving the flask.

The condenser needs to be long enough and cold enough to cool the volume of steam it's being asked to handle.

Most condensers are about 12-15 inches long and are cooled by passing cold water through the condenser's jacket.

Answer 3

Stills often have a long coiled copper condensing tube to lose heat to the air and condense the steam. If you're distilling water, use stainless steel, since distilled water leaches copper, giving it a metalic taste. If size is important, run a small coil through ice water.

Answer 4

No, this actually makes no sense. Drinking more than two servings a day of alcohol for men increases your risk of all kinds of diseases -- heart disease, liver disease, high blood pressure, etc. Not only that, you can actually tell when someone has been drinking a lot of vodka. It's a myth, first of all, that you can't smell the alcohol on a vodka drinker, and it's also pretty easy to tell when someone is schnockered as well (which you would be if all you drank all day long was vodka). Not only that, but drinking a lot of alcohol can reduce the power of your immune system overall, making you MORE prone to casual infections like the common cold. Your body needs water in order to survive. Tap water is safe to drink in most places, but if you are concerned about contamination in your own water supply, buy bottled water as well (bottled water must adhere to high governmental standards for purity). In short, you have a much greater risk of becoming sick if all you drink is alcoholic beverages. It's HIGHLY unlikely you will become sick from drinking tap water.

Answer 5

You need to dissipate more heat prior to discharge or use an expansion outlet that allows the steam energy to spread over a larger area prior to discharge (almost the same thing.)

In crease the length to nozzle so the distillate can radiate heat to atmosphere or use a cooling medium to draw away heat. Either way will work and are both economical.

Answer 6

Maybe you're condenser (if you have one connected), has no water running through it or insufficient water.
The water must have a good flow and should enter the water inlet at the bottom end of the condenser.
Also, the heat input may be far to high.

Answer 7

try turning the heat down and then the distilate wont rush through but will cool slowly and then condense

Answer 8

The vapor isn't being cooled correctly.