Hi all...

[madman1959]

I think I've kinda put the horse before the cart. I've put together a reflux wothout really researching as much as I would have liked to. I have a 5 gallon stainless pot with a 2" diameter column 48" high. About 2" from the top I have a 1" outlet leading to the condensor unit. this is 26" long with a 1 1/2' water jacket around it. the column also has a water jacket just below the 1" outlet. this is 4" in length and 3" in diameter.
All of the components are made from food grade stainless steel.
Hope you can picture this as I haven't had the opportunity to put it all together yet and trial run it with water to get some initial readings.
I plan on running stainless pot scrubbers in the column.
Guess that is all for now...I do have a lot of questions but hope that the majority will be answered by reading the forums... thanks

[ScottishBoy]

Youre gonna want some copper in the vapor path...

[madman1959]

Okay..I'll bite..why?

[ScottishBoy]

To eliminate/nuetralize suplhur compounds in your distilate.

Take a long swim though the forums, you'll catch lots od details and come out with much better understanding of what you are going to do. It MIGHT even save you from making a mistake that is difficult to undo. Save time, money, aggravation...

Trust me, it's really worth the time to read the parent page a few times and then come in here and search for the questions your want answers to. It will take a few days but when it all starts to come together its a really interesting time.

SB

[madman1959]

Okay..thanks..I have been reading...and reading...and more reading...lol. Can I use copper scrubbers in the column, as I don't see any other way of putting copper into the mix anywhere....

[Kentucky shinner]

copper scrubbers will be fine, just make sure there 100% copper take a magnet if it sticks to the magnet its copper coated. You can buy copper mesh off E bay also or Milehigh distilling.
Kentucky Shinner

[Braz]

the column also has a water jacket just below the 1" outlet. this is 4" in length and 3" in diameter.

I'd be a little concerned that your water jacket reflux condenser might not be up to the task. You need to be able to knock down 100% of the vapor while the column equalizes. Might be OK, you just need to try it. If it knocks down water vapor it will do fine on alcohol vapor.

And, welcome. Lets have some pictures of the rig.

[Samohon]

Welcome to HD madman1959. Yeah man, give us some copper/SS porn (Piccies)...

[davidwh]

Welcome bloke,

+1 SB on copper in vapour path true that.

I know you have a design in mind allready but haven't brazed up yet so take 5 to consider a known design like say a Boka. The Reading lounge has plans, good templates and heaps of pics....might just pay off knowing you've got the best possible kit.

Either way let us know what you decide...pics please!

cheers
dave

[rad14701]

Sounds like a jacketed cooling management reflux column that should have a cap at the top of the column and should not have a valve in the product take off branch... Not the best design, but it should work to some extent... It will need the scrubbers in the column for proper reflux, as mentioned... Pulling the structured packing and bypassing the coolant flow to the reflux condenser jacket would de-tune the column and allow running as a pot still...

[blanikdog]

Time to move this topic out of the Welcome Centre.

[madman1959]

Took me a while to find this post again....lol
Unfortunately for me, the pieces are already manufactured. the condensor is from a chocolate factory that was shut down, and I had already had the reflux column constructed before I found this extremely valuable site(it is not like folks are trumpeting from the rooftops about distilation...lol). I'm gonna try it out probably next weekend. that should give me enough time to run a water test through it. Still have to put together some kind of water tank but have a 8gph pump and some tubing and clamps. Don't know if that is enough flow..or if it will have to have a valve put in it to slow it down. I'm going to try that bran recipe out. The only way I am going to be able to get any kind of a copper scrubber is to take a round bar of copper to a machine shop and get him to turn it and give me the shavings. I don't know how much I need to have in the column but I have gleamed that the bottom bunch should be SS and I should have it filled to the top of the cooling jacket. the jacket is actually a piece of 4" pipe which gives almost an inch of clearance for water flow around the 2" column. I will post some pics in the comming week when I finally get a ll the parts in one place and assembled.
Any input from folks is greatly appreciated....

Tks

[Honest_Liberty]

I'm not sure but I've never ran into issues with sulphur smell until my last batch, and that was the first time I haven't put two scrubbers in my column.
Even after all the reading I feel more lost than when I started