Height of pot still

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Height of pot still

Postby Troy » Tue Jul 03, 2018 1:07 am

Hello

This is my first post I think so hello to everyone. So much great information here. I have a simple still with a keg as a boiler and a 2" copper tube going up about 80cm then off to a leidbig condenser. Works pretty good but the condenser isnt big enough so as the temp rises it has trouble knocking it down so im gonna build a whole new still. I am still going to follow this simple design though and was wondering about the difference that occurs if you change the height of the column. I am assuming it would let more through but I could be way off.

If it does though (I use this still mostly for whisky) would having a shorter column make heavier tasting whisky. Also, would making the diameter of the column wider do a similar thing. I was thinking of going to 63 mm but mainly cause it looks good! If there are some benefits to weigh up also then all the better.

Cheers
Troy
 
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Re: Height of pot still

Postby db1979 » Tue Jul 03, 2018 9:06 am

Welcome mate

The height is mostly to prevent pukes from getting to your condenser. You'll get a bit of passive reflux from a higher column too. The width of the column determines the speed you can run at.

You should build a shotgun condenser instead of a liebig. They are heaps more efficient and take up less space.
How much 2 1/2" do you have? You could build a 400 mm long shotgun out of your 2 1/2" and keep your still the way it is for now. 2" is also great for a shotgun so you could make your condenser out of 2" and column out of 2 1/2".

If you can get your hands on some 4" you could have a 4" column and then cut it up later on when you upgrade to a bubbler :D :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Height of pot still

Postby RC Al » Tue Jul 03, 2018 9:20 am

Welcome
Sounds like you need a voltage controller too
Pot stills generally need one to avoid the very thing that is happening to yours
Work one out before you get going on a new still, you can use what you have better and you will need it (in theory) to achieve the control you need for slower spirit runs (better booze) on the new setup too
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Re: Height of pot still

Postby coffe addict » Tue Jul 03, 2018 9:55 am

:text-+1: start with a controller. What size is your element? To put it in perspective for you my last whisky run I ran in pot still mode with a 4in column and an 80L boiler. I was probably around 1200w at the start of the run.
Building a shotgun condenser would enable you to run faster on stripping runs but so would a larger cooling tank that doesn't heat up as much.
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Re: Height of pot still

Postby Troy » Tue Jul 03, 2018 3:38 pm

Hey thanks for the tips. Ive been looking into a shotgun condenser so I think I will try building one of those for sure. I use gas but want to build towards using electric but still trying to work out what my shed can handle. It is running on a 16 A Circuit. Would any one know how big of an element it could handle, if any, and if it would be strong enough for a 50 L boiler. I typically only fill it to 30 - 35 L at most because it did puke on me once with about 40 L.

For now i guess I should just run it slower towards the end of the run to help stop the breathing coming out of my condenser.

Cheers all!
Troy
 
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Apr 26, 2017 8:04 pm
equipment: home made still

Re: Height of pot still

Postby Troy » Tue Jul 03, 2018 3:50 pm

And thanks db1979,

The still i first built is in no way modular but I think I will take your advice and keep it at 2" with a shotgun condenser at maybe 2 1/2 for ease of build and fitting in the smaller tubes. Ill keep looking into it but I think your advice will stick.
Troy
 
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Apr 26, 2017 8:04 pm
equipment: home made still

Re: Height of pot still

Postby Plumby » Tue Jul 03, 2018 5:09 pm

I have a 2 inch potty with Liebig condenser as well, I strip run flat out on a 2400 watt element and my product is slightly warm. When I spirit run I use my power controller and the spirit is always cool too the touch.
How fast do you spirit run? I run my still during a spirit run fast enough that the output is just faster than the fastest drips, only just a dribble.
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equipment: 50 litre keg boiler with a 2200watt element and a 2 inch pot still called Shaniqua with a 32mm over 19mm 800mm long liebig condenser attached.

Re: Height of pot still

Postby Troy » Wed Jul 04, 2018 12:10 pm

Hello Plumby

By the sounds of it I run it at about the same pace as you for my spirit run. I cant do much faster for my strip. I notices in the gear you use that you have a 800 mm condense. I just measured mine for the first time and it is barely 450 mm. I think I have a problem there. Also I only use an old keg for holding my cooling water. I have 2 so I switch between them while doing my run but towards the end they heat up real fast. I feel switching them though doesnt give me a problem of 2 hot of a cooling water just hugely inconveinient.

I am gonna get either an IBC of 44 gallon rum, the 44 gallon drum will fit nicely behind the shed and I can run some hose in through some old simple plumbing holes so prolly gonna go with that.

Just curious as I am still trying to work out what power I can run when converting to electric. How big of a circuit do you need to run the 2400 watt element you have. Your setup sound just about exactly what I would like to run. I never have had problems with gas except for running out but I would like to switch to electric for both brewing and stilling.

I was thinking though of a hybrid using gas to help get to temp faster then electric with a thermostat and temp regulator for temp control.

Cheers
Troy
 
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equipment: home made still

Re: Height of pot still

Postby Plumby » Wed Jul 04, 2018 12:46 pm

I have a 1000 litre ibc for cooling water and I run my element off a standard 10amp power point. If you go the 44 gallon drum mabey consider using an old car radiator with shroud and fan to cool down the water from the still before it enters the drum again.
Your condenser is on the small size but you don't have to build a shotgun condenser just because everyone says you should. Yes they are an awesome condenser and very efficient but ultimately its up to you what you build based on your skill set, budget and available tools and materials.
I made a Liebig because that's the material I had on hand to build, id love a shotty but ill happily admit that my soldering skills are not good enough yet. ( believe me I've tried )
Last edited by Plumby on Wed Jul 04, 2018 12:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Plumby
 
Posts: 1175
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equipment: 50 litre keg boiler with a 2200watt element and a 2 inch pot still called Shaniqua with a 32mm over 19mm 800mm long liebig condenser attached.

Re: Height of pot still

Postby Troy » Wed Jul 04, 2018 1:26 pm

Man, I dont think your soldering skill could be any worse then mine! I think I might leave a shotty for the future and build a longer leidbig for now. I have the parts to do that right now so that will keep me going.

I think I rushed my first build so a few design flaws!

I think I will go for the IBC. Such a large mass of water, I wont have to keep draining and refilling like I do now.

Defiantly gonna go for the element though. Might get a sparky mate around to come have a look at things but that seems the way to go!

cheers for the advice.
Troy
 
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Apr 26, 2017 8:04 pm
equipment: home made still

Re: Height of pot still

Postby Plumby » Wed Jul 04, 2018 1:55 pm

All good man, if you go for an element you will need a power controller for spirit runs. Plenty of build threads around here.
Plumby
 
Posts: 1175
Joined: Sat Aug 02, 2014 7:19 am
Location: South East Queensland
equipment: 50 litre keg boiler with a 2200watt element and a 2 inch pot still called Shaniqua with a 32mm over 19mm 800mm long liebig condenser attached.

Re: Height of pot still

Postby Troy » Wed Jul 04, 2018 4:04 pm

Yea I have been looking at a few of those. This site is so good.
Troy
 
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Apr 26, 2017 8:04 pm
equipment: home made still

Re: Height of pot still

Postby Plumby » Wed Jul 04, 2018 4:53 pm

I have one of these http://m.ebay.com.au/itm/220V-AC-4000W- ... nav=SEARCH
I put it in a large junction box and had a safety switch put in there as well. That way if anything bad happens I don't get stuck to the boiler or blow anything up.
Plumby
 
Posts: 1175
Joined: Sat Aug 02, 2014 7:19 am
Location: South East Queensland
equipment: 50 litre keg boiler with a 2200watt element and a 2 inch pot still called Shaniqua with a 32mm over 19mm 800mm long liebig condenser attached.

Re: Height of pot still

Postby RC Al » Wed Jul 04, 2018 9:35 pm

:text-+1: On an IBC, my 900w Element is enough to screw with my RC after 3-4 hours running through a 200l blue drum - a whopping 2x5l batches :laughing-rolling:
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Re: Height of pot still

Postby db1979 » Wed Jul 04, 2018 9:50 pm

Plumby wrote:If you go the 44 gallon drum mabey consider using an old car radiator with shroud and fan to cool down the water from the still before it enters the drum again.

:text-+1: due to room constraints I run a twin fan radiator with shrouds and allows me to recirculate a measly 20 L of water and it copes with 4000 W stripping runs from my bubbler (RC turned off) even in summer. If space isn't a premium, go for an ibc.
db1979
 
Posts: 1760
Joined: Sat Dec 29, 2012 3:47 pm
Location: South of the big smoke in banana bender land.
equipment: Eve - 4" x 4 plate solid state bubbler (sieve plates), 330 mm packed section on a keg boiler with 2 x 2000 W elements.
Currently having a makeover: 2" x 4 plate solid state bubbler (1" bubble caps, no sight glasses...maybe not for much longer!) on a bain-marie boiler.


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