Worm size and output

Anything cooling/condenser related.

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CornMealKid
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Re: Worm size and output

Post by CornMealKid »

Don't waste your money on tubing if you're terrible (like me) at properly shaping the tubing.

Believe me, I wasted a ****load of money.

Stick with copper pipe and 90's, solder those together to make a liquor waterslide. That's the most sure-fire method I've gathered to prevent "smearing" or what I'd call POOLING, when the liquor starts to pool in a dip.
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UnSub
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Re: Worm size and output

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muscashine wrote:
cranky wrote:I took a 20" long piece of 1.5" pipe and stuck three half inch tubes inside it to make a nice little shotgun.
I seriously thought about making a shotgun but I'm not sure I have the requisite skills to make the part where the single output from the still splits off into the shotgun section. I guess I would have to drill three holes in a plate and solder the pipes, then put the whole assembly down in another pipe, solder it in, and then solder on a reducer. I just worry something inside would come loose while I put the reducer on. I understand the concept and construction of the shotgun but actual assembly is something a little beyond me. I do well just to solder the simple pipe joints without burning myself or the house down.
You can use a higher temp silver solider (staysilv45) with mapp gas on first stage then use lead-free for the final assembly .. Just my .02
muscashine
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Re: Worm size and output

Post by muscashine »

CornMealKid wrote:Don't waste your money on tubing if you're terrible (like me) at properly shaping the tubing.

Believe me, I wasted a ****load of money.

Stick with copper pipe and 90's, solder those together to make a liquor waterslide. That's the most sure-fire method I've gathered to prevent "smearing" or what I'd call POOLING, when the liquor starts to pool in a dip.
I'm really pretty proud of the way I shaped my worm. Making wood forms with properly spaced and drilled holes made it look spot on. I decided to go ahead and use it yesterday when distilling my Trunk Monkey rum. I haven't measured the difference in gallons, but it seems a lot more efficient than the liebig as far as the water cooling goes.
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cranky
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Re: Worm size and output

Post by cranky »

Wow, looks like I completely missed those comments a few months ago but since it is back up, what I did with the shotgun is make an easy flange, cut a disc with 3 holes for the pipe that slipped inside the 1.5 recessed it in the pipe a bit then flooded the whole thing with solder. Didn't have to try to use different solders or add a cap after the fact. On the other end I extended the tubes an inch or two past the 1.5 and did the same flood with solder thing with no cap there either although it would be easy to just slip fit one on.

I find I like to play around with different things to see what I like, building and trying different things is all part of the joy of this hobby.
Mainer7
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Re: Worm size and output

Post by Mainer7 »

S-Cackalacky wrote:This is the pond pump I have from ebay - http://www.ebay.com/itm/370-GPH-Submers ... 3cc6c7737a" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow . I bought that one because of its 6.6 feet head lift.
Hey Cackalacky, so ive heard so much about puting a pump in the bottom of the condenser, but is that all that's needed to do? Do u just put it in the bottom of the condenser, plug it into an outlet, and it works it's magic pushing the warm water up n out of the condenser? But doesnt the pump have an output port that would need to be hooked up to something, say a hose or whatnot? Sorry if this seems lime a dumb question, I'm just a novice n don't have any experience w pumps, or condensers for that matter.
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Re: Worm size and output

Post by Bagasso »

Mainer7 wrote:Hey Cackalacky, so ive heard so much about puting a pump in the bottom of the condenser, but is that all that's needed to do? Do u just put it in the bottom of the condenser, plug it into an outlet, and it works it's magic pushing the warm water up n out of the condenser? But doesnt the pump have an output port that would need to be hooked up to something, say a hose or whatnot? Sorry if this seems lime a dumb question, I'm just a novice n don't have any experience w pumps, or condensers for that matter.
I'm not Cackalacky but maybe I could help.

What Cackalacky linked is a submersible pump that you would put in a bucket or drum. It pulls the water through the bottom and out the nozzle at the top. You are correct, you would attach a hose from the nozzle at the top of the pump to the bottom of a liebig.

What sounds odd is when you say that you put it in the bottom of the condenser. A liebig is usually a thin tube inside a slightly bigger tube and there is no way you are going to put a typical pump "inside" of that type of condenser.
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Re: Worm size and output

Post by Mainer7 »

Bagasso wrote:
Mainer7 wrote:Hey Cackalacky, so ive heard so much about puting a pump in the bottom of the condenser, but is that all that's needed to do? Do u just put it in the bottom of the condenser, plug it into an outlet, and it works it's magic pushing the warm water up n out of the condenser? But doesnt the pump have an output port that would need to be hooked up to something, say a hose or whatnot? Sorry if this seems lime a dumb question, I'm just a novice n don't have any experience w pumps, or condensers for that matter.
I'm not Cackalacky but maybe I could help.

What Cackalacky linked is a submersible pump that you would put in a bucket or drum. It pulls the water through the bottom and out the nozzle at the top. You are correct, you would attach a hose from the nozzle at the top of the pump to the bottom of a liebig.

What sounds odd is when you say that you put it in the bottom of the condenser. A liebig is usually a thin tube inside a slightly bigger tube and there is no way you are going to put a typical pump "inside" of that type of condenser.
Sorry for the confusion Bagasso, when i said condenser, i was refering to the bucket that the worm sits in. Is that improper terminology? With that said, would the pump still work the same way? I guess I'm not grasping the concept of the pump. It seems to me that, if I have a hose hookup to the bottom of my barrel, w worm inside barrel doing its thing condensing, wouldn't the flow of water coming in make the top of bucket overflow w the "spent" now warm water? Or drilling a hole or three towards the top of the bucket for the "spent" warm water to exit out? How does the pump figure in to this scheme?
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Re: Worm size and output

Post by Bagasso »

Mainer7 wrote:Sorry for the confusion Bagasso, when i said condenser, i was refering to the bucket that the worm sits in. Is that improper terminology?
It is correct but we usually specify because they work differently.
With that said, would the pump still work the same way? I guess I'm not grasping the concept of the pump.

Ok, actually this is what I thought you had in mind and, no, it doesn't work like that. Like I said in my previous post, the submersible pump sucks water through a port in the bottom and "shoots" it out the nozzle. If you stuck that in your bucket with a worm all you would do is empty your bucket and end up with no water.
It seems to me that, if I have a hose hookup to the bottom of my barrel, w worm inside barrel doing its thing condensing, wouldn't the flow of water coming in make the top of bucket overflow w the "spent" now warm water? Or drilling a hole or three towards the top of the bucket for the "spent" warm water to exit out? How does the pump figure in to this scheme?
The worm in a bucket (also called a flake stand) is usually built with a bucket the same size or larger than the boiler so that you just fill it without the need to pump water.

If the bucket is smaller than the boiler, one thing you can do, this is what I do with a 1.5 liter pitcher, is put an outlet near the top and then just drop a hose down the center of the worm to the bottom, so you were close.

The natural order is for the water at the top to be hot, sometimes even steaming, and the there is a gradient with the water at the bottom staying cool. You just have to have enough flow to keep the bottom cool while the very hot water at the top flows out of the outlet. A picture is worth a thousand words so I made a little computer drawing, the water could be from a pump in a larger container or the tap:
Circulating flake stand.jpg
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Re: Worm size and output

Post by Mainer7 »

Bagasso wrote:
Mainer7 wrote:Sorry for the confusion Bagasso, when i said condenser, i was refering to the bucket that the worm sits in. Is that improper terminology?
It is correct but we usually specify because they work differently.
With that said, would the pump still work the same way? I guess I'm not grasping the concept of the pump.

Ok, actually this is what I thought you had in mind and, no, it doesn't work like that. Like I said in my previous post, the submersible pump sucks water through a port in the bottom and "shoots" it out the nozzle. If you stuck that in your bucket with a worm all you would do is empty your bucket and end up with no water.
It seems to me that, if I have a hose hookup to the bottom of my barrel, w worm inside barrel doing its thing condensing, wouldn't the flow of water coming in make the top of bucket overflow w the "spent" now warm water? Or drilling a hole or three towards the top of the bucket for the "spent" warm water to exit out? How does the pump figure in to this scheme?
The worm in a bucket (also called a flake stand) is usually built with a bucket the same size or larger than the boiler so that you just fill it without the need to pump water.

If the bucket is smaller than the boiler, one thing you can do, this is what I do with a 1.5 liter pitcher, is put an outlet near the top and then just drop a hose down the center of the worm to the bottom, so you were close.

The natural order is for the water at the top to be hot, sometimes even steaming, and the there is a gradient with the water at the bottom staying cool. You just have to have enough flow to keep the bottom cool while the very hot water at the top flows out of the outlet. A picture is worth a thousand words so I made a little computer drawing, the water could be from a pump in a larger container or the tap:
Circulating flake stand.jpg
Good stuff Bagasso. But in re to ur killer diagram, I notice that u have a cold water hose coming in from the top of the flake stand, which in turn the warm water comes out the hole @ the top. What I was thinking was to rig some sort of input nozle @ the bottom of the flake stand, and hook the cold water hose up to that. Then by leaving the cold water hose turned on @ a low spray, wouldn't the overflow of warm water now @ the top of the flake stand just empty out, whether right over the lip of flake stand, but more suitably out through a hole or three?
Bagasso
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Re: Worm size and output

Post by Bagasso »

Mainer7 wrote:Good stuff Bagasso. But in re to ur killer diagram, I notice that u have a cold water hose coming in from the top of the flake stand, which in turn the warm water comes out the hole @ the top. What I was thinking was to rig some sort of input nozle @ the bottom of the flake stand, and hook the cold water hose up to that. Then by leaving the cold water hose turned on @ a low spray, wouldn't the overflow of warm water now @ the top of the flake stand just empty out, whether right over the lip of flake stand, but more suitably out through a hole or three?
You could hook a hose up to an inlet at the bottom and it would work the same. I just drop it in from the top because it saves on rigging up the inlet and avoids any potential leaks, not that a small leak would cause any major problems.

As for the outlet you could just let it pour over the top but an outlet with a barb or something which allows you to attach a hose will allow you to direct the hot water to another container (might want to use that hot water for something and not waste the energy, maybe starting your next wash) or a drain. You might also need to do this to keep from making a mess.

You have to keep in mind that if the water runs over the top and down the sides you might end up with it pouring over the end of the coil where the distillate is coming out and get into your collection container which you would not want.
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Re: Worm size and output

Post by The Baker »

You can direct the overflow water to the vegie garden.

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Mainer7
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Re: Worm size and output

Post by Mainer7 »

Bagasso wrote:
Mainer7 wrote:Good stuff Bagasso. But in re to ur killer diagram, I notice that u have a cold water hose coming in from the top of the flake stand, which in turn the warm water comes out the hole @ the top. What I was thinking was to rig some sort of input nozle @ the bottom of the flake stand, and hook the cold water hose up to that. Then by leaving the cold water hose turned on @ a low spray, wouldn't the overflow of warm water now @ the top of the flake stand just empty out, whether right over the lip of flake stand, but more suitably out through a hole or three?
You could hook a hose up to an inlet at the bottom and it would work the same. I just drop it in from the top because it saves on rigging up the inlet and avoids any potential leaks, not that a small leak would cause any major problems.

As for the outlet you could just let it pour over the top but an outlet with a barb or something which allows you to attach a hose will allow you to direct the hot water to another container (might want to use that hot water for something and not waste the energy, maybe starting your next wash) or a drain. You might also need to do this to keep from making a mess.

You have to keep in mind that if the water runs over the top and down the sides you might end up with it pouring over the end of the coil where the distillate is coming out and get into your collection container which you would not want.
"You might also need to do this to keep from making a mess", BWAHAHAHHAHABAHHA, very good point! And I too was concerned about overflow potentially getting into the finished product.
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Re: Worm size and output

Post by Mainer7 »

The Baker wrote:You can direct the overflow water to the vegie garden.

Geoff
I do concur Geoff
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acfixer69
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Re: Worm size and output

Post by acfixer69 »

Counter flow is the best choice for the reason that the heat transfer differential is less dramatic. Feeding the flake stand in at the bottom and a control run off is the right way but anyway that works for you.
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