8" plates

[shadylane]

No, I'm not starting a new build yet. But here's the game plan.
Two plates, bubble or maybe valved that don't have a sight glass.
The plates will be run slow and easy so there's no need to be looking at what's happening.
The 18ish gallon boiler will be charged with 15 gal of low-wines.

[Copperhead road]

Shady the building bug has its claws in you…. lol
You haven’t finished the 6” yet and now your thinking about an 8”
(That’s what you mean isn’t it, an 8” column?)

[shadylane]

Shady the building bug has its claws in you…. lol
You haven’t finished the 6” yet and now your thinking about an 8”
(That’s what you mean isn’t it, an 8” column?)

I hear Ya, I haven't finished with the 6" glasser, it's still a work in progress.
Every step bigger on a glasser gets more difficult, expensive and makes for more leakage and lower possible turn down.
4" was easy, 6" is a pain. The info learned by seeing what works or not has been valuable.
Plan B is 8" plates that work without being looked at. No entertainment, just something to make Bourbon.

[Copperhead road]

Shady the building bug has its claws in you…. lol
You haven’t finished the 6” yet and now your thinking about an 8”
(That’s what you mean isn’t it, an 8” column?)

I hear Ya, I haven't finished with the 6" glasser, it's still a work in progress.
Every step bigger on a glasser gets more difficult, expensive and makes for more leakage and lower possible turn down.
4" was easy, 6" is a pain. The info learned by seeing what works or not has been valuable.
Plan B is 8" plates that work without being looked at. No entertainment, just something to make Bourbon.

So this would be an 8” copper column not glass?

[shadylane]

So this would be an 8” copper column not glass?

No glass, just ugly, blind and based on efficient.

[Tammuz]

Screenshot_2025-11-25-10-24-19-45_40deb401b9ffe8e1df2f1cc5ba480b12.jpg

A couple of these 4" sight glass would help a bit. Curiosity killed the cat.

[Saltbush Bill]

I cant think of anything more frustrating than trying to run any plated column whilst running blind.
Giess i just like to know what going on ,on those plates.

[shadylane]

Sieve plates definitely need watching but an oversized bubble cap plate could be run blind, based solely on takeoff rate.
A valved plate would fall in between the two depending on weapage past the valves.

[Saltbush Bill]

True, most all of my experience is with perf plates.

[shadylane]

Here's a brainstorm for a no-weld plate using two cooking pots.

[shadylane]

Another option using cooking pots with the same diameter.

[tommysb]

Sorry for 'dumb' question, but what would be the advantage of using these 8" plates on a typical hobby-sized boiler? Could you just run the thing harder and not get entrainment/smearing copared to a 4 or 6"?

[Yummyrum]

Sorry for 'dumb' question, but what would be the advantage of using these 8" plates on a typical hobby-sized boiler? Could you just run the thing harder and not get entrainment/smearing copared to a 4 or 6"?

Not a dumb question at all Tommy . Was wondering the same ….. but brain hadn’t quite got to forming question about it at this stage .

[Copperhead road]

Sorry for 'dumb' question, but what would be the advantage of using these 8" plates on a typical hobby-sized boiler? Could you just run the thing harder and not get entrainment/smearing copared to a 4 or 6"?

Not a dumb question at all Tommy . Was wondering the same ….. but brain hadn’t quite got to forming question about it at this stage .

There wouldn’t be too many 8” column stills being used on a home distilling hobby level would there….?
I don’t recall ever seeing an 8” column build thread before…

[shadylane]

Sorry for 'dumb' question, but what would be the advantage of using these 8" plates on a typical hobby-sized boiler? Could you just run the thing harder and not get entrainment/smearing copared to a 4 or 6"?

Size matters, a bigger plate can have a faster takeoff rate before smearing starts and I don't like runs that last 6 hours or more.
Another reason for building a plate of this design is no one else has done it yet.

[shadylane]

The more I think about it the better I like the idea.
8" would have enough room for caps similar to the ones in the pic Yummyrum posted.
But slightly downsized.

[shadylane]

Screenshot_2025-11-25-10-24-19-45_40deb401b9ffe8e1df2f1cc5ba480b12.jpgA couple of these 4" sight glass would help a bit. Curiosity killed the cat.

I hear Ya, if the build gets to the parts ordering stage a sight glass per plate section will probably be included.

[Copperhead road]

I hear Ya, if the build gets to the parts ordering stage a sight glass per plate section will probably be included.

Shady you said it’s going to be an 8” glass column, Is that correct?
Just can not get my head around or try to visualise why you can not see the plates through the glass…????
This is why I originally thought you were talking about a copper column running blind with no sight glasses.

[shadylane]

Definitely not a 8" glass column. I'm not that much of a masochist.
4" glasser was easy, 6" a pain. No way in hell I'll try building a 8" glass column
I might use a bulkhead fitting for a small sight glass to peak at what's happening.
The build would use SS pop rivets to connect two cheaply available SS cooking pots for the shell and copper for the DIY plate.

[shadylane]

After searching it looks like two 4 Quart SS stock pans could work.
The dimensions are 8.4"D x 7"H and the sides are slightly tapered, that means I could cut them off where the top pan fits tightly into the bottom and makes a press fit, so fewer rivets are needed for only for structural support and not for making a seal.

[shadylane]

Here's a drawing of what I'm thinking about.

[Copperhead road]

Gotcha Shady, "a picture is worth a thousand words"

[LWTCS]

Notwithstanding the measurements in the pics, this particular approach to plate design seems like it would be right up your alley Shady?

[shadylane]

Plate orientation vs reflux flow?

[LWTCS]

Middle detail is best for optimal (axial) mixing.

[LWTCS]

Edge / corner of the bubble cap about 3/16 away from the column wall so as not to dam up liquid moving to the downcomer and / or blowing against the column wall and setting up a vapor bypass condition.

[shadylane]

Maybe I'm over thinking the reflux flow across the plates since it doesn't matter on the top plate that has a coiled RC pissing all over it.
The bottom plate might benefit but the top plate is what it is.

[shadylane]

Middle detail is best for optimal (axial) mixing.

It does look like the best option since none of the long caps are blowing directly into the mouth of the downcomer.
That would blow the reflux down it and act basically like a big leak.

[Copperhead road]

Middle detail is best for optimal (axial) mixing.

It does look like the best option since none of the plates are blowing directly at the mouth of the downcomer.

Shady is there a name for plates with the blocks on them?

[shadylane]

I'm confused as normal. What do you mean by blocks?