I don't think I like the bubble plate

Pot still design and discussion

I don't think I like the bubble plate

Postby Bob9863 » Sat Jun 04, 2022 11:38 pm

I've done two runs now with a 4" bubble plate added to my still and I don't think I like it much.
It seems that I have to run the still hotter to get it to work and as a result it doesn't taste as smooth or have as much flavour and doesn't taste quite like my stuff. It was an interesting experiment but I think I will switch things back the way it was.
Being winter and running outdoors I even had to put the 3600w element in and that definitely didn't make it as smooth as it should be

Has anyone else found they needed to run hotter to get a 4" plate to work?

I think simpler might really be better, I might even remove the small thump keg too for when it's time to run the rye batch I just mashed in.
Bob9863
 
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equipment: 118lt keg still with 50lt thumper, gin cadfy/mini thumper and shotgun condenser
5lt copper pot still

Re: I don't think I like the bubble plate

Postby BigRig » Sun Jun 05, 2022 8:20 am

I run my 4" bubbler outdoors too and even in QLD in the cooler months it is a b1tch to run, i have taken to calling it quits until it warms up again.

Your profile pic shows a bubble plate without a defleg ?
Its never gonna work the way it's intended, it's just gonna get in the way of your vapour thus requiring you to run the still harder, which you have discovered you dont like.

I would take it off and go back to what you know works well.
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Re: I don't think I like the bubble plate

Postby Bob9863 » Sun Jun 05, 2022 10:16 am

I used to run 2" bubble plates with no defleg just fine and figured this would be the same. But I got it mostly just because it looks interesting when your doing the run and gives you something to look at other then just the temperature gauge.

I think I will set up a 2nd 50lt keg thumper instead and remove the defleg into the no longer wanted parts box.
Bob9863
 
Posts: 106
Joined: Tue May 24, 2022 9:35 pm
Location: Albury NSW
equipment: 118lt keg still with 50lt thumper, gin cadfy/mini thumper and shotgun condenser
5lt copper pot still

Re: I don't think I like the bubble plate

Postby bluc » Sun Jun 05, 2022 10:18 am

Deflag will definately help i can run four plates and 600mm packing on as low as 2000w..
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Re: I don't think I like the bubble plate

Postby RC Al » Sun Jun 05, 2022 12:46 pm

:text-+1: with Big Rig

Not 100% sure where you added the 4" plate to the system?

I cant work out if you had a defleg above the plate or not? Either way if the plate is before your thump keg, then yes you will notice a big difference in power needed for the thump from the restriction caused, my system can only push vapour through my plater with reflux off at half the speed I can strip at pot style

Is it caps or perforated? caps will work fine solo, a perf will have dramas by it's self by comparison.

If you have it set up as boiler - thump keg - plate - defleg - PC things should work "properly", once you start refluxing into the keg it will require more power to run as it fills up, adding a second one will increase power requirements again too, the more the keg(s) fill the more you will need.

Some height adjustment and p trap drains will combat that and make it a proper thumper as such - Ive seen written (as you accurately describe yours in another post) that without the drain, its a slobber box not a thumper.

As an aside, you need to fix your pics in your how i built my still post, externally hosted images are the bane of any forum - I cant see your pics now
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Re: I don't think I like the bubble plate

Postby Bob9863 » Sun Jun 05, 2022 6:07 pm

Yes I went from a 4" opening strait to the 4" bubble plate (with caps) into a 4" to 2" reducer into the thump keg.
Then back out into a gin caddy/mini thump keg and then up and over into the shotgun condenser then Parrot.

Image

It used to run fine like that in summer with a single 2400w element, the 3600w one is just too hot and I couldn't back it off, even then the bubble plate didn't fully load to the plate to the overflow to drain back into the boiler.

Now if trimmed the fat, it doesn't look as pretty but it should return things to the way they were and run cooler and smoother.

Now I've got a 4" to 2" flat reducer, 90° past a thermometer and the 1bar PRV. Then around another 90° down through a copper filled but not packed strait pipe into the thumper.
Then I put a 2" bubble plate that used to run just fine on my old 50lt keg boiler so I'm hoping it still will otherwise its easy to remove even if I have to pause the run
Then it's up and over down into the condenser and Parrot.

Image

I think this should do what I want and give me my old super smooth product again and do so with much less restriction.
The next run should tell.
Bob9863
 
Posts: 106
Joined: Tue May 24, 2022 9:35 pm
Location: Albury NSW
equipment: 118lt keg still with 50lt thumper, gin cadfy/mini thumper and shotgun condenser
5lt copper pot still

Re: I don't think I like the bubble plate

Postby RC Al » Sun Jun 05, 2022 9:46 pm

So do you have a defeg? If not pull the cap out of the sightglass, you should have enough copper with the added scrubbers. If you do, put it above the cap and work out how to shoehorn the 4" one in there instead.

How far off the bottom dose your spear go in the thumper?
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Re: I don't think I like the bubble plate

Postby Bob9863 » Sun Jun 05, 2022 10:06 pm

The tube goes 2" shy of the bottom and has two bevels ground into the base.

I don't run a defleg, I never needed to when running two 2" sight glasses so I didn't think I would need one with just 1 4" but apparently I do.
I don't want to run a defleg as I only wanted to force a little activity in the presence of copper, I found with two 2" plates it started to pull the flavour out, so I thought one 4" would be big enough to do the same without pulling any flavour out but it's turning into a hassle so I'm pulling the plug on it.
If the two inch causes any dramas at the tail end off the still I will pull it too.

Even that's, just there because I have it so I might as well try it, but I think I will find a way to put another thumper on the end, mayby a 20lt with a 4" opening so I can use it for infusion but then I've got the little 3-4lt one I can put on it if I want to do that.

I'm probably best off leaving things alone, I know what works but I can't help myself from experimenting with things, that seems to be how I learn new things and get more new ideas.
Bob9863
 
Posts: 106
Joined: Tue May 24, 2022 9:35 pm
Location: Albury NSW
equipment: 118lt keg still with 50lt thumper, gin cadfy/mini thumper and shotgun condenser
5lt copper pot still


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