Raketemensch's Almost-No-Soldering Modular Flute Build

Vapor, Liquid or Cooling Management. Flutes, plates, etc.

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BloodMoses
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Re: Raketemensch's Almost-No-Soldering Modular Flute Build

Post by BloodMoses »

How much did this run you at the end of the day? In the same boat as you, not afraid of soldering, but with 60+ hour a week job and a wife and kid I prioritize above the hobby, I am looking to make as many shortcuts as possible that leaves me with a decent still. Thanks for posting this!
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raketemensch
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Re: Raketemensch's Almost-No-Soldering Modular Flute Build

Post by raketemensch »

BloodMoses wrote:How much did this run you at the end of the day? In the same boat as you, not afraid of soldering, but with 60+ hour a week job and a wife and kid I prioritize above the hobby, I am looking to make as many shortcuts as possible that leaves me with a decent still. Thanks for posting this!
It was under $700 all told, including all the clamps, baskets and the braided hose. I was aiming for under $600, but little bits kept popping up here and there, as they always do.

It takes patience with shipping from China, but it’s worth it.
chickenfeed
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Re: Raketemensch's Almost-No-Soldering Modular Flute Build

Post by chickenfeed »

Wouldthere be any point to adding 2 or 3 of these sections to a reflux column still packed with copper mesh i can get 4in sections that would clamp either above or below column
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raketemensch
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Re: Raketemensch's Almost-No-Soldering Modular Flute Build

Post by raketemensch »

You could just put a 12 or 24 inch section (or several) instead of, or above, the sight glasses. I would probably leave the bottom sight glass in place, then clamp in some solid, taller sections packed with copper. I’m not sure if wider diameter means you need more height, I don’t recall seeing a lot of 4” azeo builds.

Doesn’t mean there aren’t dozens of them around, I just don’t personally recall seeing them or reading experiences with them. I’m not really a neutral guy. Yet.
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Re: Raketemensch's Almost-No-Soldering Modular Flute Build

Post by chickenfeed »

raketemensch wrote:Clamping the plates between the sections works, but it's a little hinky. The plate sits on the PTFE gasket just inside the centering ring, and when you clamp everything together it makes things just a little bit more difficult. When I first tried it I thought that if I was making the plates myself, I would make them just a tiny bit smaller than the ID of the PTFE gaskets.

Then I was falling asleep last night, and duh, I could just take some material off the inside of the gaskets... It would be pretty easy with a drum sanding bit on a drill, but since I didn't have one, I did a mangly job with a stepper bit, and it worked very well. The plates sit right on the stainless, and everything clamps together smoothly.

I also got the CSST today, 4 days ahead of schedule. I was planning to pickle the brass connectors on it, but they arrived today in stainless steel! Lucky me. Now I need to find some good stainless nuts to fit the threads on them. It's amazing how small 48" of it looks in the packaging.
This worked great thanks i was having a lot of issue with the gaskets
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Re: Raketemensch's Almost-No-Soldering Modular Flute Build

Post by chickenfeed »

This is my new 3 plate extension Image
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raketemensch
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Re: Raketemensch's Almost-No-Soldering Modular Flute Build

Post by raketemensch »

Nice! Those are interesting sight glasses. There’s nothing like watching the bubbles ebb and flow.

I’m pumping the keg full of UJ at the moment. I was planning on using a new extension above the dephleg as a gin basket, but I don’t really have anything to put in it yet.
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Re: Raketemensch's Almost-No-Soldering Modular Flute Build

Post by yakattack »

Just a random thought. Throw some cracked corn in the gin basket. Up the sweet corn flavor.
HDNB wrote: The trick here is to learn what leads to a stalled mash....and quit doing that.
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raketemensch
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Re: Raketemensch's Almost-No-Soldering Modular Flute Build

Post by raketemensch »

yakattack wrote:Just a random thought. Throw some cracked corn in the gin basket. Up the sweet corn flavor.
Heh, that’s something I’ve wanted to do since forever, and have posted about many times, and totally forgot about when the opportunity arose...

Thanks for the reminder :)
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Re: Raketemensch's Almost-No-Soldering Modular Flute Build

Post by yakattack »

I do a corn infusion. Really comes through. Gin basket would prob be better. Let me know what comes of it. Don't have a gin basket to play with otherwise I'd already know lol
HDNB wrote: The trick here is to learn what leads to a stalled mash....and quit doing that.
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Re: Raketemensch's Almost-No-Soldering Modular Flute Build

Post by pomona »

Great build! Have bought 4 sight glasses and bits of pipe, flanges, reducers etc. for a build that is almost identical to yours.

Wanted to ask if the csst coil in dephlegmator sags into the topmost sight glass or whether I am unnecessarily worrying about the csst coil losing shape when water is pushed into it? I am planning to have a half inch pipe fitted into the bottom of the dephlegmator (since I don't want to drill any holes into my sight glasses) which will go about 3 inches into the 4 inch column. This will act as a thermowell as well as hopefully hold the csst coil in place. I then plan to cut away lengthwise the bottom (vapor facing) part of pipe so that the intact roof protects the reading from condensed distillate while the vapor is able to freely access the bulb of the thermometer as initially described by myles here - http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 7#p7082809 . Do you think this setup is okay and the readings will be fine even though the thermowell is touching the csst coil of the dephlegmator?
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Re: Raketemensch's Almost-No-Soldering Modular Flute Build

Post by raketemensch »

I have had zero issues with the CSST coming out of shape, it’s pretty solid, and I have no supports on it at all. It knocks down the 5500w element without breaking a sweat. In fact, the adjustments that I make to control it are the tiniest movements, all down at the very end, where it’s barely letting water through at all.

I actually run without any thermometers. I basically reflux for a good 30 minutes to stack the fractions, then let through some fast drops, less than a stream, to collect fores and allow a little more stacking.

At that point I just adjust to a twisted stream and start collecting. Maybe a thermometer would be interesting, but you can judge your run by the ABV just as well, IMHO. Once it starts to drop a little I’ve started putting it back into reflux again at that point, or sometimes just slow the stream until it rises back up again.

Then I run it until it starts to drop again, and collect down to around 25-30, just to have some feints around.

I’ve had this thing for almost 2 years, and I still can’t wait to run it again tomorrow.
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Re: Raketemensch's Almost-No-Soldering Modular Flute Build

Post by pomona »

Thanks for insight! I may also leave the thermometer out then to begin with.

How are you monitoring your ABV? Would love to see an easy parrot design in case you use one and recommend having it. I am currently just planning on collecting in lots of jars into which I can just drop a hydrometer in to check ABV.
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Re: Raketemensch's Almost-No-Soldering Modular Flute Build

Post by raketemensch »

I use one of these spirit refractometers:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Alcohol-Aluminu ... Sw4A5YvWkI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Its only drawback is that it only goes to 80%, but since I’m making flavored stuff 99% of the time it doesn’t really matter.

You only need a drop or two, so it’s indispensable for cuts parties and dilution, and during a run you can just give the slide a quick pass through your stream and look at a bright light to know exactly where you’re at.
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Re: Raketemensch's Almost-No-Soldering Modular Flute Build

Post by pomona »

Thank you again! Its great to be able pick your brain especially since its all just theory for me at the moment.

One tiny thing I am planning to do differently is to have the downcomer cap soldered to the base of the tube so that the opening faces the column wall instead of the center. Hoping this will yield a "better" flow pattern across the plate without having to go for linear weirs as discussed here http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 0#p6898769
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