Bar fridge cooler/chiller

bushido · Post by **bushido** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 10:37 am

I've used this before as a condenser cooler, and it worked so well, I am setting one up again. Figured y'all might find a use for it here.
Using a small bar fridge with freezer, cut/drill 2 holes for your lines through the door into the freezer. Put your coil in the freezer. I have always attached the coil to the door so it can still open by disconnecting two compression fittings on the outside connecting to the feed & discharge lines.
crank the temp all the way down, and you have a nice cold condenser.
Works very well, just unplug to turn off.
I am building another, I will snap some pics as I go along.

Cardsharp · Post by **Cardsharp** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 11:42 am

Now thats interesting! Cant wait to see the pics

Post by **Tater** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 1:27 pm

and you used this to cool what?

bushido · Post by **bushido** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 4:15 pm

Isopropelyne alcohol. If you don't know what I was making now, than read, read, read. Don't take that last part as hostile Tater, just diggin' you for your reply to me earlier

Post by **Tater** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 4:23 pm

and what size still ya using this as a condenser for?

goose eye · Post by **goose eye** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 4:32 pm

i herd tell of this one ole boy usin a deep freeze.

bushido · Post by **bushido** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 4:40 pm

50 Gallon barrel, 25 lb base material, 20 gallon iso = 2.5 lb product. Condenser in head, cooling coil in freezer. Still for this is designed a bit different, but the function is the same.

Post by **Tater** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 4:48 pm

So your using a 50 gallon boiler with 25 lbs of base material and 20 gallons witch produces 2.5 gallons of product.With condenser using water thats chilled in a freezer so theres no need for a cooling tank ?You sure aint sharing much info at a time.

goose eye · Post by **goose eye** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 4:56 pm

aint sure what base materal is but i dont think you can run
a one barel outfit thru a little bitty frig an keep up.
least not how some folks cook

bushido · Post by **bushido** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 5:09 pm

"You sure aint sharing much info at a time."

Do you know what I am talking about Tater? If so, than how in-depth do you want me to go? Want me to teach you a new trade here?
This is your site, I'm a newbie here, but I will speak as freely as you wish, or be as respectful as you wish. Call it.

We used to run this 36-48 hr. straight without opening it up or shutting it down, and iso is much more volatile than ethanol.

Post by **Tater** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 5:15 pm

was wondering what set up was is all. so why dont ya teach me a new trade im do refrigation work now. so be nice to learn something new.

bushido · Post by **bushido** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 6:54 pm

Hey Tater. I'll describe this type of still as best I can. If need be, I can sketch, scan and post.
50 gal drum. 3 s/s mixing bowls. One smaller than the drum by 1" or so, the looser the fit, the lower quality the product. Two of the bowls (same size) should cover the lip of the barrel (think seal, just like spirit boiler top).
In the small and one large s/s lid, drill 4 - 1/8 holes at quarter positions (12, 3, 6, & 9 o'clock). This large lid is going to sit upright, supported by the rim of the barrel. From this, using 14 gauge or so Cu wire through your drilled holes, the smaller s/s bowl will hang about 3" below. (the small being hung under the large. The smaller is going to be a collection bowl, but it also provides all of the reflux in this unit, which is not alot if it is too narrow. The top bowl is going to house the condenser unit, thus, the vapours are going to solidify on this and drip into your collector bowl.
The second large bowl will be turned upside down and secured on top of its mate. The cooling element fits in this unit. Using 3/4" Cu, wrap your coil to fit the shape of your bottom bowl, brazing here and there to keep it in contact with the shell, and fill bowl with glycol. Drill 2 holes in top most bowl, one for cool in, one for hot out. Bring your condenser lines through as you sit the one on top the other. Braze the holes closed (optional). I used to use a liquid weld to seal these two togather, but it could be silicone or anything, as it will not contact the vapour. Cut the lines short, and place compression fittings here.
Using a barrel clamp (large round clamp used to seal barrels by ratcheting tight), secure these 2 bowls to the barrel lip. The clamps we used had a rubber ring inside, so sealing is easy in this manner. There is also a way of making this a blow seal, but I have never had a problem, so never bothered after the first half dozen runs.
This finishes the boiler and condenser.
Using a bar fridge, drill one 7/8" hole through the door just under the freezer, another through into the freezer. Place a 1 gal container in the fridge itself. Fill this with glycol. Construct a coil slightly smaller than the freezer using 4 scrapped baseboard heaters. You should now be going from a 3/4" line to a 3/4" "t". To each end of this T, place another T, straight up and down. Now 4 - 90 * elbows, facing away from your in line. Reduce these to 1/2", and attach 1 rad fin from your base boards to each line. Repeat the process to close the cooler back into a 3/4" line out.
Now connect the dots.
Hot into glycol reservoir (in bottom of fridge). Place small pump in res. Pump to line out of res to cooling coil, cooling coil out to condenser, closing the loop.
In my setup for spirits, I don't believe this much cooling is necessary, because you cannot use plain ol' cold water for this process, but I can for ethanol, thus, running an open coil through the freezer should suffice. But I will tell you for sure shortly, and I will post a vid of it working, if it does, or I will post the same of whatever mods I had to make to get it to work.
I think Goose is thinking too small. The bar fridges we used were about 32-36" tall, and I could fit an 11 L water jug laying flat into the freezer.
For heat, I used 4 - 1000w high pressure sodium bulbs in a semi-sealed box, knocking it down to 2 after heat up, 3 in the winter monthes.
Ran this for 40 or 50 runs, never, ever a problem. Very high quality black. Run twice for cherry, three for honey. Mind numbing purity. Nothing like the butane crap these kids are doing nowadays.
so i'm tole. LMFAO I like that line goose. It suits you.
WOW, that took forever.
any questions?

Post by **Tater** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:22 pm

so your using frig as a pre cooler. reason i ask is a refrig that size is like 800 to 1200 btus per hr. doesnt take a lot to over power that small of a unit.how is cooling done at cooler ? I seem to remember a similer way with boiling water ice and ether. from back in the 70ds

bushido · Post by **bushido** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:32 pm

."how is cooling done at cooler ?"
Sorry Tater, not sure what you are asking. The cooler in the fridge?
This is very similar to what you are thinking I'm sure. You know what product I am speaking of now? This was our way of doing it on a large scale.

Post by **Tater** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:35 pm

how long a run take in a set up like that

bushido · Post by **bushido** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:43 pm

36 hr w/25 lb base product, about 48 hr say 30-32 lb = 2.5 - 3.5 end product.
But you don't have to watch it. The only thing I ever done to monitor this was to mod a house alarm to call my pager if the cooling level dropped to a certain point.

Post by **Tater** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:52 pm

I see that explains what I was wondering. your setup works like a big wok type setup.

bushido · Post by **bushido** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 8:00 pm

I believe that is correct, thinking of what I have seen here of wok cookers. A bit more elaborate, but we were not drinking the product. I don't believe in a wok still for spirits. No cuts, no tails, unsealed boiler, no visual (can't see what you are collecting, etc.

bushido · Post by **bushido** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 7:23 pm

I have been made aware that this type of cooler may not handle the types of heat involved in our hobby. I will try this myself, under these conditions, and I will make aware my results, good or bad.
I do not want to mislead anybody, or cause somebody to spend money needlessly.
Please be patient with me, I will do the trial and error routine and repost.
Thanks for your patience.