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Re: Inline gin head/packed section design

PostPosted: Sat Feb 10, 2018 8:55 am
by db1979
Sorry guys, I've been busy.

warramungas wrote:Wont work. Tried it. I used nylon bags for botanicals on top of a perforated plate without a downcomer and it works ok but not like a carter head does.
I even tried using a really fine chemical mesh on top of the plate and it blocked the liquid going down and turned the botanicals to slush. Took ages to clean out the top of the still as that crap is sticky.
I made a carter head style inline with my thumper. I have a 2" bubble cap that sits on top of the rc that does not have a downcomer in the plate. The basket sits up above this and everything drips down into the bubble section that has a sight glass and a drain valve. The bubble cap is about 110 mm in height to give plenty of room to go above the drain.
It collects ok when I seal it properly. Looks like a greenish bubble bath when the level comes up a bit.


This is exactly the info I needed. Thanks warra :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I'll still go ahead with the inline gin head and make it usable as a packed section but instead of having a sieve plate, I'll make a 2" bubble plate for the former and a sieve plate (3 to 5 mm holes) for the latter. Obviously, no downcomer. Warra, is your riser 110 mm or your bubble cap 110 mm?

I don't have any 1 1/2" pipe so I'll just use a number of smaller diameter pipes as the riser(s). Should be able to fit 3 x 3/4" into a 2" bubble cap. I remember reading on someone's thread (I think it might have been magnus') that single 2" caps are better than multiple 1" caps in a Carter head because they won't all work identically and vapour may favour one etc. I think multiple risers inside a larger single cap won't be a problem.

Gin basket, I'll have to have a rethink, thanks P3T3rPan for the design.

I'll be running neutral in the boiler so I'll have my RC directly above the boiler, then the gin head with the PC off the side as a blockhead style so I'll be able to change gin baskets easily, no need to have plates under the RC.

I won't be building this straight away; since I moved into my girlfriends place 2 years ago, I finished building my boat, built a 4" bubbler, but have done bugger all on the canoe she wants me to restore and a folding wine table (one like this https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/567735096769944808/ ). So I'll get them out of the way first.

Thanks to everyone else who contributed. :text-thankyoublue: