FLUTE TALK

[raketemensch]

One of the sight towers for my flute arrived cracked, and the seller keeps telling me that he'll refund me $10 if I agree to fix it myself. Which is amusing, since I have no idea where to get the glass, otherwise I would just do it. The plates just clamp between each sight tower, so I can add/remove them with just a tri clamp. I've got 4 (perf) plates, but I think I'm only going to run with 3.

I was realizing last night that the only soldering I'll have to do is on the downcomers/plates, and one joint on the PC. Other than that, this whole design will either bolt or clamp together. If I had a good flaring tool, I could probably even handle the downcomers without soldering, but that's just getting silly. All together, it's come to ~$550, but I still have to buy two 48" CSST tubes and a length of 1" copper for the condenser.

I'm still waiting for parts to come in (or be replaced), and then I'm off to southern OR for Christmas, so I won't be able to really get started until January. I'll get a proper build thread going then.

[cranky]

One of the sight towers for my flute arrived cracked, and the seller keeps telling me that he'll refund me $10 if I agree to fix it myself. Which is amusing, since I have no idea where to get the glass, otherwise I would just do it. The plates just clamp between each sight tower, so I can add/remove them with just a tri clamp. I've got 4 (perf) plates, but I think I'm only going to run with 3.

I was realizing last night that the only soldering I'll have to do is on the downcomers/plates, and one joint on the PC. Other than that, this whole design will either bolt or clamp together. If I had a good flaring tool, I could probably even handle the downcomers without soldering, but that's just getting silly. All together, it's come to ~$550, but I still have to buy two 48" CSST tubes and a length of 1" copper for the condenser.

I'm still waiting for parts to come in (or be replaced), and then I'm off to southern OR for Christmas, so I won't be able to really get started until January. I'll get a proper build thread going then.

Is he going to send you the glass to replace it? $10 off on a $90 item isn't worth the effort to find a glass and replace it, now if he is willing to ship a new glass that is another matter. A lot of people don't know it but amazon requires sellers to provide return shipping and certain other guarantees. Sometimes sellers try to run out the clock so you have to act through Amazon to make sure it is done correctly.

[Snackson]

Did you buy it through Amazon? If so, it should be pretty easy to return. I've returned quite a few items easily and others I accepted as is with a partial refund. What is your plan for replacing the silicone seal between the glass and the body? For sight glasses on my boilers wrapped the silicone plenty of times with PTFE tape.

[raketemensch]

I went through eBay, to save about $50. They have agreed to just ship me a new one, which works for me.

I think I found a 2-pack of replacement glass for $42, in which case I would end up with spare glass *and* an extra module.

[TexasShine]

What are you going to clean that boiling alcohol didn't already clean out of the column?

I'm not necessarily saying that I would be cleaning anything. Just trying to understand the reasons why various builds and designs are done. Any advantages or disadvantages. My "assumption" for removable plate design would be potentially cleaning, etc. That said, once a year I do a thorough cleaning of all my copper components in use today. It may not be necessary, but I clean them regardless.

i used a stainless thread=all with nuts and washers to hold my plates in place on the rod, and they slide tightly into the column.

it stays there all the time except when i want to take a plate off or add a plate to effect a change in the distillate i want for finished product.

i wanted to leave my options open because i was using a boka before and had no idea what a plated column would produce and no idea what the right number of plates would be to make me happy.

As it goes to date i ran with 5 plates and dropped to 4 and now I am thinking to drop to 3 plates with my molasses wash to try and get more flavor. if i soldered em all in i would be stuck. but again triclamps between every section would make a modular column you could mess around with variable set ups. but i was on a budget.

I will never go back to my boka though ... my poor neglected Boka.

my flute is like the sexy new girlfriend that massages my back chops the wood cooks and cleans and is friskier than a russian racehorse... she does it all... for my needs as of now.

Thanks, I do like the idea of a modular set up, or flexibility to fine tune to the desired flavor profile trying to achieve.

Again, just curious why certain set-ups that I have seen were built in the manner they were. Pro's and Cons... Thanks again.

[cranky]

Mine was built a certain way for convenience but it is technically modular, although a PITA to take apart and put back together. Modular gives you the option of playing around and collecting in different ways. I personally was very happy using 4 plates in a fixed setup but now I am trying 3 plates to see what the difference is. If I couldn't remove plates I wouldn't be able to find out.

[Euphoria]

I like the modular approach to still set ups for their versatility to mix and match and configure it in a dozen different ways. I have a 25 gal, 13 gal, and 8 gal. milk can style boilers. I have 3" and 4" tri-clamp bell caps which can fit any one of them. I can use whatever size I need depending on the batch. I have a 3" pot still Lyne Arm head and a 4" plated flute column. I can take my Liebig off my pot still and incorporate a thumper in line if I want to do a "1.5 run". With the 4" 4 plate flute, (I actually have 5 perforated down-comer plates, and if I use them all, the 5th one goes on my sight glass section above the boiler,) I can choose to use them all or as few as I want, depending on the "flavor vs proof" decision. My two larger boilers both have stainless steel 5,500 watt electric elements and I share one 240 Volt 30 Amp controller for both, since I only use one still at a time. The 8 gallon boiler has a 2,000 watt electric heater with a 120 volt 20 Amp controller. The key here is that all my pot still and flute column sections, column additions, and hardware are all modular, and so everything will fit up to everything else. And as cranky mentioned, it might be a little bit of a chore to disassemble for cleaning, but it is much easier to clean than one-piece units, and I can "deep clean" every component.

[Antler24]

Ok been doing well with my standard pot still on 15g keg, trying convince myself I need a flute. Faster run times along with single runs are a huge plus for me. Compressing heads/tails also good, but how well does a flute compress the fractions?

In other words; do you guys take more hearts with the flutes, in comparison to the same wash on a pot still?

[Antler24]

Ok been doing well with my standard pot still on 15g keg, trying convince myself I need a flute. Faster run times along with single runs are a huge plus for me. Compressing heads/tails also good, but how well does a flute compress the fractions?

In other words; do you guys take more hearts with the flutes, in comparison to the same wash on a pot still?

Read the thread :] The answer is yes.

Thanks raketemensch, I've read the thread several times but after a few pages my brain goes from absorb mode to scan mode lol. I wish the mods could delete the rambling posts to condense all the good info!

[raketemensch]

I've been doing too much thinking, which is what happens when I don't get a chance to spend time working on stuff...

Since my build is very modular, I got to thinking about the best way to make neutrals with a flute, and started to think about maybe a packed section, and it turns out that, like everything else, people got here way before me and have been adding packed sections.

So what I'm wondering now is -- what's the consensus on how long/tall they need to be on a 4" column? I've done lots of searching and read dozens of threads today, but everyone seems to be just trying different sizes, so I'm not sure if this measurement has been decided upon. Or maybe I just haven't found the right thread.

Would a 12" packed section (most likely marbles) be enough?

[Kegg_jam]

I'm getting ready to try 24" section of 3" (marbles or lava) haven't decided....

Anyway, that'll be over a single bubbler for cleaning. Later I might try it over the bubbler and two perf plates, or maybe not depending on how the sac run goes.

[Euphoria]

I have a 12" section with tri-clamp ends on it that I use for including copper mesh packing if I need it. Works fine even though it's only 12" tall. Most of the time, the copper down-comer plates are all the copper I use in my flute setup, but it's handy to load some copper mesh if I want to use it, especially handy in my pot still configuration, which would otherwise be all stainless steel.

[cranky]

While I like modular, I personally think there is a lot to be said for a dedicated neutral column. I have been using the flute for pretty much everything over the past year except neutral. The flute is a one run and done sort of thing that gets plenty of flavor at high ABV. I prefer my neutral to be stripped then re-distilled as a big run and I think a big dedicated column is best for that. I only do 1 or 2 vodka runs a year and just think a dedicated column is the right tool for the job just like a flute is the right tool for it's intended job.

[thecroweater]

I run 5 plates with a 600mm (2ft) packed reflux module. It seems to work mighty fine but I would assume stripping first would serve to further improve the end result. Shut down the RC and the flute is an ordinary run of the mill 4" pot still, perfect for stripping. Its hard not to love these stills but less than 4 plated and you are going to need a serious reflux module and/or use low wines

[raketemensch]

Well, the main advantage to the flute for me is the single run. One shot and done builds up drinking stock quite a bit faster than doing 2 stripping runs on a weekend, 2 more on another weekend, then either 2 more or a spirit run on a 3rd weekend.

I was mainly just wondering if there's a configuration that could get me to a neutral in one run. I don't really have much demand for it, it's really just a case of my brain once again working much faster than my hands.

[googe]

And a nice clean wash helps too. I used to use 500mm section above three plates, it still had some.flavor with single runs, but I like it like that. Strip and run would be alot cleaner. But a big section should produce good neutral above plates.

[raketemensch]

And a nice clean wash helps too. I used to use 500mm section above three plates, it still had some.flavor with single runs, but I like it like that. Strip and run would be alot cleaner. But a big section should produce good neutral above plates.

Hmmm, I can get a 600mm (24 inch) section that will just pop right in with tri-clamps for under $50, and I like a little wheat in my vodka I could fit 3 plates in with just 2 sight towers, that should definitely fit.

[moosemilk]

So i'm ready to (slowly) start getting into a flute build. Not sure where to start really. I have a 51" length of 4" type L copper pipe. I know i want sight glasses. And possibly modular, but depends on cost and what i have. So i'm looking for suggestions of where to start or find plans for a build (i'm more of a have it on paper/blueprint type person than look and do). Is there a thread to build sight glasses for this thing? And length of each section if i go modular? I have looked at the basics, but there is such an overwhelming amount of options that i am, well, overwhelmed! It will be sitting on top of my stainless keg, so i know i'll have to go from 2" to 4" (best way is using a conical reducer from what i've read). I want to keep my 2" on my keg since i have a 2" ccvm and 2" for pot still.

[raketemensch]

Somewhere in this thread, in the first 30 pages I believe (I was stuck in an airport over the holidays and re-read a ton), there is basically a blueprint that someone put together with all of the measurements.

[Sungy]

Moosemilk

I have a few flute build threads in my signature with loads of pics. There are the original pencil sketches with dimensions. Might be able to pick up some ideas.

[moosemilk]

Thanks Sungy and raket. I'll have more of a look here. Be a good way to ring in the new year lol. My main thing is the sight glasses. I'd rather build than buy to help keep cost down.

[moosemilk]

Thanks Sungy and raket. I'll have more of a look here. Be a good way to ring in the new year lol. My main thing is the sight glasses. I'd rather build than buy to help keep cost down.

[Rastus]

moose,

I took a lot of inspiration from Dan's 4" build:

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... ddog+flute

good luck

[thecroweater]

So i'm ready to (slowly) start getting into a flute build. Not sure where to start really. I have a 51" length of 4" type L copper pipe. I know i want sight glasses. And possibly modular, but depends on cost and what i have. So i'm looking for suggestions of where to start or find plans for a build (i'm more of a have it on paper/blueprint type person than look and do). Is there a thread to build sight glasses for this thing? And length of each section if i go modular? I have looked at the basics, but there is such an overwhelming amount of options that i am, well, overwhelmed! It will be sitting on top of my stainless keg, so i know i'll have to go from 2" to 4" (best way is using a conical reducer from what i've read). I want to keep my 2" on my keg since i have a 2" ccvm and 2" for pot still.

Ehy not explore the idea of using a dedicated plated column boiler

[moosemilk]

Crow, i am envious! I'd love to do that, but at the moment I am a full time trade school student, which means I had to cut back work hours, and still have a family to raise. Money is tight, so every bit of this build has to be saved for. In the future, a dedicated boiler would definitely be an option.

[Oldvine Zin]

Thanks Sungy and raket. I'll have more of a look here. Be a good way to ring in the new year lol. My main thing is the sight glasses. I'd rather build than buy to help keep cost down.

I'm working on my flute build and just started the glass holders - if you are interested: http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 50&t=59056

[moosemilk]

Thanks Sungy and raket. I'll have more of a look here. Be a good way to ring in the new year lol. My main thing is the sight glasses. I'd rather build than buy to help keep cost down.

I'm working on my flute build and just started the glass holders - if you are interested: http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 50&t=59056

Thanks! It's not only the cost factor, it's a matter of having as much built as possible without buying pre-fab. I built my pot still from sheet copper as well. At first, I noticed the dings and nicks in it. But after putting a few more in (whoops, don't store it there, who made this door frame smaller?, and just plain ol' DOH! moments) it has it's own personality. The flute, however, i will strive for perfection. It also helps that i'm taking welding in trade school, which also includes fabrication, blueprinting, and metalurgy. So i'm a little more informed and practiced than i was a couple years back. Going to look at and bookmark your build to follow!

[moosemilk]

I've searched and searched for the once available pure copper 2 inch trap adapter. I purchased them as well couple years ago from PEX supply. Another option I found is to buy a 2 inch slip joint nut and a 2 inch male thread to copper solder joint adapter. These two pieces should cost around $12 to $13. I like the 2 inch windows on the 4 inch column much better then the readily available inch and a half pure copper trap adapters.

Do you know of a good source for these parts? I'm not familiar with them myself, and would like to build as much as possible rather than buy pre-fab sight glass.

[WIski]

http://www.hodesco.com/default.aspx?pag ... ode=51-332" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Slip-Joint-Nu ... 1281619011" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

https://jet.com/product/detail/6daeef54 ... Aiam8P8HAQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

http://www.supplyhouse.com/Cello-WP4-32 ... -1027000-p" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[moosemilk]

Thank you very much Wiski. Finding sources of safe materials can be sketchy, this is appreciated!