My New Toy

Perforated & bubble cap plated columns

Re: My New Toy

Postby The Stig » Wed Mar 06, 2019 8:48 am

Ravvin wrote: I'm pretty sure my 100mm riser section is the same both ends, with no recess.
Greg.

Hi Greg, your 100% correct. The factory has decided that the 100mm section no longer needs the recess no matter what I say thats why you got the custom silicone plate seal just for the base.
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Re: My New Toy

Postby The Stig » Wed Mar 06, 2019 8:56 am

Ravvin wrote:1. When initially setting it all up, do you wrap the sealing rings with PTFE tape right from the start or only later when they get a bit squashed and start leaking? Do not wrap them, just use them till they leak then replace them (best to have spares on hand.
2. How tight do you do up the clamps that hold the sections together? Finger tight with a bit of effort, then again after its heated up
3. How tight do you do up the rings that hold the sight glasses in? Just finger tight, hand tight or use a KLR suspension adjusting spanner on them? Again, just finger tight but lean on them and redo after heat up because they can and will come loose.
4. When distilling, do you leave the Alcometer floating in the parrot the whole time, catching the spirit from the little overflow spigot, or do you just let it drain from the ball valve at the bottom and close it to check every now and then? Leave it in there, the tap is to empty between fractions
5. After a distilling run, do you take it all apart to clean it out, or just remove the reducer over the RC and pour hot water down through it all? I imagine there is liquid left in the bubbler caps on each of the downcomers. I leave mine and just run water down into the boiler
6. How much water is this setup likely to go through in a normal 50L spirits run if I use town water? I have the pump and hoses all set up but the 1000L cube I had is badly deteriorated by the years of UV and has cracked behind the tap and now won't hold water. I have another one lined up but it is still half full of hydraulic oil, so I have to wait a bit to get hold of it. Your going to use heaps of water, best to recirculate if you can

I found that the 4" rolls of copper mesh fit into a 2L coke bottle. Never thought of that, gold. A 500G roll fits perfectly into the 4" pipe its not too tight and not too loose
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Re: My New Toy

Postby The Stig » Wed Mar 06, 2019 8:57 am

Jimmy. wrote: 300 grams per roll works out about right but The stig should confirm this.

500G fits best
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Re: My New Toy

Postby Ravvin » Sat Apr 06, 2019 12:43 pm

Just a quick one, how do you all set up your copper mesh rolls in the 500mm section?
I was going to put one at the bottom, with the second one at the top and fill the space between with stainless scourers, to stop the top one sliding down the pipe.
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Re: My New Toy

Postby The Stig » Sat Apr 06, 2019 12:56 pm

That’s exactly what I do
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Re: My New Toy

Postby Ravvin » Sat Apr 06, 2019 1:11 pm

Cool, thanks for that.
Next job is to cut a hole in the top of my new IBC so I can get the pump in. The hole under the cap is about 30mm too small, even with the outlet pipe removed.
If I make the hole in the high part of the IBC, I shouldn't have any issue with leaves and stuff getting in.
Then I can fire up the steam cleaner and give it a thorough cleaning out. Not sure what was in it last, which is a worry. It left a black sticky residue that dissolves in water and didn't kill the grass when I gave it a quick hose out.
I'll give it a better rinse, spray some detergent around and then steam clean it until there's no more bubbles or smells.

Just had a thought after reading a lot of comments about the different pumps people are using.
I have the Ozito 750w clean/dirty water pump. I'll run 1" line up out of the IBC, with a tee and valve to bypass some flow back into the tank to reduce strain on the pump, then I have 3/4" reinforced hose to the tee inside where the 1/2" braided hoses to the condensers join. The outlet from the condensers is also running through 1/2" pipe and join at a tee that then runs back to the IBC through 3/4" hose.
Has anyone thought of running the pump through a voltage controller to reduce power usage and excess flow/pressure?
The voltage controllers are cheap enough, and it would mean you don't have to go outside to adjust the bypass valve in the tank if you wanted to raise or lower the flow rate to the still.
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Re: My New Toy

Postby Amberale » Sat Apr 06, 2019 4:48 pm

It’s not a challenge but I’m running in tandem with you at the moment.

I’ve got 2/3rds of my Neutraliser and have it part cleaned and set up.
Sparky coming over on Monday to sort out some power issues.
Unfortunately I put a pick through a water pipe today that will mean some more work tomorrow.

I’m following your posts with interest and pleasure.

I’ll start another thread rather than go drifting through yours, but I’m watching. :-B :handgestures-thumbupleft:

AA
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