Coolant system build

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Pikey
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Re: Coolant system build

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ShineonCrazyDiamond wrote:I agree. I wasnt attacking your comprehension, I was acknowledging it.

Which is why this
Pikey wrote: I investigated this and asked a question about our different languages,
Was obsurd to imply that language was a barrier.

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Re: Coolant system build

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Simple distillation of this thread -- NO BLEACH and no pool water anywhere near a home or other distillery!

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Re: Coolant system build

Post by Fraser »

I think if you're distilling for yourself for your own pleasure a pool would be just fine. On considering the risks of chlorine, even if it's very unlikely or remote to get contamination, I'll work on another solution. I pass no judgement on anyone that has had success doing it their own way.

I'm taking a page out of Zbob's book and have gotten a reasonable sized radiator and high velocity utility fan to blow on it. I'm also going to install a mister in between the two to get some phase change on the hottest parts of the summer.

I appreciate all the feedback and input. It's very helpful. The best ideas come out of the home distilling community, which is why I really believe this hobby needs to be made legal asap.
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Re: Coolant system build

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Fraser wrote:I think if you're distilling for yourself for your own pleasure a pool would be just fine. On considering the risks of chlorine, even if it's very unlikely or remote to get contamination, I'll work on another solution. I pass no judgement on anyone that has had success doing it their own way.

I'm taking a page out of Zbob's book and have gotten a reasonable sized radiator and high velocity utility fan to blow on it. I'm also going to install a mister in between the two to get some phase change on the hottest parts of the summer.

I appreciate all the feedback and input. It's very helpful. The best ideas come out of the home distilling community, which is why I really believe this hobby needs to be made legal asap.
If the misters you are speaking of are the type on mirror produce case you will find the mist to fine and suck the mist out. I have used oil burner nozzles that worked but they need pressure to work correctly.
Shower head distributors like this work well above the media. http://www.ebay.com/itm/12-Square-Stain ... SwKtlWhOmt" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

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Re: Coolant system build

Post by still_stirrin »

Fraser wrote:...I...have gotten a reasonable sized radiator and high velocity utility fan to blow on it. I'm also going to install a mister in between the two to get some phase change on the hottest parts of the summer.
Closed loop, right? Drop the radiator into the pool...plenty of heat exchange there. And you can point the fan on your "easy chair" to make yourself more comfortable for the long runs ahead.

Or, add a coil of copper in the pool...it'll take the heat out of the coolant fluid...ready for return to your product and/or reflux condenser(s).

Got enough pumping power for the closed loop recirculation....flow resistance and vertical head lift? If you're using glycol solution, the pump should be rated for it (seals). But if you're using water (no chlorine, remember?), then it is probably cheaper to charge the loop and refill it as the system depletes.

I still like the large mass of water (swimming pool) to sink the heat into...from the closed loop system. The price is right and the results successful. But don't recirculate the pool water through your still...always use a secondary cooling loop to transfer the heat.
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Re: Coolant system build

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Pikey wrote: I would doubt anyone would mix bleach with their alcohol - especially in view of the "Chloroform" thread :shock:

I assumed that to be what he was referring, because he said "Bleach AND ......" , so simply concentrated on the "natural fibres"

Your interpretation seems somewhat divergent from mine - do you think he was meaning cork or wood which had been bleached then ?

In the uk we would have said "Bleached natural fibres such as .... "

is "Bleach AND natural fibres... " a normal way of saying "Bleached natural fibres..." in the USA ? :?
It's about having bleach around the natural fibers we use ( cork, barrels, and really any other wood products near where are producing alcohol) - so yes the combination of bleach with wood or cork is not a good thing. Not sure why you keep misquoting me?

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Re: Coolant system build

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WTF is that about ?? we are not here to slam each others country or language

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Re: Coolant system build

Post by Pikey »

Oldvine Zin wrote:
Pikey wrote:
is "Bleach AND natural fibres... " a normal way of saying "Bleached natural fibres..." in the USA ? :?
It's about having bleach around the natural fibers we use ( cork, barrels, and really any other wood products near where are producing alcohol) - so yes the combination of bleach with wood or cork is not a good thing. Not sure why you keep misquoting me?

OVZ
Will pm you later - when I get back. I did not misquote. Your statement was wrong and you left it to others to explain what they thought you meant.

I will not contaminate this thread with further comment here.
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Re: Coolant system build

Post by Fraser »

Closed loop, right? Drop the radiator into the pool...plenty of heat exchange there. And you can point the fan on your "easy chair" to make yourself more comfortable for the long runs ahead.

Or, add a coil of copper in the pool...it'll take the heat out of the coolant fluid...ready for return to your product and/or reflux condenser(s).

Got enough pumping power for the closed loop recirculation....flow resistance and vertical head lift? If you're using glycol solution, the pump should be rated for it (seals). But if you're using water (no chlorine, remember?), then it is probably cheaper to charge the loop and refill it as the system depletes.

I still like the large mass of water (swimming pool) to sink the heat into...from the closed loop system. The price is right and the results successful. But don't recirculate the pool water through your still...always use a secondary cooling loop to transfer the heat.
ss[/quote]

This would certainly work in the summertime. But I have to be working year round thought the winter too. So I'd feel better about circulating glycol knowing that it won't freeze up in the loop if I'm not running the pump. There's also kids that use the pool during the summer, so if I can avoid having odds n' ends in there for them to get caught up in (as all kids manage to do no matter what), I'd prefer it. I'm swapping in a good inline pump that should work just fine. Other people use their coolant system to also chill down wort to temperature, which I won't have to do since I'm mostly just using grapes. So this system shouldn't be too overloaded with heat.
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Re: Coolant system build

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I still think that you use the air cool method followed by a second cooling method (the water bath or the freezer) after a good portion of heat is dissipated from air cooling. Even on a hot day, the dissipation of heat into the atmosphere should be enough (especially with a fan for assistance) to drop quite a few kW or heat.

Have the hot water leave the condenser and go to the air cooled "radiator" with a fan. From the "radiator" have a coil submerged in a cold water bath(or pool) to dissipate the rest of the heat. You could also use your freezer and a short coil here.

Then the water goes back into the condenser.

You don't need to get the temperature down to 0 degrees (in fact you might not want to do that.... HD google shock cooling). The temps just need to be "cool enough". I aim for less than 100F and usually hang around 70-80F.

You will need a good pump to cover this distance but it sounds like you have got that covered.

Have a look here for some good ideas about air cooling: http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 87&t=54596
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Re: Coolant system build

Post by rgreen2002 »

Hey, Frasier....

Here is another great idea for cooling... Similar to the air idea but with water:

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 8#p7385268 check the vid at the top of the page...

You could also put a cooling fan at the top of the reservoir barrel to speed up cooling too.

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Re: Coolant system build

Post by Fraser »

Thank you for the ideas. We did go ahead and cobble together an air cooled solution for the coolant loop. It's a 30 gallon barrel with the bottom cut out. That's a 17 inch high velocity attic exhaust fan behind it. We also ran a water line with a fine mister attachment to blow the mist between the fan and the radiator to get some extra cooling from the phase change. We removed the freezer entirely when we noticed that it quickly got overwhelmed with the heat.

We ran this with just the radiator all day long yesterday on stripping runs. It got pretty warm in the condenser, but it was a constant temp and cool enough to get the job done. I'll have to see if it's cool enough to run it for reflux later this week.
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Re: Coolant system build

Post by Yummyrum »

Nice setup Fraser :thumbup:

What did you use for the mister ? Is it feed off another hose ? Is it a garden sprayer type thing ?

Is it a closed loop system and if so did you notice any pressurizing of the coolant hoses when it warmed up at all ?
Was it hard to prime the hoses?
will you leave it connected or disconnect and re prime lines every run ?

If not , what size reservoir do you have >
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Re: Coolant system build

Post by Fraser »

For the mister it's just one of those fine mister attachments that's on a wand that you might usually see on a small handheld plastic tank for spraying bug spray. It works really well. We hooked it up to a garden hose with a hose barb adapter fitted for 3/4 to the garden hose.

It's not entirely a closed loop, technically. I'm using a 1/2 HP continuous use sump pump that's in a rain barrel. I was also a little worried about the pressure change with the heat, so I didn't know whether an entirely closed loop would work great or not. So it all just dumps back in the reservoir and then gets pumped back through. I'll have to keep an eye on an evaporation as I go along. I keep the condensers hooked up to the line when I break the still down to wash it out.
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Re: Coolant system build

Post by Whitecap72 »

Couldn't you run your spirit through the exchanger right out of the still with a fan blowing on it and not have to use any water at all? I'm talking about a 15.5 gallon keg still.
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Re: Coolant system build

Post by still_stirrin »

Whitecap72 wrote:Couldn't you run your spirit through the exchanger right out of the still with a fan blowing on it and not have to use any water at all? I'm talking about a 15.5 gallon keg still.
Water is better to transfer the heat than vapor. Plus, if vapor changes phases inside a radiator, you would have a difficult time “pumping” the vapor/liquid through it.

So, the water system is a closed loop heat transfer cycle. A fan blowing over a condenser is just an air cooled heat exchanger which is not all that efficient even with a fan blowing on it.
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