Tightest 1/4" coil

[jim]

Im not very happy with my Leibig condensor. It works great when my still is running in VM mode, but when I'm running in pot still mode I have to run my cooling water running flat out in order to not have steam coming out of the end. My cooling water is still cold coming out the hot end, and my distillate is hot. The leibig is about 900mm long, 1" over 3/4", the last 200mm packed with copper mesh.

I had a couple ideas. One was to make a counterflow chiller with a few meters of 3/8" copper and a garden hose, and when running in pot still mode, adding that to the end of my leibig. This can double as a wort/dunder chiller at the end of the run. I hate waiting for the dunder to cool down enough to pitch onto the yeast.

The other idea was sticking a 1/4" copper coil into a meter of 1", and running the cooling water through the coil, like a inverted graham condensor. The vapor will be going fairly slowly through the 1" giving it plenty of time to condense. Is it possible to fit a 1/4" coil in a 1" pipe? Or will I have to step up to 1.5"?

I suppose a shotgun condensor should be considered as well, but I really want to make the best use of my cooling water possible, and a shotgun doesnt seem like the most efficient condensor from that point of view.

[NotBenStiller]

This guy seemed to do an inner coil with a 1/2 inch inner diameter so you might be able to go a little smaller to fit inside 1inch.
I think there might also be cooled parrots that use a coil inside 1 inch.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 46&t=11554

[Linny]

When I coiled my condenser I had to go 1.25 "... Since your turning 1/4. So in a circle that's 1/2". And I turned mine onto 5/8" pipe which put it just over 1"

[jim]

I had a bit of scrap 1/4" and had a go at wrapping it around some 3/8". It flattened out a bit, but the coil diameter was 7/8". It did feel a bit restrictive when I blew through it, but I think I might have a go at building a full size one, maybe with a water jacket. I havent seen copper pipe in 1 1/4", I might give it a go.

[MacStill]

1 & 1/4 pipe is 32mm, readily available :handgestures-thumbupleft:

As a pot still condenser I wouldnt use it tho.... too much restriction and little through put....

Try your liebig on less of an angle, it should work fine :handgestures-thumbupleft: