Migrating to a new flexible set up

[Odin]

I have a lot of distillers, but am not content with versatility. I have now a 30 liters (gross) pot still, for example, and a 9.5 liters CM fractionating still. I also have a 5 liters airstill, another potstill of around 10 liters and a pharmacy glass unit of 2 liter.

In practise I use my large potstill and my CM fractionating still most of the time. And sometimes the airstill for making hot compounding gin from neutral. The problems I encounter is that the 30 liter potstill can hold 20 maybe 22 liters of low wines. And my standard batch size in fermentation is 25 liters. And when I stripped a 25 liter wash, I usually end up with 8 to 9 liters of low wines. Too much to fin in my CM rig in one time. Also all those distilling equipment takes up a lot of place I can make better use of. Also I want to be able to make bigger spirit runs. Just collecting like 1,75 liters at 96.5% is not enough.

So I started thinking and now that I looked closer at the rigs I use most (30 liter potstill, 9.5 liter CM fractionating), I found that on both of them, the column diameter is 42 millimeters. So now this is what i am going to do. I will buy a new, bigger vessel. A 50 liters olive oil container. Put in the 2,000 watt submerged electrical element that now sits in my 30 liter potstill. And I will make such an adaptor that I can put my potstill head as well as my CM fractionating head on top.

I also have a copper pipe of 42 mm that is 140 centimeters tall. I want to build a passive reflux column with it, to get something in between my pure 96.5 CM fractionating results and my old school potstill. Should make it possilbe to make single distilled whiskeys.

Now, I will be putting some photo's in, as soon as I find out how to do that.

Greetings, Odin.

[LWTCS]

Seems like a logical step Odin.

I just love those olive oil containers.

[Odin]

Hi Larry,


Stainless steel, and looking good, no? The first one I saw was at a brewshop. They asked for EUR 165,-. On the internet I found the same one at an olive oil trader for EUR 120,-. When visiting another olive oil trader's website, I found it for EUR 95,-. Now we are talking!

They also have a 100 liter version. Tempting, tempting, but I try to take this hobby one step at a time.

Odin.

[mash rookie]

Those olive cans are cool looking. I have one 15 gallon keg boiler. I don’t see ever having to make more than that at a time. Every still I build fits on it or will fit on it.

Two done, third under construction and a fourth laying there in parts waiting its turn.

The only thing they have in common is the same boiler attachment.

MR

[Odin]

Scott,

That is exactly what I am looking for: versatility. One big enough vessel as the corner stone for my distilling activities, a few different distiller heads for on top. All connectible. The 50 liters make it possible to "up" my fermentations from 20/25 liters to 35/40 liters. Also, I expect my CM fractionating still to work faster. It might even be good to single distill instead of putting a strip run in between. My CM is now starting to flood when I put more than 1,200 watts in. The reason for this is in the fact that the connection with the pan/pot is made in such a way that some holes are drilled in the lid/cover. Not enough to deal with the refluxing water, when I go beyond 1,200 watts. So ... I only see a lot of benefits in the near future!

Odin.

[Odin]

Just some drinks I made

Above: some drinks I made for the upcoming "big, fat Hungarian wedding". Niece of my wife. Underneath a picture of my CM fractionating still:

CM fractionating still

And some of the UJSSM I made (getting more mellow by the day!):

Odin's UJSSM

And the 140 centimeters by 4.2 copper pipe. Thinking of turning it into a passive reflux column to be able to single distill my UJSSM:

New copper pipe. Some work to do to make it into a nice column

[Odin]

Can you believe these small stones help me to achieve 96.5%?

Small lava stones

[Samohon]

Very nice boiler Odin, shes a beauty.

I take it that those lava stones are your boiling chips?

Good luck with the rest of your wedding hydration endevours..

[Odin]

Hi Sam,

Thanks for stepping in! Actually these stones are ... the filling of my CM column. Not really a part of this thread, but I somehow wanted to help someone wanting to give them a try, but could not get any pictures in a PM over to him.

Now, just for some explanation, before any of the Bokakob Brigade jumps me ... no, these stones are not what you would call an "open packing". But somehow, they work in my cross tubed CM. Everybody seems to hate that kinda rig, but with a relative narow column in relation to the diameter of cross tubings ánd with a denser packing allowing the cooling to be disapated (?) throughout the complete diameter of the column ... they do give me 96.5% purity!

I think that's the way to make these things work. Reflux cannot be managed. It is all or ... all. 96.5% purity and nothing else! Going to put that on my new vessel when it is ready!

Odin.

[likkerluvver]

Can you believe these small stones help me to achieve 96.5%?

IMG_6494.jpg

Damn Odin. That looks nothing like the chunks of lava that are available in garden centres here. Another item I saw was made from fired clay. - don't think that would be inert-enough for our needs

If I ever find some like this I'll be sure to give them a try.

Thanks for the pics.

[likkerluvver]

I think a boiler in the 50-60L range is the way to go.

IMHO, modular/interchangeable using sanitary connections is also the way to go for all still components - wherever possible.

That olive oil container (Fusti) looks great and is also available here in North America:

http://wholesale.oliveoilsource.com/pro ... t-50-liter

You've definitely got the stillin' bug Odin - keep us posted.

[Odin]

I decided to go for the 50 liter version. Just got into contact again with the suppllier. Price is now down to EUR 80,-!