Just did a upgrade!! Gravity feed water circulator

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Hybrid pot still
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Just did a upgrade!! Gravity feed water circulator

Post by Hybrid pot still »

Just added my cooling system and got and water in/ out equalized to same flow with toothpicks and a clips lol
20210607_212718.jpg
Hybrid pot still
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Re: Just did a upgrade!! Gravity feed water circulator

Post by Hybrid pot still »

Im reusing my water now so more efficient and cost effective instead of running tap all the time
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NZChris
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Re: Just did a upgrade!! Gravity feed water circulator

Post by NZChris »

Heat rises, so adding the cold water to the bottom of any type of product condenser makes it more efficient.
Hybrid pot still
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Re: Just did a upgrade!! Gravity feed water circulator

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NZChris wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 7:23 pm Heat rises, so adding the cold water to the bottom of any type of product condenser makes it more efficient.
Ya, was hoping to get by with it because my condenser gets super hot now with this 5 gallon pot, im going to have to upgrade it at least soon with the correct water rotation, i ended up on tonight's run use mu washer hose again to the bottom of bucket and drain while filling, gotta figure out a better condenser with drainsnand inlets soV i just turn levers instead of handling hoses and siphoning lol
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NZChris
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Re: Just did a upgrade!! Gravity feed water circulator

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My only worm condenser has a water inlet at the bottom, so I control the cooling water using gravity and a solenoid valve, or a 12V pump, depending on if I'm off grid or in town, using a cheap 12V controller with a thermocouple just above the product outlet. The condensate is always close enough to 20C that I don't have to worry about temperature correction when getting the abv reading and the cooling water overflow is hot enough to kill weeds or wash the dishes.
Hybrid pot still
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Re: Just did a upgrade!! Gravity feed water circulator

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NZChris wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 12:05 am My only worm condenser has a water inlet at the bottom, so I control the cooling water using gravity and a solenoid valve, or a 12V pump, depending on if I'm off grid or in town, using a cheap 12V controller with a thermocouple just above the product outlet. The condensate is always close enough to 20C that I don't have to worry about temperature correction when getting the abv reading and the cooling water overflow is hot enough to kill weeds or wash the dishes.
Oh, ok. I see. Thank you NZChris
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BlueSasquatch
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Re: Just did a upgrade!! Gravity feed water circulator

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Hah my worm and pot condenser has a similar set-up, It sits on wood boards, over a 30 or 50 gallon barrel, and any water added, over-flows into the barrel under it. Since I need height for the condenser, it's two-birds one stone. Then another feeder-bucket sits above the worm, and I use a siphon/hose to feed the worm, with a bolt taped to the hose, so that the water enters the bottom of the pot, and the overflow spills over to fill the bucket it's resting over.
Then its just siphoning from the overflow, into another bucket, and dumping that one back into the top. May sound more confusing but it's fairly simple. Next set-up will have pumps and what not, but for now this gives me more to do during a run, so I don't mind.
"In the silence of the study one can discuss theories, but only in practice one becomes an artist" - Meunier
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Re: Just did a upgrade!! Gravity feed water circulator

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BlueSasquatch wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 11:51 am Hah my worm and pot condenser has a similar set-up, It sits on wood boards, over a 30 or 50 gallon barrel, and any water added, over-flows into the barrel under it. Since I need height for the condenser, it's two-birds one stone. Then another feeder-bucket sits above the worm, and I use a siphon/hose to feed the worm, with a bolt taped to the hose, so that the water enters the bottom of the pot, and the overflow spills over to fill the bucket it's resting over.
Then its just siphoning from the overflow, into another bucket, and dumping that one back into the top. May sound more confusing but it's fairly simple. Next set-up will have pumps and what not, but for now this gives me more to do during a run, so I don't mind.
I like it, will be doing something similar, i have some pumps i just gotta think on it on how to hook it up, the best way once, and buy the fittings to do it. Its like plumbing tho, it never just one trip for parts its alway 3 or 4 lol
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NZChris
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Re: Just did a upgrade!! Gravity feed water circulator

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If you are cooling using a reservoir, remember that heat rises. If you draw off from the bottom and return the hot, gently, to the top, there should be very little mixing and the water at the bottom should stay cold until the hot layer reaches the outlet. If that happens, add cold water to the bottom and overflow some hot from the top, or swap to your other reservoir. The hotter the return water, the longer your reservoir will last. I automate to use barely enough flow to cool the condensate.
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Re: Just did a upgrade!! Gravity feed water circulator

Post by stillanoob »

A bigger flake stand will help too. On my rig I have a keg with a worm in it. That gives it 15 gallons of water and the metal keg gives a little bonus passive cooling. I can run a 10 gallon stripping and the water at the bottom is just getting warm when I am done. I do have an inlet and outlet so I can put some cold water in at the bottom.
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Re: Just did a upgrade!! Gravity feed water circulator

Post by Hybrid pot still »

NZChris wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 2:03 pm If you are cooling using a reservoir, remember that heat rises. If you draw off from the bottom and return the hot, gently, to the top, there should be very little mixing and the water at the bottom should stay cold until the hot layer reaches the outlet. If that happens, add cold water to the bottom and overflow some hot from the top, or swap to your other reservoir. The hotter the return water, the longer your reservoir will last. I automate to use barely enough flow to cool the condensate.
Noted, and it sounds that to have 2 reservoirs then is ideal, for just incase, if i read that right. What would you say the max and ideal temp on the water should be? In the worm and return? Thats something ive wondered about but really haven't read or found anything relating to that other than the warm on top, cold on bottom
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Re: Just did a upgrade!! Gravity feed water circulator

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stillanoob wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 7:01 pm A bigger flake stand will help too. On my rig I have a keg with a worm in it. That gives it 15 gallons of water and the metal keg gives a little bonus passive cooling. I can run a 10 gallon stripping and the water at the bottom is just getting warm when I am done. I do have an inlet and outlet so I can put some cold water in at the bottom.
I do want a bigger flake stand, im planning on a 55 or 35 gallon plastic drums i see alot of around here
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Re: Just did a upgrade!! Gravity feed water circulator

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50' roll of 1" tubing here is $600 and some change... that hurts, but i want so bad lol, im saving tho
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Re: Just did a upgrade!! Gravity feed water circulator

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The drum is only $20 at a couple places i asked, i wish it could be the same for both item lol... dangit!! Lol
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Re: Just did a upgrade!! Gravity feed water circulator

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Hybrid pot still wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 7:19 pm 50' roll of 1" tubing here is $600 and some change... that hurts, but i want so bad lol, im saving tho
You don't need anything like 50' of tubing. Or 1". My tubing is 1/2" I.D., 5/8" O.D. My worm has about 20' and it is still more than I need. In fact, I have been thinking of taking out a turn because I must have a low spot in there, if I really crank up the still I get some surging. There is no benefit to having more cooling than you need.
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Re: Just did a upgrade!! Gravity feed water circulator

Post by BlueSasquatch »

I have a 6-gallon copper with a too small worm/flake stand, did a marathon stripping run last year, 12 hours pretty much non-stop (Just long enough to dump and fill) and the 55 gallon drum under the flakestand to catch the over-flow was almost full, around 45-50 gallons.

This was before I started recirculating, I was just hauling in buckets each run, probably not quite enough water in hindsight, but gave me a good idea of water usage.
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Hybrid pot still
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Re: Just did a upgrade!! Gravity feed water circulator

Post by Hybrid pot still »

stillanoob wrote: Wed Jun 09, 2021 5:09 am
Hybrid pot still wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 7:19 pm 50' roll of 1" tubing here is $600 and some change... that hurts, but i want so bad lol, im saving tho
You don't need anything like 50' of tubing. Or 1". My tubing is 1/2" I.D., 5/8" O.D. My worm has about 20' and it is still more than I need. In fact, I have been thinking of taking out a turn because I must have a low spot in there, if I really crank up the still I get some surging. There is no benefit to having more cooling than you need.
Took me forever to figure out low spots, i thought i was smart when i came up with several different methods i came up with on my own lol, but then found and joinf this site and seen ppl did similar things, man i wish i found it alot sooner lol, alot of hours bending and twisting re-doing it... man i beat that poor worm to death looks rough as shit, like its been ran over flat, re worked round, surprised i got it to work lol, alot of hours and frustration.. on the copper, i think i will go with what you mentioned stillanoob, will 1/2 run a 15.5 keg pot still?
Its hopefully going to be the last worm for awhile, but the 50' is just bulk so i would have enough for this worm and the next one in the future for whatever my next still will be lol
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Re: Just did a upgrade!! Gravity feed water circulator

Post by stillanoob »

Oh yeah, 1/2" I.D. tubing will be fine. Still size isn't really a factor in worm capacity. It is take off rate, the condenser just needs to be able to knock down whatever volume of vapor you throw at it. As I said, with a propane burner I haven't found a maximum rate, you get to stupid fast and it is still knocking it down. Even with a stripping run I think you don't want to run crazy fast and with a spirit run you are going as low and slow as you can stand.

Just for a reference, here is my condenser:
20200213_172952_resized.jpg

Here I am pressure testing it for leaks. The extra fittings are for adding cooling water at the bottom and draining hot water from the top:


20200213_172940_resized.jpg
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Re: Just did a upgrade!! Gravity feed water circulator

Post by Hybrid pot still »

stillanoob wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 6:37 am Oh yeah, 1/2" I.D. tubing will be fine. Still size isn't really a factor in worm capacity. It is take off rate, the condenser just needs to be able to knock down whatever volume of vapor you throw at it. As I said, with a propane burner I haven't found a maximum rate, you get to stupid fast and it is still knocking it down. Even with a stripping run I think you don't want to run crazy fast and with a spirit run you are going as low and slow as you can stand.

Just for a reference, here is my condenser:

20200213_172952_resized.jpg


Here I am pressure testing it for leaks. The extra fittings are for adding cooling water at the bottom and draining hot water from the top:



20200213_172940_resized.jpg
I really like the pressure test idea, i never even thought about that. Ive done gas lines that way before, helped do gas lines anyway. Im going to start figuring a way to rig up a station where i can do that, what is the min/max pressure do you hold at on your copper during the test run with air?
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Re: Just did a upgrade!! Gravity feed water circulator

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I think I went up to 20 PSI or so. Not that it needs to be anything like that much. I left it for 20 mins or so and the gauge hadn't budged and soapy water found no leaks. I pressure tested because I did flare fittings to attach to the keg and there were several soldered fittings as well. I wanted to make sure that water wasn't going to get into the product rather than vapor escaping. Also, I happen to have a tester (schrader valve and gauge) already made and handy.
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Re: Just did a upgrade!! Gravity feed water circulator

Post by Hybrid pot still »

I like that
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