My still has imploded!!!! Digiboil 35L

[Smog]

Replace the silicone hose with a section of Corrugated Stainless steel gas line if you really need to redirect to product to a glass container placed a bit further away

Anyway, stop looking at the cause and just pressurise it back to its original shape.

[shadylane]

i'd buy that for a dollar, hot flexible tube draws distillate back up but collapses closed on itself from the -1.08pressure (thanks for the math shady)

once the hose was sealed on itself, still continued to cool building negative pressure until whoompf.... (that's the technical term)

That's what I think also.

[howie]

a simple example of pressures just from hot backset cooling.
i reckon your output was blocked, not letting air back into the boiler.
it doesn't take much to block/fold a tube, then it's downhill from there.

[The Baker]

Replace the silicone hose with a section of Corrugated Stainless steel gas line if you really need to redirect to product to a glass container placed a bit further away

Anyway, stop looking at the cause and just pressurise it back to its original shape.

VERY carefully.
Saw a 'hospital' TV show.
Fellow pressurising a 44 gallon (US 55 gallon) drum to bring it back to shape.

Drum exploded, his thigh was cut HALF WAY THROUGH by 'shrapnel'.

Geoff

[Yummyrum]

Replace the silicone hose with a section of Corrugated Stainless steel gas line if you really need to redirect to product to a glass container placed a bit further away

Anyway, stop looking at the cause and just pressurise it back to its original shape.

VERY carefully.
Saw a 'hospital' TV show.
Fellow pressurising a 44 gallon (US 55 gallon) drum to bring it back to shape.

Drum exploded, his thigh was cut HALF WAY THROUGH by 'shrapnel'.

Geoff

Thanks Geoff , thats my biggest worry with that suggestion . And while the suggestion comes with a disclaimer to do it in a containment area …. Well, … what is that and how do you safely observe from afar ?

I’d bet that precaution wouldn't happen.

[The Baker]

a containment area

Maybe like the cage used to inflate tractor tyres??

Geoff

[Metalking00]

Hammer and dolly after pushing it out with his hands is the way to go.... then again, maybe im just one of the few people here that doesnt have a tractor-tire-inflation-cage....

Seems a bit funny to give the guy shit for possibly creating a situation where his boiler couldve pressurized then tell him to go and pressurize his boiler...

[Yummyrum]

Seems a bit funny to give the guy shit for possibly creating a situation where his boiler couldve pressurized then tell him to go and pressurize his boiler...

Agree

[Smog]

Sorry, i completely forgot common sense was not widespread through population. /s

That being said, I would certainly buy back this boiler for a few dollars and "hydroform" it back in place with water pressure because it is something you can do with round vessels.

But hey, keyboards warriors are always welcome to send their comments based on what they have read on the internet.

[Yummyrum]

Sorry, i completely forgot common sense was not widespread through population. /s

Sadly we have to accomodate the lowest common denominator .

[NormandieStill]

Also... I think we're just talking to ourselves now.

[Smog]

Sorry, i completely forgot common sense was not widespread through population. /s

Sadly we have to accomodate the lowest common denominator .

LOL !!!@

[zapata]

Hey Applewood, thanks for sharing. Personally, I think some of the shit you've gotten is unfortunate and misguided. I think speaking up about mistakes should be encouraged, ESPECIALLY when they go real bad like this did. Good on ya mate.

What you were running was dumb, and you had already been told that. Chalk it up to proof we collectively know what we're talking about. I'd be fine living next to you, my neighbors do much more dangerous stuff on a weekly basis. Not trying to give you a pass, just calm some of the rhetoric here.

So far as fixing, keep in mind that pressurized liquid is almost infallibly safe. I'd try that. Pressurized air and steam are both universally dangerous, I would avoid. Most house pressure is about 35 psi, and since you already have a hose hooked up... But yeah, it'll be interesting to see what pressure it takes to reinflate it, might give an idea of just how much vacuum had built up.

So far as what caused the implosion, I think the hose collapsing is incredibly likely.

So far as something we can all get out of this beyond flogging "plastics are bad" and "inattention is bad" is that fleeing the scene for an unexpected emergency can cause us to make dangerously bad decisions. I've always thought E-stop buttons to be overkill, but I bet it would've helped in this case. Daughter calls, emergency? Check. Press the big red Emergency button. Unknown vacuum issue was still lurking and maybe would've happened anyway, but that's because you shouldn't have been running that still like it was under any circumstances. Personally I will reconsider my emergency protocols to include a "shit, I gotta run, NOW" emergency, and may well add that cartoonish E-stop I've always avoided, so thanks for the inspiration.

[Stonecutter]

Also... I think we're just talking to ourselves now.

+1
I don’t think anyone was overly critical though.
In the construction industry something like this would be reported as a “near miss”. The whole idea is to share the experience so that others can learn from it. Sure, you get a finger wagging but that’s nothing compared to what could have happened.

[AppleWood50]

Hey guys sorry for the delay in response I'm definitely still here and I've read all the responses on this thread.

I fully accept the small bashing that I've had from you guys. We live and learn and this is definitely something I will learn from.

Regarding the silicone tube. Yes this wasn't the most intelligent option. Though with my still gasket being silicone and the old still I originally used (airstill) had a silicone gasket I've just come to accept the risk of silicone in my vapour path. Though I accept the silicone pipe was not the best idea.

Now regarding what happened. I've had the silicone pipe on the setup for numerous runs and I never had an issue. The only difference was this time the silicone pipe was submerged below the level of the liquid in the collection jar. So it sounds most probable that the vacuum from cooling pulled liquid from the collection jar and the pressure collapsed the pipe at some point.

I'm positive that I don't have a blockage in the condenser or riser. It's 2 inch copper all over and shotgun condensers are practically impossible to block without physically shoving something inside it. This was one of my reasons for choosing such an overkill condenser for the boiler size and power. Didn't want to be dealing with a blocked liebig from a wash simply puking. Also, had a blockage formed in any section of the riser or condenser wouldn't this have caused the boiler to explode outwards and not implode in?

Regarding fixing the boiler. I physically cannot press it back into shape by hand. The stainless steel won't budge. I've tried gently hammering all sorts of hammers including a mini sledge hammer but it's barely budging and doing more damage to the SS than anything.

Someone above suggested pressurised water? How would I go about doing this? I just can't see the pressure from my household water supply being enough to press the boiler out. Though I admit I'm not very educated on pressure and stainless steel.

I am tempted to put a blanking plate on the TC on the boiler lid and just get that thing pressurised with hot water and steam. I could do it in my brick garage and I can cut the power to the garage externally. But I would have to enter the containment area to open the tap on the side of the boiler to release the pressure after it pressed back to form? I can't see any way at actually doing it in which I could pressurise the boiler without actually going up to it.

Because even if the hot steam fixed the boiler. I'd have to relieve the pressure at some point before cooling otherwise the boiler would implode again!

How much pressure psi from steam would it actually take to press the boiler back to form?

[Yummyrum]

Have you thought about just buying a keg .

[NormandieStill]

Kudos for copping to your mistake. For future reference you can wrap silicone gaskets in PTFE tape. It's a slightly long process, but done well you only need to do it once.

Do you have a fabricator locally. Or maybe a guy who pulls dings out of bodywork. They might have some ideas that don't involve potentially lethal pressurised steam. You could try filling the boiler with water and sealing and heating it. That way you're using the thermal expansion of water and not that of steam. If it works, you may need to keep topping it up with water to allow for the increased volume. It'll be a multi-stage process. The only question is whether the initial expansion will be enough to start the process.

[Metalking00]

Those creases might be hard to get out without causing cracks, too

[howie]

Kudos for copping to your mistake. For future reference you can wrap silicone gaskets in PTFE tape. It's a slightly long process, but done well you only need to do it once.

Do you have a fabricator locally. Or maybe a guy who pulls dings out of bodywork. They might have some ideas that don't involve potentially lethal pressurised steam. You could try filling the boiler with water and sealing and heating it. That way you're using the thermal expansion of water and not that of steam. If it works, you may need to keep topping it up with water to allow for the increased volume. It'll be a multi-stage process. The only question is whether the initial expansion will be enough to start the process.

i was thinking that too.
when i boil my beer wort it expands by a couple of litres, so sealing the lid and cranking the heat up might force it out.
you wouldn't have to get to boiling point to cause expansion, (maybe try 90C?) so it might be a 'safer' alternative.
i would still be standing at the other end of a long power lead though
edit - i would probably be filling the boiler up with water too.
edit 2- just looked at the boiler pics, maybe i would buy another digiboil, at least you would have a spare tap and electrics and the lid looks ok.
edit 3 - a car trolley jack with bits of wood, get it to some shape and use it just to heat water

[jonnys_spirit]

First off I hope your daughter’s ok.

Second, I wouldn’t seal and heat it. It’s a recipe for a lethal pressure bomb! The structure is already severely compromised. Not worth the risk…

Cut your losses on this one and get a new boiler.

Safety first!

Cheers!
-j

[Lights Out]

My gut feeling, and this isn't from a place of distilling knowledge, is that if you try to sort that boiler by pressuring it with steam and boiling water, you will need to start another disaster thread which will likely include some injury/property destruction.

Don't do that one.

Buy a new boiler for distilling. This will represent the cost of your mistake.

Try to hammer that one out as best you can and use it for a water heater or for BIAB mashing.

[RC Al]

Time for a keg mate....

And lay off the 14% washes.

[zed255]

My gut feeling, and this isn't from a place of distilling knowledge, is that if you try to sort that boiler by pressuring it with steam and boiling water, you will need to start another disaster thread which will likely include some injury/property destruction.

Don't do that one.

Buy a new boiler for distilling. This will represent the cost of your mistake.

Try to hammer that one out as best you can and use it for a water heater or for BIAB mashing.

Very sensible suggestion.

Since the bottom, where the heating elements are located is undamaged, another option presents itself. Get a new pot that will be the replacement vessel and replace its bottom with the one from the original kettle. The metal is quite thin so I doubt welding it would be an option without involving a skilled professional, but soldering it might be possible.

Either way, I doubt the original vessel will ever be a functioning still again. A beer keg is one of the best options, hence its popularity.

[Ben]

No steam, no pressure, the surface area involved means even a few psi is unacceptably dangerous. If you cant force it out by hand and hammer just chalk it up to a loss, move on.

Seems like you could hack the electronics out of that and move to a different vessel.

[HDNB]

you haven't been here long enough to remember the cautionary tale of the two poor bastards that got to witness a still explode first hand. It was a once in a lifetime experience.... if you are not picking up what i'm putting down...the one guy died on impact, the second, sadly lingered for some time before succumbing to the burns.
granted the still was larger, none the less, after unhinging itself from it's moorings the still and column and all attachments went through the building it was contained in -like through the wall and roof structure- and was found some 150 feet up the road from it's launch pad.

don't do it Bill. get a new boiler.

Honestly, we would rather be talking to you than about you.

[ThomasBrewer]

There's no need to heat it or pressurize with air or steam. If you have a connection to city water, that will be sufficient to hydroform it.

[shadylane]

There's no need to heat it or pressurize with air or steam. If you have a connection to city water, that will be sufficient to hydroform it.

That's what I was thinking also.
But it looks like the lid can no longer be sealed water tight.
Plan B would be to use a small hydraulic jack.

[Smog]

There's no need to heat it or pressurize with air or steam. If you have a connection to city water, that will be sufficient to hydroform it.

Safest way to do it. No air pressure or steam. Only liquid.

Put the pressure from your garden hose to it and it will come back to original form.

[Smog]

That's what I was thinking also.
But it looks like the lid can no longer be sealed water tight.

Even if not completely tight, the leak might not be enough to keep the water pressure from building up.

[cob]

Without good support the flat bottom will deform before the dents pop compounding the problem.

Same goes for the top unless it is properly domed.

I have used a 55gallon steel drum for containment, but have not had a rupture to test its effectiveness

Remote pressurization and pressure release are a must. Remote like 100' with physical barriers.