Scales82's Pot Still Build

[Scales82]

haha! yeah i considered that option. Im going all out on these builds though. Ill see if the 3/4 end caps are the same thread when im in bunnings and go from there.

Ill be doing the high-polish and sealant route on these too... i love a bit o copper porn

[Yummyrum]

Scales.
SBB put me onto the brass garden hose "Y" adapters.Bunnings have then ...and brass joiners.
Buy one. Cut it up into 3 bits and solder one where required.Just make sure you remove the O-ring when you solder it.
Then you just click your hoses straight on :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Zak Griffin]

^ this helps me to be end. Cheers!

I've been trying to work out how to plumb Agrajag up.

[SBB]

There is a photo of them in the link below, Ive used these on all my still builds.
http://www.bunnings.com.au/hose-fit-con ... b_p3110585
They unscrew and don't need to be cut. The threaded section usually fits straight into a piece of half inch from memory. If not a small amount of filing on the thread area should do the job.

[MacStill]

No need to over complicate things with a pot, here's a couple of examples.

If you look at the condenser the jacket is only 700mm long, there's no need to go overboard with 1.2 meters and more unless you're running on gas and need to get the output away from the flame..... no need for those tees either, and I prefer a 3/4" inner with 1" outer jacket for better throughput ;-)

IMG_0905.JPG

P7142082.jpg

[Scales82]

Yeah I think you're right when I look at it Mac, I think I've been obsessing over whats available at bunnings. Rekon I might go with the 1" jacket and pay the extra at the tradelink for it. Looks a lot cleaner and less restriction too. Cheers mate.

And I like the look of those brass end-caps... thats exactly what I had in mind.

[Scales82]

Was just reading on HD about putting a twist in the water jacket
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9247

Do you guys concur with that theory or is it just a waste of time/materials?

[Yummyrum]

I built mine after seeing that idea too. I also crimped my inner pipe like SBB suggested..

Does any of it help ? No sure, but here is a pic of mine on a cool winters night .You can see the bands of condensation where the wire is . This would suggest to me that it might .
Certainly nothing lost by the addition of it .The only thing was I had a prick of a job sliding on the outer .

Stillin Pics 050.jpg

[Scales82]

ha thats cool.

We dont get nights like that.... ever. So Im thinking every little bit helps. Ill have a look in bunnings for some wire while im down there later today.

Im thinking of either doing the little crimps idea, but one i think might be a go-er is opening and flattening a strip of leftover tube out to make a 3/4" wide strip around 6-8" long and give it a couple of twists and shove that in the pipe. vaguely remember reading someone did that somewhere with some success.

[Scales82]

Well I completed my pot still in a 2-day build last week, finally plugged my phone into the computer for the pics so here we go!

The boiler has all the bells n whistles, Its got the 3/4" drain port and 4" fill/view port. Running a 3600w element in a guard kit thanks to Mac. Had to cut the handle to fit the view port, also had some grief trying to get the TIG in between the 2 fittings on the top of the keg. had to silver solder about a 1" portion that we couldnt get to. Oh well.

[Scales82]

The Liebig is a 1" over 3/4" design, used some solid core to disrupt the coolant flow a bit too.

Putting on the fittings to the 1"


Fittings on, one end has reducer fitted ready to receive 3/4"


winding on the wire



Testing the liebig. all good 1st try, no leaks. quite happy with my first silver soldering job ever!

[Scales82]

The rest of the build went quite simple. Just soldered the elbow onto a reducer. fitted the interconnecting 3/4" and then joined it all together with a SS 3/4" 90deg swagelok elbow. VERY expensive bit of kit, luckily I had one sitting around at work that I was allowed to use for the job. :dance:

Here it is done.



Running



Oh and heres the nearly finished electronics.. 10000w SCR with a volt/ammeter in-line to monitor it all. Just needs a fan.

[Scales82]

Oh, can someone rename the title of this thread to "my pot build" or similar since its now turned into a build thread? I didnt realise the forum had a 15minute edit window... :angry-banghead: :angry-banghead:

[Scales82]

I've run the still a few times now with Rum washes. Works great! Im curious to how many watts I should dial down the element to once I get into a boil and the product starts to flow? Ive tried with 1500-2000 but not sure on optimum efficiency and $$$ for power usage.

[backyard brewdog]

For a strip run? Run it as hard as you can without It puking.

If your paying about 24c a kW it'd be pretty negligible.

[Yummyrum]

I only have gas on my stripping keg but I guesstimate to be around 3+Kw so anyway you want to strip as fast as you can ....but BYB's point about puking is very valid

On a spirit run I swap over to my 1400watt element and that's a nice stream .I think you are pretty close to the money :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Regarding efficiency, as long as you insulate the boiler ,then cost will be proportional to power .
If the boiler is not insulated then there will be lost heat and running at a lower power would be less economic than running faster as you would be loosing heat quicker than you are using it to boil .

[Scales82]

So flat out??? hmm okay! I used a bit of coconut oil last time as she was a bit full. worked great.

What would you expect to have to dial down to as a starting point for a spirit run though?

[Yummyrum]

On a spirit run I swap over to my 1400watt element and that's a nice stream .I think you are pretty close to the money :handgestures-thumbupleft:

..I just run at 1400W...Oh yeah ,maybe abit lower for fores ...not sure what power but its a drip not a stream

[Urrazeb]

Nice build :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Scales82]

cool thanks lads. I cant wait to do my first spirit run. Ill be doing gen 2 stripping run next Wednesday. My pot isn't insulated yet, I need to get some pipe insulation for my Boka anyway so Ill check out some for the pot while Im at it. Do clark rubber stock some good stuff for that job too?