4" Blockhead mashup bubbler

Perforated & bubble cap plated columns

Re: 4" Blockhead mashup bubbler

Postby rumdidlydum » Mon Oct 10, 2016 9:49 pm

Man I wish I had your tig skills :mrgreen:
Great work mate, keep[ the build momentum up :handgestures-thumbupleft:
rumdidlydum
 
Posts: 2619
Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2013 7:20 pm
Location: CQ
equipment: The infamous Illuminated chicken leg boiler, Rum glass and other bits and bobs

Re: 4" Blockhead mashup bubbler

Postby nuddy » Sun Oct 16, 2016 11:16 am

2/3 of an ebay order arrived not sure where the rest of it is. :sad:

Spent my saturday night making these.....
Image

Into these.
Image

5 tee sections and 1 longer blockhead section, 3" 90 degree bend with matching ferrule for blockhead and the 3" to 1" reducer for the end of the PC.

Just need to find an easy way to create the openings in the tee sections for the sight glass ferrules. Gonna do a test drill and see how she goes on an offcut of stainless tube I have laying around.

Forgot how time consuming stainless is to work with. Glad this is a make it once and make it right deal.



I'm thinking of putting some temp probes in,

1 in the top of the boiler to check boil temps, does it matter whether this is in the vapour mix or liquid mix>
1 in the blockhead to check temps after the RC

Will this be adequate for a little more visual feedback whilst stilling?
nuddy
 
Posts: 168
Joined: Sat May 14, 2016 2:55 pm
equipment: 2" bokabob
4" blockhead bubbler build in progress

Re: 4" Blockhead mashup bubbler

Postby Bushy » Wed Oct 19, 2016 10:46 pm

Stainless is a pain in the arse. Love the way yr build is looking though. I personally don't have a thermometer in the system but plenty of people do. The most important meter I have is a flow meter for the RC coolant.
Bushy
 
Posts: 1003
Images: 0
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2012 8:25 am
Location: Crabland, West Australia
equipment: 50l keg boiler with 5Star 3600 watt element
4 inch plated column. 4 perf plates.
Lava Rock Behemoth

Re: 4" Blockhead mashup bubbler

Postby Lowie » Tue Oct 25, 2016 1:11 pm

Great build nuddy.
I'm "borrowing" your plans and putting together my cut list now! :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Lowie
 
Posts: 712
Joined: Sun May 24, 2015 1:32 pm
Location: Crow eater
equipment: 4", 4 plate "Frankenfurter" copper bubbler and blockhead on a 50L 3000W electric boiler, 10000W controller - don't even know why I need that much, all grain HERMS system through 18G HLT keg and 50L mash tun.

Re: 4" Blockhead mashup bubbler

Postby nuddy » Sat Oct 29, 2016 3:28 pm

Got these bad boys all together finally.
Image

Was a bit of an expensive week (it was actually an afternoon with a lot of swearing), managed to break a brand new hole saw, then the hole saw arbor and finally the keyless chuck. They say bad things come in 3's right.

Got some parts ordered from 5 Star just awaiting their arrival along with the remaining 1/3 of my ebay order which is sitting in customs at the moment.

Soon my pretty, sooooon.


Bushy wrote:Stainless is a pain in the arse. Love the way yr build is looking though. I personally don't have a thermometer in the system but plenty of people do. The most important meter I have is a flow meter for the RC coolant.


Got myself 2 flow meters that I'm gonna plumb up for the condensers.

Lowie wrote:Great build nuddy.
I'm "borrowing" your plans and putting together my cut list now! :handgestures-thumbupleft:


Lowie go ahead mate, all my plans have come from peoples ideas and hard work on this site. The more the merrier :)
nuddy
 
Posts: 168
Joined: Sat May 14, 2016 2:55 pm
equipment: 2" bokabob
4" blockhead bubbler build in progress

Re: 4" Blockhead mashup bubbler

Postby Lowie » Wed Nov 09, 2016 7:59 am

I'm keen to see How your blockhead turns out and how you plan to build your gin basket. That's the missing ingredient I haven't been able to find on this forum yet!
Lowie
 
Posts: 712
Joined: Sun May 24, 2015 1:32 pm
Location: Crow eater
equipment: 4", 4 plate "Frankenfurter" copper bubbler and blockhead on a 50L 3000W electric boiler, 10000W controller - don't even know why I need that much, all grain HERMS system through 18G HLT keg and 50L mash tun.

Re: 4" Blockhead mashup bubbler

Postby Zak Griffin » Wed Nov 09, 2016 8:34 am

What do you need to know about building a gin basket, Lowie? Have a look at my Heart of Gold thread, I just built one for my 3" carter head :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Zak Griffin
Lifetime Member
 
Posts: 6832
Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 9:34 pm
Location: Radelaide
equipment: "The Heart of Gold" - 4" Bubbler - finally bubbling!
"Zaphod" - 3" Pot - retired
"Agrajag" - 6" Bubbler - midlife crisis build?

Re: 4" Blockhead mashup bubbler

Postby aussiebrewer » Wed Nov 09, 2016 10:53 am

Lowie wrote:I'm keen to see How your blockhead turns out and how you plan to build your gin basket. That's the missing ingredient I haven't been able to find on this forum yet!

easy, slice one down, take a few mm off the diameter, place it inside some 4" so its right size and braze it back up, file or grind smooth and hey presto a 4" pipe to the inside diameter of the 4' original one
aussiebrewer
 
Posts: 96
Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2016 12:36 pm
equipment: pot still on a 50l keg

Re: 4" Blockhead mashup bubbler

Postby coffe addict » Wed Nov 09, 2016 11:30 am

As aussiebrewer said cut a piece of 4in length ways and trim some off till it will Fit inside 4in braze a perforated plate on one end and a handle on the other.

:handgestures-thumbupleft:
coffe addict
 
Posts: 1027
Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2015 12:00 pm
Location: Brisbane central
equipment: 18 gal keg boiler on its side on wheel's with fill port, 1in drain and 2x2.4kw elements
4in 5 plate modular blockhead with optional infusion basket

Re: 4" Blockhead mashup bubbler

Postby Lowie » Thu Nov 10, 2016 1:48 pm

Thanks guys. Too easy! :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Does the blockhead have a removable lid then? Any pickiest to get my head around it would be great.
Lowie
 
Posts: 712
Joined: Sun May 24, 2015 1:32 pm
Location: Crow eater
equipment: 4", 4 plate "Frankenfurter" copper bubbler and blockhead on a 50L 3000W electric boiler, 10000W controller - don't even know why I need that much, all grain HERMS system through 18G HLT keg and 50L mash tun.

Re: 4" Blockhead mashup bubbler

Postby Zak Griffin » Thu Nov 10, 2016 2:38 pm

Have a look at this post - viewtopic.php?f=36&t=9681&start=240#p174266

It's for my carter head, but a blockhead is the same principle. I still need to solder a handle onto the top so I can easily remove it.
Zak Griffin
Lifetime Member
 
Posts: 6832
Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 9:34 pm
Location: Radelaide
equipment: "The Heart of Gold" - 4" Bubbler - finally bubbling!
"Zaphod" - 3" Pot - retired
"Agrajag" - 6" Bubbler - midlife crisis build?

Re: 4" Blockhead mashup bubbler

Postby nuddy » Mon Dec 05, 2016 9:27 pm

Been a lil busy as of late. The build has progressed however. Plumbed up the water lines to the condensers, given the plates a citric bath. Put 2 TPW down this evening and fingers crossed I'll be putting vinegar and sac runs through it this weekend.

More pics to come. Stay tuned.
nuddy
 
Posts: 168
Joined: Sat May 14, 2016 2:55 pm
equipment: 2" bokabob
4" blockhead bubbler build in progress

Re: 4" Blockhead mashup bubbler

Postby nuddy » Tue Dec 06, 2016 10:07 pm

Pic time.

Plates all soldered up, I've drilled 2 x 1.5mm weep holes into the plates and 1 x 1.5mm weep hole into the downslope side of the downcomer caps. I don't imagine this will impact the plates loaded and holding liquid. Someone please chime in if I need to plug these up.

Pre citric acid bath.
Image
Image

Test assembly for brown spirits configuration, will be 4 plates but had the 5th module to check out alignment.
Image

Test assembly for neutral/vodkas configuration.
Image

Excuse the rag taped onto the top of the blockhead, I'm one tri clamp short ha. Getting this sorted out this week.
Parrot missed the photo opportunity.

Test assembly on the boiler.
Image

Water lines and flow meters installed
Image

Rear view
Image

Close up of the flow meters
Image

I've pressure tested the cooling system and shes leak free. Fingers crossed I haven't jinked myself.

All that's left to do is:
- Attach the sight glasses and do a leak test on the column.
- Order a few more 4" tri clamp parts for the blockhead top section.
- Vinegar run, then sacrificial alco run.

Do I need to give everything a citric acid bath before the vinegar run? All copper parts have had a bath. Stainless parts not yet, though they have had pickling paste on em in places then thoroughly washed off.

Aiming to have everything build related sorted before this weekend.
nuddy
 
Posts: 168
Joined: Sat May 14, 2016 2:55 pm
equipment: 2" bokabob
4" blockhead bubbler build in progress

Re: 4" Blockhead mashup bubbler

Postby rumdidlydum » Wed Dec 07, 2016 9:36 am

Almost there mate :handgestures-thumbupleft:
The weep holes will work fine. I think mine are about the same size :think:
The stainless will need a good wash down with warm soapy water to get any grime off and the pickling paste.
It doesn't need to be an citric wash,m if it was copper definitely :D
rumdidlydum
 
Posts: 2619
Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2013 7:20 pm
Location: CQ
equipment: The infamous Illuminated chicken leg boiler, Rum glass and other bits and bobs

Re: 4" Blockhead mashup bubbler

Postby CyBaThUg » Thu Jan 05, 2017 10:19 pm

Hey mate a couple questions
Did u just use a 3 inch hole saw for cutting your hole out on all your t piece modules
Did u use a dremmel to notch your sight glass piece or a normal grinder
CyBaThUg
 
Posts: 493
Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2012 7:54 pm
Location: townsville
equipment: pot still

Re: 4" Blockhead mashup bubbler

Postby CyBaThUg » Thu Jan 05, 2017 10:24 pm

Also does the 3 mm plate on your rc fit nicely butted up to a ferrule with gasket and tri clamped
CyBaThUg
 
Posts: 493
Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2012 7:54 pm
Location: townsville
equipment: pot still

Re: 4" Blockhead mashup bubbler

Postby Bushy » Sat Jan 07, 2017 9:08 am

Great looking still Bloke. You make me wanta tidy up my cooling system. Well done.
Bushy
 
Posts: 1003
Images: 0
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2012 8:25 am
Location: Crabland, West Australia
equipment: 50l keg boiler with 5Star 3600 watt element
4 inch plated column. 4 perf plates.
Lava Rock Behemoth

Re: 4" Blockhead mashup bubbler

Postby nuddy » Sat Jan 07, 2017 11:26 am

CyBaThUg wrote:Hey mate a couple questions
Did u just use a 3 inch hole saw for cutting your hole out on all your t piece modules
Did u use a dremmel to notch your sight glass piece or a normal grinder

I went with a slightly smaller size than 3" hole saw, think it was 2" 7/8 (73mm) hole saw in the drill press. This allowed the sight glass tube a little bit of lap to sit on, made squaring them up a lot easier. Then tigged em on.

Clamp the absolute jesus out of the piece in your drill press. I ended up making a custom jig to hold the 4" tube after destroying the first hole saw doing a test drill on some scrap that I thought I had pretty secure.

The notches were marked out with a permanent marker then cut with a 5" angle grinder and finished up on the linishing belt.

CyBaThUg wrote:Also does the 3 mm plate on your rc fit nicely butted up to a ferrule with gasket and tri clamped

Fits amazingly snug with one of Mac's seals in there.
nuddy
 
Posts: 168
Joined: Sat May 14, 2016 2:55 pm
equipment: 2" bokabob
4" blockhead bubbler build in progress

Re: 4" Blockhead mashup bubbler

Postby nuddy » Sat Jan 07, 2017 11:39 am

Bushy wrote:Great looking still Bloke. You make me wanta tidy up my cooling system. Well done.

Cheers bushy, give it a go, makes everything much smoother to run with.
nuddy
 
Posts: 168
Joined: Sat May 14, 2016 2:55 pm
equipment: 2" bokabob
4" blockhead bubbler build in progress

Re: 4" Blockhead mashup bubbler

Postby CyBaThUg » Thu Jan 12, 2017 11:24 am

Hey nuddy cheers did u machine out a groove for the gasket to sit in or does it work fine with a flat surface
CyBaThUg
 
Posts: 493
Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2012 7:54 pm
Location: townsville
equipment: pot still

PreviousNext

Return to Plated Column Stills



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 12 guests

x