Reboot advice

[vossy]

Well I just stumble across this
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... &sk=t&sd=a
would that be the best option at this time?

[WTDist]

Thats a bit complicated. do you want flavoured washes like whisky and rum and vodka? that wont allow for a future upgrade and is still 2".

I have 3 kids, and you said you have kids. I used to have 2". I sold that and am in the middle of making one that is 4" wit ha thumper. When kids are around 2" will be too slow, hours and hours of run time for small amount of product. If you want to distill and look after your kids but not have to watch the still for 6-12 hours for a 50L wash (equivalent) than i suggest bigger than 2".

maybe Kenstar can chime in, he just made a 3" LM/VM combo.

Trust me if your want something easy to use that wont take an entire day away from your kids then go 3" or larger. If you want a bubbler down the track then consider 4". you can make a 4" packed rig with a shotgun PC and RC for under $200 then a keg and an element is going to be about $100 so for $300 plus you can wire it up yourself.

Bang 1m packed 4" column for neutrals and the RC and PC to go with it. then when you want to add plates just cut 120mm sections off of the 1m of 4" for plate sections. then you will have 4 plates and 500mm packed section.

I built the whole 2" thing, even made a small 2" bubbler. All of that was a waste of time, good experience but a waste of time and money. If you plan to stick with distilling then build for the future. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[vossy]

Hey WTDist,
Sounds like a much better plan. Just afters some plans would help heaps.
Yes want to try flavoured washed for sure. Just getting a little lost in here i think.
Have my first TPW down and as I said have basivclly run out after working through my 8 year stock pile (back then no kids and a deadicated brew shed, with the works), so juts trying to remmeber and get on with it quickly.
If I had plans I could get to as have some time off work coming up and all the tools and supplies readly avalable.

[WTDist]

For the RC and PC the thread on how to make a shotgun in the tips from the work bench category will help.

viewtopic.php?f=41&t=3087

flanges will be here below unless you want to use SS ferrules
viewtopic.php?f=41&t=76

then its a few 90 degree bends from the RC to the PC. If you like i can draw something up tomorrow to give you an idea. Bit beat at the moment though so tomorrow will be ok. more tubes in the RC and PC the more efficient it will be.

having 1m packed section with a shotty RC and PC means you can also unpack it and use it as a pot in the meantime and then when your ready to make plate sections you can just cut bits off of the 1m section.

[rumdidlydum]

Theres plenty of bubler build threads to pick ideas from.
As you have mentioned you have kids like myself, plan to do the runs at night, that way there is no distractions and no chance of leaving the still unatended. ;-)

[scythe]

There are centainly some weird and wonderful designs out there.

Pot stills are fast but not as clean as others.
Reflux stills are super clean but slow.
Bubblers are the best of both worlds.

[vossy]

WTDist if you could draw something up tomorrow that would be sweet.

[wynnum1]

Building a keg boiler could be a good start could run original on the keg boiler and upgrade later.

[vossy]

So I suppose the next question where does everyone acquire their kegs from??

[Darwin award]

I watch gumtree, there's been some very good deals there of late, ebay is OK, but there just seems to be more local content on gumtree... I'll happily pay $50 for a 50ltr keg, but I'm currently on the lookout for a larger old style Keg, not easy to find...hence I expect to pay much more.

[wynnum1]

Some kegs are imported and then abandoned in Australia .

[WTDist]

this is true, imported kegs usually cost more to the buyer as they pay the keg price also as there is no return like Aussie kegs. I know of a few kegs that have been sitting for a couple of years in south brisbane, untouched collecting dust but im no thief.

[vossy]

Thanks guys,
Keg sorted.
WTDist did you manage to whip up a drwaing for me??

[Zak Griffin]

If you're going to build a plated column/bubbler, we suggest that you spend a bit of time reading the many builds in here - viewforum.php?f=36 - and work out for yourself what it is you want to build. Without knowing how they work, it's hard to explain how to build one, and there's so many variables depending on your preferences.

The thread at the top 'Members Completed Builds' is a good place to start.

[WTDist]

Not yet, busy day and had to draw up some other plans for my thumper.

Zac is right. there are different kinds. Perf plates vs bubble plates. length of RC and inner tube amount. how much power will be used and water available. sight glasses or none and size if so. modular or not (always go modular)

It would be good to understand the idea around how the plates work, bubble and perferated.

Have you had much of a read through the plated column section? It took me a while to figure it out just by reading the ages bu i got there.

once you understand the workings it will be very easy to know what you want.

[vossy]

Hello,
Thanks everyone for there advice. Been reading as much as I can and am additicted.

Was thinking (And please feel free to provide as much advice as you can here.)

So I have the keg.
1 x 3500W elemetn with controller
4" connection for colum,
4" sightglass/fill port.
thermoport.

Going moduar for sure

Was thinking of 4 x http://www.aussiedistiller.com.au/downl ... &mode=view

500mm packed section

250mm 4" ?? RC with 7 x 3/4 " inners

500mm 2" PC with 4 x 1/2" inners

into parrot.

This is a rough idea just after any and all feedback, but please be nice still learning/relearning.

Cheers everyone for their help so far... :clap:

[coffe addict]

250mm rc sounds very long. Most go between 100 and 150. I made mine at 120 with 7 x 19mm tunes. Haven't run it yet but from reading it should work well. Lots of others have this size with good effect.

What about gin? If you make it a blockhead you can have a gin basket above the rc and at and remove botanicals... For gin or infused vodkas like orange or strawberry.

[Zak Griffin]

Looks pretty good!

I went 6x 1/2" in my PC, about 500 long.

Go for ~100-150mm for the RC.

are you going to go with a blockhead top?

[vossy]

Okies
looking into blockhead's

so now

Was thinking (And please feel free to provide as much advice as you can here.)

So I have the keg.
1 x 3500W elemetn with controller
4" connection for colum,
4" sightglass/fill port.
thermoport.

Going moduar for sure

Was thinking of 4 x
http://www.aussiedistiller.com.au/downl%20...%20&mode=view

500mm packed section

150mm 4" RC with 7 x 3/4 " inners

500mm 2" PC with 4 x 1/2" inners

into parrot.

[WTDist]

i think it looks good but if you want to throw all the 3500w at it and still reflux i would do 9 * 3/4" tubes. It is easy as. Its how i made mine but havent used yet. those 2 more tubes will be better i think. for saving water they will anyway.
see here
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=8973&start=120#p164417.

if you want 9 i have a cad template i can send over

you can fir 5 * 1/2" tubes in the pc but its tight, 7 is doable too but even tighter, just ask rummy lol.
i just made my PC 420mm long with 16mm tubes * 4 because i couldnt wait untill i went to the scrappy (which was today :angry-banghead: ) but it will still work on over 5.5kw.

if your happy with 4 go 4 :handgestures-thumbupleft: