Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by montanan_hippie_man »

Butch27 wrote: Mon Mar 29, 2021 7:45 am You guys think your 42 or 48 inchers are big with lots of capacity. Coil up 25ft and put it in a bucket so as that 23 or 24 are below the water line and now you have a beast for a condenser. Cold water in the bottom and hot out the overflow at the top. You always have a nice temp gradient and have reserve cooling if you do happen to have a hiccup in the flow of cooling water. I will put my worm and flakestand up against a liebig anytime.
I also have 23ft coil in a 16x16x24 inch box. And dam that thing will handle a lot!!!!! With out running fresh water into the box I can do 3-4 runs on the same water!!!
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by Butch27 »

I think most here dismiss the worm/flakestand as "old" technology and therefore not as good but they are very robust and reliable.
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by Expat »

Butch27 wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 3:20 pm I think most here dismiss the worm/flakestand as "old" technology and therefore not as good but they are very robust and reliable.
Who cares how old it is. In terms of reliability, a lot of us are indoor stillers and a liebig is more robust since its fully sealed (can't spill).

Also, this is a thread about liebig's, and not flake stands lol :P
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by Butch27 »

Expat wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 4:17 pm
Butch27 wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 3:20 pm I think most here dismiss the worm/flakestand as "old" technology and therefore not as good but they are very robust and reliable.
Who cares how old it is. In terms of reliability, a lot of us are indoor stillers and a liebig is more robust since its fully sealed (can't spill).

Also, this is a thread about liebig's, and not flake stands lol :P
I also still inside. Spilling is not a problem.
This thread is in the condenser/cooling section and in my opinion is about large condensers of which mine is one. Much larger than any liebig that I have seen on the site.
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by shadylane »

Mine isn't the biggest, but it works real good
1" inside a 1.5" X 36" long.
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by Butch27 »

shadylane wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 5:16 pm Mine isn't the biggest, but it works real good
1" inside a 1.5" X 36" long.
Just in terms of surface area (there could be other things at play) that would be like a 72 inch 3/4 over 1/2. Should work pretty good.
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by Zeotropic »

Tom Kat wrote:Expat beat by 6 inches! Story of ny life!
Mine has a 54 inch jacket.
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by shadylane »

Butch27 wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 5:25 pm
shadylane wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 5:16 pm Mine isn't the biggest, but it works real good
1" inside a 1.5" X 36" long.
Just in terms of surface area (there could be other things at play) that would be like a 72 inch 3/4 over 1/2. Should work pretty good.
Unless my math is bad, it's closer to 144" Edited 72" is the right number.
Doubling the diameter will slow down the vapor speed so there's more time for condensing.
Some times it's better to go bigger than it is to make it longer :wink:
Last edited by shadylane on Thu Apr 01, 2021 9:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by Tom Kat »

Its not very long but it sure is thin
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by Deplorable »

Tom Kat wrote: Thu Apr 01, 2021 9:42 am Its not very long but it sure is thin
It's all about the dribble out the end :lol:
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by Butch27 »

shadylane wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 9:39 pm
Butch27 wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 5:25 pm
shadylane wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 5:16 pm Mine isn't the biggest, but it works real good
1" inside a 1.5" X 36" long.
Just in terms of surface area (there could be other things at play) that would be like a 72 inch 3/4 over 1/2. Should work pretty good.
Unless my math is bad, it's closer to 144"
.....:
Well I suppose I will throw my high school algebra and physics out the window.
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by Tom Kat »

I am pretty happy with my build. I am sure it will serve me well.
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by Expat »

Tom Kat wrote: Thu Apr 01, 2021 3:43 pm I am pretty happy with my build. I am sure it will serve me well.
When do you get to break it in? Or have you already.
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by Tom Kat »

I am on day 8 of Rads All Bran wash. Hopefully this weekend. Its still bubbling...
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by Deplorable »

Check it with a hydrometer yet? It's likely done.
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by shadylane »

Butch27 wrote: Thu Apr 01, 2021 1:00 pm
shadylane wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 9:39 pm
Butch27 wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 5:25 pm
shadylane wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 5:16 pm Mine isn't the biggest, but it works real good
1" inside a 1.5" X 36" long.
Just in terms of surface area (there could be other things at play) that would be like a 72 inch 3/4 over 1/2. Should work pretty good.
Unless my math is bad, it's closer to 144"
.....:
Well I suppose I will throw my high school algebra and physics out the window.
Your were right.
I had a brainfart on my math :lol:
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by tiramisu »

There is a lot of fashion and #metoo with home distilling.
A big bucket with a coil of copper line is dead simple, cheap, easy and even easier to expand.
A liebig is another simple easy to make out of locally available cheap parts.

Silly buggers all want whatever the newest coolest thing of the week is...

I just unpacked my new product condenser this evening :roll:
20210402_001254.jpg
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by shadylane »

I figure a shotgun would be in the liebig category.
Come to think about it, a worm and flake stand would be too.
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by tiramisu »

shadylane wrote: Thu Apr 01, 2021 9:23 pm I figure a shotgun would be in the liebig category.
Come to think about it, a worm and flake stand would be too.
You could argue that my shotgun is just a 90" liebig.
But a long slow cooling path in contact with the copper is a thing that plenty of people put a lot of stock in.

Those fancy pants boutique distillers with the big copper stills like to claim that the time that the vapor is in contact with the copper makes for the special magic that separates their elixir from everyone else.

They never show the tanker truck at the loading dock pumping GNS into their tanks ;)
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by shadylane »

tiramisu wrote: Thu Apr 01, 2021 9:39 pm
shadylane wrote: Thu Apr 01, 2021 9:23 pm I figure a shotgun would be in the liebig category.
Come to think about it, a worm and flake stand would be too.
You could argue that my shotgun is just a 90" liebig.
It has the same surface area as 90" liebig
But the shotgun is five 18" liebigs in parallel.
Therefor the vapor speed through each tube is 1/5th.
That means there's more time for the vapor to condense.
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by BoomTown »

Hi folks,

How big is “go big”? Are we talking surface area” Length? Pipe size? Is a 1 ¼” tube 24” long as big as a 42” x ½” tube? Will the bigger diameter vapor flow be slower, if slower will the heat transfer be more efficient?

I could go to 1 ¼” to 3/4”and use a 1 ¼” water jacket, but space requirements keep me at length of 20”.

Reason I ask is, I’m going to be using 1 ¼” copper tubing coming put of my thumper. I ‘m hoping to channel directly into a new liebrig I plan to build. Vapor will be coming off a vertical 1 ¼” (thru a 90 + 45 + coupler) Directly into planned (yet to be built) Liebrig. I’m think of 1 ¼” sealed inside 2” water jacket. Plan to pack the inside tubing with copper mesh to breakup the vapor path and suck the heat to the outside of the 1 ¼” tubing. The overall length is planned to be 20” inside the 2” water wrapper. Maybe I’ll put some packing in the water flow path too, to pull heat to the outside tubing too.

Aside from the weight, I’m wondering what length it actually has to me, where is the overkill length? Or is it long enough? I’m thinking the interior of the tube will be about 99 sq inches, not considering the surface of the copper packing....
Last edited by BoomTown on Fri Apr 02, 2021 1:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by tiramisu »

shadylane wrote: Fri Apr 02, 2021 12:43 am
tiramisu wrote: Thu Apr 01, 2021 9:39 pm
shadylane wrote: Thu Apr 01, 2021 9:23 pm I figure a shotgun would be in the liebig category.
Come to think about it, a worm and flake stand would be too.
You could argue that my shotgun is just a 90" liebig.
It has the same surface area as 90" liebig
But the shotgun is five 18" liebigs in parallel.
Therefor the vapor speed through each tube is 1/5th.
That means there's more time for the vapor to condense.
I sit corrected ;).

Not quite sure it is that simple though.
i.e. steam is equally homogenously distributed through all 5 barrels.
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by Durhommer »

Tom Kat wrote: Tue Mar 30, 2021 3:59 pm 20210330_185602.jpg

Getting a look at my Long Tom condenser.
Nice setup makes me want to build my keg alot more now
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by Tom Kat »

Thanks. It was fun to build.
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by LWTCS »

tiramisu wrote: Thu Apr 01, 2021 9:17 pm There is a lot of fashion and #metoo with home distilling.
A big bucket with a coil of copper line is dead simple, cheap, easy and even easier to expand.
A liebig is another simple easy to make out of locally available cheap parts.

Silly buggers all want whatever the newest coolest thing of the week is...

I just unpacked my new product condenser this evening :roll:
20210402_001254.jpg
Pretty good looking.
Plenty more room in that jacket for an additional length of inner tube (more surface area).

It'll work just fine.

Though more available surface area would allow you exploit the efficiency of your cooling media.
It matters not if you've plenty of water.
I'm sure she'll work like a charm.
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by Butch27 »

LWTCS wrote: Sat Apr 03, 2021 9:20 am ..... Plenty more room in that jacket for an additional length of inner tube (more surface area).
....
Just eyeballing it, I'm thinking they could have got 2 or maybe even 3 more tubes in it. Why would they not have done that? Price point?
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by tiramisu »

Butch27 wrote: Sat Apr 03, 2021 10:44 am
LWTCS wrote: Sat Apr 03, 2021 9:20 am ..... Plenty more room in that jacket for an additional length of inner tube (more surface area).
....
Just eyeballing it, I'm thinking they could have got 2 or maybe even 3 more tubes in it. Why would they not have done that? Price point?
cost and requirement.
15 gallon keg, 5500w element.
I could have bought bigger, more tubes, copper... but only if you pay.

That is the real advantage of the liebig or a coil in a bucket.
Cheap and easy.
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by LWTCS »

Butch27 wrote: Sat Apr 03, 2021 10:44 am
LWTCS wrote: Sat Apr 03, 2021 9:20 am ..... Plenty more room in that jacket for an additional length of inner tube (more surface area).
....
Just eyeballing it, I'm thinking they could have got 2 or maybe even 3 more tubes in it. Why would they not have done that? Price point?
Imo, they didn't know any better. So many copy cats out there now that are replicating and aesthetic without paying actual attention to the actual details.
The added cost really is negligible.
Good news is it's just fine,,,,though could've been better.
Its fine.

The keg and element is only part of it. Coolant temps matter when your water is 90 degrees out of the tap in the summer or you live in a place with strict water usage policy and being an ice jockey becomes just as prohibitive.
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by dukethebeagle120 »

Tom Kat wrote: Sun Mar 28, 2021 5:16 pm I enjoyed building this condenser.

Someone said (my ex wife?) 12" wasn't getting it done.

So I created an extension. Actually it is 100% new construction.

3/4" over a 1/2" tube. This should knock down some vapor...20210328_200844.jpg
Buddy,you should be more discreet :econfused:
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Re: Go big or go home- 42" Liebig

Post by Tom Kat »

dukethebeagle120 wrote: Sat Apr 03, 2021 2:26 pm
Tom Kat wrote: Sun Mar 28, 2021 5:16 pm I enjoyed building this condenser.

Someone said (my ex wife?) 12" wasn't getting it done.

So I created an extension. Actually it is 100% new construction.

3/4" over a 1/2" tube. This should knock down some vapor...20210328_200844.jpg
Buddy,you should be more discreet :econfused:


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