SS T 500 Stills

[SBB]

I prefer to use output speed over temp.

Very good advise Muppet :handgestures-thumbupleft: Newbies using T500's would find they end up with a much better product following your advise rather than blindly following the instruction manual.

[Muppet]

It's basicly what I've picked up running a bubbler then transfered back over to the T500. Unfortunatly theres no one step big gains, but if you link up enough 1%ers the product keeps improving. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[rumdidlydum]

Yes thanks muppet il try your temp and stream style on my next run. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
If one only knows the instructions, one will follow the instructions untill he has learnt otherwise. ;-)

[Dale82]

it's been a couple years since there was talk about the plastic cap melting was wondering if this is still the case or have they fixed the issue now?

[Muppet]

That would only happen if you try to run it real hot as a pot still... I wouldn't. The plastics just arnt designed for the extra heat. Once they are damaged there is no going back.

[Dale82]

ahh right cheers so 50-55c as suggested couple pages back would be the safest option right?

[Muppet]

Yeah mate thats a good place to start and get familliar with it

[Marbled]

I have tended to run mine at 60, looks like I might be going to give a few degrees cooler a go.
I've been doing a 25L TPW, and because I was lazy and couldn't be bothered weighing the sugar out, used 6Kg. This gives me 3L of 93% for a 3 hour run (4 if you include bringing to the boil). With clean saddles I find i get very little foreshots/heads which go in a bottle for "industrial cleaner" and the thing just becomes uneconomical to run, that is the product is so little/slow that I turn it off before anything resembling tails comes away.
(amazing what I've learned here)
I've got one of the water regulator pump things now, it's made it much easier to control, we can flush the toilet and stuff like that now without worries about the temperature going wildly astray. So I reckon it was worth the investment.
The hose they supply that goes between the tap and the unit has a slightly large bore, so make sure you clip it up with a jubilee clip or cable ties, it's a bugger when it flies off midway through a run and .... well you know. I've got all my hoses clamped on now just in case.
I hear on the grapevine that their next product to tempt us all with is going to be stainless steel saddles. Might be interesting.

[fishingbrad]

hey Marbled, can you shows us your water regulator pump thingy. that sounds like what I need. cheers.

[Marbled]

hey Marbled, can you shows us your water regulator pump thingy. that sounds like what I need. cheers.

I'm just in the middle of a long distance move, my kit is waiting for the removal men, I'll do you a full reply with pics asap..... Might be a few weeks. Sorry.

This might do the job for you........ WATER FLOW REGULATOR - INSTRUCTIONAL: http://youtu.be/pZBsOL8Qksw

[Woodsy71]

I've been using my T500 for years and i agree that it can be annoying when the temp fluctuates.

But at $100 for the Still Spirits Water Flow Regulator......it's not that annoying :smile:

[Muppet]

I use one of these on my bubbler feed and it works great.
http://www.bunnings.com.au/pope-pressur ... 9_p3121926
Havnt got around to adapting it to the T-500 yet. Should do a similar job though.
I cant remember the pressure of mine, Bushy suggested it a while ago.

[WTDist]

it's a bugger when it flies off midway through a run and .... well you know. I've got all my hoses clamped on now just in case.

Had it happen to me to while i was trying to compress at beginning. water flow was to much for the top hose going from condenser to reflux coil. had wated shootung out everywhere at full reflux. ill be using.plumbers tape next time like i have on the rest. clamps sound like a good idea too.

[Fudude]

Hey guys. I've been looking around and have not found an answer yet so I'll just ask. I'm using The t500 and am just about to pack the column for a stripping run. I have got some copper mesh ready and was planning to use, from top to bottom, copper saddels, 1 rolled form of copper mesh, ceramic saddels and a single stainless scrubber at the bottom.

I have enough copper saddels to fully pack the conderser coil (or is it called the reflux coil?), My main question, on this type of LM still is packing all these copper saddles into the condenser at the top of the column okay? Or does that area at the top of the column need to be void of packing?

[rumdidlydum]

Hey mate, turbos can't be used to strip unless modified. When striping there's no media in the column.
On mine before i hacked it up the original packing stops about 20mm from the top of the column.
Hope this helps

[Fudude]

Can no longer edit my post above? But i was supposed to say CM still.

I was not talking about using it for stripping? So there should be a packing free gap between the top of the re-flux condenser and the output?

Another question, had anyone tried splitting the output condenser and reflex condenser water flows? So you can control them individually. In addition, has anyone tried modding their t500 condenser so it's no longer vertical?
Although im probably going overboard as the output condenses just fine as it is currently.

[SBB]

So there should be a packing free gap between the top of the re-flux condenser and the output?

No gap required from what I know. From memory the original instructions for the T500 stated that the copper saddles should be put in first, the still then turned up side down, and the column tapped gently to make sure the saddles were a firm fit. This means there would be no gap. the rest of the still column was then filled full of the ceramic saddles supplied with still.

[Fudude]

If you use the quantity of copper and ceramic saddles provided in the kit, you will have a gap. It would take about 4 times the copper saddels to completely saturate the space around and above the reflux condenser. I have almost 3 packets in their and am still left with a 1ish inch gap. :think:

[Sam.]

The only reason to pack above an RC would be with copper for sulfide removal, it will not help to increase ABV.

How tall is the column? Is 1 inch a fair amount of it? If not then give it a run and see what you get :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[SBB]

The original kit supplied to me new was supplied with one pack of copper saddles, and then enough ceramic saddles to completely fill the column, As far as I am aware that is how all new T500s came from the box.
Just looked around the net
Quote original Owners Manual.
1.
DISASSEMBLE COLUMN BASE.
Unscrew the bottom flanged bush from the
column.
2.
INSTALL COPPER & CERAMIC SADDLES
Hold the column upside down and add the
copper saddles. Gently shake these into
place at the top of the column. Then add
the ceramic saddles a small handful at a
time. Shake the column gently between
handfuls to settle the saddles in without
gaps. The saddles should fill the column to
within 50mm from the bottom end.
Keep the column upside down while you
move to the next step.
It is important that the saddles are not
loose inside the column. Take time to settle
the saddles in with gentle shaking between
small handfuls.

The whole thing can be found here.
http://www.onestopbarshop.com.au/images ... l-OSBS.pdf
Copper Saddles are most effective at the
very top of the column.