hello, and Offset head condensor questions

[chillydigits]

Hi,
I have been reading on the site for a couple of weeks now, I decided to take the plunge and begin my own build. I went with a offset reflux still. I printed the plans from "Building a home distillation Apparatus". so far i have a 39 inch tall 2"ID copper tower with a 2x2x2 T over to a 2" condensor, and now the Newbie question.. thanks in advance for your input and help
1. The plans call for the condensor shell to be 3" copper 6"s tall with a 1/4" id copper coil inside, I don't have access to 3" copper can I use 2" copper make the condensor taller say 12"s? or would it be better still to make the condensor taller put a coil inside and wrap half the outer shell with an external 1/4 copper coil for more cooling?
thanks in advance for your input and help

[rad14701]

Greetings, chillydigits...

If you haven't progressed beyond where you say you have, don't... At least not until you have done plenty of research here in these forums now that you are here... You may soon change you mind with regard to still design of choice... It sounds like you are considering the offset head valved reflux design... There are simpler and cheaper alternatives that perform as well if not better than the one you are considering...

First, what type(s) of spirits are you interested in making...??? Reflux columns are best suited for neutral spirits while pot stills work best for flavored spirits...

Do plenty of research here in the forums as well as on the parent site and ask questions before proceeding...

Good luck...

[myles]

Don't start building yet.

The offset head principle is very versatile and can be adated to suit many purposes. Its not the most popular but it is potentially very good. So are some of the others.

In answer to your question, yes you can make the reflux condenser chamber taller and narrower. You don't really need external cooling if your condenser coil is built to the right specifications.

[chillydigits]

thanks for the responses,
I guess I am in still overload,I have read about so many different designs, but taking both of your advice, I have locked the tubing cutter in my tool box for now. Let me try again with what I am looking to do with my still and then see if the offset is the best fit or if not what design you all recommend. I picked an offset reflux for neutral spirits that I can use to make fruit flavored liquors and brandys, peach, apple, blackberry and ect. Being in grocery store refrigeration service I have access to copper and fittings up to 2 inch, I have a couple of stainless steel milk cans for my boiler and a propane burner. Hope this additional information can help you guide me to the still that fits my needs, again thanks for taking the time to help.

[myles]

If you want neutral then ANY of the still designs will work for you. Choice comes down to

1. What sort of skill level do you have for the build. Some are easy, others more complex.
2. Which management system appeals to you. Some like VM some like LM and there are more.
3. What do you want it to look like. Functional artwork or just function.
4. Do you need to take it down and put it away or is it OK to leave it set up.

Answers to those will start to narrow down your options.

[Samohon]

Welcome to HD chillydigits...

All great advice by the guy's here. The off-set head uses way more expensive fittings than some other LM systems...
As the guy's have already said, dont build anything until you have and idea of what your after from the hobby...

Above all else, have fun and do it safely...

[chillydigits]

Myles thanks for the response ok here goes
1. I am a refrigeration service tech I have easy access to an assortment of fittings, I braze and solder copper up to 6 "s on a daily basis, I feel comfortable putting my still together and being able to form a good condensor.

2 and 3 I picked LM after reading about it and you hit the nail on the head the functional art idea appealed to me, I thought the offset looked pretty cool. But I am open to suggestions if VM is better please let me know like I said I am open to ideas.

4 I live in the country and have plenty of room and sheds around the place, Im not worried about having to take it apart to store it

[Prairiepiss]

I picked an offset reflux for neutral spirits that I can use to make fruit flavored liquors and brandys, peach, apple, blackberry and ect.

Are you wanting to make a fruit flavored vodka (neutral) ? Or are you wanting to make a fruit brandy?

If you are going to flavor a neutral afterwards that's fine. If you were planning to ferment the fruit and distilling that. You mite want to look at a simple pot still.

[Samohon]

A VM will give you a very clean neutral (Vodka). It will strip every volatile it can from the vapour, very very efficiently. It even turns itself off when your finished collecting the hearts of the run. LM's will give you a clean vodka also but can be de-tuned to give a high-proof flavoured shine (whiskey/rum/ect). ATM, I run a Bokakob head above a VM for neutral, but use my pot still for flavoured beverages...

Being a refrigeration engineer has given you a great start to the hobby, wish I had had those skills when I started...

Keep us posted...

[myles]

Well as you have the skills already you should be able to put together one of the more complex designs if you wish. As space is not an issue that helps, as does not needing to take it appart. A lot of the difference between builds just comes down to what you want, as they will all do the job.

Next question is are you interested in automating or are you OK running in manual? If you want to automate I would say to look at a VM E-ARC.

Next big question is what you want to do about the heads. Bleed them off slowly as a liquid from a heads trap, dump them in batches from a heads trap, take them off as vapour or incorporate a heads column and segregate them within the column.

[rad14701]

myles, you're gonna have chillydigits dazed and confused... The gears are spinning in your head again, aren't they...

[chillydigits]

dazed and would that be confused or corn-fused????? nothing like itching to get into a new hobby when its summer time in ohio and its your week to be on call for service argghhhhh.... again I have to say thanks for all the tips and advice I have recieved so far, a friendly board is truly a rare thing these days... chilly

[Samohon]

myles, you're gonna have chillydigits dazed and confused... The gears are spinning in your head again, aren't they...

Myles is just breaking chillydigits in gently Rad, wait till he really gets started...

Seriously though, your in good hands here chillydigits. These guys know a thing or 10 I can tell ya...

Complex or not, were here to help if you need us...

[chillydigits]

I have to say thanks again to everyone who has offered advice and help so far, the advice and just plain helpfullness of the board has gotten me further in a week then a lot of my reading... hopefully soon i will be posting pictures of my build in progress....

[yankeeclear]

Welcome from another new subscriber! I too was inspired by the "Building a home distillation Apparatus" stills and couldn't wait to get started build...but which one?

Turns out, there are a lot of other great resources in this forum and elsewhere on the net for helping sort out what you are looking to achieve, still design, operation, etc. Sounds like what you've done so far can be adapted to most any reflux still so I'd suggest to be patient and do your homework - believe me, I know it's difficult!

Again, welcome.

[myles]

There is a hell of a lot of information posted in this forum on all aspects of column design and how to operate the various columns. Add in the fact that virtually any of them will be able to do what anyone wants and you have just too many options.

It really is worth while trying to get your head round all the concepts before you start building. Most things can be reworked and modified, my stuff has evolved, it all worked fine before, but what I wanted changed as I progressed.

At the end of the day you can build a perfectly simple column that will make neutral 1 way. Minimal cost and complexity. Or you can build a fully automated wonder. Or you can build something more complicated that will let you run it in lots of different ways.

All the information is in here to do any of them - it just takes a long time to read it all.

My choice as a starter, would be a simple VM/LM variant of a Nixon-Stone design like this. Let you try both methods with 1 still head to see what you prefer.



If you decide you like LM then you just blank off the VM branch completely. If you like the VM then you just use the LM side for bleeding off heads.