I have a kegland alcoengine pot still which I have been using for a while. I've mostly use it as a pot still (and am quite happy with it in that role). But I also use it as the condenser for a simple column still. I have a column that is literally just a 500 mm (~20") 2" triclamp extension tube that I clamp onto the still, and then clamp the alcoengine on top to act as a condenser. This gives me an ~800 mm (32") long column that works OK (essentially a 15:1 height:diameter ratio, which I understand to be the bare minimum for an effective column, with 20:1 considered to be better). If I pack the column with copper mesh I can get upto ~90% ABV, but I cannot get higher and would like to get closer to azeotropic.
While extending the column by adding another extension tube is one option, I was thinking that adding a dephlegmator would be more controllable. I was thinking I could drill holes at the top of the extension tube to attach a copper coil, with the coil made in one of two ways:
Position the copper coil at the top of the column. This would be the easiest to make, but the dephleg would be 300 mm (~12") below where the distillate flows into the condenser.
Make the copper coil with "arms" that extend it above the top of the extension tube, so when the still is assembled, the coil is at the top of the alcoengine - e.g. at the same height as where the distillate flows into the condenser. Probably better positioning of the depheg, but harder to make, and I would have ~12" of exposed copper carrying water too/from the coil.
I suspect the latter option is the better one, but its still "weird" compared to most dephleg's, which seem to always be placed above the arm running to the condenser.
Would this work? Is this a waste of my time? Is there a better way to make this work that doesn't involve making/buying a whole new setup?
Thanks
B
Brewer for decades, dabbler in distilling trying to get better at the craft.