Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Hi all.

I have seen a few people using evaporative cooling tower type setups for cooling down and recirculating the condenser water. I understand the principle but I'm looking at building one myself and am after some info or design tips from people who have built or use one successfully.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Have you seen this one

http://www.aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=899

I have see that one. There was another one posted that was more of a traditional one but I can't find the post.

I have one running through an evap aircon but really not great. Looking at a spit system aircon compressor as an upgrade.

bluc wrote:I have one running through an evap aircon but really not great. Looking at a spit system aircon compressor as an upgrade.

I've been using this that I originally made to cool my pergola and shed. Just plonked a cheapo submersible pump in the reservoir and it works great. Still even manages to blow cool air to keep the shed bearable.

Yep same sort thing i have..

This one googe?
http://www.aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=8313&start=0

There is a sort of evap cooler in one of the build threads that used a couple of plastic crates and let the water fall through them.

I dont remember which build or how effective it was tho.

bluc wrote:I have one running through an evap aircon but really not great. Looking at a spit system aircon compressor as an upgrade.

I realise I am quoting myself but this thread got me thinking about the setup again and was wondering if it would be worthwhile re packing the screens with either wood wool or stainless scrubbers, it has a cardboard type honeycomb stuff in it (scrubbers may be a bit expensive) to get better cooling performance.. :think:

bluc wrote:I have one running through an evap aircon but really not great. Looking at a spit system aircon compressor as an upgrade.

Funny you should say that... just been chatting to a friend of mine who suggested just this approach! He suggested using the condenser of the head unit 'in' the reservoir while using the evaporator unit 'outside' the water reservoir... I'm not a fridgie so not clued-in about the functions of the AC unit! As long as it blows cold air when I turn it on, I'm happy!

bluc wrote:Have you seen this one

http://www.aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=899

Have you actually made one of these?

No was thinking of added either a second evap cooling setup, a cooling tower. or an aircon condenser, I just have the evap portable aircon the water from the condenser runs through that. Need either a bigger evap cooler, more screen area or a cooling tower me thinks..

Do you still use the original pump to circulate the water over the cooling pads or just the output from your still?

Original pump thinking its not very good the way I have it. I go into condenser out of condenser into aircon sump. The small aircon pump then pumps to top of screens back to sump then drains out when sump is about half full.
Thinking maybe go from condenser out to top of aircon screen then drain back to sump and out to reservoir..

:shifty: I have no idea what your talking about...

Draw me a picture, might have to use crayons, tho. Not sure I'd understand pen... :wtf:

Evaporative cooler has a sump in the bottom you fill with water. There is a pump sits in the water and pumps water to the top of a honeycomb paper material in the "screen". Air is sucked through the paper and the process evaporates some of the water. During evaporation the air is cooled

I have the hot water going into the sump on the cooler. It then went through the pump to top of the homeycomb screen back into the sump then into my blue drum. But I guess the cooler water would be mixing with the warmer water in the aircon sump, so undoing the cooling process achived by evaporation.

I will re rout the input water in the cooler to the top of the screen rather than the sump. i will also add a cooling tower to the blue drum :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Yeah go from still condenser to top of screens and use the aircon pump to transfer to your blue barrel, wether that is through an extra cooling tower or not is up to you.

Cheers :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Re routed the water today a strip run now raises the temp in the barrel 2 degress c. Better than 6 or 7 :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Just in case it may be of use or perhaps easier I've been running my discharge water into the top of an old car radiator (EL Falcon) with an electric fan shroud. With a bit of PVC pipe and two old radiator hoses, I've got the outlet water going up about half the height of the radiator and into a plastic bin from where it's pumped back through the still. I've got a step-down transformer running just one of the fans and I could run the still all day without the cooling water getting warm.

Prisoner wrote:Just in case it may be of use or perhaps easier I've been running my discharge water into the top of an old car radiator (EL Falcon) with an electric fan shroud. With a bit of PVC pipe and two old radiator hoses, I've got the outlet water going up about half the height of the radiator and into a plastic bin from where it's pumped back through the still. I've got a step-down transformer running just one of the fans and I could run the still all day without the cooling water getting warm.

There are a few threads with setups like that, how about dropping into the welcome centre for a proper intro ;-)