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80L Boiler Plan

PostPosted: Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:46 pm
by deryn
I got very lucky on the weekend and managed to find 2 old 80L kegs on Facebook Marketplace, not far out of Brisbane, $110 for both. I'd already read on here that they are getting hard to find these days, so I jumped at the chance.

1.jpg

One is complete and in pretty good condition, the other has had it's ass cut out and is a little beat up. To start with I'm just going to use one keg. That's already a huge upgrade from my t500. Then maybe one day i'll want to frankenstein them both into a bigger boiler (like chief or hillzabilly). I've been doing a lot of reading on here and decided I will build the boiler with the keg horizontal similar to r1zzlas. The plan is:

- 4" ferrule, top, middle
- Two elements low in one end
- 6" fill/cleaning port, top, the opposite end to the elements so I don't risk spilling on them
- Existing hole faced downward, to use it as a low point for a drain
- Add some legs, lifting it high enough that i can slide a bucket under the drain

If any of you experienced guys see any potential problems or improvements I'd love to hear them.
This is going to take me a long time, so I'm going to hold off on buying a still, and by the time it's done I may have the money together to buy a full 4 plate bubbler rather than just the modular pot still.

First job, get those kegs clean and shiny.

Re: 80L Boiler Plan

PostPosted: Mon Oct 15, 2018 10:17 pm
by j0sh2008
Nice score !!! :handgestures-thumbupleft:


Looking forward to seeing the boiler build. I picked up an 80L awhile ago also, one day i will get around to turning it into a boiler.

Re: 80L Boiler Plan

PostPosted: Tue Oct 16, 2018 7:06 am
by Doubleuj
Sounds like a plan :handgestures-thumbupleft: if you’ve got a 15 amp circuit then go 1x 3600w and 1x 2400w elements

Re: 80L Boiler Plan

PostPosted: Tue Oct 16, 2018 11:55 am
by Chief
I really like the central element box that nuddy did on his boiler. A great idea for a 80L keg done horizontally so that u can still do small wash runs if needed

Re: 80L Boiler Plan

PostPosted: Tue Oct 16, 2018 11:56 am
by Chief

Re: 80L Boiler Plan

PostPosted: Tue Oct 16, 2018 12:01 pm
by Chief
I would also be positioning the 6inch ferrel in the middle of the boiler so that you can easily reach your arm to all surfaces at each end for better access cleaning.
Having a three inch with site glass as an inspection port at the top near center is handy for monitoring for foam up if running a fairly full wash. Monitored appropriately can save a puke in the column

Re: 80L Boiler Plan

PostPosted: Tue Oct 16, 2018 2:41 pm
by bluc
Or two six inch ones.. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Re: 80L Boiler Plan

PostPosted: Tue Oct 16, 2018 2:53 pm
by deryn
Thank you for the input everyone.
In your experience, am I likely to be taking the column off to do a boiler clean? If so, maybe i should just have a big 6" in the middle and mount the still with a 6" to 4" reducer. Then have a 3" sight glass, as suggested, on one side and the thermo port on the other side. I could use the 3" as a fill port and the 6" to 4" reducer would give me a tiny bit more head room. And my OCD would appreciate the whole thing looking a bit more symmetrical.

Re: 80L Boiler Plan

PostPosted: Tue Oct 16, 2018 6:02 pm
by Wobblyboot
I’d put 1 that shape on its side, something like this viewtopic.php?f=49&t=6425
Steampunk did good 1 as well :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Re: 80L Boiler Plan

PostPosted: Tue Oct 16, 2018 9:42 pm
by Chief
I basically never take my column off my boiler and switched to a block head to be able to avoid having to, among other reasons. I just take the lid off the block head and thoroughly rinse the column and PC after each wash. Once a year (or there abouts subject to use) I do a vinegar run to remove sulphides. Every run I rinse the boiler and give the inside a rub with a wet cloth.

I would hate to have to take the column off and on all the time and have tried to make doing a run as efficient and painless as possible. I love the hobby but when you spend 5 hours or so babysitting the still every run from start to finish already any efficiency improvements you can make gives you more time for the rest of life.

My vote is a 4 inch column mount with a six inch centered length wise and offset to the front. This makes for easy cleaning and a good fill point. No need for funnels when pouring buckets of solution in to a six inch ferrel I have found not that I use them for wash transfers anymore. Could then put a 3 inch each side for symmetrical OCD, one as a sight glass other for thermo

Re: 80L Boiler Plan

PostPosted: Wed Oct 17, 2018 3:47 pm
by woodduck
I'm not saying don't put a big ferrel on there but don't do it just for cleaning sake. I've been running this boiler for 4 years now and I've never cleaned it or scrubbed it, I give it a rinse with a hose at the end of a run and that's it. The only time I've ever put my arm in there is to put the elements in.

Here's a photo of my boiler that I took today after a run. It has some marks/stains/gunk in the bottom but I don't think it's too bad considering what came out of it :laughing-rolling:

IMG_20181017_160919.jpg

You definitely don't want to be putting your still on and off all the time, major pain in the rear.

Re: 80L Boiler Plan

PostPosted: Wed Oct 17, 2018 6:06 pm
by dans.brew
woodduck wrote:
Here's a photo of my boiler that I took today after a run. It has some marks/stains/gunk in the bottom but I don't think it's too bad considering what came out of it. :laughing-rolling:

Your top element looks a bit like mine after i ran it without any wet stuff touching it.. :angry-banghead:

Re: 80L Boiler Plan

PostPosted: Wed Oct 17, 2018 6:29 pm
by woodduck
No the bottom one is new because I ran it without the wet stuff 8-} :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

Top one is original :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Re: 80L Boiler Plan

PostPosted: Wed Oct 17, 2018 8:04 pm
by dans.brew
woodduck wrote:No the bottom one is new because I ran it without the wet stuff 8-} :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

Top one is original :handgestures-thumbupleft:

:laughing-rolling:
Fair enough... id barely ran mine much before i flicked it on without thinking, thought id buggered it for sure.

Re: 80L Boiler Plan

PostPosted: Thu Oct 25, 2018 2:16 pm
by deryn
Today I received my first batch of shiny bits from FSD :happy-partydance: .

I decided on:
6" in the middle (still trying to source a long ferrule)
4" glass above the elements
4" fill port away from the elements
2" drain on the existing 2" hole
2" element ports

The 3 top ports may be a bit excessive, but I want it to be a pleasure to use. I figured 4" at either end will make regular cleaning easy enough, and then I can take the 6" off on the odd occasion I really want to get in there. Nice and symmetrical, and those FSD fill ports just look so damn cool :music-deathmetal: .

IMG_0760.jpg

Re: 80L Boiler Plan

PostPosted: Thu Oct 25, 2018 2:18 pm
by deryn
Oh yeah, for the actual build I will be using the other keg that's in better condition.

Re: 80L Boiler Plan

PostPosted: Thu Oct 25, 2018 6:26 pm
by scythe
Get a bit of 316 stainless pipe to extend the ferrule,
Cheaper than a full ferrule

Re: 80L Boiler Plan

PostPosted: Thu Oct 25, 2018 7:38 pm
by Rock
scythe wrote:Get a bit of 316 stainless pipe to extend the ferrule,
Cheaper than a full ferrule

Now thats thinking
:text-+1:

Re: 80L Boiler Plan

PostPosted: Thu Oct 25, 2018 8:19 pm
by nuddy
Sounds like you're all over it deryn.

Good score grabbing those 80L kegs. Nothing better than more boiler volume.

I like the idea of giving it some height so you can drain it easily, just remember it's gonna add to overall height if you do end up putting a bubbler on top. Not sure what the ceiling height is like in ya distilling room.

Chief wrote:I basically never take my column off my boiler and switched to a block head to be able to avoid having to, among other reasons. I just take the lid off the block head and thoroughly rinse the column and PC after each wash.

:text-+1: I do the same with post run cleaning, absolute breeze, biggest pain is coiling up the hose after :handgestures-thumbupleft: .

If ya can't find any 6" pipe to make the longer 6" ferrule, can always use some sheet rolled into shape. Got any boily mates that can sort ya out?

Looking forward to seeing this build.

Re: 80L Boiler Plan

PostPosted: Thu Oct 25, 2018 9:44 pm
by hillzabilly
With ya 6inch long ferrule ,I came across what they called light duty tank ferrules wich were about 6inchs long for the 6inch size, https://sanitaryfittings.us/product/lig ... k-ferrules wich gives plenty of meat ta trim for curved and ribbed kegs ,something that FSD may consider carrying down the road, 6inch and smaller would be the go.cheers hillzabilly ;-)