New Parrot...

Fittings, parrots, packing, tooling and so on.

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zed255
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New Parrot...

Post by zed255 »

I'm looking to scale up my fermentation volumes so I can perform 3 or 4 stripping runs and re-distill those low wines into my final product. I thought adding a parrot might be an illustrative learning tool for running my rig as a pot still and to assist with knowing when to stop my run. Since these runs will be just stripping runs I have no concerns about smearing.

It is 3/4" tube that gives a fairly close fit to the alcohol hydrometer but I think there will be plenty of clearance for product to move without disturbing the reading. I used reducing Ts for the input at the bottom and collection / output at the top. I machined the top reducing T and silver brazed that connection. I also shortened to bottom outlet and made a plug tapped it with 1/8" NPT for a drain valve. I need to fit my connection to the inlet pipe yet and attach some 3/8" soft copper for the outlet, but the general form is complete.

Any issues / comments? Sorry to put up another device of which there are so many, but I like showing my progress.
Overview.
Overview.
Output / collection cup.
Output / collection cup.
Inlet / drain.
Inlet / drain.
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Re: New Parrot...

Post by nuntius01 »

just make sure you have an atmosphere break if you are tying it in directly. other than that looks great
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zed255
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Re: New Parrot...

Post by zed255 »

It will attach directly, but since my rig is a reflux still it already has an atmospheric port in the condenser cap. I was just referring to using my still in 'pot still mode', that is no / minimal reflux, for the purposes of stripping.
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Re: New Parrot...

Post by johnsparrow »

zed255 wrote:It will attach directly, but since my rig is a reflux still it already has an atmospheric port in the condenser cap. I was just referring to using my still in 'pot still mode', that is no / minimal reflux, for the purposes of stripping.
I think the bloke who gave you advise up there was solid.

Open to atmosphere at the top of the column won't mean that the parrot won't hydraulic.
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Re: New Parrot...

Post by zed255 »

OK, please give a little more detail on potential hydraulic issues.

In my set-up, distillate off the condenser flows down vertically through a liebig type product cooler and the parrot will connect to the cooler output. I could omit the product cooler if need be. With the top of the condenser vented to atmosphere and product flowing vertically via gravity I see no potential for flow problems, but there is obviously something I'm not considering here or this would not have been mentioned.

This is my first stab at a parrot, and an in-line one at that. If there is an issue I'm ready for further enlightenment!

Edit: Further research suggests the flow rate past the alcoholometer could skew its reading and that perhaps my choice of 3/4" tube may not have been optimal. I just used spare parts I had already rather than going out to buy more fittings. Is this the issue to which you refer?
Last edited by zed255 on Sun Nov 12, 2017 12:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: New Parrot...

Post by Yummyrum »

If you don't have an atmosphere vent at the top of the parrot ( bottom of the condenser ) the parrot will bob up and down as the fluid in it is responding to the vapour colapse in the condenser .

If you have ever sen a liebig huffing you will know there are conciderable cyclic air flows in and out of the end .Even when there is no obvious huffing there is still this action . An atmosphere vent allows this to occur while the liquid happily fills the parrot uneffected .
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zed255
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Re: New Parrot...

Post by zed255 »

Yummyrum wrote:If you don't have an atmosphere vent at the top of the parrot ( bottom of the condenser ) the parrot will bob up and down as the fluid in it is responding to the vapour colapse in the condenser .

If you have ever sen a liebig huffing you will know there are conciderable cyclic air flows in and out of the end .Even when there is no obvious huffing there is still this action . An atmosphere vent allows this to occur while the liquid happily fills the parrot uneffected .
OK, this makes sense if I were running a true pot still with a liebig as my primary condenser. I have detected my condenser pulling in air into the vent as vapour collapses, so I could envision that formation of vacuum transferring some movement to the column of product below which could manifest as the alcoholometer 'bobbing' up and down.

Thanks folks, never considered the issue but I will ensure there is an additional vent to mitigate this potential problem.
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Re: New Parrot...

Post by Pesty »

Where you connect the parrot to the output of the condenser, use a “T” and now it’s vented.
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Re: New Parrot...

Post by zed255 »

Yup Pesty, that was pretty much what I had in mind, with a little over engineering to ensure that there is no chance of product making it out of said venting 'T'.
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Re: New Parrot...

Post by WIski »

Nice job! Your going to love the drain on the bottom. This will serve many functions for you. The flow in your 3/4 will affect the reading but you can use the drain to regulate this and get a more accurate reading. The parrot isn't a needed tool but it is fun and can give you information that is beneficial to a superior product. Good Luck, Stay safe, Enjoy the Ride. :eugeek:
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Re: New Parrot...

Post by Kareltje »

You could add a funnel on top of the input, so the product from the condenser drips or flows into it.

I had one other point, viewing your pictures. If I am not mistaken, at the top of your parrot the rim of the pipe in which your alcoholmeter flows, is a bit higher than the rim of the collecting trough. I would be afraid that that can cause some spillage. But maybe I am mistaken.
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Re: New Parrot...

Post by DetroitDIY »

I made my first parrot the same way as Kareltje calls out, with the top of the parrot rim of the pip in which the alcoholmeter resides just a bit higher than the rim of the collection trough. I've run stripping runs off a pot still, through a leibig (though not hard coupled) and I've not had any spillage issues.

I think your parrot looks quite nice Zed. Good job!

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Re: New Parrot...

Post by Davel »

Nice job Zed!
I was contemplating making a parrot myself with pretty much the same design. The plan was to use a short section of 1" pipe and I'm finding that is son of a gun to find, I don't need or wanna buy a 12' piece of $60

How are you finding the 3/4" pipe and hydrometer working together? Do you have any issues with the hydrometer hanging up on the sides and not floating freely?

Any "lessons learned" you can share will be greatly appreciated! :)
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Re: New Parrot...

Post by zed255 »

I actually haven't used it yet and may in fact not bother at all. I recently bought a spirit refractometer and it is so sweet to use that the spirit hydrometer is largely a back-up device now.

I should likely at least give it a try to see how it works. My existing alcometer fits inside the 3/4" with some needed clearance but there are smaller ones that would allow more clearance. I suspect at high rates of flow, like during stripping, the alcometer my be slightly buoyed up by passing product but will likely be fine at lower flow rates, say during a spirit run.

My local Lowes had 5' or 6' sections of 1" pipe, not recalling the cost on it though. Still have about 4' sitting in the corner :) .
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Re: New Parrot...

Post by BlackStrap »

Your parrot looks nice, and well constructed... IMO yours looks way better than mine.

I'm not in any way criticizing what you have designed and built.
These are my experiences...
I personally set mine parrot in place at the end of my liebig condenser, (the parrot is on it's own base for when I want to take a reading during the run, most of the time I leave it in place till the end of the tails). My reasoning is this way I don't smear any of the foreshots, into any of the good juice...If I were to make mine over again I would have used 3/8" (instead of 1/2") for the beginning of the collection tube...the less liquid pooling up at the collection point after the vapour has condensed back to liquid form means more accurate cuts, and less smearing. (For when that becomes important to you.)

Something to consider place loose wad of copper mesh at the bottom where you would place your hydrometer (just in case you happen put it in before it has filled up enough to float, this way it would have less likely a chance to break the Alcoholmeter)
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IMAG0521 - Copy.jpg
IMAG0720 - Copy.jpg
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Re: New Parrot...

Post by zed255 »

BlackStrap wrote:Your parrot looks nice, and well constructed... IMO yours looks way better than mine.

I'm not in any way criticizing what you have designed and built.
These are my experiences...
I personally set mine parrot in place at the end of my liebig condenser, (the parrot is on it's own base for when I want to take a reading during the run, most of the time I leave it in place till the end of the tails). My reasoning is this way I don't smear any of the foreshots, into any of the good juice...If I were to make mine over again I would have used 3/8" (instead of 1/2") for the beginning of the collection tube...the less liquid pooling up at the collection point after the vapour has condensed back to liquid form means more accurate cuts, and less smearing. (For when that becomes important to you.)

Something to consider place loose wad of copper mesh at the bottom where you would place your hydrometer (just in case you happen put it in before it has filled up enough to float, this way it would have less likely a chance to break the Alcoholmeter)
Thanks for the comments. I will post a new pic 'casue it was not complete in the first pic.

The drain valve at the bottom it to bypass undesirables to collection without filling the parrot first, reducing the smearing issue.

The collection tube is 3/8 soft copper inside 1/2 hard copper as a product cooler, Liebig style.

Thanks for the reminder about some mesh in the bottom. Was aware of that to cushion the glass from the copper bottom.
IMG_1372.JPG
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Re: New Parrot...

Post by BlackStrap »

zed255 after reading your reply, you have really thought your design all the way through... I need to upgrade my comment from
Your parrot looks nice, and well constructed
To looks Awesome 8) and very well constructed. Would love to see it in action :)
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Re: New Parrot...

Post by Davel »

Zed,
If you do one day give it a trial run let me know how that 3/4" works.

Unfortunately none of the big box stores here carry the 1" and the plumbing wholesalers only stock the 12'ers. I'm going to hit the scrap metal yards and see what I can dig up......might even find some copper sheet to practice hammering our some inlet & overflow cones.
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Re: New Parrot...

Post by DetroitDIY »

Davel, try a good hardware store. I've got one in my neighborhood... the kind where you can go and tell them what you want to do and they'll help you figure it out. Mine doesn't show a lot of copper beyond the 1/2 & 3/4, but they have all kinds of diameters in back and will cut me off whatever length I need of whatever diameter I need.

By the way, the parrot I just built has a 3/4" alcometer tube with a 1 1/4" cup around it. Still building the rest of my rig so I haven't run it yet to know the flow. Here's a picture...
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Re: New Parrot...

Post by Davel »

Nice work Detroit.....I like the work on the medallion there.. Great job! :thumbup:

I envy your access to helpful hardware stores. In the city I'm in there ain't much other "what you see is what you get".

My alcometer has an O.D. of between 5/8" & 11/16"....... that's my issue with using 3/4" copper since it is measure by the OD and its hard to find "M" type (thin wall) in this small of diameter.
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Re: New Parrot...

Post by BlackStrap »

Hey Davel
I was contemplating making a parrot myself with pretty much the same design. The plan was to use a short section of 1" pipe and I'm finding that is son of a gun to find, I don't need or wanna buy a 12' piece of $60
If you are unable to find copper tubing locally try online shopping.

https://www.amazon.com/Online-Metal-Sup ... per+tubing
https://www.plumbingsupply.com/copperpipe.html
for those hard to find reducers, caps and couplings try this one
https://www.pexuniverse.com/copper-fittings
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Re: New Parrot...

Post by Davel »

Thanks for suggesting that Blackstrap.

I've considered going the online route but once you add in the shipping cost to Canada I wouldn't save anything......it would cost me the same as buying a 12' length.

I just need to rip over to the scrap metal yard one day before it closes, pretty sure I'll find most every thing I need there.
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Re: New Parrot...

Post by Davel »

Well the trip to the salvage yard was great......got all I needed and more all for only $10....glad I went. :ebiggrin:

Once I get mine done I'll have to post a pic or 2 in the Still relate Hardware section along with the many others
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Re: New Parrot...

Post by Bushman »

Davel wrote:Well the trip to the salvage yard was great......got all I needed and more all for only $10....glad I went. :ebiggrin:

Once I get mine done I'll have to post a pic or 2 in the Still relate Hardware section along with the many others
What are you planning for a base or are you attaching it to your still? I used a free piece of granite that you get at granite suppliers. It's heavy and I drilled a hole part way in capped the bottom of the parrot and glued it together. Very sturdy!
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Re: New Parrot...

Post by Davel »

Hi Bushman,
My plan is for a free standing unit so I can put it under the takeoff after the fore shot is done.....I managed to get some decent size piece of copper sheet and am planning to make a base from that.

A nice piece of granite sounds pretty amazing though....good on ya! :thumbup:
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