Plate disabling systems

[Aussiedownunder01]

Hi is there any photos around of plate downloaders

[MacStill]

you mean downcomers ?

IMG_0965.JPG

IMG_1009.JPG

IMG_0979x.JPG

Before the cup goes on.

IMG_0981 x.JPG

[Aussiedownunder01]

No downloader i saw a photo today [cant find it again ] of a column with little valves [taps] coming out from each plate they called them plate downloaders

[MacStill]

your talking about a plate disabling system, never heard it referred to as a downloader 8-}

Plate-Tree-and-Drainage.jpg

[Aussiedownunder01]

your talking about a plate disabling system, never heard it referred to as a downloader 8-}

Yep thats it just interested to learn more about them i see most of the larger stills have them

[Brendan]

Just right click on the plate, and download it :-B

image.jpg

Sorry, couldn't help it :laughing-rolling:

[bt1]

I built a two disabler.

It changes abv, theory says allows more flavour.

Not convinced.

A plate take off now that's another story....see some merit but have yet to research it past the chem industy blurb of taking separate factions.

bt1

[crow]

My thoughts (for what they are worth) on this is that the whole idea was kinda superseded by the modular concept . that is you are unlikely to want to disable or enable plates mid run so rather than going to all the hass of building and running this its easier to just decide how many plates you would like to run for a given run and add or remove them , problem solvered :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Kimbo]

My thoughts (for what they are worth) on this is that the whole idea was kinda superseded by the modular concept . that is you are unlikely to want to disable or enable plates mid run so rather than going to all the hass of building and running this its easier to just decide how many plates you would like to run for a given run and add or remove them , problem solvered :handgestures-thumbupleft:

:text-imwithstupid:

[MacStill]

The idea has merit IMHO, but it's a lot of rooting around for little gain.

By having 5 plates and allowing to disable 2 will do a couple of things.

being you still get the heads compression of a 5 plater, then disable desired plates for the run to get the flavour and ABV of a three plater.

makes cleaning/flushing bubble cap plates easy.

Personally I wouldnt bother unless I was going to run wash's in excess of 150 to 200 L.

[crow]

Ok well i got to ask : wouldn't this system run slower than a normal bubbler ?
I did see one design I liked which had the plates on a butterfly system like you have in a carbie now that seemed not to hard to do and very easy to opporate

[MacStill]

Cant see how mate, it'll run as quick as you want to push it via heat and reflux ratio

[Yummyrum]

Here's a link to OD's Plate disabling still http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 17&t=20947

Heres a couple of pics of it .Hope Old Dog doesn't mind .

Can't find the exact link but OD in summary was not all that impressed .Again OD chime in please.

[googe]

Ok well i got to ask : wouldn't this system run slower than a normal bubbler ?
I did see one design I liked which had the plates on a butterfly system like you have in a carbie now that seemed not to hard to do and very easy to opporate

That's an awesome idea crow!!! :think:

[emptyglass]

Ok well i got to ask : wouldn't this system run slower than a normal bubbler ?
I did see one design I liked which had the plates on a butterfly system like you have in a carbie now that seemed not to hard to do and very easy to opporate

I'd love to see it. I am curious as to how he/she sealed the cross shafts, and also got a good enough seal with the column wall when the plates were called into operation.
Oh shit, nearly forgot, did the downcomers swing with the plates? I guess they would have, so probably had j cups on each plate....I guess...
Must have been on one of those European sites that I cant understand.
:))

[MacStill]

was on artisan I think, not sure it ever got completed.... but yeh :wtf:

[crow]

actually it was described as in I don't think it was built. I'm pretty sure by OD yeah from memory the idea was to have an axle set up sealing it would be not to hard and the idea was to just use some sort of key (like a spanner would work) on the pin/axle that would extend out. yes naturally it would have to be perf plates with a J or hey a centre cap would work to I guess. Who ever it was you came up with this got shot to bits for all sorts of reasons but none of them were particularly logical, like always when someone describes something before its ever been done ;-)
PS yeah ok Mac might have been , it was a long time ago I saw it . I have made reference to it here in some other thread maybe six month or more ago

[punchy21]

actually it was described as in I don't think it was built. I'm pretty sure by OD yeah from memory the idea was to have an axle set up sealing it would be not to hard and the idea was to just use some sort of key (like a spanner would work) on the pin/axle that would extend out. yes naturally it would have to be perf plates with a J or hey a centre cap would work to I guess. Who ever it was you came up with this got shot to bits for all sorts of reasons but none of them were particularly logical, like always when someone describes something before its ever been done ;-)
PS yeah ok Mac might have been , it was a long time ago I saw it . I have made reference to it here in some other thread maybe six month or more ago

Was it this one?? :think:

http://www.artisan-distiller.net/phpBB3 ... =61&t=5020

[crow]

Nup not the right thread

[emptyglass]

Plate disabling is probably good for the commercial guys, or a still thats mounted in permanantly. That would let you set the still for a particular product, and run it.
But for most of us, like mac said, go modular and set it up with the apropriate plates, or remove/add plates to a plate tree.

I think MR made a plate drian that went from the top plate to the bottom plate, in an effort to achive higher purification, but his comments were that he got better success with packing.

I guess if your still is 20 feet tall, with 40 plates, you are not going to want to strip it down, so they could be real handy there.