Somo's new column

[SoMo]

After fooling around with a CM on my pot still I decided to, well go big or go home so here it goes.
I've had a 4' piece of 1-1/2" laying around and figure might as well so, I've got 50" of 1-1/2" up to a triple cold finger CM condenser housed in 11" of 2" and reducers for a condenser section of 13-1/2", a few more inches on top of that for an overall column height of 68". I know someone's gonna go CM oh that's not efficient, fiddely, cumbersome, blah, blah. I don't care I will have a flute or boka one day , but not today. I appreciate everyone's help, especially TPee, Prairie piss, and Googe, no hands on but more help than I could ask for. Thanks guys. Yes I still gotta clean her up and polish to make it pretty but I couldn't wait to show it.
Oh I made my 3-1 inlet and outlet myself a little blobby but damn that's some work.
I plan to use my existing liebig for my PC was going to do a coil but changed my mind.

[googe]

That's pretty cool.mate , so you soldered in the inlet at the bottom.and output at the top through the column?, that must have been a pain to feed the small inlet/outlet through the column?, good job!!!. Is one of your cokdfingers bigger than the other two?. It's a.massive beast, should work well . I'm interested to see how well the rc works!. Good stuff mate,good luck running it!.

[T-Pee]

Cool! Now that's the kind of RC I was talking about. You can probably throw as much heat as you want at it and not pass any vapor.
The extra height should help you with purity and the big RC will help with speed when you run up the heat. What are you going to use for packing? That much height I'd consider scoria as you might run into flooding issues if you packed the entire thing with scrubbies plus it would be a bitch to detune if you wanted to unload it.

Load it up with a turbo sac run and see how fast it runs while keeping the % as high as possible.
Let 'er rip and let's see what she does!

tp

[SoMo]

Yeah Googe one is 3/4" the other two are 1/2", it was trying to say the least, but that's what it's about. I had the outlet pipe come loose and had to take it apart and re solder the sucker back in from the heat of soldering the 2", but then I realized I could get even more condenser room. I appreciate the compliment, your work inspired me truly thank you, that's why I asked about the height above the RC in your post of your 2".

Tpee, I'm gonna see just what it will do, I've gotta finish cleaning her up and put it thru its paces. I just couldn't stand to wait and put it on here. When I built my PP manifold I did it with this in mind. Gotta make momma some neutral. I'm even gonna be an ass and make my first keeper an AG, I like it better than sugar washes.
Any body have an idea how much alcohol that column will hold?
Yes I do have a bit of a little man complex I had to solder the top standing on a chair.

[SoMo]

Built its own liebig, putting it through its paces now, cleaning runs anyway.
Good news with my water run propane on full blast my RC knocked everything down only on a quarter turn of the needle valve, a few more runs and she will be ready to make some juice. My only after thought where should I put a thermo?

[T-Pee]

My only after thought where should I put a thermo?

Just above the RC.

tp

[SoMo]

Ok thanks I was thinking one above and one below. Pot stiller- thermos are for fermenters and mashing, or for tuning up a hammer.

[T-Pee]

I don't know what the one below the RC would do but the one above lets you know how the RC is working/passing vapor.

tp

[SoMo]

I think the one below would show mean column temp, the difference in the two would show how much the RC is knocking down, or letting by. In my testing today it knocked everything down on a water run. It should handle a mash or wash pretty easily.

[T-Pee]

I think the one below would show mean column temp, the difference in the two would show how much the RC is knocking down, or letting by.

Mmm. True. Sounds like something I'd enjoy watching and could very well help in running the still. Knowledge is power they say.

tp

[SoMo]

I think the one below would show mean column temp, the difference in the two would show how much the RC is knocking down, or letting by.

Mmm. True. Sounds like something I'd enjoy watching and could very well help in running the still. Knowledge is power they say.

tp

Absolutely, we are on one of the most empowering sites there is. Some mental aptitude is required to read and build something all of your own desire you have never put your hands on. Desire burns the hottest flame.

[Prairiepiss]

For a cm still. Temp probes are. Well a pain. Above the reflux condenser and you don't have a way of knowing if the column is equalized. Below the reflux condenser and you don't know the true vapor temp of what is getting by the reflux condenser. So which do you do? Personaly I didn't. I've never had a thermometer in mine. I do use a parrot. And adjust accordingly for the wanted ABV.

[SoMo]

The reflux was my biggest concern involving the thermo. That and following where to make certain cuts by temp following the pure corn whisky experiment Odin has going on, from Smileys book. I know no making cuts by Abv%, it's the temps of fractions that has me curious. I haven't put a thermo on but maybe mid column then above the triple cold finger, just to make fraction ID a little easier to follow maybe taking some of the guess work and fiddly out of running a CM.
Pp I appreciate the input, this is a bit more than just running the pot still, the triple cold finger seems to be pretty efficient and enough to knock down boiling water on 100% propane power.