Valve for Liebig control

[condo33]

Thought I would share my version of the inline valves some folks are using to adjust water flow/cooling of the water jacketed Liebig. This is at the outlet of the Liebig (nearest the still) not the inlet which is nearest to the business end where the distillate appears. Allows me to fine tune the cooling gradient as the run changes temperatures as it proceeds to the tails. This way I don't have to go to the source foucet to adjust each time. I may later decide to put a valve like this in the inlet side too. My first run, I did have to adjust at the source foucet once, so the inlet valve may also be helpful. Just experimenting, so if you think it could help you too, great.

[Usge]

I get the part about having the metering valve closer to the still (than having to go over to hose bib to adjust). But, you could accomplish the same thing easier/better by just having this on the liebig input side (ie., where the cool water goes in at the bottom, near the distillate end). If you want the temp warmer at the top near the still...just reduce the flow going in. Lastly, using a plastic valve on the hot output side might not be a good idea. If the output gets hot enough...it will melt the valve. (most plastic is rated to around 150F). I'd just move what you have to the other end. The cool water side won't have any impact on the plastic valve. And it will also allow you to monitor the flow more easily.

Truthfully, I've never found controlling a gradient on the liebig that critical. It usually takes care of itself, and you can run too much water, or too little..so long as it's knocking the vapor down..it all tastes the same to me.

[condo33]

Thanks for the advice. I'll move it to the input side and see how it does. Maybe I'm thinking it too much. But on the initial runs, I had trouble maintaining the cooling of the liebig and had some huffing issues. Some copper mesh in the liebig's end helped with that too. Thanks again.

[Bushman]

When Mash Rookie helped me design mine we put two valves in one to the shotgun condenser and one to the dephlagmater then you have maximum control. See picture below.

[Durace11]

BUSHMAN showing off the sexy copper! I have my adjustment valve on the input side and it's a "Y" with the other end open so if by chance I need a gush of water I just have to move the shutoff knob to the open direction and I have a garden hose worth of rushing water to take care of whatever problem may have come up.

[condo33]

WOW! Sexy is right. Bushman, there should be a Still Hall of Fame thread for that beauty to reside in. Durace11, I''m not clear yet. Does the Y have two water sources, one that you are controlling with a one direction of the valve (like a pump in a reservoir) , and the other that is full blown ready hose pressure? Seems smart that I should at the very least move it to the imput side of the Liebig. Thanks for the great help.

[Durace11]

Mine is a Y connector that I use as an adjustment knob. One input and two outputs. I use one output for water flow to the condenser and the other has nothing on it so it is just an open hose I keep closed unless an emergency arises. I am thinking about doing seperate water flow to my deflag and shotgun but haven't split it off just yet. On my pot still I only need one so it works "as is".

[midcarolina]

I have to respectfully disagree....... I think the proper location for the valve is on the outlet of the liebig, just like most heatexchangers, having the valve located in the outlet ensures you keep a full column of water in the exchanger........

With that being said, I do run the valve in the supply of the deflag.. simply cause I want a faster response to change......

[Durace11]

For a coiled reflux condenser I would agree. For a deflag, shotgun or liebig you should be filling from the bottom anyway so once it is initially filled there shouldn't be a problem, unless you have an air pocket. If you can fill it from the front end, restricting the back end isn't going to help you, it's only creating pressure in the condenser.

[midcarolina]

With the valve in the outlet I can get the most efficiency out of the liebig...... if you close your inlet water down to acheive the most efficent operation while still knocking down the vapor you could reduce the flow so the condenser is not full....... of coarse if one just runs more than enough water through to knock down the vapors and you are not concerned with how much water you use then you are correct it really doesnt matter then........

[Usge]

A condenser that is used in a way such that it has to knock down all the vapor all the time... has different needs/parameters than a deplegmator which operates in a range of efficiency from...full knock down power to equalize the column/fill plates...to partial reflux allowing vapor to pass through it. This requires far more control than a product condenser liebig that we are speaking of...which operates under one mode...knock everything down.

If you are running a reflux condenser off your liebig output..then that might be another reason you'd want some control there. But, for a straight up potstil...or even a boka's reflux coil...I've never found it necessary to do more than turning up or down the water source valve. It's well within the range of flow for that. IF it's not..then there's other problems to consider...like the design of your liebig.

[Bushman]

Very interesting topic and one I really haven't considered. We are all in agreement that the coolant should be introduced at the opposite direction as the product. In the case of a Liebig or shotgun condenser this would be at the bottom with the coolant rising. Controlling the coolant flow at intake or as it leaves the condenser is interesting as I have always built them at the intake end. I also have a flow constrictor on the garden hose. I am going to have to give this some time to sink in as my initial thought is both should work.

[condo33]

You fellows are way out ahead of me as I'm only trying to understand my pot still operation and you are on, what I see as advanced distilling devices. But, it certainly is food for my thoughts. And though it would probably be overkill for my system (24"x 3/4 Liebig jacket over 1/2" nipple on a Samohon potstill ) having control at both the inlet and outlet side seems okay to me and would give me total control of the cooling system. I'm glad it brought up such thoughtful discussion.

[Durace11]

My deflag enters at the bottom and exits at the top, with the flow of heat coming up the column. But, it's just a giant heatsink anyway so it works "as is". The final condenser works opposite the flow of heat, as it should.

I think someone not too long ago was working on a double stacked deflag to make it work opposite the flow of the heat but not sure how that turned out.

[Bushman]

My deflag enters at the bottom and exits at the top, with the flow of heat coming up the column. But, it's just a giant heatsink anyway so it works "as is". The final condenser works opposite the flow of heat, as it should.

I think someone not too long ago was working on a double stacked deflag to make it work opposite the flow of the heat but not sure how that turned out.

Mine is set up the same way as yours!

[toast860]

i was researching about valve control and how to cool the water down more. if i added a valve at the top of my liebig. then after the valve put the water thru a lil coil that sits above my water bucket to help cool it what should my flow rate be around? i hear alot of back and futher about the flow rate so my question is"with this setup could i barely have the water comeing out the valve and dripping into a air cooled coil back into my water bucket? i use a wetsaw pump a 5 gal bucket last time i used 3 bags of ice trying to cool the water in the bucket

[condo33]

Moved the valve to the inlet side of the liebig. This distill I had it was easy to adjust for the hotter distillate as it progressed through the run. Mine is a simple system, but I think ( with the limited experience I have) that on a pot still/liebig system, inlet side is a bit easier to control. Subject to change!

[Lucent]

Very interesting topic and one I really haven't considered. We are all in agreement that the coolant should be introduced at the opposite direction as the product. In the case of a Liebig or shotgun condenser this would be at the bottom with the coolant rising. Controlling the coolant flow at intake or as it leaves the condenser is interesting as I have always built them at the intake end. I also have a flow constrictor on the garden hose. I am going to have to give this some time to sink in as my initial thought is both should work.

I thought I was a genius when I put my inlet on the distillate end because I didn't see it posted anywhere

Guess I'm just a common hillbilly after all

[Capt Beadreader]

I’ve always ran my cooling water from the bottom to the top whether using a flake stand or a Liebig. I figure if I was inputting from the top and the combination of gravity and the amount I can drain overcomes the input that would leave air in my condenser rather than water. If I’m filling from the bottom up it doesn’t matter the input it’ll alway be full of water. Plus you create a gradient with the cooler water at the bottom and the warmer up top so the further the distillate gets down your line the stronger the knockdown force of your cooling is. If the coldest water is at the top and the vapor gets by the warmer stuff down lower is certainly not going to knock it down. I can’t see any reasonable argument for the valve being at the top or bottom as long as input is from the bottom.