pressure/vacuum effects

[spinning-magnets]

I recall reading that mountain climbers have some unique problems to deal with that are useful to ponder. At very high elevations the air pressure is very low, and water boils away at a much lower temperature than the commonly quoted temp of 212F at "sea level". You have to keep adding snow to the pot, and it boils away before the meat bits are cooked in the soup. You end up having to use pre-cooked food and then just "warm" it.

In a "pressure cooker" the strong lid is clamped to the strong pot, and the pressure relief valve on the lid allows the pressure to significantly rise, so that the water will get much hotter than 212F WITHOUT boiling. This allows hard food that stores well for long periods of time (such as Black-Eyed Peas) to cook faster.

Also, "Death Valley", California is BELOW sea level, and as a result, water will boil from a liquid into a gaseous vapor at HIGHER than 212F

Ethanol distillation (Moonshine) is technically easy. Enzymes convert carbohydrates (corn, rice, potatoes) into sugar. Yeast converts sugar into ethanol. You warm the "mash" so the ethanol evaporates up, you route it in a "u-turn" and then it condenses into a liquid in a down-hill copper coil (cooled by water or a fan).

If you can draw a partial vacuum on the mash-pot, the ethanol will evaporate at a lower temperature, some experimenters have even lowered the evaporation temp to the point where the mash-pot is warmed by a set of solar reflectors.

Note:" this information is given for chemistry and physics educational purposes only, and should not be implied to be used to encourage the operation of a federally unlicensed and untaxed ethanol still." -Ron