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Spiral Still - an OK option?
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Uncle Jesse
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yep
welcome aboard man and don't worry, nobody here is right 100% of the time. at least you're willing to be curious and learn!
If only the best birds sang, the woods would be silent.
I had a potstill made from a nice 4 gallon stainless pot from an old Delaval milking machine. The condenser was aircooled, actually a condenser from an old refrigeration unit. It was about 12 inches long and about 4 inches wide, all 3/8" copper silver soldered with aluminum fins. I built a wooden manifold box for the condenser to sit on with a 4 inch fan forcing air through the condenser.
With a 2200W heat source it would do about 1/2 an imperial gallon per hour.
This is the only efficient way I can see to make an air cooled condenser unless you are distilling outside in -30C weather (not pleasant, you drink to much product trying to keep warm), then you could probably get away with an open air copper coil.
Before I used the refrigeration coil for the first time, I ran solvents, hot, soapy water and citric acid cleaners through it and even dumped the first gallon of alcohol that I ran through it, just to be sure.[/img]
With a 2200W heat source it would do about 1/2 an imperial gallon per hour.
This is the only efficient way I can see to make an air cooled condenser unless you are distilling outside in -30C weather (not pleasant, you drink to much product trying to keep warm), then you could probably get away with an open air copper coil.
Before I used the refrigeration coil for the first time, I ran solvents, hot, soapy water and citric acid cleaners through it and even dumped the first gallon of alcohol that I ran through it, just to be sure.[/img]
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zimne_piwo
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Uncle Jesse
- Site Admin
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- Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2004 3:00 pm
yep
It's propane all right and I got it from the Revenoor company.
http://www.revenoor.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=40&step=4
Obviously mine doesn't have a removable top. When I got mine the original owner was selling the company so my 10 gallon unit is the last one he built.
http://www.revenoor.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=40&step=4
Obviously mine doesn't have a removable top. When I got mine the original owner was selling the company so my 10 gallon unit is the last one he built.
If only the best birds sang, the woods would be silent.
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manu de hanoi
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I have a steel boiler, a steel column and a steel jacketed condenser.
From prev experience I noticed a huuuuge difference after inserting copper.
So what I did is insert a rolled up copper paper (really thin copper) on the top of packing.
It does it's job well. And seeing how difficult cleaning this paper is, I'm "steel" glad i chose 99% steel for my still. And when the copper is worn out i'll just put in another roll.
Replaceable copper in the column is the way to go.
2 or 3 % nickel steel works fine ( unlike aluminium, no metallic taste), and is cheaper than copper.
Food grade steel (4% ) isnt necessary.
From prev experience I noticed a huuuuge difference after inserting copper.
So what I did is insert a rolled up copper paper (really thin copper) on the top of packing.
It does it's job well. And seeing how difficult cleaning this paper is, I'm "steel" glad i chose 99% steel for my still. And when the copper is worn out i'll just put in another roll.
Replaceable copper in the column is the way to go.
2 or 3 % nickel steel works fine ( unlike aluminium, no metallic taste), and is cheaper than copper.
Food grade steel (4% ) isnt necessary.