Bosvelk's 4" Pot Still

Pot still design and discussion

Bosvelk's 4" Pot Still

Postby Bosvelk » Tue Jun 14, 2016 5:19 pm

Hey guys,
Busy planing out my still,
The reason I'm using 4 inch 316 grade stainless is that I have enough to left over from my car exhaust to make a still,
My design which is attached, feel free to comment on it,

Will be run with a 3 ring cast iron burner, main reason is that I have 2 of them for making sinkers so will be using that,
We will be making the boiler from a stainless 2 mm sheet I have laying around enough to hold 90 l to the brim, obviously not running it that full

Cheers
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Bosvelk
 
Posts: 109
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2016 3:17 pm
equipment: Pot still

Re: 4 inch pot still deisign

Postby CaptainRedBeard » Tue Jun 14, 2016 5:20 pm

Need copper in the vapor path somewhere mate, helps remove all the sulphides.
CaptainRedBeard
 
Posts: 499
Joined: Sun Sep 07, 2014 10:10 am
Location: Central Coast, NSW
equipment: 2" SS Column Reflux Keg Still
2" Copper Pot Still w shotgun condenser
Kelvinator Fridge Fermenter

Re: 4 inch pot still deisign

Postby Bosvelk » Tue Jun 14, 2016 5:35 pm

CaptainRedBeard wrote:Need copper in the vapor path somewhere mate, helps remove all the sulphides.


My hand writing is bad, but it is written in the shotgun "4inch copper shot gun" and everything after the shot gun is copper, parrot included
Bosvelk
 
Posts: 109
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2016 3:17 pm
equipment: Pot still

Re: 4 inch pot still deisign

Postby Dig Brinker » Tue Jun 14, 2016 5:40 pm

+1 to what Captain said, but to elaborate copper in the UPWARD vapour path to remove sulphides. Pretty sure you'll need a vent at the reducer with such a long tube to the parrot, something about vapour lock and surging I believe. Apart from that looks great :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Dig Brinker
 
Posts: 552
Joined: Sun Dec 20, 2015 5:46 am
Location: South of Melbourne
equipment: 4 inch 4 plate bubbler on keg boiler

Re: 4 inch pot still deisign

Postby rumdidlydum » Tue Jun 14, 2016 6:35 pm

Don't forget the fill port and drain in the boiler :teasing-tease:
Any of you have much luck with brazing stainless steel ferrules to 4 inch copper?
Will I need to solder the stainless to copper first as it requires more heat and then solder the insides of the shot gun?

I wouldn't take on that unless you have had alot of practise with ss to copper. You will be better off just putting an easy flange on the copper 4inch :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 inch pot still deisign

Postby Bosvelk » Tue Jun 14, 2016 6:40 pm

rumdidlydum wrote:Don't forget the fill port and drain in the boiler :teasing-tease:


On the list... forgot to draw,

So copper for the entire shot gun and everything after won't remove sulphides?
Only as Vapour?
Bosvelk
 
Posts: 109
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2016 3:17 pm
equipment: Pot still

Re: 4 inch pot still deisign

Postby Zak Griffin » Wed Jun 15, 2016 6:41 pm

Yeah you need copper in the uphill/vapour path.

A roll of copper mesh in the column will do the trick if you are set on using SS :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 inch pot still deisign

Postby Bosvelk » Wed Jun 15, 2016 11:10 pm

Interesting as I went and had a chat to Mac at 5 stars and he said the copper in the shot gun will be plenty
But it's easy to add copper mesh in to the vapour path if I need it, some drooling went on at his shop today :) decided on getting bubbler parts soo after I have got my pot still skills up to scratch

Any other design issues?
Picked up my 4 inch copper today and reducers etc :)
Bosvelk
 
Posts: 109
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2016 3:17 pm
equipment: Pot still

Re: 4 inch pot still deisign

Postby CaptainRedBeard » Thu Jun 16, 2016 6:30 am

Planning ahead for modular is an excellent move. The versatility of what you can do by building modular will have you neck deep in both builds and booze!

Only suggestion now would be to have a 1" tri clamp between your PC and parrot stem, and to add a breather tube on your stem also.

Why tri-clamp it? Because if and when you build additional modules (bubble Plates, RC, packed sections etc) the height of your column will boom. So, by having your parrot modular, you can just add an extension between your PC and parrot to bring it all back to your collection height.
CaptainRedBeard
 
Posts: 499
Joined: Sun Sep 07, 2014 10:10 am
Location: Central Coast, NSW
equipment: 2" SS Column Reflux Keg Still
2" Copper Pot Still w shotgun condenser
Kelvinator Fridge Fermenter

Re: 4 inch pot still deisign

Postby WTDist » Thu Jun 16, 2016 10:39 am

What booze you going to make? any neutral or vodka? if so i recommend making the RC so your ready for plate sections and the column can be packed easily
WTDist
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Oct 05, 2014 11:32 am
Location: Brisbane
equipment: Building a 4" bubbler with 8" glass thumper

Re: 4 inch pot still deisign

Postby Bosvelk » Thu Jun 16, 2016 11:10 am

WTDist wrote:What booze you going to make? any neutral or vodka? if so i recommend making the RC so your ready for plate sections and the column can be packed easily


Only rum and move on to Whisky... No neutral or vodka, never drink it
Will look at making the parts after the pc more modular
Bosvelk
 
Posts: 109
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2016 3:17 pm
equipment: Pot still

Re: 4 inch pot still deisign

Postby Bosvelk » Fri Jun 17, 2016 7:59 pm

Thought I would practise with copper and hard soldering made a parrot
And cut up all the tubes for the shotgun
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Bosvelk
 
Posts: 109
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2016 3:17 pm
equipment: Pot still

Re: 4 inch pot still deisign

Postby Bosvelk » Fri Jun 17, 2016 8:00 pm

Most of the pieces for the shot gun
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Bosvelk
 
Posts: 109
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2016 3:17 pm
equipment: Pot still

Re: 4 inch pot still deisign

Postby Bosvelk » Fri Jul 08, 2016 11:46 am

We have a big fab and tigging arvo today :)
Watch this space :)
Got an old 316 grade hot water system tank we are turning into the boiler and a modular pot head :)
Some pics of the PC I've built for it
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Bosvelk
 
Posts: 109
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2016 3:17 pm
equipment: Pot still

Re: 4 inch pot still deisign

Postby Bosvelk » Fri Jul 08, 2016 11:48 am

Had to get reasonably good at soft soldering quickly haha
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Bosvelk
 
Posts: 109
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2016 3:17 pm
equipment: Pot still

Re: 4 inch pot still deisign

Postby Toddles » Fri Jul 08, 2016 12:17 pm

Very nice work mate.

Just thought it worth mentioning that to be sure you are using lead free solder. I didn't see it mentioned in the thread is all.
Toddles
Site Donor
 
Posts: 284
Joined: Sun May 22, 2016 3:20 pm
Location: Hunter Valley
equipment: 30 ltr boiler
2" coil pc
3" 1 metre packed stainless for neutral -95.6% abv
3" 370mm unpacked for pot stilling -81% abv + 1/2 inch air cooled worm

Re: 4 inch pot still deisign

Postby maddogpearse » Fri Jul 08, 2016 12:18 pm

Looking good! :music-deathmetal:
maddogpearse
 
Posts: 477
Joined: Wed Jun 10, 2015 2:11 pm
Location: Bendigo - Victoria
equipment: 4 plate single cap primus glass bubbler. Optional 600mm packed section. Block head with 3" Shotgun PC
50L Keg with 5000W electric elements.

Re: 4 inch pot still deisign

Postby MacStill » Fri Jul 08, 2016 1:25 pm

What grade SS is the exhaust pipe ?

Doh! just re read SS316 carry on as you were 8-}
MacStill
Lifetime Member
 
Posts: 16835
Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2011 1:40 pm
Location: Wide Bay QLD
equipment: Anything I choose :P

Re: 4 inch pot still deisign

Postby Bosvelk » Fri Jul 08, 2016 2:41 pm

Yep 100% lead free solder, and yea all 316 grade parts apart from what is copper :)
I did a lot of reading and still am,
Will probably post up Pics tomoro some time
Bosvelk
 
Posts: 109
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2016 3:17 pm
equipment: Pot still

Re: 4 inch pot still deisign

Postby Bosvelk » Fri Jul 08, 2016 3:10 pm

Also grabbing a couple 190l fermenters this arvo, with aquarium heaters on their way
Votes to how big the boiler should be? Total internal volume
80l
100l
120l

100l is what I had in my head, lets me do about 60l at a time of wash for stripping which would be 3 stripping runs out of 180l in the fermenter
Bosvelk
 
Posts: 109
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2016 3:17 pm
equipment: Pot still

Next

Return to Pot Stills



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests

x