Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Well, I’ve been haunting this website for months now, and it’s about time I had a crack at this still building lark. Before I begin, I need to ‘fess up on a few things.
1. I can’t use tools (apart from a hammer, with which I’m quietly dangerous).
2. I can’t draw diagrams (stick men are a challenge).
3. I’m inordinately lazy and will always cheat at the first opportunity.
Fortunately, the first confession is ameliorated by my almost son-in-law who is an artist with metals and has “volunteered” his assistance in the build. Little does he know that he’ll do all the work, and I’ll take all the kudos.
The second and third confessions stand. I don’t care.

OK. My plan is to build a 4 inch (100mm) modular 4 plate bubbler (perforated plates) with a packed rock extension for neutral production.
Each plate module will be 100mm tall with 19mm diameter 60mm long downcomer. Each will have a 2 inch sight glass. Each plate module will have stainless steel ferrules top and bottom.

The reflux condenser will have 16 x 12.7mm copper tubes inside a 100mm copper jacket. The actual reflux length will be 100mm (if I can get away with that).

The product condenser will be 400mm long (unless folks think 300mm would suffice), 3 inch (76mm) copper jacket with 4 x 19mm copper tubes.

That’s where I’m up to at this point. Any ideas, any criticisms (related to the build!!!), any suggestions??? They will all be welcomed. Any nasty comments will be met with an extreme verbal lambasting (which is NOT a cooking recipe)

Now, design piccies ....

Welcome - and good luck with the build and with the son in law!
:-)

Hi petulance

Good luck with the build.Pretty confident you're selling your self short in the skills department.

Those plans look pretty good for someone that can't draw stick figures :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Just to prove my deplorable skills I present "Self Portrait" which took 14 months to complete... still can't find a buyer....

So what do you like to drink?

On your first confession, you don't need tools if you got someone to do it for you, just don't slip and call him your tool!
On the second and third ones, if your good with it, so are we.

I use 400mm long condensers, but I use 2" and 3 x 3/4" tubes. I'm sure youd get away with 300mm if you wanted, but if you can go longer it wont hurt.
You can sandwitch the plates between where the modules join. It takes some of the pain away doing it like that. If you move the sightglass ferrule to accomodate putting the plates in at the joins, make sure you allow enough room so the clamps dont clash.

And with your self portrait, I don't understand why it wont sell, maybe your not charging enough.
Looks like an Andy Warhole to me.

BB,

Scotch whiskey, irish whiskey, rye whiskey, white lightning, bourbon, ouzo, gin, vodka, applejack, run, tequila, macerated fruit vodkas, ....

If I could only think of the others ...

Hey EG ... I think that's my wife you're flashing pictures of.... (that should read "of whom you're flashing pictures" I think)

At least that's how I see her...

Macerated fruit vodkas? You're in my world now!

Welcome to the forum mate :handgestures-thumbupleft: No good having a dog and barking yourself,let the son in law do all the hard work and you sit back and guide him :handgestures-thumbupleft: and drink stubbies of course,but then again,you can always spend your time wisely,by studying the recipes of the booze you're gunna make :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Just one small thing I could see wrong with your plans......go bigger in the SG department mate,you won't regret it :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Cheers
Alvin

Hey Petulance,
Recent builder myself. I commend you on your decision both to build a bubbler and get the young bloke to make it for you. Good luck with it all mate. You do have a plan which is the first step. Well done.
Must say I agree with the squeaky one. Bigger ports mate.
Get hold of Mac for some guff on his new glasses. They are the shit mate

Bushy

Yeah, I know ... bigger sight glasses. Maybe I'll push up to 3 inch SG's.

But I don't want this thing to look like a vertical multi-eyed Mr Magoo. I just want to know when the plates load and whether they are in danger of flooding badly.

Awright, awright... I give up. I'll modify the plans to 3 inch.... but no bigger.

Note to self : I'll just bet I'm going to regret this, but it seems that size does matter.

On second thoughts, 75mm SGs instead of 50mm SGs really means that I need to lengthen my plate module from 100mm to 120mm, doesn't it? Otherwise 75% of the height of the module is hole. I know 4 inch copper pipe is strong, but I worry about hanging all that weight (product condenser full of water, 180 degree copper turn, etc) on the top of a metre high tower with 4 x 75mm holes in one side.

Is this a concern, or am I imaging engineering problems in the vacuum space that purports to be my engineering knowledge centre?

Petulance wrote:
am I imaging engineering problems in the vacuum space that purports to be my engineering knowledge centre?

:handgestures-thumbupleft:

Petulance wrote:But I don't want this thing to look like a vertical multi-eyed Mr Magoo. I just want to know when the plates load and whether they are in danger of flooding badly.

:handgestures-thumbupleft:

Hey mate, well done on the plans.

What's this shit about not drawing? You knocked some decent computer images there :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Definitely go the 3" sight glasses on 4" column, or you're selling yourself short.

Good luck on the build :-D

OK folks,

3 inch SG's it is. I'll increase the height of the plate modules to 120mm just to ensure there's plenty of room.

I've got the following :

1 metre of 100mm (4in) copper (will have to hire a pipe cutter to cut that ... a hacksaw just won't work)
650mm of 75mm (3in) copper
690mm of 63.5mm (2.5in) copper
3 metres of 12.7mm copper
3 metres of 19.05mm copper

I'll pick up some reducers in the next couple of days and set the lad to work.

I'll also be ordering some stuff from Mac that will make life easier.

Why do I dream in coppertone?

Petulance wrote:... a hacksaw just won't work

You mean 'you' just won't work? :D

A hacksaw will cut a car in half if you do the work...

Plus it's the same copper that's in every other pipe, just more of it to cut through...hacksaw will do the job fine :handgestures-thumbupleft:

If you us a hacksaw and try to go through in one cut ,it will wander and you'll end up with a crooked cut.May even be off by 10-15mm on a large pipe

Trick is to do lots of little cuts around the line you want to cut first.Basically just cutting in a guide track around it.

Then, cut right through and you will have a very good result. Works for me

Excellent advisement there Yummy. You should put that to good use when you get off yr arse and build ya flamin Bubbler.
Should change ya name to Yummyrummygonna. :teasing-tease: :teasing-tease: :handgestures-thumbupleft: