some pointers needed

[drgreanthumb]

first... sorry for any misspelling

15 gallon ss keg with 2" x 12" collum to a 90 deg elbow, then reduced to 3/4, then a 45 angling down, then reduced to 1/2" into a liebig. condenser is 1/2" id and 1" od. i got a 200 gph adjustable flow rate aquarium pump...

i've read alot of people pack the colum in a pot still, not so much for reflux, but to increase surface area and give a cleaner, smoother end product. copper scrubbers seams to be #1... i have taken 15 feet of 3/8 tubing and with my tubing cutter, i have cut thousands of little pieces (ranging from 5/16 to 3/4 inches) i can use this for packing right? has anyone ever tried this? kinda like rachet rings but copper... the more copper the better right?

so then i got this other idea... the input on my liebig is at the bottom and output is towards the top ... so that way the steam gradualy condenses. getting cooler as it goes down .... the water coming out the top is still cool, but warmer then the input. i want to run a piece of 1/2" copper pipe through the 2" colum to give a little bit of reflux... (it is 12" colum so go through at 9" high) So from the exit on the liebig through the colum, the back to my recycleing barrel with the pump init. is this a good idea? will it reflux back over the copper pieces and make a purer product? or am i messing up?

I haven't been around in a while ... but i find myself back again ... just can't quit (nobody likes a quitter) i got 20 gallons of pear mash going... can't wait!
boil pears till soft, shmush and mash til pureed, add water and suger ... triple scale beer & wine hydrometer reads:

pothential alcohol by volume: 11%
percent sugar (BALLING): 20
specific gravity: 1.080
calibrated to 60 degrees but the mash was at about 90 degrees so the paper says i must add about 4 to the spec. grav. ... so that puts me at 1.084 ... ??????? is that right? does that up the potential aclohol and balling too???

can someone explain that to me? i'm trying to learn and get more specific.... then again, my past runs where on nothing more then taste and smell ... no hydrometer or alcometer ....

thanks ahead of time for any help... good to be back

[goose eye]

ole boys dont no much bout them outfits.
how you test it. you float it. you draw some out an test it? hard to test puddin
rough is 1 to a gal is 5 plus pears maybe 7 -dependin- is 12 give or take
how much suger you use how many bushels

so im tole

[still crazy]

Did you come intro yourself and I missed it?

Seems like your doing SOME reading.< This is my polite way of saying maybe not enough
As someone who likes to push the bubble and experiment, your design seems interesting enough that I would say try it.
You can always dump the rings and if your line thru the column doesn't work at most you can just abandon it in place.
As far as building a liebig use (2) 3/4 x 1/2 x 1/2 tees Grind out the stops on the run (thats the ones where you can see straight thru, the other outlet is called the bullhead) and slide 3/4 over your 1/2 and then slide the tees over clean it flux it stick it done.
I think the thin layer of water passing thru the thinner walled liebig cools much better than a wider higher volume jacket.
As I said don't hard pipe your column pipe direct to this a nice flex hose that you can disconnect at your need would be best.

Oh and we all expect test result.

Welcome by the way.

[drgreanthumb]

Goose Eye:

"ole boys dont no much bout them outfits.
how you test it. you float it. you draw some out an test it? hard to test puddin
rough is 1 to a gal is 5 plus pears maybe 7 -dependin- is 12 give or take
how much suger you use how many bushels"

yeah, i strained out a sample so it was just liquid, floated the hydrometer in it ... but i don't know what to do with it ... hell with the thing ...

my reciepe is 4 - 5 gallon buckets full of pears, bout 2.5 gallons water and 18 lbs suger. its bubblin away and smells incredible!

Still Crazy:

i joined early this year ... don't think i ever did a formal intro. Yes, i have been reading alot ... seams like theres no point in posting anything with out knowing "something" cause you boys will just say "read more"... all good .... i've learned alot ... i baught the 1 inch over 1/2 thinking more room, More water,.... more cooling .... not the case i guess ... too late for me, i'm outa jack and the ol lady isn't letting me spend no more on my "hobby" --- lesson learned --- i will not hard mount, like u said, so it is still removable .... if the 1/2" pipe through the colum doesn't work, no problem i guess, i'll by pass it and drain directly into my res barrel.

[goose eye]

1 5 gal bucket is bout 3/4 of a bushel .
think you need to read up on testers.


so im tole