CM Still Output Improvement Mods Mile High / Brewhaus PSII.

[Prairiepiss]

I can't give you the answer to that. To many variables. Temp of water in. How much heat your putting into the boiler. ABV of wash. You will have to play with it to see how much it will take to get it to 100% reflux. And go from there.

[jeepkidd]

One last thing i forgot to ask was at full water flow through my unit how much water should be being put to waste i.e 1 liter per minute or 2 i know there is know exact answer for this but a general starting point would be good so i can fiddle with it and does any one run a pressure regulator inline i have city water and it is very constant pressure but around 90 psi or so

I gauge the initial flow based on the temperature of the water leaving the still. I set the flow so it is a bit warm, but definitely not hot. I have never put a thermometer to it. By doing this, I am trying to find the best cooling I can get without wasting water. If I were to increase the flow when the warm water is leaving the still, it would start coming out cool, and from there on, increasing the flow wastes a lot of water without adding more cooling.

Once you have found the warm water flow for your still you can run in full reflux before you take off your fores. Then use your needle valve to slow down the flow of water to start taking off fores.

[NCDS2000]

Ok I made all the mods to my mile high unit talked about in the original post and insulated the whole thing. What I would like to do is add one of those 2 inch sight glasses that mile high sells for it between the 12 inch extension and the column itself. if I do that, should I pack the sight glass with copper mesh also or leave it empty?

[Prairiepiss]

What is your reason for wanting to add the sightglass to the column?

That is an incredible waste of money to just stick in the middle of the column. That money could be spent a lot better adding a plated section like a bubble ball. To the bottom of the column.

[Odin]

NCD, Mr. P is more than right. By adding a bubble ball, you will dramatically improve the results you can get with your rig. And the sight glass is there as well!

Odin.

[NCDS2000]

ok sounds like i will go that direction where is a good place to get that part

[Prairiepiss]

ok sounds like i will go that direction where is a good place to get that part

Pm sent.

[Clearwater]

Don't know if it is to be discussed offline, but do they make bubble plates for 2" columns or would one need to go 2 to 4, bubble plate, then 4 to 2? Hope that questions makes sense. I always associate plates with neutrals in my mind and thought they stripped flavor. Reckon I need to go read the flute threads.

[Prairiepiss]

Don't know if it is to be discussed offline, but do they make bubble plates for 2" columns or would one need to go 2 to 4, bubble plate, then 4 to 2? Hope that questions makes sense. I always associate plates with neutrals in my mind and thought they stripped flavor. Reckon I need to go read the flute threads.

Yes you can get a bubble plate section that will fit inline with a 2" column.

Hobby scale plated columns are different then commercial plated columns. Smaller scale and less available height means less plates. So more flavor carry over. It takes a lot of plates to make a good neutral. Well one comparable to what a packed column can do.

The hybrid setup with a plate under a packed column is a great alternative. And greatly increases the efficiency and speed compared to a standard packed column.

[NCDS2000]

thanks pp i will probably get one of those very soon but i am new to all this and what turned out to be a simple little hobby for me has grown way out of control with my budget. I have a bunch of money sunk into this little venture and it is now more than just a hobby on top of which i have yet to make a run on this thing. I need more time in the day lol and more money to fiddle, i like fiddling more than anything.

[im2money]

hi this post was very helpfull but i just still need help. i was just wondering if any body has a picture of the upgraded needle valve and how its conected. I have the 2 inch Mile High dual prupose reflux still. I curently have split the water input using two ball valves but want to replace the reflux conderser with a neede valve. i bought the 1/4' needle valve from the store and was planning on hose clamping the hose to the male threded ends on both sides of the needle valve. does this sound good? thanks

[Getsmokin]

I have a question, my MH unit has a vertical condenser inside the tower, I am assuming this considered a coldfinger? Should there be packing around this? (i am guessing yes) Then what could cause this condenser to not knock the temp back down while try to equalize the tower? (besides airlocked)

[LWTCS]

The condenser may not have enough knock down power based on the amount of heat you are throwing at the boiler...
I can't say but the system may never have been designed to be put into 100% reflux mode? Perhaps the design was only intended to boost ABV compared to a basic pot? Most of their product condensers are litty bitty so I don't think any real heat was ever intended to be used in the first place.
What kind of heat control do you have and what kind of cooling water source are you using?

[Prairiepiss]

I would say adding some lose packing around the condenser. Should not hurt anything. And may improve the knockdown power of the condenser. But as LWTCS said. Heat needs to be adjusted also. To use a cm still to its optimumyou need to control both heat input and cooling flow. To find the sweet spot.

[Getsmokin]

I ask because the first run it seem to matter how much water was going through it, the second it didnt seem to care if it was full blast or off. was not able to equalize the column. my heater is a 2500w adjustable element in a 13gal pot and 3" tower. I had performed the water spliting and the insulation mods.

[Getsmokin]

The condenser may not have enough knock down power based on the amount of heat you are throwing at the boiler...
I can't say but the system may never have been designed to be put into 100% reflux mode? Perhaps the design was only intended to boost ABV compared to a basic pot? Most of their product condensers are litty bitty so I don't think any real heat was ever intended to be used in the first place.
What kind of heat control do you have and what kind of cooling water source are you using?

The in tower condenser is about 6"x1" just below the output, dont know if its big enough but it seemed to work on my first run(this was #2)

[Getsmokin]

Re ran the results of yesterdays run and the exact same thing. It seems to run like a tall pot still instead of a 3"x48" reflux tower, strangely it doesn't seem to care if the heat is on 6 or 10 and when turned down to the low end its steady stream or none. First run thw temp sat at 176 for almost the whole time then just stopped, I bumped the heat up and then it sat at 195 till done.

[Prairiepiss]

Ok I thinkin know what's going on here. What exactly are you using for heat. By chance is it a element kit milehigh sells? You said it was set at at a certain temp? If it controls temps. That is a big problem. You also said it was set between some numbers? Like a electric stove top? Again could ne a problem if it is not controlling the amount of heat and is cycling on and off.

[Getsmokin]

Ok I thinkin know what's going on here. What exactly are you using for heat. By chance is it a element kit milehigh sells? You said it was set at at a certain temp? If it controls temps. That is a big problem. You also said it was set between some numbers? Like a electric stove top? Again could ne a problem if it is not controlling the amount of heat and is cycling on and off.

i wondered about that, i think it cycles off a senser in next to the element. you know, one would think that a company that makes a very solid still, would only offer the best type of heating source for the best operation. (damnit!)

[Prairiepiss]

I wish milehigh would stop selling that piece of crap thing. Hint hint Mike.

Yes they cycle on and off. This throws the column equilibrium off. Making it hard to operate. You need to either mod it so you can add a real controller to it. That will give a constant heat input. Or get a complete new setup that will give you the same thing.

[Getsmokin]

I wish milehigh would stop selling that piece of crap thing. Hint hint Mike.

Yes they cycle on and off. This throws the column equilibrium off. Making it hard to operate. You need to either mod it so you can add a real controller to it. That will give a constant heat input. Or get a complete new setup that will give you the same thing.

Prairiepiss, thanks alot!! I was just about to start pulling my hair out, thinking why can't i adjust this damn thing! what would the best format be for electrical power? pwm.. ect?

[Prairiepiss]

Phase angle. Lots about heat control in the thread named so.

[Big Bert]

I run a 2" two piece and a mighty mini from MH ,love them, I have no problem with them. I use a 8gal milk can and a keg, both run on propane, with the water control board I made I find it very easy to control ,run the pot at 90 to95' c and the head temp 78 to 80' C .I make 4 to 5 small adjustments over a 4 hour time and get 8 lt plus at 96 to 90% every time. Yes I also got the elec heater Mike sells for the 8 gal can, it the heater sits on the shelf,not worth a sh-- . Buy a propane burner and your troubles are over







The road gets longer when your truck breaks down

[Getsmokin]

I wish milehigh would stop selling that piece of crap thing. Hint hint Mike.

Yes they cycle on and off. This throws the column equilibrium off. Making it hard to operate. You need to either mod it so you can add a real controller to it. That will give a constant heat input. Or get a complete new setup that will give you the same thing.

so i have wrote a review for there thermostatic element this morning and this afternoon its not listed anymore. Hmm, how about that?

[Gigabit]

I raped the mile high still rubber plug with ptfe tape. Wondering if any one has done this also do you think it will help with contact with the vapour? should i try and replace?

thanks

[Prairiepiss]

It should work. I would still try to replace it.

[jtate-1]

Had 12 gallons of wineos sugar wash ready today and thought I would try reflux on my 8 gallon electric cm still from mile high. Completed all mods on this post. Best I could get was 75 percent. Still will not hold temp with crappy heat controller no matter how I ran my water with needle valve to control water flow. Can't use propane so gotta fix temp control problem from what I have researched here. All I can say is very frustrated with this design. I thought I did my research but find that I'm wrong. My column temps ran in the high 80s and low 90s to get any liquid in reflux mode. I'm new at this so back to work. Long day and everything smells like fingernail polish to me. I will let it air and see how that goes. I do like this forum just gotta practice.

[LWTCS]

The cycling has surly not helped with your smearing. Keep at.
Stripping first will help.
Did they supply you with the heat dee-fuzer?

[jtate-1]

Not sure what the heat defuzer is I just know it was extremely frustrating. I could not get anything to regulate. I've read and read and even have a 4'x8' dry erase board to keep my notes on the runs because im new to this. It's just nothing went as I had planned or read. I guess when you purchase a still you think things are going operate in a somewhat normal way. is the smearing of heads caused from being to hot. which I assume causes the terrible taste. I was one notch away on the temp controller and it would shut off and then no out put. adjust water flow cause column heat reads high 80s low 90s. turn up water to reduce column heat and out put shuts off. couldn't find any happy medium. want this setup in the basement so I could distill all winter. have everything I need down there for heat water big screen tv lol. Not a electrician so that whole phase angle temp control is greek to me. Maybe I can have one built for 110 hook up. I just know yesterday didn't go well and will rerun what I have in pot still mode and see if it cleans up.

[Prairiepiss]

The defuzer won't help for electric. Now your problem is the temp control on that electric setup. You should be able to crank that thing all the way up. And leave in on high. So it stays on constant. Open all the flow to the reflux condenser you can get. As long as it will knock down all the vapors this will work. Let it equalize for 45 min to an hour. You will just have figure out when it starts refluxing. After that time has passed. Start closing the flow to the reflux condenser off. Slowly till you start getting drips off. And take the foreshots off at a slow drip. 1 to 2 drips a second. When you have collected the fores. Take it back into 100% reflux for an additional 20 to 30 min. Then again slowly close off flow to the reflux condenser until you get 1 to 3 drips a second. And take off heads. After heads you can re equalization if you wish. I generally just keep on collecting in small jars. As the run progresses. The drip rate will decrease. So you will need to adjust it a bit from time to time. When tails hit it may drop off hard. Almost stop.

Any faster then 1 to 3 drips a second will bring the ABV down. These stills are not fast producers as sold. Don't get to frustrated. It takes time to learn to drive a new still.