Start of something beautiful...

Boiler, burner and boiler modification talk.

Start of something beautiful...

Postby stilllearning » Sat Oct 03, 2015 4:49 pm

Hi again everyone,
I joined up a couple of years ago and was going to start a reflux build back then but never really got around to it. I made a couple of small posts back in the day looking for some basic advice and have been just lurking around off and on ever since. I've been a bit sidetracked getting married and having a baby and all that other stuff which has been awesome but now that things are settling down a little I'd like to get back to business and get a still up and running. My wife and I enjoy a scotch or two pretty much every evening so we go through a fair bit each week, and it costs way more than I'd like it to. Time to get my own gear up and running!

I was given a really nice 50L keg a few weeks ago from a buddy at work who got it directly from the owner of a microbrewery who couldn't be bothered shipping it back interstate after a holiday/party. There are no markings or stamps on it at all, just a plain ol' stainless keg so its a totally blank canvas. I've already removed the spear and cleaned it up a little bit, but first things first I'm going to give it a proper polish and get it all nice and shiny.

I'm probably going to build a couple of different heads for it maybe in this order - pot still - VM/LM (or combo VM + LM) reflux - and maybe way down the track - a bubbler :-D . I want to make it a fairly modular boiler that can be adapted to any of these uses in the future. So, to start with I'm thinking stainless legs, a bottom drain, a 4" sight glass in the top, and a side dial thermo, as well as 2 x 2400w 5SD elements. I'll cut part of the top ring away between the handles as well (stealing a few of everyone's ideas on here!) . Any thoughts about the column ferrule though? I was thinking a 3" reflux column down the track, should I do a 3" ferrule on the keg now, or go with a different size on the keg to allow for a bubbler later on, and just use adapters/reducers to fit the other columns in the meantime?


As always, thanks in advance for the input :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Start of something beautiful...

Postby res » Sat Oct 03, 2015 5:20 pm

Good stuff mate, welcome back. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

It's been said often, a good boiler will stay with you as your experiments in stills progress.

That said I'd go with a 4 inch column mount, lots of good reasons, but these ones are key I reckon :
Sooner or later your going to want a bubbler :D and
Pretty hard to clean the inside of a keg through anything smaller the a 4 inch hole 8-}

Keg looks ace mate, good luck with it. :greetings-waveyellow:
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Re: Start of something beautiful...

Postby Undertaker » Sat Oct 03, 2015 5:21 pm

I'll start......If you want to go bigger than the 50 mm opening you have now, turn it upside down and put your drain in the 50 mm port and weld whatever size fitting you want, (3" 4") and your porthole in the bottom, which will become your new top!

Cheers Phil
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Re: Start of something beautiful...

Postby stilllearning » Sat Oct 03, 2015 5:34 pm

Thanks res and Phil,
I've seen a couple of flipped kegs with the spear hole used as a drain, but, I dunno - I kinda just like the handles on the top for some reason. even though I'm likely to put it on casters and just push it around I still think I want to keep it upright. I'll be happy to cut the 50mm ferrule off it and widen it out to whatever I need to for the column, and just put a skin fitting on the bottom for the drain.

Is there a ready made 4" to 3" reducer available to use with my reflux/pot heads or do I need to bash one together myself?
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Re: Start of something beautiful...

Postby res » Sat Oct 03, 2015 5:54 pm

res
 
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Re: Start of something beautiful...

Postby stilllearning » Sat Oct 03, 2015 6:25 pm

aha, thanks.
Add that to the shopping list then. Looks like it will be the 4" opening, and I'll do the 4" sight glass as well - hopefully they both fit on the top of the keg nicely :think:
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Re: Start of something beautiful...

Postby res » Sat Oct 03, 2015 6:46 pm

I have the shorter fatter type of 50ltr keg. But had no trouble with both.
Also worth thinking about insulation instead of a shiny finish, can save quite a bit of time heating up, so much easier too :cool:
Doesn't look quite as cool however :violin:
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Re: Start of something beautiful...

Postby stilllearning » Sat Oct 03, 2015 9:24 pm

Very true. More to think about...
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Re: Start of something beautiful...

Postby scythe » Mon Oct 05, 2015 7:21 am

Go for a 6" mount if you can, i can barely fit my arm through a 4", and if your cleaning you will be moving your arm about fairly vigorously so a bit of wiggle room is a good thing.

Use a low profile reducer to convert it back to your still size.
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Re: Start of something beautiful...

Postby res » Mon Oct 05, 2015 2:30 pm

scythe wrote:Go for a 6" mount if you can, i can barely fit my arm through a 4", and if your cleaning you will be moving your arm about fairly vigorously so a bit of wiggle room is a good thing.

Use a low profile reducer to convert it back to your still size.



Very true.
But tricky to get a decent size fill port and a 6 Inch. :think:
Life is compromise :violin:
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Re: Start of something beautiful...

Postby scythe » Mon Oct 05, 2015 4:44 pm

2" for a fill port is big enough for a good sized funnel.
Do people use a spout for transferring their wash or do you all just pour from buckets?
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Re: Start of something beautiful...

Postby 1 2many » Mon Oct 05, 2015 5:18 pm

If filling with buckets don't go under 3" ;-)

If filling with hose and pump 2" will be ok but if you use a funnel it will slow you down if it is not a huge funnel.

Personally for me 3" would be minimum.

And I can highly recommend inverting the keg and using the existing connection for the drain, it drains fast and completely. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Start of something beautiful...

Postby stilllearning » Mon Oct 05, 2015 5:28 pm

Hmmmm :think:
I really like the idea of a sight glass and fill port in one, I know it's not essential to have a sight glass on the boiler but the ones I've seen around here look sooo good especially when all polished up. I measured across my elbow and you're right, it's gonna be a tight fight through there but I think I can live with that. I think 6" still mount and 6" fill port is going to be the go for me :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I was thinking of making a copper funnel out of some scraps that had a flange on it that I could throw on the sight glass port for easy filling but it might be a bit too fiddly to use. I'll see about that when the time comes
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Re: Start of something beautiful...

Postby 1 2many » Mon Oct 05, 2015 5:35 pm

Could be wrong but I don't think you will fit a 6" still mount and a 6" fill port on one end. :-B

You need to allow room for open triclamps to be fitted so you will need space between mounts.
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Re: Start of something beautiful...

Postby stilllearning » Mon Oct 05, 2015 7:42 pm

I guess the easiest want to find out would just be to get them and dry fit to the keg, but I don't want to go ordering the bits and then them not fitting the way I want them too.

Can anyone tell me, are the ones in this thread by whiskyaugogo bot 6" so I can get a feel for their size?http://www.aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=7146
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Re: Start of something beautiful...

Postby stilllearning » Sat Oct 17, 2015 4:17 pm

Finally got around to doing a bit on my boiler today, ground back the seam weld around the belly of the keg, cut out the top lip and did some test polishes using different wheels/compounds.

IMG_1939reduced.JPG

When I was cutting the top lip out, I got a bit excited and cut through the weld and into the body a little bit. I ground most of it back, but what is left is a bit deep (~1mm) and I'm worried that grinding it back is going to leave a visible "channel" around the keg where it used to be. Reckon I should run a weld through it to fill it up and then grind back again to finish it of nice and flush?

IMG_1938reduced.jPG

I know that's a bit pedantic but I just want it to be perfect. Planning on keeping this thing for many years ;-)
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Re: Start of something beautiful...

Postby 1 2many » Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:45 pm

I did the same thing with mine but only very slightly, and was lucky they where just small enough that I could grind it back smooth.

With that type of ring on the keg it is best to cut above the weld to avoid going too deep and then grinding back the weld. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Start of something beautiful...

Postby dogbreath vodka » Sat Oct 17, 2015 6:10 pm

Wanna see the almost perfect 50ltr boiler?
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=6709&start=100
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Re: Start of something beautiful...

Postby stilllearning » Sat Oct 17, 2015 10:21 pm

Yep, woodducks whole rig is where I'm getting lots of my ideas from.

Seriously if my still ends up half as nice as that one I'll be a very happy man.

Had a panel beater buddy of mine over for a yarn tonight, he's gave me some advice on cleaning up that cut mark and also knocking a couple of little dings out to get it 100%.
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Re: Start of something beautiful...

Postby rumdidlydum » Sat Oct 17, 2015 10:31 pm

I did the same on mine :angry-banghead:
But once i started using it i dont give to shits now. She's no show pony not with chicken legs anyway :laughing-rolling:
Let us know how you repair it :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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