My VM still build

[MacStill]

G'day all,

I've probably been a bit quiet on here lately because I've been busy researching a new build as a personal still, it's a 4 inch Vapor Management design that 5Star has been helping me out with.

This build is brand new to me having never built a straight out VM column before, so it's been a bit of a learning curve and a challenge nutting out compared to my usual bubbler, pot & LM rigs have become somewhat a second nature to me.

It's a 1750mm packed column 100mm in diameter that will have both copper and SS packing in sections, the take off is 3" going into a 2" gate valve straight through to a 2" shotgun product condenser, the reflux housing is an offset cross flow shotgun design in 4" but between the take off and the reflux condenser I've gone 3" as a restriction that will hopefully direct more vapor flow towards the VM arm.

Here's a pic of a mock up I've done today, so now it's time to start soldering it together, and hopefully if I can I will document as much of this build as possible with pics and updates daily until it's finished.

vm 4 inch 2.jpg

It's going to have a centering ring above and below the take off, also a couple more inserted in the packing inside the column section.

Cheers.

[Kimbo]

That looks the Duck's Nuts :lol: 'cant wait to hear how it performs.

[MacStill]

2",3" or 4" will still need an hour heat up, an hour stabilizing, an hour or more bleeding heads (depending on the size of the boiler).
The only difference is in the hearts speed.

Witha 2" on a charge of 40% low wines at 40 litres you'll pull about 1.2l an hour if you have it tuned well.

3" will pull over 4 and up to 5l/h, so for 16l of pure alc (assuming 3lh heads and 1l tails) you have 12l to pull.

2" will take you ten hours,
3" will take you 3 hours 8-)
4" will take?

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

[MacStill]

Todays effort was pretty lame, basically just cut everything up for the rest of the build and made the discs for the shotgun condensers.

I use a scratch guage to mark the discs and cut with tin snips to the outside of the line, then file them down to size on my drill press. Once down to a nice snug fit inside the tube I'll mark out the holes, center punch and drill em out.

Here's a few pics.

vm 4.jpg

vm 6.1.jpg

vm 6.jpg

Only 34 bits of 3/8 tube in the reflux cross flow condenser, and checking plates for fit.

[MacStill]

Lots of tubes, fucken thing will weigh a ton once together and full of water :lol:

vm 3.jpg

Getting the product shotgun condenser ready.

vm 5.jpg

Tomorrow I'll start soldering this animal together, I'll be taking pics of this build at most stages of development through out and giving explanations of what I'm doing.

Stay tuned :)

[R-sole]

Looks great, you'll be able to start a vodka factory. 8-)

[MacStill]

Getting the cross flow condenser ready for soldering together, pretty tricky getting all these tubes lined up.

I had to put the tubes in twice, bloody idiot I am picked it up to see how the tubes looked from the bottom..... well they all fucken fell out didnt they :lol:

Pretty cramped in there.

vm 8.jpg

That's 68 tubes if you have to do it twice :oops:

vm 9.jpg

[Kimbo]

Lookin' good McStill....... Lookin' good! :D

[MacStill]

Been making a bit of progress on this thing today, got the condenser and VM take off almost all together and started the reflux return to enter the column below the take off.

Didnt take any pics today as it's all a bit ugly at the moment, will give it a good crack at finishing it off tomorrow and posting a few more pics.

[MacStill]

Almost done now, just needs a few minor jobs done and a truck load of packing, it looks a bit crooked at the moment because it's put together loosely with the tri clamps and no gaskets.

Things to do:
Make some tri clamp gaskets
Thermo port
Plumbing for coolant
Make centering devices
Give her a good clean up.

Cant wait to run this beast but going to need to buy a ladder, but shouldnt need to be changing jars at floor level :lol:

vm 14.jpg

vm 10.jpg

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

[bradsgonetrekkin]

holy crap that thing is a behemoth!!! Makes the 50l keg look like a 5l job!!! Will be interesting to see the time differences to distill compared to something like a 50 or 65mm column..Good work McStill!

[Kimbo]

I think I just got my first copper induced erection 8-)

[MacStill]

Righto she's getting a cleaning run and leak test, and so far so good :mrgreen:

After this I'll pack the column and fit the centering devices, insulate column, then I've got a shitload of feints to turn into neutral.

vm15.jpg

vm16.jpg

vm17.jpg

And The most exciting part is I'm going to pick up a 150L copper boiler for it in the morning :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

[bradsgonetrekkin]

HI McStill, looks awesome. Just wondering how does the cooling pipework work on this one? I can see the hoses at the back but just wondering how it is all plumbed in?

[MacStill]

I'll take a pic tomorrow looking at the cooling setup from the back of it, it's a pretty crazy setup but I wanted to be able to reach it from the floor :lol:

Basically the cooling runs from the bottom of the product condenser to the left side of the reflux condenser, then out over the top right and down to the ball valve, hopefully with it plumbed this way I can eliminate air pockets in the cooling system.

Cheers.

[jdonly1]

Hows this big sucker going???
I have been waiting to see how it performs as Im want to to get a new VM.
Just not sure whether to go 3" or 4"

[reknaw]

I was thinking the same thing actually, how does it run?

[MacStill]

Yeh well the still is finished and should work a treat, it takes a long time to get 150L of feints to run through it though, well that and the fact I gotta get my arse into gear and get a boiler sorted for it.

At the moment I'm prioritizing things, got a heap of small jobs to do for people before I start on my own things again ;)

Cheers.

[jdonly1]

Yeh well the still is finished and should work a treat, it takes a long time to get 150L of feints to run through it though, well that and the fact I gotta get my arse into gear and get a boiler sorted for it.

At the moment I'm prioritizing things, got a heap of small jobs to do for people before I start on my own things again ;)

Cheers.

Send it down here mate,I will run it for you :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

[MacStill]

Yeh well the still is finished and should work a treat, it takes a long time to get 150L of feints to run through it though, well that and the fact I gotta get my arse into gear and get a boiler sorted for it.

At the moment I'm prioritizing things, got a heap of small jobs to do for people before I start on my own things again ;)

Cheers.

Send it down here mate,I will run it for you :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

No worries just deposit $1100 to cover freight and you can use it as long as you want ;) ;) :lol: