Shotgun condensor tip

[rickyaifd]

I am in the process of putting together a keg still and I'm at a bit of a stand still... since my metalworking skills are nil, I have to order the individual parts. If I order a shotgun condenser, what is the name of the part that I would put on to the shotgun where are the actual distillate would come out into the collection jar? Of course you have the keg as the boiler, the copper column and lyne arm, going into the shotgun condenser, but I don't know what to order for the part of the shotgun but I don't know what to order for the part where the distillate comes out.

[Bushman]

Depending on the size of your condenser you will need to purchase a reducer also some way to clamp so if your purchasing I would suggest a modular set up with tri-clamps. PM LWCTS he can get you set up.

[rickyaifd]

Yes, I will be using tri-clamps....since a keg valve opening and a 2"copper column can be joined by tri clamps, I was also going to use a 2" shotgun condensor....basically keeping everything the same 2" width. The shotgun I want to order is 24"in length.

[shadylane]

I think what your asking about is a Stainless Steel Surge Breaker.
It clamps onto the bottom of the shotgun and reduces the size down to 3/4"
It also supplies a vent, to keep the hydrometer from bouncing around in the parrot.

If your not going to use a parrot, all you need is a 2" to 3/4" reducer

https://stilldragon.com/surge-breaker.html

[stmaus]

Google something like this:

2" OD64mm Tri-clamp Reducer x 9,5mm Pagoda and Exhaust pipe

[Windswept]

I don't even us a reducer a lot of the time. Lee valley has stainless canning funnels that I use and just direct the total output of the shotgun into the funnel.

[v-child]

Order a two inch stainless cap, drill an offset hole and solder a short tube to route the output. Easy and cheap. The cap can be reoriented to suit your requirements.

[rickyaifd]

I would also like to use this with an attached parrot. The reasoning being that from all of the reading that I have done, the best way to know when to make adjustments to the amount of output by looking at the ABV. Also helps to make adjustments to the Heat of the boiler from everything I have read.

[Dewstiller]

On Ali there are 3 or 4 retailers that I know of that sell such a tri clamp style parrot.

They are anywhere from about $50-100 depending on configuration, valves and tri clamp size being 1.5 or 2.

Example:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3304928 ... hweb201603_

[rickyaifd]

Shadylane..... you mentioned a surge breaker. I looked at it, and I am curious... It has small vent holes. Wouldn't those small holes allow distillate to escape? I would be attaching a parrot to this.

[Sailman]

I know it doesn't help a lot but I made this out of a 2-inch to 3/4 reducer with a 3/4 to 1/2 reducer. It was a lot easier to make than you may think. Before anybody says anything yes that is a plastic funnel it was a cleaning run and no I do not use it anymore.

[Twisted Brick]

The reasoning being that from all of the reading that I have done, the best way to know when to make adjustments to the amount of output by looking at the ABV.

rickyaifd,

Maybe you can share where you read this, since there is a lot of questionable information floating around the internet. As you know, washes/mashes can vary by ingredients, conversion, yeast, starting ABV, blah, blah blah.

The best way to know when to make adjustments to output is by using your senses.

[rickyaifd]

From reading and re-reading the required reading. And I re-read Cranky's spoon-feeding EVERY TIME

[Durhommer]

I know it doesn't help a lot but I made this out of a 2-inch to 3/4 reducer with a 3/4 to 1/2 reducer. It was a lot easier to make than you may think. Before anybody says anything yes that is a plastic funnel it was a cleaning run and no I do not use it anymore.

IMG_20200407_184622.jpg
IMG_20200407_184550.jpg
20200513_214753.jpg

Intriguing pics of the build...any better shots of it I'm planning a new keg and looking at others pics helps

[Corsaire]

From reading and re-reading the required reading. And I re-read Cranky's spoon-feeding EVERY TIME

Good on you! There's a lot of info to be absorbed.
But seems like you missed the point. Kiwistiller said it's not a good idea to do cuts based on vapor temp or abv. Just your senses.

Fwiw I've never used a parrot. Just my senses. I can usually get the help of my wife and 2 friends to do a cuts party, it can be helpful. Women usually have a keener sense of smell and taste.
Just make sure you make your cuts before you start drinking.

Parrots may look nice, but consider where they came from. Distilleries that had the entire collection locked off by excise. So they couldn't smell or taste their spirit, the only thing they can look for is the abv off the spout.
Don't let this constrain you as well.

[Sailman]

I know it doesn't help a lot but I made this out of a 2-inch to 3/4 reducer with a 3/4 to 1/2 reducer. It was a lot easier to make than you may think. Before anybody says anything yes that is a plastic funnel it was a cleaning run and no I do not use it anymore.

IMG_20200407_184622.jpg
IMG_20200407_184550.jpg
20200513_214753.jpg

Intriguing pics of the build...any better shots of it I'm planning a new keg and looking at others pics helps

I'm at work now and I'll try to get some better pictures when I get home.

Anyway here is how it was made. I purchased a 2 inch to 3/4 reducer and then a three-quarter to 1/2 reducer. this was soldered together with stay Brite solder and liquid flux. Then I used a 2in sanitary fitting. The 2-inch fitting is going to be too small to fit the 2in reducer. So what I did was take a short piece of 2in copper pipe and sanded the inside so it would fit around the 2 inch sanitary fitting. Then I tinned the sanitary fitting and slipped the copper on to the fitting and soldered that together. after all of that was completed of then slip the fitting into the reducer and soldered it together. I got the idea from a thread here but right off hand I don't know exactly where.

[Sailman]

Here is a picture I borrowed from Twisted Brick and his thread on the easy 2 in shotgun build. I think this is where I got the idea.

IMG_1873 copy.jpg (13.09 KiB) Viewed 3443 times

On the left side of the picture you can see what I was talking about making the spacer for the 2 in fittings.

[30xs]

Shadylane..... you mentioned a surge breaker. I looked at it, and I am curious... It has small vent holes. Wouldn't those small holes allow distillate to escape? I would be attaching a parrot to this.

The vents are on the output side. If you have vapors on that side the vents are the least of your concerns.

Here’s some photos of mine with a built in surge breaker.

[v-child]

Excuse my ignorance but I have to ask. What purpose do the vents provide?

[jedneck]

Excuse my ignorance but I have to ask. What purpose do the vents provide?

They stop the hydrometer from bobbing up n down

[shadylane]

Excuse my ignorance but I have to ask. What purpose do the vents provide?

The surge breaker guides the liquid to the bottom outlet,
while at the same time allowing any boiler pressure to vent out the holes.

[v-child]

Wouldn't the "boiler pressure" at that point be in the form of steam? Wouldn't steam at that location mean that you are either undercooling your shotgun, or running too fast?

[shadylane]

Wouldn't the "boiler pressure" at that point be in the form of steam? Wouldn't steam at that location mean that you are either undercooling your shotgun, or running too fast?

Boiler pressure was a poor use of terms on my part.
There shouldn't be any steam or vapor escaping from the product condenser.
Think of a surge breaker as a glorified funnel.
It mechanically connects the parrot to the condenser.
And funnels only the liquid downwards, while allowing the boiler to vent to the atmosphere.

[Chauncey]

I don't even us a reducer a lot of the time. Lee valley has stainless canning funnels that I use and just direct the total output of the shotgun into the funnel.

Thats what i do

[LWTCS]

Pour some gas/fuel out of your fuel can without the vent cap open and you get a glug glug glug type of behavior out of your stream.
Open the vent cap and the stream smooths right out. Get it?

Same thing with the vent at the end of your condenser. No vent and the stream behavior is erratic to the point where it'll make your alcometer bob.

The "surge breaker" design is an elegant solution, but any venting will work just fine.

[shadylane]

without the vent cap open and you get a glug glug glug type of behavior out of your stream.

"glug glug glug type behavior"
Larry's more articulate than the average moonshiner