Still with bubble plates

[LWTCS]

Dad burnit OD. Every time you open your mouth I spill 10 bucks worth of solder on the floor.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I'm listening.
Thankin bout somethin an I'm waitin on you an Joe to seal my fate.

[LWTCS]

And I'd like to hear some stories about that revenoor condeser too!
Waddia call that kinda condenser?

[olddog]

You talkin about that dephlagmater.

OD

[rednose]

Larry, send me that piece of 4", I do have a great plan for that copper, lol.

It's my next built, a mix of 9 plates, a shotgun dephlagmator and the "alex" column, will make at least 92% ABV.

Dunno how to call that, maybe LMCM still?

Maybe in two weeks I'll start the built.

[LWTCS]

Shoot Joe You'll have to dumb that down for me.

I can't really make out a couple a parts.

Talk to me like you are talking to a 6 year old.

[rednose]

Here a draw with explanation Larry

The plates in the thermometer area are like the bok plates.

The others are bubble plates with one only big fat bubble.

[kiwistiller]

oh right, the thermo was throwing me off. as a matter of interest joe, what do you see to the be advantage in having both LM and CM operation?

[LWTCS]

Thanks Joe.
Hope you post them build pics as I got this thumping/dephlaging thing in my head.

Trying to compare function to the dog dish.

Also got that revenoor condenser in my brain now too!

[rednose]

It's a double reflux control Kiwi.

I'm very impressed with the dephlagmator control of my twins and wanna try that out.

You see that there is a bypass on the top of the column which is closed, that bypass goes in the shotgun condenser.

I hope that I get good results in the heads with that setup.

It'll be a little fuzzy to calibrate but once you know the still it will be like driving a car I guess.

oh right, the thermo was throwing me off. as a matter of interest joe, what do you see to the be advantage in having both LM and CM operation?

[rednose]

I want to add something which was discussed before in this topic and that is the pressure manometer.

It doesn't show any measureable pressure in the boiler, that means it's less than 2 PSI.

For vacuum I open the rinsing valve when I finished the run.

The security valves (overpressure and vacuum) are calibrated to 10 PSI now.

It has to happen something very irregular to get 'em executed.

Joe

[olddog]

The most important part of the head is the dephlagmator, the white thang is the temp meter but the bloody flash made it invisible.Upper left connection is water in which I can regulate or stop completely with a ball valve and a bypass.Lower connection is a cleaning tube to rinse the still after work without the need to disarm it.Right side is cooling water out.As soon as I stop the cooling flow on the dephlagmator the ABV falls 15 to 20 % ABV as the plates will dry out.

Where is the spirit takeoff on this rig Joe,

OD

[rednose]

Here: http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 0#p6826587

I posted a draw of the heads, OD.

The spirit vapor out is on the top and leads with a lyne arm to the worm condenser.

The vapor have to pass the dephlagmator to give reflux.

[rednose]

Any distillation I record a run log.

This is a typical result but it was a very slow run, there was not a big difference to a run of 30% less time.

Every point is a gallon of product.

You see that the hearts are token between 80 and 70% ABV, than I cut to tails, it depends on smell and taste.

run log

Joe

[rednose]

Maybe today I'll finish the SS water cooled parrots for the new twins.

Here a draw

Water cooled parrot

[rednose]

Each still has his own control panel for head temp, cooling temp and an additional USB connection to log the temps during a run on excel.

Missing the 24V power sources, is on the way.

The cases are from HP Laser printers, have some blown of 'em.

Digital control panel

[rednose]

Parrots are done.

Missing water in-out connections, didn't have them in stock.

The stills are outside but the product comes tubed inside the air conditioned lab to classify.

[LWTCS]

Very nice Joe.

[rednose]

I've got a PM from Kentucky, he ask me how and why bubble plates work and what would be a good design for a 4 incher.

Let's come at first to the theory behind this, for that I copy a part (slightly modded) from the parent site about Thumpers:

The still’s boiler begins giving off ethanol vapors (say at 40% purity at 96 ° C off a 5% wash)... these get passed into the thumper and try to bubble up through the liquid there. But because the liquid is cold too, the vapor will all condense if given the chance (e.g. small bubbles & water deep enough). A bit later on, the thumper liquid is starting to heat up and increasing in ethanol content.... soon the thumper is at say 84 ° C, and the ethanol content is around 40% - gees - that sounds like a second pot still doesn't it? So the ethanol starts coming coming out of solution, though this time it will be at around 75-80% - hence the second distillation occurring - all for free, no additional cost or heating involved. Of course all this depends on how effective the thumper is at knocking down the incoming vapor - e.g. bubble size, depth of immersion, % alcohol in the vapor & thumper liquid etc, but you get the basic idea.

So far the parent site comments on thumpers.
You can, if you have enough heat source work with up to 2 thumpers but no more without direct heating the thumpers themselves, other is that the alc content on the 3rd thumper will go closed to a no-no level above 50% ABV which could make us a bomb if separately heated.
The advantage of a thumper chain is that you can fill them with wash liquid to maintain flavors.

We use the bubble plates as inline thumpers in a bubble plate still, as more plates you have - as higher the ABV and as more flavor from the original wash material will get lost.
The downcomers make sure that the plates/column don't over fill

We need to know what we are shooting for, in a whiskey still I don't go higher as two plates after having some experience with it.
A light rum can work with as much as 4 or 5 plates.

There are many designs out there, starting with the cap design, we have squares, rectangles, rounds, bell likes, valve likes, multiples, uniques and many more.

The next post will take some time, I have to think about what would be best (in my opinion) for a 4 incher, that's what Kentucky wants to build.

[Kentucky shinner]

Ok now it is making more sense to me. I just did not think of it as a thumper. This helps me greatly Red. I will be looking forward to seeing your design for a 4"er.
Thanks,
Kentucky Shinner

[rednose]

You're welcome Kentucky

Ok, here is what I would make, I would use 5 perforated (2mm holes) 3/4" bubble caps on a 4 inch plate.

This disk has 4 " and you can see more than less the distribution of the caps which would be soft soldered on top of the plate.

The reversed cup is to receive the liquid from the upper plates downcomer.

If you like that design I can post a horizontal draw with measures for the vapor tubes and downcomers (1/2" tubes).

I would leave 4" space between each plate, the plate material should be copper as it will be easier to work for you (mine are SS).

One add: using this design, I would highly recommend to have an over pressure valve (about 15 PSI) installed on your boiler, the small holes can get tapped with solid material if you cook on grain - over filled.

If you don't want to install the valve you have to make very sure that your wash (beer) is very well syphoned and clear.

Joe

[rednose]

Here a side view of my 6 inch plates during built

[rednose]

Small quiz:

What's wrong in this draw from HowStuffWorks.com? It has two basic mistakes.

moonshine-diagram.gif (21.89 KiB) Viewed 3024 times

[Kentucky shinner]

If you dont mind do the horizontal draw for me. would you cut slots in the sides of the caps or some how make sure they dont set on the floor of the plate, maybe come legs or something?

[Kentucky shinner]

ok I see, I was posting while you were.

[Kentucky shinner]

the arm from the cap should be below the liquid in the thumper
and the cold water should exit from the top of the worm keg

[rednose]

the arm from the cap should be below the liquid in the thumper
and the cold water should exit from the top of the worm keg

That's it, congrats.

Oki, let me work on the horizontal draw this afternoon.

I might post it tomorrow as I have some appointments and my seminary of artisane education.

I will hopefully graduate as distilling master this weekend.

This thang took me 1/2 year of efforts.

[Kentucky shinner]

do the bubble caps just set on the plate, unattached?
Hey red if its to much trouble don't worry with it. It would be greatly appreciated but I really think I have the understanding I was looking for with your 6" plate side shot of the caps.

[rednose]

do the bubble caps just set on the plate, unattached?
Hey red if its to much trouble don't worry with it. It would be greatly appreciated but I really think I have the understanding I was looking for with your 6" plate side shot of the caps.

Don't worry, I forgot that I have done one already, only need to change the sizes.

The caps will be soft soldered, the downcomers, vapor tubes and outside ring needs to be brazed, If you solder all soft you will have a solder salad.

[Kentucky shinner]

how would it be if I used acetylene torch and used hard silver solder?

[Kentucky shinner]

The caps will be soft soldered, the downcomers, vapor tubes and outside ring needs to be brazed, If you solder all soft you will have a solder salad.

so you would have to have some reliefs cut or drilled into the caps, like you have done on your pic. you have holes drilled around yours.