Please comment on my setup

[NewStilling]

Hello everyone, so I've been looking at allot of stuff on this site, cleaning, safety, forum rules, advice.
Now I am looking at the different types of stills witch brings me here.
I purchased a pot still with my Dad and also got a re-flux column for it.
looking at all the different builds on this site mine is pretty typical in the pot still design.
https://www.northstills.com/product/2-i ... re-boiler/
Now the re-flux column is a different story. mine is stainless, but the picture for the copper shows the cooling ports so that is below as well.
https://www.northstills.com/product/2-s ... lux-tower/
https://www.northstills.com/product/all ... lux-tower/
My question comes from the pictures I have seen on this site, all designs have the collection way lower then the one I purchased.
Why is that?
How will what I have differ from the builds I've seen here?
What kind of pitfalls or advantages may I see with this kind of setup?
For any questions about me read my welcome page intro to see how and why I decided to get into this hobby
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=87083
Ask me any questions you like after that.
Cheers guys

[Yummyrum]

There is no right or wrong answer for collection height.
Some guys like to line their jars up on the floor , some prefer it at bench height .
Some have adjustable lyne arms so the angle can be adjusted to any preferred height. Some have fixed lyne arms so it is up to the stiller to put a small table etc under the jar to raise it to the spout height .

Running electric gives you a few more choices .
When you have propane flame , you want to keep the collection as far away as possible . Preferably to the side . In this respect , long Liebigs are better than Shottys.

My Plated flute still is gas fired and has a Shotty , but I have a long copper extension pipe that diverts the distillate about 5 ‘ from the still …. and flames .

[Deplorable]

The biggest "pitfall" I see is the one I fell into. Inadequate cooling capability from the SS liebig condenser. I never even got to a reflux run with mine before I built a modular copper CCVM and shotgun condenser so I can't speak to how well the reflux condenser will work. I've read mixed results here.
As for the boiler itself, milk cans are a great alternative to a keg build in that they are ready to run out of the box. Volume is up to the end user, I was quickly convinced by members here to go with a 13 gallon over an 8, and glad I did.

What you linked to will suffice while you get your feet wet in the hobby and decide if it's something you want to pursue. I think if you decide to go all in, you'll quickly build a modular rig of one sort or another.

[Fletching]

Agree with everything Deplorable said. I was in a similar boat as you NewStilling. Bought a similar boiler and reflux column.

I was able make some good likker with it, but it didn’t take long for the whole upper end to become a dust collector. The addiction to making better and more complex products will completely transform your setup in no time. Before you know it, you’ll have a more efficient reflux column, a larger boiler, maybe a thumper or two, and plenty of other fun stuff in which you will tell yourself are “necessities.”

In the meantime, I am sure you can make a fine drop with your set up. There are a few good threads on here about running a CM column similar to the one you purchased. The part I struggled with in the beginning was finding the right balance between power and water flow. And with a smaller boiler, collecting in tiny jars to make cuts will help a whole lot in getting a clean product.

If you do decide to upgrade your reflux column down the road, there are plenty of good threads on here. I myself went with a modular CCVM, but I know Bokas and VM’s have great rapport.

[Saltbush Bill]

The crux of it is that they are a pretty crappy reflux design.

[Bushman]

Running electric gives you a few more choices .
When you have propane flame , you want to keep the collection as far away as possible . Preferably to the side . In this respect , long Liebigs are better than Shottys.

Or some type of shield to keep the flames away from the product.

[Salt Must Flow]

Personally, I would be scared to run my still on gas. I initially intended to use gas, but that was because I was ignorant about electricity and knew nothing about building a controller. As my still build progressed, it dawned on me that I just need to learn about electricity, build a decent controller, it would be MUCH safer and more convenient in the long run. I've had to pour product back down through my column many times and it often spills. That could be a nightmare with flame beneath me. Gas requires ventilation/air exchange. Electric controllers are wonderful to use. Going electric allows you to easily insulate the boiler too.

Some say that due to their living situation cannot use electric for whatever reason. I get it, but I won't run on gas unless I absolutely had to and I wouldn't be happy about it.

[NewStilling]

Forgot to mention the electric I have with this rig, got it with the re-flux column
110V Controller box with 1750W Element and Boiler Adapter. link below
https://www.northstills.com/product/220 ... r-adapter/
I did my first run on gas with pot still head and found it was a pain in the ass to keep a steady flow
(windy day, cold, no insulation)
Will be doing my second run hopefully next week end, my Dad has a sugar wash ready to go.

one question I am having a hard time finding is how much packing to use.
The lower column is 32'' and I have 15' of roll of copper mesh packing.
I've seen suggestions to use glass beads or other items in between as well, is that necessary or will the copper be sufficient?

[NZPete]

Looks like you have most of the components of a good setup. The biggest pitfall as mentioned above is that the reflux condenser (dephlegmator) is probably too small to achieve full reflux (condense all 1750w). This means you can't stabilize the column, get it fractionating and achieve the results you want (clean neutral).

The good news is you have a column and a boiler that should work really well for you. If you want to achieve the desired result you will probably need to look at doing something different with the reflux head. You could look at an LM still (search the forum for Bokakob) and you could probably reuse the liebig product condenser. Most likely you won't be able to get much of a neutral with the setup

In terms of the packing - your column is quite short so you ideally want to fill it pretty much right up with the mesh. You could look at lava rock as a cost effective alternative, from the reviews I've read you should be able to get a decent output of clean product with the column height you have available