Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Hi Lads,
Putting a lot of thought into my bubbler build and have read lots of threads on tube size in the shotgun style RC. Most guys seem to go for either 1/2 or 3/8, just wondering if there would be any benefit to, or if anyone has gone with a greater number of 1/4 pipes, or am I just getting silly?

Just wondering if the extra surface area would cut down the transition time when changes are made to the cooling flow rate. Just curious and figured asking before trying might save me failing where others have failed before lol

Not personally experienced in the construction of any drilling equipment, but my logic tells me the going for more surface area WILL improve knock-down power... but you’d have to weigh that up against the cost of the copper AND your skill in building it/time taken to build it.

I can’t see anything wrong with it, but I’d have to wonder why others haven’t done it yet...

Are you talking rc or pc?

I think 1/4 would be too restrictive in either one especially an rc, it would slow the vapor speed too much. I used 3/4 in my rc and it works fine, it seems to be a common size. 1/2" in a pc is quite normal as well. My 2" 5x1/2" tube pc will knock down 6000w so I guess why change a proven design? In saying that there's nothing wrong with experimenting, all depends on why you want to do it.

I think in an RC you want to have a tube size that will be larger than the size of a drop of the condensed liquid. The vapours rising up need to be able to make it passed (to some degree) the liquid coming down and I think 1/4" will get a bit messy. 1/2" I reckon is as small as you'll want to go seeing as it's cheaper than 3/8".

Not to mention the insane number of holes to drill, then line up the large number of tubes, to finally solder heaps of joints. I’m practicing my soldering with 1/2” tubes, and when they are close together I’m really struggling.

There's a video series I did on how to build a shotty pc in the site donors area if your struggling with it. Hit the donate button at the bottom of the page and you'll have access to them. Whether those videos are worth the money or not I'm not sure but supporting the forum that gives us all this info is I recon. I wouldn't know bugga all without this forum.

Yeah I was just wondering. I had it arse about anyway, for some reason, I was thinking guys were using 3/8 but it’s 3/4 and and that’s working fine. My thinking was Moreno surface area and cheaper than 3/8. I can get heaps of 1/4 for bugger all. It would have been heaps of work and seeing as I had misread, there really is no point.
Thanks for all of your input as always guys. Great brains trust.