New Build - Hybrid Reflux-Pot
Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 7:02 pmAlrightee then, here goes.
As I've been reading around this (excellent) forum for a couple of months now, and absorbed a fair bit of the great work of the members' experiences in building stills, I thought I would give my second build a bit more style than my first still - which the strife calls a drug lab...although I did build this still purely for effectiveness and not to be pretty. Aaand, effective it is......but pretty it definitely ain't! :naughty:
So I told my strife that I will not look at building another still, :liar: but she's off to Europe in a month's time so out of site, out of mind.
As I love fruit spirit (being a wog that's just natural), I decided I definitely do want a pot available for use. But I also want to produce neutrals when I so desire. And I want some adaptability to fit with off the shelf modular parts. Quite a wish list, but after seeing builds on this forum I now know this is possible. So a hybrid reflux-pot still it is then, knowing that at a later stage when I get more opportunity to build additional part, I will add some bubbler plates, which I was thinking should be glass after seeing Woodducks brilliant work in his build....and how ridiculous is that 3 way inline thumper??!!? ^:)^
So anyway, drool wiped away...below are a couple of drawings of what I'm thinking. I'm going with an initial 2" copper pipe straight off the keg boiler (which I scored for $50 off Gumtree :handgestures-thumbupleft: ). So the configuration will be:
Reflux Column:
-1 x 800mm x 2” copper pipe (column);
-2 x easy flanges using ¼” pipe;
-2 x gaskets (keg to column & column to bend);
-2 x 2” tri-clamp (keg to column & column to bend);
-SS or copper mesh (column packing, although I think there will be plenty of copper in line I can get away with SS);
-¼” pipe copper reflux coil approximately 200mm in height.
Bend Section:
-2 x 90 deg 2” copper bends;
-2 x 70mm x 2” copper pipe (bend to column + bend to condenser);
-4 x easy flanges using ¼” pipe;
-1 x gasket (bend to bend);
-1 x 2” tri-clamp (bend to bend).
Shotgun Condenser:
-1 x 2” copper pipe (housing);
-5 x 500mm x ½” copper pipe (condenser cores);
-2 x copper reducing T 2” -> ¾” (water in/out);
-2 x 2” diameter round copper plates (condenser caps);
-1 x reducer 2” -> ¾” (condenser outlet);
-3 x easy flanges using ¼” pipe;
-2 x gasket (bend to condenser and condenser to reducer);
-2 x 2” tri-clamp;
Parrot:
-1 x 150mm ½" pipe (condenser reducer to parrot);
-1 x 60mm ¼" pipe (parrot vent);
-1 x 200mm ¾" pipe (parrot body);
-1 x 1"-¾" reducer for top of parrot;
-1 x 120mm ½" pipe (output for the fruit of labour);
-Ball valve for parrot drain (not drawn in).
Boiler:
-1 x 50L keg;
-2 x 2400W heating elements;
-Heating element power controller;
-1 x ¾" SS 90 deg bend (for drain bottom of boiler);
-1 x ¾" SS 250mm pipe (bend to valve);
-1 x ¾” SS ball valve;
-1 x 4” Sight Glass housing assembly.
So here it is...
So my biggest concerns are, is the reflux column too long/too short? I've read a bit on here that column height should be longer than 1000mm but I'm concerned this will affect the still's performance as a pot still. I figure this will still give me ample reflux capability, but take out packing and forget the reflux coil and she's a straight pot again. Am I on the right track keeping it to 800mm max?
Cooling system is next on the cards to think about and I've read a fair bit about this on here already so looking forward to having a look at designing this too...or maybe not. I think it's more important I get started on the build first....which as I said earlier will start in a few weeks when the strife goes to Europe. But I've started sourcing parts already and as I said earlier, I have a keg already so I'm half way there.
Comments, feedback and advice are both appreciated and very welcome! :handgestures-thumbupleft: Cheers all.
Zax
As I've been reading around this (excellent) forum for a couple of months now, and absorbed a fair bit of the great work of the members' experiences in building stills, I thought I would give my second build a bit more style than my first still - which the strife calls a drug lab...although I did build this still purely for effectiveness and not to be pretty. Aaand, effective it is......but pretty it definitely ain't! :naughty:
So I told my strife that I will not look at building another still, :liar: but she's off to Europe in a month's time so out of site, out of mind.
As I love fruit spirit (being a wog that's just natural), I decided I definitely do want a pot available for use. But I also want to produce neutrals when I so desire. And I want some adaptability to fit with off the shelf modular parts. Quite a wish list, but after seeing builds on this forum I now know this is possible. So a hybrid reflux-pot still it is then, knowing that at a later stage when I get more opportunity to build additional part, I will add some bubbler plates, which I was thinking should be glass after seeing Woodducks brilliant work in his build....and how ridiculous is that 3 way inline thumper??!!? ^:)^
So anyway, drool wiped away...below are a couple of drawings of what I'm thinking. I'm going with an initial 2" copper pipe straight off the keg boiler (which I scored for $50 off Gumtree :handgestures-thumbupleft: ). So the configuration will be:
Reflux Column:
-1 x 800mm x 2” copper pipe (column);
-2 x easy flanges using ¼” pipe;
-2 x gaskets (keg to column & column to bend);
-2 x 2” tri-clamp (keg to column & column to bend);
-SS or copper mesh (column packing, although I think there will be plenty of copper in line I can get away with SS);
-¼” pipe copper reflux coil approximately 200mm in height.
Bend Section:
-2 x 90 deg 2” copper bends;
-2 x 70mm x 2” copper pipe (bend to column + bend to condenser);
-4 x easy flanges using ¼” pipe;
-1 x gasket (bend to bend);
-1 x 2” tri-clamp (bend to bend).
Shotgun Condenser:
-1 x 2” copper pipe (housing);
-5 x 500mm x ½” copper pipe (condenser cores);
-2 x copper reducing T 2” -> ¾” (water in/out);
-2 x 2” diameter round copper plates (condenser caps);
-1 x reducer 2” -> ¾” (condenser outlet);
-3 x easy flanges using ¼” pipe;
-2 x gasket (bend to condenser and condenser to reducer);
-2 x 2” tri-clamp;
Parrot:
-1 x 150mm ½" pipe (condenser reducer to parrot);
-1 x 60mm ¼" pipe (parrot vent);
-1 x 200mm ¾" pipe (parrot body);
-1 x 1"-¾" reducer for top of parrot;
-1 x 120mm ½" pipe (output for the fruit of labour);
-Ball valve for parrot drain (not drawn in).
Boiler:
-1 x 50L keg;
-2 x 2400W heating elements;
-Heating element power controller;
-1 x ¾" SS 90 deg bend (for drain bottom of boiler);
-1 x ¾" SS 250mm pipe (bend to valve);
-1 x ¾” SS ball valve;
-1 x 4” Sight Glass housing assembly.
So here it is...
So my biggest concerns are, is the reflux column too long/too short? I've read a bit on here that column height should be longer than 1000mm but I'm concerned this will affect the still's performance as a pot still. I figure this will still give me ample reflux capability, but take out packing and forget the reflux coil and she's a straight pot again. Am I on the right track keeping it to 800mm max?
Cooling system is next on the cards to think about and I've read a fair bit about this on here already so looking forward to having a look at designing this too...or maybe not. I think it's more important I get started on the build first....which as I said earlier will start in a few weeks when the strife goes to Europe. But I've started sourcing parts already and as I said earlier, I have a keg already so I'm half way there.
Comments, feedback and advice are both appreciated and very welcome! :handgestures-thumbupleft: Cheers all.
Zax