Pot still new construction question

Simple pot still distillation and construction with or without a thumper.

Moderator: Site Moderator

Post Reply
User avatar
JBAR9
Bootlegger
Posts: 112
Joined: Fri Dec 06, 2013 12:30 pm
Location: Rocky Mountains

Pot still new construction question

Post by JBAR9 »

So I have made a wonderfully beautiful 7 gallon all copper still. She's about 2.5 ft tall with a diameter roughly 1.5 feet. Good copper, cape, collar, and cap. The lyne arm sticking out is roughly three, one foot sections of increasingly smaller diameter-starting at about an inch and ending at 3/8 id. This connects to my worm. This rig runs great and has produced good products.

So, the question is-I want a larger still. Looking to make a 25 galloner out of copper sheet. Can I easily get away with using my old cap, lyne arm, and worm or should each of those be drastically larger for the bigger setup?
Last edited by JBAR9 on Thu Oct 05, 2017 1:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
JBAR9
Bootlegger
Posts: 112
Joined: Fri Dec 06, 2013 12:30 pm
Location: Rocky Mountains

Re: Pot still new construction

Post by JBAR9 »

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 9#p7142659

Here is my old post with the old gal it that's helps anyone out with what I'm referencing.
User avatar
Kareltje
Distiller
Posts: 2176
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2016 4:29 pm

Re: Pot still new construction question

Post by Kareltje »

Your old lady is a beautiful one! Did you try to make a thumper?

But back to your question: I am not sure, but I think you could give it a try.
I have a boiler of 10 litres and one of 80 litres and both have Liebig condensers with 13 mm ID and 60 to 75 cm long. I run the 10 litres at full speed 2.44 kW and the 80 litres at 3.3 kW.
When I run the 80-litres boiler at 5.5 kW it seems too fast for my condenser. Next year I will try a longer condenser and see what happens.
The Baker
Master of Distillation
Posts: 4659
Joined: Sun Aug 27, 2006 4:48 am
Location: Northern Victoria, Australia

Re: Pot still new construction question

Post by The Baker »

Kareltje said, 'Next year I will try a longer condenser and see what happens.'

I guess the 13 mm is OD of the inside tube...

Anyway instead of a longer condenser you could think of adding another tube to the existing condenser, maybe outside, and then running the vapour in the middle tube and water in the inside and outside tubes.

A Davies condenser.

Geoff
The Baker
User avatar
JBAR9
Bootlegger
Posts: 112
Joined: Fri Dec 06, 2013 12:30 pm
Location: Rocky Mountains

Re: Pot still new construction question

Post by JBAR9 »

Thank you. I love my old machine. I did try making a thumper. All copper and a third the size. Ran out of acytelene and brazing rods while making it and just haven't gotten back to it. So my worm is actually really long, I don't see condensing to be an issue, just didn't know if a larger cap and longer arm were necessary with the amount of product coming out. I guess I could just run the bigger gal a touch bit slower and get the same results?
User avatar
Kareltje
Distiller
Posts: 2176
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2016 4:29 pm

Re: Pot still new construction question

Post by Kareltje »

The Baker wrote:Kareltje said, 'Next year I will try a longer condenser and see what happens.'

I guess the 13 mm is OD of the inside tube...

Anyway instead of a longer condenser you could think of adding another tube to the existing condenser, maybe outside, and then running the vapour in the middle tube and water in the inside and outside tubes.

A Davies condenser.

Geoff
No, 13 mm is the ID of the inside pipe. 15 mm is the OD.
Yes, I could do that. Or put the vapour yhrough the outer tube and let it be cooled by water in the inner pipe and air on the outside. Point is: I have a Liebig condenser of about 80 cm, wound in a coil. Thought it would save some space, but it turned out to be very difficult to handle. It is a problem to find a stable position for it. Failed experiment.

Well: half failed. It turned out I could bend a 22 over 15 OD pipe in one go!
User avatar
Kareltje
Distiller
Posts: 2176
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2016 4:29 pm

Re: Pot still new construction question

Post by Kareltje »

JBAR9 wrote:Thank you. I love my old machine. I did try making a thumper. All copper and a third the size. Ran out of acytelene and brazing rods while making it and just haven't gotten back to it. So my worm is actually really long, I don't see condensing to be an issue, just didn't know if a larger cap and longer arm were necessary with the amount of product coming out. I guess I could just run the bigger gal a touch bit slower and get the same results?
The amount of vapour is determined by the energy you put into the wash. And the %ABV of course. Not by the total volume or the surface of the fluid or the dimensions of the pipes.
So when you run a 10-L or a 50-L boiler at the same burner, you get the same output. Only need more time to heat up and maybe the loss of heat will change with the surface of your still or the efficiency of heating may vary with a larger bottom. But these effects are small, mostly.
The Baker
Master of Distillation
Posts: 4659
Joined: Sun Aug 27, 2006 4:48 am
Location: Northern Victoria, Australia

Re: Pot still new construction question

Post by The Baker »

Kareltje said, 'I have a Liebig condenser of about 80 cm, wound in a coil....)' .

Look at Wikipedia, Condenser, laboratory.

If it is coiled is not a Liebig condenser. It may be a Graham condenser, or a different one, depending on the exact construction.

Geoff
The Baker
User avatar
Kareltje
Distiller
Posts: 2176
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2016 4:29 pm

Re: Pot still new construction question

Post by Kareltje »

The Baker wrote:Kareltje said, 'I have a Liebig condenser of about 80 cm, wound in a coil....)' .

Look at Wikipedia, Condenser, laboratory.

If it is coiled is not a Liebig condenser. It may be a Graham condenser, or a different one, depending on the exact construction.

Geoff
Hihi, I understand your confusion. Liebigs are supposed to be straight.
If you are very strict you may want to give it another name. I will give it my family name than, because it is my invention.

I made a straight Liebig condenser, 15 mm in 22 mm. A winding strip on the inside pipe. Put a 22-15-15 coupling on one end, screwed it tight and made a gliding coupling on the other end.
Than I lended a 22 bending iron and bended the two pipes. Just for an experiment, so I did not calculate it beforehand. So I winded up with an impossible Liebig cooler coil.

But we are quite off topic, aren't we? This is not what JBAR9 wants to talk about.
User avatar
JBAR9
Bootlegger
Posts: 112
Joined: Fri Dec 06, 2013 12:30 pm
Location: Rocky Mountains

Re: Pot still new construction question

Post by JBAR9 »

Hey, any info is good info. I think I got what I wanted out of the post. Keep bantering about whatever yall need to. I'm about to start up some new ferments...
Post Reply