Column Extension

[prawnz]

If that's a still spirits boiler you are using they are only 1380 watt elements not 2400 have you replaced the element?

Nop e.not replaced , just had 2400 in my head for some reason dunno why . So I'm using an 1380w element :oops:

[prawnz]

Mate. You've gone to all this trouble, why not go the whole hog and build a boka or Nixon stone still?
And is your pipe 50 or 54 mm outside diameter? (looks 50).

If I could squeeze any more dollars out of the chest I would do that but alas my carers pension wont stretch any further :cry:

yeh its 50mm

[vossy]

If thats the Essencia Super Reflux, same as mine, the orginal element was 900w I think,it is one round coil. I bought a second 1380w coil and change between them as needed.

[Plumby]

5 litre job had the 900 watt element 25 litre job is 1380 watt I thought. I could be wrong though.

[vossy]

When I bought my new 1380w one it is two rings, the original I bought back in 2003 had one ring, I might be wrong...I usually am according to the better half.

[Plumby]

Oh OK now I'm confused :think: well either way be has an element in there so that's a start I suppose. If it is the 1380 watt element, will there be enough power there to push the vapour all the way up 1 meted plus of pipe then through the condenser's?

[prawnz]

If it is the 1380 watt element, will there be enough power there to push the vapour all the way up 1 meted plus of pipe then through the condenser's?

Yup , my question exactly :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Its the standard one , single coil in a 25lt boiler . its been working just fine with the standard still head on , heats up from cold in about 60 to 75 mins .

[Plumby]

The had the 1380 watt element in my boiler, I took about about 90 minutes to heat up, only because I had the water on right from the start. If I waited for the thermometer to move then start the water I took about 60-75 minutes but I found I got a better product with the water on right from the start. Hope that helps :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[prawnz]

So I'm reading more bits of info where I can and I'm getting myself confused .

My column ext needs packing Y/N ? Because i see in one thread where the commercially made extensions for these stills have cooling coils on them and so must be packed . I also read elsewhere that a 1 mt extension would not need packing if its to be insulated , only packing I need is in the very top section which is the current reflux column :? :? :?

It was all very clear what I needed before , now its clear as mud :? :))

Please someone clear this up for me .

Is there a point in this hobby where there can be too much reading 8-}

[scythe]

All column should be insulated to help maintain distillation temp up the column.

Packing and column height increase purity.

Whats confusing about that?

[warramungas]

If it is the 1380 watt element, will there be enough power there to push the vapour all the way up 1 meted plus of pipe then through the condenser's?

Yup , my question exactly :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Its the standard one , single coil in a 25lt boiler . its been working just fine with the standard still head on , heats up from cold in about 60 to 75 mins .

Will need to be packed if you want purity. Unpacked its just a pot still.
Another question is how you're going to pack it and with what if you solder reducers on each end.
I use slip couplings on the small 2" stills of mine with epdm rubber bands to seal the joints. Basically a deep pipe socket that's not soldered on. On one end anyway.
My still is 1 meter long and when it was uninsulated it only just ran with 2000 watts of juice. Could say it was perfect combination of power and height.
It will run fine at 1500 insulated. The insulation I used is the black pipe tube insulation.
Will 1380 watts run it? Cant say for sure it will but with insulation it might.
It might but I can't commit to a definite yes or no answer as I don't think I'll be using that one for a while to test it.
Worse case, if it doesn't, get another 2" joiner, cut the pipe down low and take a 300 to 500 mm piece out before rejoining it.
If it does run at 1 meter you should have some good product.

[Plumby]

If it does work at 1380watt you won't need a power controller. You will get good product but it will be slow, tortoise style. :laughing-rolling:

[prawnz]

Another question is how you're going to pack it and with what if you solder reducers on each end.

The bottom reducer is 2" down to 1 1/4" so I'm hoping that will be big enough to get the packing in, will be a bit tedious I know . Will be using a comb of copper saddles and ceramic saddles with a copper or stainless scrubber stuffed in the very bottom to hold it all in .

So you've now got me thinking I'll chop 250mm off the pipe and make it a 750mm ext . Then use the 250mm section to make a carbon filter . :think:

Appreciate the input guys , makes a hell of a difference on a limited budget . :clap: :clap:

[Kenster]

prawnz..the smartest fix is to shout yourself a 2'' tri clamp fitting, cut the pipe down low, fit the tri and you can access the col to pack and unpack easily AND you can use it to alter your heights with different lengths..ie...use as a shorter pot or increase length for a refractionating unit. Tris are around 30 bucks...well worth it in your case.
I am a bit concerned as to the smallish opening where the threaded nut is...could you use that surface as a tri-clamp mating surface and lose the nut completely as this would assist diameter/restrictions.

[Kenster]

BTW, i use a T500 std boiler (2kw) on a 1300mm x 3'' Pot...without power regulation, it pisses out. So what i am thinking is that the std element should heave any amount of vap you want to push up a 2''.

[prawnz]

You mean the half inch at the top will be to restrictive ?

A tri clamp deal is something i will look at down the track for sure .

[prawnz]

Here's where I'm up to ,

No brass in contact with the vapor , its all sleeved with copper pipe and washers .

I'm thinking I'll fill the column with a citric solution for a couple of hours , the go for a sacrificial run .

Couple of observations so far :

1 Silver soldering is much easier to say than it is to do .

2 Shiny copper is kinda sexy .

[wynnum1]

Interesting to see how it performs a lot of time is taken up getting up to temperature with small single element .

[warramungas]

I'll bet the designer of the still spirit head never envisioned anyone doing that to one of them. :lol:
Looking good and I hope the 1/2" doesn't cause any problems. With 1380 watts it should be ok.
Silver soldering is easy if you don't care whether it looks pretty and you have oxy acetylene available for the big stuff. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[prawnz]

I hope the 1/2" doesn't cause any problems.

Yeh , thats my biggest concern , I'm hoping that with an inchnarf of insulation wrapped around it will make a difference .

Just need to wait for my sac wash to finish now , or if the need for action gets to great I can see a couple of boxes of Chateaux Cardboard sitting on top of the fridge , maybe she wont notice them missing 8-}