Triple still run

[lrandall000]

Had 3 stills goin today, two of my early pot stills and my newest Boka.

And just so the master distillers can be happy with my safety procedures I was wearing eye protection,,, and more,,,,,,

sorry I took the tin foil hat off before the picture was taken

and once again all plastic line vapour path is teflon

[lrandall000]

The first couple of pics make me think of the Daleks following Devros,,,,
Sorry totally obscure reference

[maheel]

whats with all the plastic looking product lines ?

you better drink it through that mask....

[MitchyBourbon]

Not at all obscure. Exterminate...

[lrandall000]

whats with all the plastic looking product lines ?

you better drink it through that mask....

All the tubing in product path is pure Teflon.

[Bayou-Ruler]

[Coaster]

.....All the tubing in product path is pure Teflon.....

@ lrandall000,

For health safety concerns perhaps it might be beneficial if you reviewed ‘The Rules by Which We Live’ and note rule #8 Usage Of Plastics/ Synthetics In Distilling ->

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =35&t=5090

Not all Teflon products are high temperature high proof alcohol safe. Have you actually checked the Material Safety Data Sheet and ensured that your particular “Pure Teflon Tubing” is in fact high temperature high proof alcohol safe?

Regards,
Coaster

[Braz]

Your propane supplier must love you.

[lrandall000]

Your propane supplier must love you.

Yea, Im on a first name basis with Bill at the filling station.

[mtdew_mn]

Coaster,

I don't think it is correct that there is PTFE tubing that isn't rated for distilling temps.. do you know of any examples? PTFE is generally safe to 260C.

That is not to say that it wouldn't be a better solution to use a flexible copper or stainless line, and it is always good to check the MSDS to be sure.

[Coaster]

@ mtdew_mn,

The concern is not the ‘heat resistance’ of the “Pure Teflon Tubing”. The concern is if the “Pure Teflon Tubing” is in fact “alcohol resistant”. Alcohol is a strong solvent and is even more so at distilling temperatures. The concern is that alcohol can possibly leach toxins from the “Pure Teflon Tubing” into the distilled sprit product.

That is the reason ‘The Rules by Which We Live’ has item the #8 - Usage Of Plastics/ Synthetics In Distilling narrative.

If the Material Safety Data Sheet doesn’t specifically list the “Pure Teflon Tubing” as being alcohol resistant the “Pure Teflon Tubing” should be considered suspect for distilling use.

Regards,
Coaster

[rad14701]

I wouldn't be using Teflon hose for spirits unless the MSDS specifically states the product as safe with thigh temperature high proof alcohol vapor and liquid... But, then again, I wouldn't be using PTFE structured packing as was depicted on a site linked in another topic the other day either...

[lrandall000]

ok, no one should ever use any synthetic anywhere in the vapor path.
I do but you shouldnt, to prevent future flaming I am buying a bunch o copper .
I still think ptfe is safe, but I would never recommend it as I am not 100% sure, I am sure enough to use it though.
FYI the MSDS for Ethanol and the MSDS for teflon dont mention interactions between the two. There are people making Gin using teflon as part of the distillation process. PTFE gets an excellent rating for 200c ethanol.
Once again I dont recommend anyone use any synthetics, but can I get a break for choosing to use some?
and I only use teflon in the vapor path on the pot stills for versatility, I dont need any on the reflux still.

[rad14701]

lrandall000, the issue comes more from new members or visitors coming here and seeing synthetics and assuming that ANY synthetic is alright... Remember, we have more than a few fly-by's who pick and choose their information... Seeing a synthetic hose and not reading just leaves them thinking that they can pop any hose on there and not ever think about whether or not it is safe... At this point we just HOPE that people seeing a still with a synthetic hose will at least read in posts below to see that they aren't safe, otherwise we would need to consider scrubbing the site of any and all pictures showing unsafe materials... Starting to see the real world battles we're fighting here...???

[lrandall000]

At this point we just HOPE that people seeing a still with a synthetic hose will at least read in posts below to see that they aren't safe, otherwise we would need to consider scrubbing the site of any and all pictures showing unsafe materials... Starting to see the real world battles we're fighting here...???

That point is well taken.
I cant imagine what the garbage plastic hose from HD would leach into the product.
I could get some copper paint,,, oh wait it probably wouldnt stick. (nothing sticks to telfon except frying pans)
I will do my best to hide my teflon and break down and get some more copper tubing.

[heartcut]

http://www.coleparmer.com/Chemical-Resistance" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
PFA has a higher temperature rating and is clearer than PTFE, but both are rated for ethanol within the manufacturers physical strength temperature limits. Depending on the manufacturer, those go as high as 350degF. That being said, I only use teflon for sealing on hot condensate (personal predujidice), but a lot of the big boys use PFA for piping hot spirits.

[rad14701]

. . . . but a lot of the big boys use PFA for piping hot spirits.

But they also have safety inspectors and engineers making sure those synthetics truly are safe rather than just grabbing some synthetic hose out of the scrap heap in the garage or basement...

[heartcut]

Yeah, grabbing scrap hose would probably be an issue. I think (verified real) teflon is safe chemically, the kicker for me is it melts quickly in a fire where metal doesn't.

[astronomical]

cool stills. what were you running?

I sometimes strip and do reflux runs at the same time. fun stuff. makes a 2" reflux run not seem so slow.

[lrandall000]

Yeah, grabbing scrap hose would probably be an issue. I think (verified real) teflon is safe chemically, the kicker for me is it melts quickly in a fire where metal doesn't.

I use whatever i had lying around for cooling.
I entirely agree rummaging through a random box of tubing for product would be a toxic foul tasting/smelling nightmare. Not to mention the danger of the line cracking as the hot ethanol degrades the line, sunlight too for that matter.

For the stuff in the product path it is all teflon and PFA(the chemical supply house I go to has both,i've started buying PFA), it all comes in a marked box from the distributor.
One thing I have found handy is the ease at which I can join two pieces of copper pipe together, I have flared all my copper tubing so it makes a nice leakfree connection. As I start using more copper in product path(so I can post pictures) I will still use the teflon/PFE in short pieces as unions, they will be hard to see in photos.
As for the fire issue, I am trying really really hard to avoid that issue, if the fire gets hot/tall enough to melt the plastic I fear I will have far greater problems by then.

cool stills. what were you running?
I sometimes strip and do reflux runs at the same time. fun stuff. makes a 2" reflux run not seem so slow.

My friend was doing rye whiskey striping runs and I was doing a second reflux run on a smelly persimmon batch I had and various other non optimal stuff I had from earlier brandy runs.
,,, The reflux still seemed slow, my buddy was cleaned up long before I had my final temp spike, didnt even collect tails due to time constraints.