How Does Your Still Run

Perforated & bubble cap plated columns

Re: How Does Your Still Run

Postby The Stig » Sat Oct 09, 2021 6:19 pm

Leaky seals maybe
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Re: How Does Your Still Run

Postby RC Al » Sat Oct 09, 2021 7:34 pm

As even a potty can manage 70-80% off a 5% wash, i think this leaves one thing, an internally leaking product condenser :shock: Pull it off and pressure test it with your garden hose x_x
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Re: How Does Your Still Run

Postby Lowie » Sun Oct 10, 2021 4:47 pm

RC Al wrote:As even a potty can manage 70-80% off a 5% wash, i think this leaves one thing, an internally leaking product condenser :shock: Pull it off and pressure test it with your garden hose x_x


hadn't thought of that. cheers.
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Re: How Does Your Still Run

Postby RuddyCrazy » Sun Oct 10, 2021 5:08 pm

G'Day Lowie,
Mate if you aint got it worked out I'm happy to call around tomorrow after work so we can nut it out, and anyway it would be nice to meet you mate too :handgestures-thumbupleft:

so just sing out if you need a hand.

Cheers Bryan
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Re: How Does Your Still Run

Postby Lowie » Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:37 pm

RuddyCrazy wrote:G'Day Lowie,
Mate if you aint got it worked out I'm happy to call around tomorrow after work so we can nut it out, and anyway it would be nice to meet you mate too :handgestures-thumbupleft:

so just sing out if you need a hand.

Cheers Bryan


Appreciate the offer mate. I've pressurised the PC as Al suggested and found two pin prick size holes; one where the end plate is soldered into the tube and one at the fitting end. I suspect the former may be a problem but hardly "epic". I also changed all the seals again today and the column is currently filling up with water so I'll leave that overnight. Are you working in the city/suburbs atm?
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Re: How Does Your Still Run

Postby RuddyCrazy » Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:59 pm

G'Day Lowie,
I'm working at Wingfield and finish at 4pm

Cheers Bryan
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Re: How Does Your Still Run

Postby Lowie » Sat Oct 23, 2021 1:53 pm

This #$%&*# still is really starting to do my head in! I found a pinhole leak in the PC. fixed that. Replaced all the seals (tees and sightglasses). no leaks. I thought it could be the mash so I stripped 40L last night down to 20% (stripped with the bubbler - only got as high as 50%) and ran the lot again this morning. Same thing, variation between 30-50%. Adjusted heat (up and down), water (up and down). Next step was cutting all the water off to the RC (which I pressure tested this morning - no leaks) so essentially running it as a potty. I'm now getting a consistent 78% which you would expect. So it now appears the RC is the culprit but I can't see how that can be? :angry-banghead: :think:
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Re: How Does Your Still Run

Postby Clickeral » Sat Oct 23, 2021 3:22 pm

Are you seeing reflux coming down from the bottom of the RC?

Could it be a leak that only occurs when its heated up? as things expand?

Are the plates loading as per normal, how does the Shotgun feel is it warm while you run?

What speed are you running at?
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Re: How Does Your Still Run

Postby Lowie » Sat Oct 23, 2021 4:02 pm

Clickeral wrote:Are you seeing reflux coming down from the bottom of the RC?
Yep
Could it be a leak that only occurs when its heated up? as things expand?
Possibility, but I've been running this still for about 4 years or so. never had a problem.
Are the plates loading as per normal, how does the Shotgun feel is it warm while you run?
Yes. Shotgun cool.
What speed are you running at?

Ive never measure it - about a toothpick thickness, as I have always done.
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Re: How Does Your Still Run

Postby RC Al » Sun Oct 24, 2021 10:45 am

Recon clicks got the expanding part right

Maybe try pressure testing straight off the hot water tap? not 80 degrees, but might help you find it

You could hook some empty lines up to it and drop it into a pot of just boiled water that the bubbles have settled out of, add some pressure via lungs and look for the bubbles

After that i can only suggest using some dye or trying to hook it up to a compressor - dont go overboard with psi though - mains tap water is up to 45psi generally, but can be much less

Corrosion over time can cause leaks :cry:
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Re: How Does Your Still Run

Postby bluc » Sun Oct 24, 2021 2:10 pm

Touch the rc see if you can hold hand on to it. If to hot to touch flow through rc not enough. I have been having some issues with that lately. Need a good filter on my cooling lines.
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Re: How Does Your Still Run

Postby Lowie » Fri Nov 12, 2021 6:59 pm

Faaark, this still is giving me the shits! I pressure tested my RC (heard a few things rattling around inside of it) all good, but I decided to buy a new one from a bloke that makes copper ones in WA (nice job too) cos I just couldn't be F*&^%$ making another one. Put that on top of the column - no change! Even made some new seals out of 3mm silicon sheet - definitely no leaks anywhere. If this bastard was mechanical I could fix it, but it isn't and I've been staring at it for hours trying to figure out what the problem is. BTW, I've even re-looked at my washes - start at 1060, finish at 1010, so all good there. Any more new thoughts? I've attached some pics...Cheers.
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Re: How Does Your Still Run

Postby RuddyCrazy » Sat Nov 13, 2021 6:08 am

G'Day Lowie,
This does look like the PC is leaky internally and diluting the product. Here's a thought mate take the PC off and position it so the outlets are vertical then fill it with water so both out lets are just under flowing, put some paper towel at each end to check for leaks. If none are found grab ya blowtorch and warm up the PC taking care not set the paper towel on fire :laughing-rolling:

Cheers Bryan
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Re: How Does Your Still Run

Postby RuddyCrazy » Sat Nov 13, 2021 9:14 am

Here is another thought mate not sure what you use for cooling water now putting some food dye in the cooling water then give the still a run and see if the output has the dye
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Re: How Does Your Still Run

Postby Nathan02 » Sat Nov 13, 2021 10:43 am

Alcometer???
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Re: How Does Your Still Run

Postby Lowie » Sat Nov 13, 2021 12:35 pm

Nathan02 wrote:Alcometer???

Nope. Bought a new one!
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Re: How Does Your Still Run

Postby Lowie » Sat Nov 13, 2021 12:38 pm

RuddyCrazy wrote:G'Day Lowie,
This does look like the PC is leaky internally and diluting the product. Here's a thought mate take the PC off and position it so the outlets are vertical then fill it with water so both out lets are just under flowing, put some paper towel at each end to check for leaks. If none are found grab ya blowtorch and warm up the PC taking care not set the paper towel on fire :laughing-rolling:

Cheers Bryan


When I first started looking for problems (and found a leak in the PC) I pressurised the PC (blocked one end off and plug the hose into the other end). Nothing coming out of the internal tubes.

I ended up shutting off the water to the RC last night (still had water flowing through the PC) and ran it as a potty. Got between 60-80% with just the bottom two plates bubbling.
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Re: How Does Your Still Run

Postby RuddyCrazy » Sat Nov 13, 2021 1:17 pm

Mate this is something that we have to ponder as to why the still is playing up the way it is.

So a question do you have a 4" end cap to block off the base of the still, that way the still is sealed and then lower it into a bath and see if any bubbles come up. By doing this step providing no bubbles we can prove there is no leaky seals or solder joints.

The next step as I said above setup a cooling tank, maybe a IBC and put some food dye in then run it and see if any food dye comes thru.

I'm sure doing these painful steps may just find the problem and you will find it was there staring at you in the face :handgestures-thumbupleft: (felt like doing :laughing-rolling: but until this is fixed it aint a laughing matter ).

I can bring around some 2 litre goon bottles with some 90% so we can do a quick run so the question with you using elements what is the min litres to cover the elements.

but if you can do those steps above before I come around may just find the problem, also you could PM your location as that will work out the best time for me to come around.

Cheers Bryan
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Re: How Does Your Still Run

Postby bluc » Sat Nov 13, 2021 1:25 pm

I take it flow through rc is adequate no blockage or dodgy pump..
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Re: How Does Your Still Run

Postby Wellsy » Sun Nov 14, 2021 2:26 pm

Hey mate, not sure if it will make any difference or not, and it may be a trick of the photo. Does your cooling water go to both the input and output of the Rc. I could not quite follow the pic.
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