Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Hi, For those with 4 inch bubblers, what size needle valve do you use to control cooling to the RC assuming about 2400W of power? Found a 1/2 inch BSP needle valve with a 5mm internal orifice. This seems OK and should give reasonable flow so long as the pressure is OK. Don't need reducers if I get this size. Could go bigger but 3/4 inch is 7mm and 1 inch is 9mm. Thoughts?

I just use a 2 x 1/2in bass gate valves from bunnings on the bottom of the RC and the PC. Not sure if the needle valve will have enough flow for full or almost full reflux. Very easy to use the gate valves and you can get the braided lines as well just for some more shine but that's just me.

I run a half in needle valve and it's easy to control and maintains full reflux at only one full turn open.

coffe addict wrote:I run a half in needle valve and it's easy to control and maintains full reflux at only one full turn open.

Same.

:text-+1:

1/2" needle valve on my RC..

Where'd you guys get the 1/2 needle valves from and $?

I got a couple from 5Star when they were in Perth,sorry donot recall the price but it was much cheaper than the $100 plus one I got from another supplier,give Alan or Sue a call and they may be able ta help ya out as they were not listed on there site but they did have a couple in stock.cheers hillzabilly :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Cheers bud, tossing up whether the price is worth it considering i can get gate valves from work. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Use what you want and can get for the price you want to pay.
BUT,
Alot of members here use needle valves, and for good reason.
Controling the distillate output via RC requires fine movement.

scythe wrote:Use what you want and can get for the price you want to pay.
BUT,
Alot of members here use needle valves, and for good reason.
Controling the distillate output via RC requires fine movement.

:text-+1:
You will use what you can easily aquire, but needle valves are the shiz niz :music-deathmetal:

im a bunnin's gate guy... just rig your rc coolant out so you can see it... youll be fine...

(no gaurantees bout the word "youll" tho)

yay applepie!!
:obscene-drinkingdrunk:

This thread is a little old, but maybe you needle valve guys are still watching. I've got a FSD Neutralizer with 4" plates and the associated RC. First run last weekend and the Bunnings gate valve must go, not enough control. My question is regarding size for a needle valve. My gate valve says 1/2" on it, which I assume refers to the gate diameter, because the thread appears to be 3/4". Thus, I use a 3/4" Malte to Male When you guys suggest 1/2" needle valves are you referring to the thread size or another dimension (Note: I know little about valves). It would seem that if 1/2" refers to thread size, you must be using some reducers? I'm guess that a 3/4" valve would allow greater flow than a 1/2", but is that problematic?

Mrs Mac recommended a globe valve over a needle valve to me when I enquired about them a few months ago. You can get them from bunnings.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

What do the bunnings ones look like? How do you view them on the bunnings site? Tried globe valve but nothing shows up..

Professor Green wrote:Mrs Mac recommended a globe valve over a needle valve to me when I enquired about them a few months ago. You can get them from bunnings.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

Cheers Prof, something from Bunnings would be convenient. I've tried the Bunning site too with no luck.

Borneogoat wrote:This thread is a little old, but maybe you needle valve guys are still watching. I've got a FSD Neutralizer with 4" plates and the associated RC. First run last weekend and the Bunnings gate valve must go, not enough control. My question is regarding size for a needle valve. My gate valve says 1/2" on it, which I assume refers to the gate diameter, because the thread appears to be 3/4". Thus, I use a 3/4" Malte to Male When you guys suggest 1/2" needle valves are you referring to the thread size or another dimension (Note: I know little about valves). It would seem that if 1/2" refers to thread size, you must be using some reducers? I'm guess that a 3/4" valve would allow greater flow than a 1/2", but is that problematic?

Plumbing fittings size describes the bore dimensions never the thread dimensions.

Is this the type of globe valve we're talking about:

RS Pro Stainless Steel Globe Valve, 3/4 in BSP 32 bar
http://au.rs-online.com/web/p/globe-valves/4992565/

Bunnings call them gate valves. They only have brass ones which are OK for water cooling. They work by a brass disc (globe?) sliding up and down between some guides in the valve body as you turn the spindle. There is usually some slop in the threads so that you cannot trim up and down as reliably as a needle valve as when you change turning direction it may take half a turn before it starts to move again. Best monitor the flow to get a consistent result.

here you go https://www.bunnings.com.au/kinetic-15m ... e_p4790284

Thought gate valves were different again :think:

My bad. A true globe valve is like this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globe_valve similar to how a tap works but they are not so common except in the process industry.