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I recently sold a 2" VM column and boiler that I had retired from use and wrote up a guide to use for the purchaser of it. I included all that I could figure would be needed for someone new to distilling, to be as comprehensive as possible. Some members and visitors might find it useful. Enjoy....

That condenser is a beauty Otis! Can you supply any figures on how it performed? Perhaps max knockdown power and water usage.

Moving on this at full speed. I've gotten 23" of this CHP made up and will be making another 5" to fill a total of 28 inches of 4" column on my VM. I am hopeful that this packing will uphold my expectations at producing azeo near or beyond 2 gal/hour since I have tested 18" of it...

Finally got to make a couple of runs on this new tower and I am very pleased with the results! I didn't have 12 gallons of low wines to charge the boiler with, so I instead was running my mash through. After sorting out some issues, I got it running properly and with only 30 inches of CHP and SPP, I...

Hey RC, the main reason for the 6" bubble plate is two-fold. First, I know it's not running to it's max throughput, so I know it's acting similar to an inline thumper, regulating the vapor speed and amount to help stabilize the rest of the column. Second, I know it's got one additional distilla...

I've got 9kw and I've tested both condensers independently with each able to knock down all the vapor so I hope that is enough reflux to run the SPP in the semi-aquatic state. I am surprised that I'd still need such a tall column with SPP to hit azeo as I thought its low HETP would yield enough theo...

I've got no idea how much this will produce but came up with 2 gal/hr estimate based on being 4 times the surface area of my old 2" that produced at about .5 gal/hr. If this is off base, what's a more typical output for a 4" column? Otis, the reason I've got the site glass there is cause I...

I'm pleased to introduce my newest stilling addition, the Power Tower! The tower starts with a 6" ProCap plate then reduces to the 4" column, first filled with 18" of my CHP packing up to the sight glass, then another 18" of SPP on top. Next is the 4"x4"x2" tee fee...

While running my still with another cleaning run through the 8" of CHP I have made up for the column in a sight glass, at 9kw the packing really loaded up with liquid and looked like a bubbling tower. Anybody familiar with such hi power levels on a 4" column like this. Just as an aside, wi...

Hey all, Thanks for the numbers and figures above. I've been away from the hobby for a couple years while work kept me too busy and obviously forgot about all the losses relevant to getting the highest quality from any given still. As such, after the first sacrificial alcohol run, I have revised my ...

Got the 18" section and assembled it all together. Fits under the joists. Should pump out azeo at 2-3 gallons an hour.

Got it all reassembled after adding the copper to the coil and polishing the Devil's fingers condenser. Gotta say if this thing produces half as well as it looks, I'll be in for a treat.

I should be getting my 18" long trip clamp pipe, to give me 24" of packable area, including my other sight glass to view the top of the packing for flooding. Then I will just have to make more CHP to fill the extra height to have a full 4" VM still for neutrals. More updates to come

Thats a helluva coil bud Thanks, just finished it by wrapping it in copper scrubbers to disrupt the vapor and give more contact area to condense on. Still like it? 20200916_223731.jpg At 9kw before, some water vapor would make it past. Hopefully this mesh slows down the vapors and uses coppers ther...

Those are some huge clamps. Guess your packing is real efficient to just have the 1 plate and 8" I do believe it has a similar efficiency to SPP as it is similarly dense, but the goal is to make a relatively clean drink in one pass from some caramel wash I have fermenting away, so I want to le...

Reflux coil

Still trying to fix this? I have a double wound CSST condenser about 11" long atop me 4" column and it knocks down all the vapor I will throw at it. I highly recommend this style and if I had anymore CSST when I did it, I would build it probably 16" long for a little extra capacity. 1...

Here's a size of the stream of water it's condensing at 9Kw using about 1gal/min heating the cooling water to 140° from about 60°
0_0 I can barely wait for my first actual stripping run with this!

I may do just that, after I have confirmed it all works well in an actual run and I'm pleased enough to not make any modifications. I'm sure I could put my roll of copper to work covering up some areas. But for now it's just more cleaning and test runs until my buckets have fermented dry.

20200913_205036.jpg Here's a pic from the water test run, with the condenser running in pot mode, while producing 3 gallons an hour of water. This should equate to a few more gallons an hour in alcohol during an actual strip run, which is why I'll name her Candy. She puts out. Anybody able to clue ...

An update on this project. After succesful runs in my 2" column, I am adopting this packing in my new 4" VM column. I will have a 24" packed section of CHP in a 4" stainless column with a glass chimney at the top to view how the CHP reacts above a 6" plate, fed by 9Kw to pus...

Also I will probably switch over to all ptfe gaskets now that I've had so many recs for them. I've been distilling for 10+ years and never realized silicone was so frowned upon here on the site, but then again I've also only ever had one small little 2" gasket at the bottom of my previous 2&quo...

Yummyrum, yes this is still just being cleaned and tested with vinegar and water runs so far. For actual runs with liquor, I will collect straight into glass collecting jars. I do like the idea of a copper funnel though on top of my glass carboy so I may give it a try making one.

Ahhh I've got it now old one, maybe it was just the lighting. Here she is when the lights dim down a bit
She really takes on a whole different look at night. And that's while she is pissing

I've been following your build and have to say that up until now it was very artful. That condenser "upgrade??" is not only ugly but i also doubt how well it will work. Stay safe OVZ Ouch, I'm kinda hurt oldman. But I appreciate your compliment before the insult 😁 I strive to make my buil...

This rig is looking good and should have some solid performance. Just doing cleaning runs at the moment. Wanna give the inside of this condenser a good cleaning with a vinegar run 20200913_153547.jpg 20200913_154408.jpg Next updates to include a double kegger boiler mated with 12" tri-clamps, t...

Here's a picture of the upgraded condenser. Instead of just a plain boring turbulator through the center of it, I opted to add a CSST-twist connected directly inline with the outer jacket, where cooling water passes through the inner twist first before entering the outer shell, then running up the h...

Updated Arrangement: 4" column with VM takeoff to a 1.5" Inner Diameter liebig.
Both reflux and product condenser can handle up to 9kw each, providing plenty of knock down power when used in tandem during a run.

More photos of the column, plate, condenser and all.