Settling on a design. 3" ccvm?

[bunny]

Howdy everyone. Doing my best to absorb as much information as possible but it's a lot.

I going to build a 3" ccvm SS column with copper packing to a 2" shotgun condenser with 3/8 tubes( I think 7 tubes).
A SS 50L keg will be my boiler and I will heat it with a Propane burner.

Mostly going to run it as a pot still but like the modular idea so I can run it as a Reflux column if I want.

Hi
I'm back again.
Still trying to shake your confidence in your original plan.

Have you given any thought to anything else?
Is the farm the only place available for your hobby?
Is there 120v at the farm?
Is anyone living on the farm?
Do you just make day-trips to the farm or stay for a while?
Exactly what do you consider similar to SPP?
Have you priced out SPP to fill your column?

"So why does the 3" not help with a pot still"
My theory on this is you run a pot still by collection rate. If you can knock it down, you can collect it. Power management and condenser abilities would seem to be the main pot stilling tools, along with all that smelling, tasting and cutting stuff. (I just strip )


Back to my free advice:

Tri-clamp a 2" riser to the top of your keg. Attach a condenser of your choice to the riser and do all the pot stilling you want, with whatever power management you like.

For snowflake vodka: Tri-clamp a 2" x 48" (50mm x 1200mm) column to the top of your keg. Fill with 2.5L SPP. (I recommend manu's tiny stuff, however many are scared shitless by his tiny nozzles) Attach LM head of your choice. Adjust RR(ideally 3-1 or greater) and take-off rate. Try to keep vapor speed below flooding speed. Around 20 ips (give or take) is safe. Since most LM heads maintain a continuous take-off rate, if your RR is high enough at the beginning no further adjustments are needed till shut down.

[WildonionAB]

Howdy everyone. Doing my best to absorb as much information as possible but it's a lot.

I going to build a 3" ccvm SS column with copper packing to a 2" shotgun condenser with 3/8 tubes( I think 7 tubes).
A SS 50L keg will be my boiler and I will heat it with a Propane burner.

Mostly going to run it as a pot still but like the modular idea so I can run it as a Reflux column if I want.

Hi
I'm back again.
Still trying to shake your confidence in your original plan.

Have you given any thought to anything else?
Is the farm the only place available for your hobby?
Is there 120v at the farm?
Is anyone living on the farm?
Do you just make day-trips to the farm or stay for a while?
Exactly what do you consider similar to SPP?
Have you priced out SPP to fill your column?

"So why does the 3" not help with a pot still"
My theory on this is you run a pot still by collection rate. If you can knock it down, you can collect it. Power management and condenser abilities would seem to be the main pot stilling tools, along with all that smelling, tasting and cutting stuff. (I just strip )


Back to my free advice:

Tri-clamp a 2" riser to the top of your keg. Attach a condenser of your choice to the riser and do all the pot stilling you want, with whatever power management you like.

For snowflake vodka: Tri-clamp a 2" x 48" (50mm x 1200mm) column to the top of your keg. Fill with 2.5L SPP. (I recommend manu's tiny stuff, however many are scared shitless by his tiny nozzles) Attach LM head of your choice. Adjust RR(ideally 3-1 or greater) and take-off rate. Try to keep vapor speed below flooding speed. Around 20 ips (give or take) is safe. Since most LM heads maintain a continuous take-off rate, if your RR is high enough at the beginning no further adjustments are needed till shut down.

Yes people live at the farm(not a problem, childhood friends)
There is 110v but they would prefer not to have a still by the house(little kids).
I have to make day trips there.

I have not priced out SPP( I have time to do that, I'm not expecting this built for at least 6 months or better)
Similar would be copper "scraps"( I have lots of old copper wire that I'm pretty sure I could twist up into something close)

The 2" on the too of the keg is staying. I am taking the advice to run in Pot mode for most of the time. Goin to talk to my plumber friend and see what 2" copper pipe he has lying around.

[Twisted Brick]

Flip the keg, use the 2 inch sanke (now on the bottom) for a drain. It's a PITA emptying a boiler without a drain and you'll have to disassemble the column to empty it if you don't have a drain.

This is very true, however, putting the drain into the propane flames doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

Not to mention losing the integral handles already built into the upright end of the keg and having to configure (weld?) legs onto the new bottom of the keg to accommodate the drain. Side drains work great.

[WildonionAB]

Started on the build today. Hopefully get the fittings welded on next week. I have all the copper for the column and the condenser. Will be buying a Propane torch on Sunday and then I will start to solder it together.

[Wobbegong]

Nice mate, how did you cut your holes ? Propane torch, what for welding the ferrules on?

I'm currently at a similar stage of a build, welded on a few bits

2x 2400w element ports at the bottom,
6" access hatch , have sat some 3" s/s tube and I'll just have enough clearance to get the 6" clamp on and off ...

After reading this post I think I'll just weld a male BSP toe nipple to the side at the bottom and thread on a ball valve for the drain, then again I have some scrap 1" tube so could still build a stand and have drain come out the bottom hmmmmm

The fun and games of this hobby so far lol..

Started designing over 6 weeks ago, only gotten this far ... So much reading , not much doing.

Mod Edit : Wobbegong , I posted your tapatalk hosted pics direct to forum ( only because they were cool pics )

But please can you do the same next time you post pics . We discourage external image hosting here as over the years too many pics in topics have been lost .

[Twisted Brick]

Nice shiny keg, Wobbegong. Maybe its just the angle of the photo, but those two ferrules look really close together.

[Wobbegong]

Nice shiny keg, Wobbegong. Maybe its just the angle of the photo, but those two ferrules look really close together.

Yeah they're close lol. Can easily get clamps on both as is so not an issue, but yep, my original idea was to have a 4" ferrule coming out for future proofing but definitely not enough room.

Will likely cut the sanke fitting off... Keen to see OP's progress!

Adapt and survive they say!

[tjsc5f]

Will likely cut the sanke fitting off... Keen to see OP's progress!

I made a similar mistake on my keg, had a 6" fill/clean port that I got too close to the sanke port and couldnt get either clamp on!
Ended up grinding down the sanke flange and welding an extension on it, all good now.

[WildonionAB]

Hey Wobbegong. I used a hole saw to cut the holes into the keg. I'm still waiting to get the fittings welded on. My buddy who has the TIG machine hasn't bought a new tank of argon yet unfortunately.
I just picked up my fermentation tank/ mash tun yesterday. A 55gallon stainless steel drum. Gotta cut the top off and scrub out all the remaining Tea tree oil residue.

[WildonionAB]

Managed to find a barrel heating belt to! Shouldn't have any issues keeping the mash at temp. Even in the winter!

[Deplorable]

that SS drum is the cat's ass man. I'm a little envious TBT. I'd love to have a 30 gallon SS drum for a mash tun/fermenter.

[Stonecutter]

and the column will be 36" stainless with come kind of copper scrubber in it.

is your column going to be 36 inches total to height to take off point for a 3 inch CCVM?

36" to the bottom of the Tee. I don't have the measurements but I'd assume it would be close to 40" at the takeoff. From what I read that is enough length. Packed with SPP or something similar.

Not sure where you read this but 20:1 (60”) to bottom of tee is what i’d shoot for.


Edit: Sorry Sporacle. I kinda barged in. Been a few drinks tonight.
Cheers Onion. Keep reading Brotha. You’ll get there. Take your time with your construction

[Twisted Brick]

that SS drum is the cat's ass man. I'm a little envious TBT. I'd love to have a 30 gallon SS drum for a mash tun/fermenter.

+1

[Sporacle]

Edit: Sorry Sporacle. I kinda barged in. Been a few drinks tonight.
Cheers Onion. Keep reading Brotha. You’ll get there. Take your time with your construction

All good Stoney, enjoy and Onion if you have any questions on the CCVM build just post

[WildonionAB]

that SS drum is the cat's ass man. I'm a little envious TBT. I'd love to have a 30 gallon SS drum for a mash tun/fermenter.

Just drive up to Alberta. I know where there's a bunch.

[shadylane]

20220906_183855.jpg

Managed to find a barrel heating belt to! Shouldn't have any issues keeping the mash at temp. Even in the winter!

I'd recommend you put the belt around the lower end of the barrel.
If you use the belt at the top, the wash will be cold on the bottom.

[WildonionAB]

Not sure where you read this but 20:1 (60”) to bottom of tee is what i’d shoot for.


Edit: Sorry Sporacle. I kinda barged in. Been a few drinks tonight.
Cheers Onion. Keep reading Brotha. You’ll get there. Take your time with your construction
[/quote]

I don't have room for a 60" tall column. I don't remember exactly what thread I read the 40" column height on anymore. Lol somewhere on here
It may not be ideal but it's gonna have to do.

[WildonionAB]

20220906_183855.jpg

Managed to find a barrel heating belt to! Shouldn't have any issues keeping the mash at temp. Even in the winter!

I'd recommend you put the belt around the lower end of the barrel.
If you use the belt at the top, the wash will be cold on the bottom.

That's the plan! I built a insulated box a few years back that I fermented my Saskatoon/Blackberry wine in. It should work great for holding temps steady.

[WildonionAB]

[ecir54]

nice!!! you getting there.