From single keg w/bokakob to double boiler

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

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raketemensch
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Re: From single keg w/bokakob to double boiler

Post by raketemensch »

theskaz wrote:I havent ruled out anything. But i dont think building a flute is in my wheelhouse. Although flutes look sexy as hell, i dont understand them enough to design/build one. Im currently researching the preheater and thumper ideas. Ill get back to designing after the weekend.

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Mine was pretty much “assembled” more than built, and for a very reasonable price:

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 17&t=59022

I’m not trying to talk you into it, I just hope more people realize it’s still an option even if you’re not much of a coppersmith. I look at the shotgun condensers where people have like 10 circular joints to keep soldered on a single plate and shudder. All props to people who can do that, but that’s pretty much Hell for me right there.
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Re: From single keg w/bokakob to double boiler

Post by theskaz »

I did more research over the weekend. Mainly focusing on the Pre-heater vs thumper. I then looked down the rabbit hole into a flute setup. after hours of reading, I drug myself back out and decided to stick with a pot still type setup. I will keep my boka for refluxing if so desired until I ever decide to tackle the flute.

As far as fabrication goes, the only difference between a thumper and preheater is that a thumper will allow the vapor to go through the mash, whereas the preheater will not. It will remain in the tubing. At the moment I own 4 kegs. 3 of them are for brewing, and one is my boiler for my boka still.
20170905_092842.jpg
from left to right, boiler for still, mash tun, boil kettle, and Hot liquor tank. I just got through moving them around, the 3 on top should be HLT, MLT, and boiler from left to right. I took up close pics of the HLT:
20170905_092741.jpg
20170905_092735.jpg
20170905_092729.jpg
I already have a keg with a wound copper coil in it. Albeit there are brass ("certified lead free") compression fittings connecting it to the bulkhead. I was thinking I can dual purpose that one and have a PC come out of the lower port.

While I was typing this, I became concerned with heatup within the pre-heater.

Could there be enough heat to cause vapors to come off the top of that pre-heater setup that I am thinking of?
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Re: From single keg w/bokakob to double boiler

Post by The Baker »

Somebody on one of the forums has a condenser on his pre-heater, so,in his case at least, yes, vapours.

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NZChris
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Re: From single keg w/bokakob to double boiler

Post by NZChris »

I used to have the preheater condenser Teed into the main condenser, but now that I'm running deeper on some products, I have had to give it its own condenser.

Commercial setups sometimes have a two way valve so that they can bypass the vapors around the preheater when they reach their desired temperature. I don't, I take off the foreshot then let it strip. On a long run there is more alcohol coming off my preheater than off the main still.
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