Exsitable wrote:Its amazing the effect packing can have...
I have a grain wash bubbling away at present, ill be removing 30% of packing(all of the ceramics) and using copper / stainless only, when I run this particular wash, and ill be trying to pull some flavour through.
Now I know I can achieve full reflux - it just gives me some additional options to explore.
I think my next move is too split the cooling lines as others have done and well...I think I'm going to stick with this hobby so a new unit might just be on the cards...but I think I might keep my little SR - its taught me a lot and I might try and develop it a little.
If you look at the conical shape at the bottom of the SR's as they enter the boiler, well in my mind this is a perfect centering ring(would have to drill some small holes in the conical section to allow vapour through), but is that into the cooling jacket?!? - it's definitely asking to be increased in length, I know extensions were being sold but not sure why they stopped selling them...from interim calculations the unit could take 300-500 mm of extension to the column which would help with abv.
Si
With my 25lt boiler I found that with a reflux still full of packing I could use a 2000wt element ,but fitted as a pot still a 1000wt or 1500wt element gave a much better result .I drilled another hole in the boiler so I could use both for heat up and then switching of one for the rest of the run,this is when you realize that a power control can be a handy bit of kit , personally I donot use one ,I have a good variety of elements and trail a few combinations to get the best result for each still and product ,just the way I like it plenty of things to make ya think.Sorry there are other packing material's like broken windscreen glass and marbles I have seen used but that sounded like a bad combination to me if something went wrong ,tube full of that going bang ! no thanks.cheers hillzabilly :handgestures-thumbupleft: