Coolant route for flute.

StumpJuice195 · Post by **StumpJuice195** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 12:32 pm

I can't seem to wrap my pea brain around how I am supposed to do my coolant. I'm building a 4" 5 plate flute. I've watched hill billy stills video and read until I'm cross eyed. I can't seem to find a diagram of what I'm looking for. Could someone please tell me if I have this correct. If not please advise. Also if there is a better way please let me know thanks. Sorry in advance for my ignorance.

Post by **pfshine** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 12:54 pm

I would and did say to hell with that mess. Just have your supply tee off to each condenser with a valve on the outlet of each and then tie them back together for the drain.

Post by **googe** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 1:09 pm

I have the valve on the inlet though, personal choice for every individual still.

StumpJuice195 · Post by **StumpJuice195** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 1:15 pm

That does sound much easier pfshine. Thanks

Post by **FreeMountainHermit** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 1:17 pm

Wye/tee off the supply to the bottom of the dephlag/shotgun or run a dedicated line to each without the wye/tee making sure you feed from the bottom up.

Use a valve at each inlet.

StumpJuice195 · Post by **StumpJuice195** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 1:21 pm

Do you use a pump and barrel of water or do you use household supply

Post by **FreeMountainHermit** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 1:32 pm

Sometimes a barrel / sometimes right out of the pond.

Post by **pfshine** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 1:39 pm

I use city pressure here. I made a recirculation tank but it got way to humid for me in my neck of hell. The reason for putting the valve on the outlet is so you don't starve the system of coolant among other reasons. That is how every heat exchanger and HVAC system works. I am a dirty pipefitter/welder and this is my bread and butter. Will it make a ton of difference for this particular use? Probably not but it is the universal standard and is what I was taught. This is the only way I will do it or teach it. SOV on the inlet and controlled valve on the outlet. Any way it probably won't make a big difference either way in this particular use. Do what you will as long as you like it and it works for you.

StumpJuice195 · Post by **StumpJuice195** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 1:43 pm

That does make a lot of sense pfshine. That's how I will do it. I am a welder also. Tigging copper is a little tougher than I thought it would be. 4" type L takes a ton of heat.

StumpJuice195 · Post by **StumpJuice195** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 1:46 pm

Thanks for the tips guys. As always y'all are a huge help. For some reason I couldn't get the design on my drawing out of my head. But y'all have cleared the fog.

Post by **pfshine** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 1:51 pm

It does take a lot of heat. If you preheat it things run much better. Just hit it with some mapp a couple inches from the joint and let the metal move the heat to your weld zone. Don't get to close to the joint with the torch or get it to hot or you will oxidize the copper and you will get porrocity city in it and will just keep spitting at you.

rager · Post by **rager** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 8:16 pm

after a day of reading and 70 pages from the flute talk thread. one thing i came across was the use of a 3 way valve. work in the same way a faucet and shower faucets work.
apparently on valve can control everything. this will probably be the route i go if i can wrap my head around everything.

smokineod · Post by **smokineod** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 8:37 pm

On my eventual build with the plans in my head I'm looking to have the cooling water run into the bottom of the PC, out the top to a 3 way valve. The valve will dictate how much water gets sent to the RC or to the return/drain line.

It should work, at least in my head anyway.

Post by **cranky** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 8:38 pm

I use 2 pumps, one for each in trash cans. I tried splitting and running only one pump but it was a pain to balance them properly and for $35 for a second pump it was well worth it. I can't say I have a humidity problem like some said they have but I use two reservoirs and the water never gets very steamy.

Post by **googe** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 9:41 pm

Olddog used a 3way, so did emptyglass, they both said it worked well but I can't remember why now but empty went away from.using a 3way. On my old plated still I use one line in from a reservoir to a tee, one branch went to the PC and the other to the rc with a valve on it. Outlet is to another tee from both condensers. I never had any issues with pressures overwhelming each or either condenser. I have tried the valve on the inlet and outlet side of the rc and prefer the inlet side. my output collection point is above both condensers so I have some back pressure. My newer still has one inlet and splits to two valves because I have two dephlegmators, I see no issues with balancing coolant flow, it all settles it's self out. If you think one dephleg is confusing, try two!

Post by **cranky** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 9:58 pm

googe wrote:My newer still has one inlet and splits to two valves because I have two dephlegmators, I see no issues with balancing coolant flow, it all settles it's self out. If you think one dephleg is confusing, try two!

Just curious googe, why do you have 2 dephlegs?

Post by **googe** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 10:13 pm

cranky wrote:
googe wrote:My newer still has one inlet and splits to two valves because I have two dephlegmators, I see no issues with balancing coolant flow, it all settles it's self out. If you think one dephleg is confusing, try two!
Just curious googe, why do you have 2 dephlegs?

That can be todays study for you cranky, you tell me

Post by **cranky** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 10:36 pm

googe wrote:
cranky wrote:
googe wrote:My newer still has one inlet and splits to two valves because I have two dephlegmators, I see no issues with balancing coolant flow, it all settles it's self out. If you think one dephleg is confusing, try two!
Just curious googe, why do you have 2 dephlegs?
That can be todays study for you cranky, you tell me

Guess it don't matter enough to me to look too hard if you don't want to tell me outright. No biggie, I was just curious and right now I'm just too tired to even try to find it.

As far as the 2 pump thing, my PC requires a pretty good flow, yes I know it is a little small, but I don't really see the point in over complicating something that is complicated enough and 2 pumps works beautifully for the price and gives me minute adjustments on the dephleg without interfering with the PC and vice versa. I have a CSST for my dephleg on my flute and the valve is on the inlet side as far as the big packed CM I have the valve on the inlet as well but I really don't think it matters all that much either way.

Tokoroa_Shiner · Post by **Tokoroa_Shiner** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 11:05 pm

cranky wrote:
googe wrote:
cranky wrote:
googe wrote:My newer still has one inlet and splits to two valves because I have two dephlegmators, I see no issues with balancing coolant flow, it all settles it's self out. If you think one dephleg is confusing, try two!
Just curious googe, why do you have 2 dephlegs?
That can be todays study for you cranky, you tell me
Guess it don't matter enough to me to look too hard if you don't want to tell me outright. No biggie, I was just curious and right now I'm just too tired to even try to find it.

As far as the 2 pump thing, my PC requires a pretty good flow, yes I know it is a little small, but I don't really see the point in over complicating something that is complicated enough and 2 pumps works beautifully for the price and gives me minute adjustments on the dephleg without interfering with the PC and vice versa. I have a CSST for my dephleg on my flute and the valve is on the inlet side as far as the big packed CM I have the valve on the inlet as well but I really don't think it matters all that much either way.

Because his still has two columns

Post by **cranky** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 11:17 pm

Tokoroa_Shiner wrote: Because his still has two columns

That was my guess, just don't know why he wouldn't come right out and say so. For some reason the video doesn't play on this computer so I couldn't watch it. I don't see the point of two columns on a single boiler running at the same time either but to each his own I suppose.

Tokoroa_Shiner · Post by **Tokoroa_Shiner** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 11:21 pm

It's like a mini set up of the big twin towers medium sized craft distillers have. Boiler up to column out down to bottom of second column

Post by **cranky** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 11:26 pm

I get it, way too complicated for my simple mind though.

StumpJuice195 · Post by **StumpJuice195** » Wed Sep 02, 2015 4:07 am

Thanks for the feedback. I think I'm going to go with the tee/Y on the input side feeding both RC and PC. I then will put valves on the exit side of both. Then I will feed those two lines after the valves into another tee then out to water storage or garden. And yes I will feed both condensers from the bottom.

StumpJuice195 · Post by **StumpJuice195** » Wed Sep 02, 2015 4:07 am

I may do some research on the three way valve thing but I'll probably go with my above description. I'm NOT going to do my drawing.

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