Parrot volume

[CH3CH2OH]

What are people using to decrease the volume of distilate stored in an inline parrot?

have a basic design with a drain valve at the bottom of body tube

inline.jpg

A 1/2" fill tube from the condenser down to the parrot body and the volume in the 1" body tube could add up to a fair bit of product held in the parrot

Has anyone tried bits of ss scrubbies in the fill tube?

Any other ideas?

[the Doctor]

Hey CH The idea of using a bit of scrubby in the bottom of the parrot is a good one and one I use mostly to prevent me breaking my alcometer if it is dropped in to the tube ( a certification certificate for my alcometers is $380 ) The scrubbie is cheap insurance against breaking the alcometer if it is dropped into an unfilled tube.... So cheap insurance methinks.
Doc

[CH3CH2OH]

Thanks doc

Already have that in the bottom of the body tube.

I am looking at filling up the other tube that the distillate flows into from the condenser to fill up the parrot. Trying to decrease the amount of liquid in the parrot and since the liquid in the fill tube is the same level as the top of the body tube by filling the fill tube with something like scubbies their should be less volume held in the parrot

[Zak Griffin]

To start, you could use 3/8" pipe for the fill tube...

[the Doctor]

So sorry CH I misread the post... So Scrubbers are largely air with a bit of SS... I will try to think of an alternative which will bulk out the space. Cheers.
Doc

[Bootross]

Maybe you could slip some stripped and cleaned copper wire in there, you could add or remove strands until you got the balance between volume reduction and flow restriction dialled in. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Yummyrum]

To start, you could use 3/8" pipe for the fill tube...

:text-imwithstupid:

[Smbjk]

I'm going with 1/4" tube from the still and 3/4"pipe as the main tube. Fits the hbs alcoholmeter perfectly :D

[CH3CH2OH]

I use an alcometer that I inherited from my father, the one he used to use. Because of the dimensions I need to go with a 1" body tube and want the rigidity of the 1/2 to support it. This is why I want to fill up the tube to reduce the volume, not necessary but thought I'd try to reduce the volume a bit.

Call me sentimental but I really want to use his alcometer with this new bubbler and toast a drop or two to him as I watch the 95% pour out of the parrot!!!

I like the copper wire idea, i'll give it a try and see how it goes

[CH3CH2OH]

what is the consensus on 3/4" body tube?

too narrow causing bobbing alcometer ?

[Dominator]

Yeah thats the consensus. I used 7/8 and I would not go any smaller than that.

[bt1]

Howdy,

std. alco needs 1" to avoid hydraulic effects and false readings. It also needs to be run at 20c normal meter calibration temp.

With minimal effort 1/4" fill tube and a body only just capable of holding the alco at 98% mark(no droppies here) should be able to get volume under 65ml that's about <1.5 min lag for total change and about 20 secs for trend@20% at a very avg 2.5lt/hr....well fast enough even for us outside runners.

bt1

[Brendan]

Hey CH,

If you have a look at my build thread, you'll see I bought the smallest alcometer available (130mm long), and custom built my parrot around that. With designing this parrot down to the very minimum to take the alcometer smoothly, and limit volume, I was able to get down to about 70ml volume (similar to bt's 65ml).

If you are determined to use a larger alcometer, the price you will have to pay is a larger volume with greater lag time in output reactions. My calculated volume with a larger alcometer was in the order of 300ml, so 4x what I have designed it to now...

And 3/4" is too small for the body tube...it will bob up and down and be pointless...just stick with the 1". You can always use a smaller alcometer on the still, and use your Dad's larger one for testing in a glass beaker/flask...

[Bushy]

Hey CH,

If you have a look at my build thread, you'll see I bought the smallest alcometer available (130mm long), and custom built my parrot around that. With designing this parrot down to the very minimum to take the alcometer smoothly, and limit volume, I was able to get down to about 70ml volume (similar to bt's 65ml).

If you are determined to use a larger alcometer, the price you will have to pay is a larger volume with greater lag time in output reactions. My calculated volume with a larger alcometer was in the order of 300ml, so 4x what I have designed it to now...

And 3/4" is too small for the body tube...it will bob up and down and be pointless...just stick with the 1". You can always use a smaller alcometer on the still, and use your Dad's larger one for testing in a glass beaker/flask...

:text-+1:
And at the end of the day you blokes are splittin hairs. I see parrots with bleed valves, parrots that are too small and parrots that just do the job. It doesn't matter because yr cut jars are gonna sort it all out. Personally don't even use an alcymeter any more.

[Brendan]

:text-+1:
And at the end of the day you blokes are splittin hairs. I see parrots with bleed valves, parrots that are too small and parrots that just do the job. It doesn't matter because yr cut jars are gonna sort it all out. Personally don't even use an alcymeter any more.

Yeah I agree bushy. I really just minimised mine as a design challenge I guess...but unless you're separating for 96%ABV, what's the matter of an extra 100ml volume...I'm learning that now with running flavoured spirits, where you take a fairly wide cut anyway...

Do whatever pleases you :-D