A still design I thought about...
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A still design I thought about...
Hello,
what do you think of this design? it would be either a pot still or a reflux still, just by adding water in the grey place! To change the amount of reflux, simply change the amount of cooling water that goes each minute.
What do you think of that?
Best regards,
Pierre
what do you think of this design? it would be either a pot still or a reflux still, just by adding water in the grey place! To change the amount of reflux, simply change the amount of cooling water that goes each minute.
What do you think of that?
Best regards,
Pierre
1. No vent hole to prevent pressure build-up (pretty serious problem).
2. Top heavy, with all that condenser water.
3. How do you switch on water flow into the centre section to induce reflux?
4. Practically it is looks a pain to build.
The slanted plate Bokabob, and the Nixon/McCaw Vapour Management designs are hard to improve on for simplicity, ease of construction, and effectiveness.
But several points for originality.
2. Top heavy, with all that condenser water.
3. How do you switch on water flow into the centre section to induce reflux?
4. Practically it is looks a pain to build.
The slanted plate Bokabob, and the Nixon/McCaw Vapour Management designs are hard to improve on for simplicity, ease of construction, and effectiveness.
But several points for originality.
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1. No vent hole to prevent pressure build-up (pretty serious problem).
-> there is one: the exit hole. There is no liquid alcohol that remains in it
2. Top heavy, with all that condenser water.
-> well the measures aren't like in the pictures... 2mm between two copper parts is enough. Sure quite heavy, but not that much.
3. How do you switch on water flow into the centre section to induce reflux?
-> you don't. The water in grey is simply poured before the beginning, and all the alcohol that gets cool is removed.
4. Practically it is looks a pain to build.
-> obviously, yes
-> there is one: the exit hole. There is no liquid alcohol that remains in it
2. Top heavy, with all that condenser water.
-> well the measures aren't like in the pictures... 2mm between two copper parts is enough. Sure quite heavy, but not that much.
3. How do you switch on water flow into the centre section to induce reflux?
-> you don't. The water in grey is simply poured before the beginning, and all the alcohol that gets cool is removed.
4. Practically it is looks a pain to build.
-> obviously, yes
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But that water will heat up very quickly and refluxing will stop very quickly and you're back to a potstill.Pierre L'Ivrogne wrote: 3. How do you switch on water flow into the centre section to induce reflux?
-> you don't. The water in grey is simply poured before the beginning, and all the alcohol that gets cool is removed.
My advice, if you want a reflux still and you can find 2" copper pipe, etc. then go ahead and make a good reflux still, you could remove the packing if you wanted it to function like a potstill.
If you want something easier to build, just make a potstill, they're pretty simple.
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Depends on the size of the exit (liquid take-off) tube. Most are 1/4". Might not be big enough.Pierre L'Ivrogne wrote:1. No vent hole to prevent pressure build-up (pretty serious problem).
-> there is one: the exit hole. There is no liquid alcohol that remains in it
Not only is there additonal water, but you are adding another 3 layers of copper, which is pretty heavy on it own.2. Top heavy, with all that condenser water.
-> well the measures aren't like in the pictures... 2mm between two copper parts is enough. Sure quite heavy, but not that much.
Plus what defcon4 said.
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the exit will be at least 1cm large...
It's not heavier than a portuguese still
PS: a total of 5 copper layers
It's not heavier than a portuguese still
PS: a total of 5 copper layers
Yeah, 1cm is probably safe, as long as it is never blocked off with a valve.
That Portugese copper still is also quite top heavy when filled with cooling water.
And your design has 3 extra layers of copper on top of a standard Liebig reflux condenser (2 + 3 = 5).
Cheers
That Portugese copper still is also quite top heavy when filled with cooling water.
And your design has 3 extra layers of copper on top of a standard Liebig reflux condenser (2 + 3 = 5).
Cheers
Be safe.
Be discreet.
And have fun.
Be discreet.
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I imagine it would be a fairly difficult undertaking to balance the heat input and flow rate of the cooling water. How will you be able to tell what temp your grey area is? If it gets too hot, how will you be able to tell if it's refluxing or not? Because there is no valve (or rather no reflux overflow) the refluxed alcohol will not travel down the centre of the packing, thus reducing the effectiveness. So, I think it might work to a point, but it will not be the most effective reflux....you are not going to get a consistent 90+%.
Bear in mind....this is only my opinion.
Bear in mind....this is only my opinion.
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I imagine it would be a fairly difficult undertaking to balance the heat input and flow rate of the cooling water. How will you be able to tell what temp your grey area is? If it gets too hot, how will you be able to tell if it's refluxing or not?
-> the heat at its maximum, and reflux is known by the amount that gets out of the still, not a problem
Because there is no valve (or rather no reflux overflow) the refluxed alcohol will not travel down the centre of the packing, thus reducing the effectiveness.
-> this is actually a problem. I'm gonna think about it.
Thanks for this last suggestion
Pierre
-> the heat at its maximum, and reflux is known by the amount that gets out of the still, not a problem
Because there is no valve (or rather no reflux overflow) the refluxed alcohol will not travel down the centre of the packing, thus reducing the effectiveness.
-> this is actually a problem. I'm gonna think about it.
Thanks for this last suggestion
Pierre
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This looks like the Stillmaker design with two condensers -
http://homedistiller.org/theory/refluxdesign/rr" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
The comments about this design on the main page, is the reflux ratio is harder to control - it basically depends on the first condenser - which would be your gray area in the diagram.
http://homedistiller.org/theory/refluxdesign/rr" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
The comments about this design on the main page, is the reflux ratio is harder to control - it basically depends on the first condenser - which would be your gray area in the diagram.
I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it left.
Pierre L'Ivrogne
Your design could work for both a pot still and reflux still. How well it works as a refluxing still depends on how well you engineer and build it. You would be using vapor control which will raise the %, but is a lot harder to get above 90% using vapor control. You don't have any packing drawn in your drawing, you have to have packing to have reflux.
Your design could work for both a pot still and reflux still. How well it works as a refluxing still depends on how well you engineer and build it. You would be using vapor control which will raise the %, but is a lot harder to get above 90% using vapor control. You don't have any packing drawn in your drawing, you have to have packing to have reflux.
Am I missing something? Surely the cooling water (in the grey area) will change temp, this will change the reflux ratio. You will have to constantly balance heat input and cooling flow IOT maintain consistency. Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree. I still think a bokakob with removable head is the way to go.....screw on the long packed column for reflux, screw directly to the boiler (and open the valve) for a pot.Pierre L'Ivrogne wrote:If it gets too hot, how will you be able to tell if it's refluxing or not?
-> the heat at its maximum, and reflux is known by the amount that gets out of the still, not a problem
It is most absurdly said, in popular language, of any man, that he is disguised in liquor; for, on the contrary, most men are disguised by sobriety. ~Thomas de Quincy, Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, 1856
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Looks to me like an Internal reflux LM still just an asspain way of doing it?
I think it would be very difficult to control the reflux ratio
although I have been wrong before
but sometimes thats how things get discoverd
Dog could you tell me how that is VM I thought there would have to be a valve before the product condensor to control how much vapour is condensed and how much is sent to reflux?
I think it would be very difficult to control the reflux ratio
although I have been wrong before
Yep funny design.The goal is also to have something with a funny design
but sometimes thats how things get discoverd
Dog could you tell me how that is VM I thought there would have to be a valve before the product condensor to control how much vapour is condensed and how much is sent to reflux?
Such is life
Dog could you tell me how that is VM I thought there would have to be a valve before the product condensor to control how much vapour is condensed and how much is sent to reflux?
With VM you use 2 condensers. When he adds water to the gray area, this turns the upper part of his column into a condenser. Vapors would condense on the column wall and run down to the packing (reflux) and some would go past this condenser to the second condenser and be collected. He talked about controlling the water to the condensers.
This would be VM.
With VM you use 2 condensers. When he adds water to the gray area, this turns the upper part of his column into a condenser. Vapors would condense on the column wall and run down to the packing (reflux) and some would go past this condenser to the second condenser and be collected. He talked about controlling the water to the condensers.
This would be VM.