Adjustable Lyne arm

[Popcorn Jack]

I am thinking of making my Lyne arm adjustable so it can be horizontal, lowered or raised so I could try and control reflux..

My column height is 1000mm of 50mm sitting on 25l 2000w boiler.
At the top of the column is a 500mm T that is capped on top and reduced to 25mm out the side.

Here I was planning to have my Lyne arm in 2 pieces with 45 degree bends and connected with compression fittings so they can be adjusted to any angles. This arm can be 1000-2000 mm long. Then connected to a condenser

I would be interested in anyone's input towards this idea

Thanks
PJ

[crow]

heres one viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1320&hilit=+mega+fuggly#p15813

[Popcorn Jack]

Nice still crow eater. How does it work for you? Do you find any difference when your arm is at different angles when you cook a recipe?

PJ

[crow]

Well it go up a bit before the bend anyway but yes seems to me the less angle higher ABV more angle the faster the out put . I didn't put a 45 on the leibig but if I had of this would have given me the option of having the lyne arm any angle I want, might even do this some time just to see

[emptyglass]

Its just my opinion, but if you start inducing reflux in a pot still, you sort of lose the character of them.
I like to run the arm down hill by about 5-10 degrees below horozontal, then to condenser

[bt1]

Yeh EG,

big fan of declined arms cos theres no smearing.

Tried many...

if you want reflux in a pot make a hybrid with a coil.

bt1

[crow]

Well mine goes to start with as everyone knows apart from a slightly higher ABV than some (not much) I can't see what ya mean its pretty fucking fast as for smearing how?

[emptyglass]

If there is only a short bit going up before it turns down, it wont affect it much.
if this bit is long it will cause heads to reflux back into the boiler and come out with the hearts, and cause the hearts to reflux with the tails, and lose hearts in the tails.
Thats called smearing. It reduces your take. And it makes your stuff taste shit.

Speed comes from heat input and the ability to take that heat away, but quality can somtimes be sacrificed by going too fast.

[crow]

Cool a debate 8-) : Ok I think the blokes with LMs are gonna be pissed when they find out they don't work :laughing-rolling: . (kidding) Yes if you run a pot in reflux mode it will reflux but the thing is this falling condensate running down through packing is going to get only so far until it reaches a point where the inner column temp is enough for it to re vaporise just like all reflux columns do. The higher alcohols are still going to evaporate at a lower temp than ethanol, I mean a hybrid pot still is not uncontrolled reflux. The reflux is controlled by the cooling ability of the condenser (flow) to my way of thinking. No this system will not compress heads like a purpose built reflux still but I highly doubt it will preform like a pot still in strip mode either. Anyway I could be mistaken but I would think a pot still built like this could be ran as an ordinary pot or a partially reflux by simply raising the lyne arm and manipulating the flow through the condenser and I believe ran properly there wouldn't be any excessive smearing ;-)

[bt1]

reckon we're all getting to the same page here

but from hybrid experience...

No cooling let heads piss off out wiht another say 200ml to be sure. Post this lot then on with cooling and chase the higher abv's.

Otherwise like EG mentioned the heads run right into just under middle of hearts.

Agree Crow it's never going to be perfectly clean with some reflux...and this is the reason I've built a perf plate ...regardless of carefull technique just could not get a clean enough run...it's far better than a std pot but not ideal.

Of the two or three inclines i tried, 2" to 1" (thought dia might make a difference at the time) they where noticably worse...subjective stuff but i can only rely on my rather worn tastebuds.btw di did make a difference=lower output rates .

bt1

[emptyglass]

What you say is right croweater, if you adjust the arm up, you will get some reflux. How much you got would largley depend on the angle it was set at and with practice you would get to know what angle gives how much reflux.

But I'm just curious as to why you would want to.

[Popcorn Jack]

As the degree of reflux (condensation) is a key factor in establishing the profile of the spirit, the length of the neck is an important consideration. The taller the still, the greater the degree of reflux. This is because heavier, denser, oilier flavour compounds have a higher boiling point than lighter flavour compounds and as they rise up the still the temperature becomes relatively cooler, which means they condense and return to the boil pot

As a shorter neck means less temperature variation, there is consequently less reflux. This promotes the progress of heavier flavour compounds into the condenser, yielding fuller-bodied spirit, with a creamier, earthier, oilier texture.

In other words. I want to try different angles with different washes

PJ

[MacStill]

It's been my experience that it makes SFA difference with stills on the small hobby level scale ;-)

[Popcorn Jack]

It's been my experience that it makes SFA difference with stills on the small hobby level scale ;-)

Thanks
I read that before but started to find a few designs that seem to try and get or control pot column reflux.
I suppose then that pot still column height is more cosmetic than functional.

PJ

[bt1]

Pop,

One solution to pot reflux control

http://aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1648&hilit=+hybrid

bt1

[Popcorn Jack]

Pop,

One solution to pot reflux control

http://aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1648&hilit=+hybrid

bt1

That was one idea that crossed my mind.
I see whith some it might be a contiversal subject.
I got the copper and the fittings. Just going to build it and play around.

Cheers
PJ