Dual Stills on One Boiler?

[myerfire]

First off, I'm a green horn at thils. I built an internal reflux still and then found out that it is not the prefered still. I then read "Making Gin and Vodka" by John Stone and then read "The Compleat Distiller" by Nixon and McCaw. I made a fractioning still with the small needle valve and I also would like to make a vapor management still as discribed in "The Complete Distiller". (I like building things) Now to my question, could both stills be mounted on the same boiler and operated simutaniously?
Thanks for your replys.
myerfire

[Hawke]

It could be done, but I think it would be a pain to keep them both tuned.
I'd just make a common column to boiler mount and swap them.

[myerfire]

Thank you very much for the reply. I think I will go ahead and make the vapor management still, run both of them indivdually and see which one I prefer.
Thanks again for the reply,
myerfire

[monahanajj]

Do it! I have wanted to try this for ages - just to speed up the time without jeopardizing the quality. I have even purchased a double 2000watt element to ensure i have a high enough boil rate. Post how it goes and let me know if it was worth it. would also be good if you keep your readings as best you can for every 500 ml taken.

[lawdog]

how would you regulate the flow between the 2? vapor pressure will take the path of least resistance so only 1 still head will be doing anything anyway.

[HookLine]

In can be done in principle. But in practice it is very hard to get both the vapour flow and reflux return balanced between the multiple columns, and there is no advantage over a single column.

Also having two different types of column could make it a whole lot harder again, especially for reflux control.


Put it this way... You don't see too may commercial distilleries with multiple column stills.

One column per still.

[myerfire]

Thank you all for your responses. Since I'm just getting started, I want to keep things as simple as possible and will stick to just one still.
Thanks again for the info. This site is great!!!
myerfire

[rad14701]

Nobody is saying that you can't build more than one column to use on a single boiler, it just isn't practical to try to mount two columns on the boiler and run them at the same time...

Good luck...

[Mr.Spooky]

Nobody is saying that you can't build more than one column to use on a single boiler, it just isn't practical to try to mount two columns on the boiler and run them at the same time...

Good luck...

just out of curiosity, what about running 2 condensors off of one pot still column? would it cut down on time? or would it be gust the same as a bigger condenser?

[rad14701]

Nobody is saying that you can't build more than one column to use on a single boiler, it just isn't practical to try to mount two columns on the boiler and run them at the same time...

Good luck...

just out of curiosity, what about running 2 condensors off of one pot still column? would it cut down on time? or would it be gust the same as a bigger condenser?

Not really... You can only run a pot still so hard in an effort to get more output, unless you're only doing a stripping run... But it has been proven more than once that it only takes so much condenser to knock down distillate vapor... Same goes for condensers as for columns... There would be little or no benefit in having two condensers when one adequately sized, designed, and constructed, condenser can do the job on its own...