I've been distilling for a few years

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Joe Stillwater
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I've been distilling for a few years

Post by Joe Stillwater »

Hi, I have been distilling with a 2"×52" packed column reflux still for about 2 years. I'm looking to build a 4" still next. Looking for advice.
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: I've been distilling for a few years

Post by Saltbush Bill »

What sort of 4 inch still Joe?
What is your current reflux....LM,CM, VM....What sort of packing are you running?
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Bushman
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Re: I've been distilling for a few years

Post by Bushman »

Welcome, I went from a 2” VM to a 4” CM and never looked back. I went from 12 hour runs to make basically a neutral to 3.5 to 4 hour runs with much more flexibility in products. Good luck and enjoy the journey.
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Demy
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Re: I've been distilling for a few years

Post by Demy »

welcome!You will find great information.
Joe Stillwater
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Re: I've been distilling for a few years

Post by Joe Stillwater »

Saltbush Bill wrote: Thu Apr 29, 2021 2:47 am What sort of 4 inch still Joe?
What is your current reflux....LM,CM, VM....What sort of packing are you running?
I think I am running a CM still. I put a 6" coil in the top with a 1" take off 3"from the top. The coil has controlled flow to change the reflux. Closed top, so I can run with or without reflux.
Packing is rashing rings and copper mesh. This still used to be a water distiller that I converted to beverages.
I'm planning on a modular 4". I have 2 - 2' × 4"
pipes. I want options: packing, bubble plates, pot still, deflag, 2' or 4', shotgun condenser etc.

Looking for information.
Joe
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shadylane
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Re: I've been distilling for a few years

Post by shadylane »

Joe Stillwater wrote: Thu May 06, 2021 6:15 pm

Looking for information.
Joe
The site is divided up into sections.
The info can be found there.
As they say around here, read until your eyes bleed. :lol:
Joe Stillwater
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Re: I've been distilling for a few years

Post by Joe Stillwater »

Bushman wrote: Thu Apr 29, 2021 4:14 am Welcome, I went from a 2” VM to a 4” CM and never looked back. I went from 12 hour runs to make basically a neutral to 3.5 to 4 hour runs with much more flexibility in products. Good luck and enjoy the journey.
That's what I'm looking for.
Do you have diagrams or pictures?
What power does it need? (Watts)
Active reflux? Packed or plated?
Is it modular?
So many questions...

Joe
Setsumi
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Re: I've been distilling for a few years

Post by Setsumi »

Shady gave you good advice, read a bit.

to help you to get up to speed, for platers you need to understand differences between perfs and caps. many threads on that. but read flute talk. understand open area on perfs. there is a thread on plate efficiency, also read the plates, plates, plates thread. for power, on plates it is in the flute talk thread, but there is a thread by Odin on power input that is more general.
My first flute
My press
My twins
My controller
My wife tells me I fell from heaven covered in white. Why did they let me fall?
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: I've been distilling for a few years

Post by Saltbush Bill »

Joe Stillwater wrote: Thu May 06, 2021 7:53 pm That's what I'm looking for.
Do you have diagrams or pictures?
What power does it need? (Watts)
Active reflux? Packed or plated?
Is it modular?
So many questions...
You will find the answers to all of those questions here https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=17 start by reading "Flute Talk" right at the very top.....by the time you have finished that you should know a bit about them and their development through the last 10 or so years.
There was a time not so very long ago, when if you wanted to own one the only way was to build it your self.
There is also this area of the forum which has more. https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=50 that will help you.
This is a big forum with a lot of information.....take an hour or two out of your day and look around, familiarize your self with the different areas and subjects that the forum covers. The time spent will pay for its self many times over if you stay in the hobby long term.
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