Hello from Brisbane

[Joycy]

Hi everybody,

I have been reading and researching for a while now and have even come across some things on this forum from Google searches. I currently have a reflux still 75% built, I just need to attach my tower to my boiler and finish it up.

I will start off with some vodka and try to make it as quality as I can. I will experiment with Gin then maybe make a pot still for some Whiskey. Thanks to everybody for the posts and contributions, I have learned a lot in theory, hopefully I can put it into practice.

[Rajika]

Hello from Bris Vegas :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Hope everything comes together with great success !

[Professor Green]

Welcome to AD Joycy

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

[woodduck]

Welcome mate :greetings-waveyellow:

What sort of reflux are you making? Throw a few pics up so we can have a gander. We might be able to give you a few tips :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Joycy]

Pretty much this. It was the best I could find with full instructions and plans to get me started. I will upload some photos soon, it needs some needle valves and a flange to connect it to the stainless lid of the 50l pot. This is my first build and haven't ever even done a run before. Have been reading and collecting info for months so hopefully have enough info to get started.

Is this still a good place to start for some neutral spirits? I'm loving all of the info on here, I've just found the ezy flange post and I think that will help me a lot

[RC Al]

Have you assembled much of it?
Pretty sure some members will chime in with some ideas on that design
Are you height limited?

[Joycy]

I've got most of it made, I don't have the reflux tube or valves on yet and don't have the flange on yet either. I will be doing it in my garage mostly so 2.4m is the max I have to work with

[Doubleuj]

Is that like an offset CM reflux :wtf:
those valves at the bottom have me worried, if theyre both closed accidently then kaboom.
plus the note saying the 2" cap can be easily removed for cleaning... which cap and how is it sealed from letting vapour escape?

[Joycy]

So I've actually soldered the cap in, I was thinking the same, why would you not solder it because it would leak. The top of the 3" there the condenser is, is open so it would never build pressure.
From the instructions on how to use it, left valve open and right valve closed is total reflux. Right valve open, left closed is total takeoff. I think it is measured to 5:1 reflux to take off and is controlled by the needle valves.
I am pretty new to this so any input is welcome on improvements etc. I want to get to grips with fermenting and distilling with what I have, then once I get the hang of it all, build a nice bubbler

[woodduck]

I don't know much about it but why have the cap on the column at all why not use an elbow?

I think this design would work and may even be ok as a pot still with the packing removed?

The reflux tube coming back in so low would waste a bit of space that could be used for packing but I guess that doesn't matter. I would make sure your reflux tube goes back into the middle of your column so the reflux runs down the middle of your packing and not the side of the tube.

Would a boka be better? Who knows? :laughing-rolling:

[Joycy]

When I found it it seemed to be the easiest to build and the best instructions at the time. I will finish it off and see how it goes, if it doesn't seem to be doing what it is supposed to, I guess I build something else :cry:

[RC Al]

Its actually a LM - the valve on the left controls the returned fluid rate and the output valve would do the same to a certain extent, could be used as revese lm if you put a internal riser on the output valve

No need to cut and solder the slant plates, so easier to build than a boka with just normal hardware (dearer on fittings though), should work fine - how much packing length are you working with?

[Sam.]

Looks like a Nixon stone offset still.

Old shit design. Better off researching a bit more mate and building something you will be happy with :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Check out some more current builds in the reflux section of the forum.

[Joycy]

It was the slant plates that put me off originally, that's what made me go with this one. There is around 700mm of packing room available.

Do you guys think I should build something like this one?
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=8468

I could probably swear the fittings off that I have put together and salvage most of it.

Cheers for the advice guys, it is much appreciated