Pot still design

[cdbrown]

The duct tape is there to keep the pipes clean

[MacStill]

OK ;-)

[crow]

Ok after the ex fucked me around with the kids tonight I didn't think anything was going to make me smile but fucken near wet myself when I saw these stills . Still haven't got it together :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: must of took them ages to get to paint off those extinguishers :teasing-tease:

[R-sole]

What the fuck are these things???

One is a pot plant, the other is a sofa.




:teasing-neener:

[bt1]

I'm no stiller designer especially for stuff that I've not had a hand in building but..

on a limb here guys feel free to throw ur 2 bobs worth in...

Looks tome like a older CM type and the second unit as a thumper with a cooling coil or grid inside i'd expect.

Got two issues really, how you get access to keep if clean to thumper/still although the still heads straight forward enough.

Second is there a heap of brass fittings of unknown quality in it which may or may not have been properly pickled out for lead content.

Just not sure but hell I'm not the sort to risk running up a brew with possible health side effects.

All, could really use your experience and thoughts on this one please

cheers
bt1

[cdbrown]

Thanks bt1, maybe the following will help.

There's two configurations for it from what I can tell


And


So the small one is the condensor of sorts. No idea about the internals but the very top and bottom pipes would be water in/out. Would you recommend inflow at top or bottom?

Figure for stripping just run the 2nd configuration, cook the big pot, vapour up through the small column then down into the other vessel for cooling.

It's been used plenty of times and the bloke said his father-in-law makes some nice stuff from it. So for cleaning using vinegar? What's the mixture and process? Very eager to have a go at this, but of course want it clean.

Note that this is only a interim thing and will be handing it back once I make my own still head to go on a keg. Which of course will be a straight forward setup rather than this thing.

[bt1]

Ah ha! makes sense now...actually well thought out really

yep you nailed it 2nd config for stripping first for spirits run.

No issues therefore with cleaning the condenser... water flow always goes counter to vapour path so in this case cold in the bottom as vapour comes in from top. Hot rises so you may see periodic small flows from top relief or waste pipe at top of condenser....would be a hint to re check temp and perhaps add a little extra cold.

I reckon as cooling volume to boiler volume is near 1;1 then you would charge the condenser with cold then let it run and only need to top up if wines gets real hot but at 1:1 doubt this will be an issue.

On cleaning grab a tissue and run it round the inside of pot head if it's a near to a brown oxide type powder but not sticky or waxy then its most likely been well used and possibly recently.
If its been sitting for ever that residue which is copper wasted/oxidised/surface reaction with spirit whatever it will get lumpy and smell off not at all like the spirit smells. If its like this i would vinegar run it, no cooling, vinegar at about 1 part to 6 of tap water= 2lt vinegar with 12+ water...white vinegar btw not spiced, pickling or cider types.

Otherwise steam it for 30 mins no cooling and consider it done unless you continue to get discoloured output as per previous tissue paper test previous thread.

cheers
bt1

[bt1]

Actually, save a few mills of vinegar and apply to a cloth while it's still cool go over the still then condenser and vinegar will remove the oxide tarnish and make it more loveable/shinny...actaully the more i look at it the more I like it...simple, good mtls etc

btw on second scan looks like all of the copper joins have been flared so there's no contact with brass so even better= no risks

remember flaring tools wish i kept mine now...

cheers
bt1

[cdbrown]

In pot still config, 2L white vinegar and 12L water currently zooming it's way to boiling thanks to the 3-ring burner and MP reg. Gone from 20 to 60 in about 5 mins. All the connections are flared. Once I've done the vinegar run and it's cool enough to touch I'll tip what ever is left and then add water to do a steam run. After than I should be ready to go for the stripping run?

I don't have the parrot yet but do have an alcometer. I could just put it in the jar with the low wines as it's being collected? I might have a taller thinner one I can use.

Update - there's now steam coming out the end with some drips of liquid. That only took about 15-20mins to bring 14L to the boil. So how long to leave it boiling you think?

[bt1]

Dam that's fast the copper base i guess...

don't let it boil dry is all. 30 mins should well do it

Yep post a quick steam run your ready to rip i reckon

cya after a few frothies

cheers
bt1

[cdbrown]

Steam all done as well, may do the stripping run tomorrow arvo or leave it till tues night at which point hopefully I'll have the parrot in my hands.

[cdbrown]

20L 1st gen UJSM is going to be stripped tonight. Will be interesting to see what the cooling power of the condensor pot is compared to the heat output of the burner. Took no time at all for it to get produce steam in the vinegar and steam clean runs. Will be keeping a close eye (and finger) on the outlet spout to make sure it remains cold. Currently have a number of jars holding a napisan soak to get rid of anything that might be in there, and following a couple of rinses in cold water it'll be good to go! No sign of the parrot unfortunately so I'll just have to use the alcometer in the jars.

Had a good read of SBBs post of cuts and fractions so hopefully it'll sink in ready for tonight.

[SBB]

Mate dont credit me with that...I only posted it here.........."Kiwi" the original poster of that put a hell of a lot of work into it........he gets full credit and always should..........its the most informative thing Ive ever read on cuts and helped me out heaps as a newbie

[cdbrown]

Well thank you kiwi for writing such a great post - and thanks SBB for posting it!

[cdbrown]

Got approx 16L out of fermenter. Ditched about the first 250ml, then just made 500ml cuts from then on. Start alc was hovering at low 50's and took about 1.2L or so to start dropping.

Started to come out in bursts just then as it was heading to 20% making the alcometer bounce up and down in the parrot. Stopped it an it settled at 25%, so turned back on the gas and slug of liquid came out ending up at 18% in the parrot. At which point I stopped. This last cut isn't clear like the others.

Is it normal for the wash to smell a little bit like champagne or white wine? The foreshots smelt a bit solventy and reminded me a little of Arak, the rest of the cuts reminded me more or arak until near the end where it started to smell a little more bready like some german beers. I hope that is somewhat normal. Haven't built up the courage to taste any of it yet.

So ended up with 3L of low wines from a 16L wash - is that about right?

Now I'm off to try and get 5L of backset out of the pot to invert the sugar and cook a little grains over night.

[R-sole]

You should get around a litre of strip per kilo of sugar in your wash.

A mirror makes a handy tool for detecting vapour. Hold it real close to your outlet and you will see condensation or mist form if there is any loss of vapour that you can't see.

[bt1]

CD,

nice work sounds like cuts worked ok and u isolated the heads and tails at the end of the run. At some point when your settled with your new still head cuts will become a fine art I only make 2 cuts these days, partly influenced by being a single runner but two none the less...heads cut, collect, stop b4 tails get there.

So it's on to gen2 wash...from here in you start to settle into the routine of it and it becomes far simpler/faster. WD

Seems the condenser worked out ok?

cheers
bt1

[cdbrown]

2nd gen is bubbling away all ready. Thought I might need to leave it over night, but as it was about 4L of backset, 3.2kg sugar and 0.5kg mixed grain the temp had dropped to about 50c in a short time, when added to the topped up fermenter the temp came out just under 30C so no waiting overnight before feeding the yeast.

So for every wash I'll get about 3L based on just over 3kg sugar.

The wines were coming out initially at 20c but increased steadily to about 28c at which point I just turned on the tap which pushed out the warm water from the top and quickly dropped to 20c again. When I had it really cranked up there was vapour coming from the small flange just below the temp gauge. The boil must have been to vigorous causing too much vapour effectively turning it into a pressure cooker. This was a fair way into the run and when I decreased the flame a little the leak stopped.

So now it's just a matter of waiting till early next week to strip the 2nd gen. Quite happy with the whole process from setting up to packing away only taking 3 hours, much quicker then the 6hrs for beer brewing.

[SBB]

effectively turning it into a pressure cooker.

:o :shock: :shock: :naughty: Pressure of any kind Is one thing you DO NOT WANT in a still

[bt1]

Good news,

Your system is opne therefore has no positive pressure...vapout will leak to the lowest pressure point it can find so wrap a bit of bread dough flour and water paste around the thermoter seal will fix it...it's just wasting vapour and lowering the temp slows it down for no good reason.
had the same wehn i remove therm some years back...flour paste fixed it.

Yeh as per previous post 3 -4 lt backset with sugar and grains will barely get you a start up temp for 2nd gen on 18+lt tap tank/tap water...the sonner the better ...reduces lag to next weekend.
Once you get to the point where it's over lapping your free time like weekends a few choices. Back temp down run slowr go to 2 week cycle...my preferred choice or ramp up with increased temp, good insulation and better quality faster yeasts.

I've pushed the Lowan your using to 34c...after than it taste differnet and yest dies ealry with reduced % alch content.

Gen2 here we come...it's all so so routine u veteran!

cheers
bt1