So, I finally had the opportunity to get the 3-inch bubbler assembled, that I had purchased a couple of weeks back.
I assembled, then filled the glass bubble chambers with water, to check overnight for leaks. This went well, so I drained them and set them aside. The rest of the still, I assembled in 2 parts, then I just had to wait for the boiler to be finished, at the engineer's workshop. I picked the boiler up this morning, so this afternoon was all systems go!
Or so I thought...
The still assembled nicely, though I realised that I'll need to reimagine the waste section under the boiler. An elbow with a ball valve will be the go.
Next up was the water. The still came with some push connectors, that make connecting the hoses a cinch. Here is where I had issues. The press fittings all leaked under pressure. Chinese quality! Luckily, I work for a plumbing supplies company, and we stock the brass equivalents of this plastic rubbish. I did do some makeshift repairs to slow the leaks, but the parts will need replacing.
Tonight I was able to start and finish a vinegar run. 35 litres of water and 6 litres of vinegar. Using 2x 2400w FSD stainless elements, I reached 100 degrees in under an hour, and had the system in full reflux about 20 minutes later.
It was churning out around 4 litres per hour, which was good because it was running the vinegar over all surfaces. I'll give it a clean tomorrow, then I can launch the sacrificial alcohol run!
Here are some pics of the still in action, along with a YouTube video that I uploaded.
https://youtu.be/PoPtDKb1_DM