The Heart of Gold

[Zak Griffin]

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It's not much, but I got the 1"-2" reducer for the top of my parrot filed out to slip over the 1" pipe tonight after work :handgestures-thumbupleft: one step closer!

[Zak Griffin]

After a fair bit of re-research I'm going to make my RC 120mm long with 20+ 1/2" inners and use the 80mm section that I've already got cut for a gin basket in the blockhead. I want to be able to run it on a recirc setup without any issues, and will have a needle valve to control water flow. Don't want to make an 80mm RC and work out that its not enough!

[coffe addict]

I'm thinking similar just changed my rc to hold 9 x 19mm tubes. In the hope it will be a bit of over kill and might handle a thumper aswell.

[maddogpearse]

I'm thinking similar just changed my rc to hold 9 x 19mm tubes. In the hope it will be a bit of over kill and might handle a thumper aswell.

use 1/2"
I used 3/4, i reckon it's too big...
take heed of Zak's build.
Zak is the grand poobah of blockheads.
Zak knows things.

[Zak Griffin]

I only know what I've read mate! Across the board, more small pipes in a shotgun will be more efficient than more bigger pipes (to a certain point, I'm sure... I'm a rigger, not a thermodynamic engineer.)

I can't recall seeing anyone rebuild the RC or PC on a bubbler and go to fewer, bigger inners, but plenty rebuild and go for more, smaller ones (like rumdidlydum).

Going to pick up my drill and some 1/2" copper tonight, I might even get a start on my condensers this week :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[WTDist]

i would do 1/2" but it would need to be heaps as every time you double the diameter of pipe the flow rate decreases 4 times. going from 1/2" to 3/4" the flow rate decreases 2.25 times so if you have 9 * 3/4" tubes then 20+ 1/2" tubes will have the same volume flow rate.

as for surface area the 20* 1/2" has 1.5 times more surface area than the 9* 3/4" tubes for the vapour to have contact.

[EziTasting]

I only know what I've read mate! Across the board, more small pipes in a shotgun will be more efficient than more bigger pipes (to a certain point, I'm sure... I'm a rigger, not a thermodynamic engineer.)

I can't recall seeing anyone rebuild the RC or PC on a bubbler and go to fewer, bigger inners, but plenty rebuild and go for more, smaller ones (like rumdidlydum).

Going to pick up my drill and some 1/2" copper tonight, I might even get a start on my condensers this week :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I think you'll find its all about surface area & the resulting cooling effect. Few larg pipes = lots of steam passing thru, not a lot of it touching and cooling Dow. Heaps of small pipes = smaller amounts of steam going thru and lots of it touching the cooling steel, hence greater capacity to condense the steam into liquid alcohol!

[Zak Griffin]

Like I said, I just lift heavy things... But doesn't more surface area = better cooling capability? So 20x 1/2" is 1.5x better than 9x 3/4"?

Ezi is onto it.

[coffe addict]

Points taken, however it's been knocked up now.
I'm fairly sure it'll handle a standard 4in and if I build a thumper it might need revisiting.

[Zak Griffin]

Also depends on your cooling water supply and temperature, and if you're going to do back to back runs...

[bluess57]

After a fair bit of re-research I'm going to make my RC 120mm long with 20+ 1/2" inners and use the 80mm section that I've already got cut for a gin basket in the blockhead. I want to be able to run it on a recirc setup without any issues, and will have a needle valve to control water flow. Don't want to make an 80mm RC and work out that its not enough!

How's your soldering skills? More pipes, could be troublesome.
With my skills, no way I'd attempt it.(That many inner pipes in an RC)

[WTDist]

After a fair bit of re-research I'm going to make my RC 120mm long with 20+ 1/2" inners and use the 80mm section that I've already got cut for a gin basket in the blockhead. I want to be able to run it on a recirc setup without any issues, and will have a needle valve to control water flow. Don't want to make an 80mm RC and work out that its not enough!

How's your soldering skills? More pipes, could be troublesome.
With my skills, no way I'd attempt it.(That many inner pipes in an RC)

take your time, clean each join before you solder and dont burn the flux and there wont be a problem. its when people rush they get problems and leaks

[Zak Griffin]

That's the tradeoff... I'll be hard soldering my condenser internals, it's a fair bit less finicky.

[EziTasting]

Points taken, however it's been knocked up now.
I'm fairly sure it'll handle a standard 4in and if I build a thumper it might need revisiting.

Guess you can always pull some SS wool up in to the larger pipes. That way you'll reduce the size of the larger pipes AND increasing the conductive condensing power...

[rumdidlydum]

Go for it zak :handgestures-thumbupleft: Fyi I made a sprinkler with 20 1/2inch internals thats being used as a paper weight :oops: I have yet to get motivated and have another go.
Have a go at soft solder first, I used hard solder and I managed to flow it fine, the problems were when it cools down and you get Double Uj 's blody tinks :laughing-rolling:
(As the inner pipes cool and due to diferent thermal mass colling at diferent rates they crack) which is when you re try soldering and end up making sprinklers :twisted:
But hey you could be gifted with a steady hand and a patient mind to comlpete it. :O)

[rumdidlydum]

Points taken, however it's been knocked up now.
I'm fairly sure it'll handle a standard 4in and if I build a thumper it might need revisiting.

Guess you can always pull some SS wool up in to the larger pipes. That way you'll reduce the size of the larger pipes AND increasing the conductive condensing power...

Yes this is my intermidate repair, its a small increase in cooling but not the way I wanted to do it :?

[Zak Griffin]

Thanks for the heads up Rummy... I'll have a go, see what happens. I did the 9x 3/8" in 2" shotty for my pot still no worries, how hard can it be? :laughing-rolling:

[Dig Brinker]

I soft soldered my 19 X 1/2" RC and only had a small leak at each end which was easily fixed. And I'd never soldered before. You'll be right Zak :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Zak Griffin]

Good to hear mate! I'm sure I'll be fine :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Zak Griffin]

Got half an hour in this afternoon...

Finished cleaning up the downcomers, drilled a hole for the parrot outlet and found a use for a shiny thing I found at work!

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Parrot has a 1" body, 1"-2" reducer for the top and a 1/2" outlet. Inlet will be 1/2" with a bit of 3/4" at the top to hook up to;

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This 1" OD to 3/4" SS SwageLok union. I've got to take a couple thou off the OD of the stainless so it fits in the 1" reducer at the bottom of the PC, and find a 3/4" brass (will never come into contact with vapour or spirit) swagelok nut to fit the theme of the build and I'll be off! The parrot will be vented underneath this using a 3/4" x 1/2" x 1/2" tee to prevent surging.

Home for 4 days tomorrow, I'll try to get my PC and parrot done :handgestures-thumbupleft: