Create+ Pro Copper column mods.

[moorem]

I was given a brand new T500 boiler and Create+ copper column. Looks nice... but it can be improved quite easily and at minimal cost.
The first thing I did was to take a look at the thermal well at the top of the still.
This small well passes through a fairly heavy piece of stainless that also has the cooling feed and take off for the condenser running through it.... which is not so clever as the well housing also picks up some of the temperature from these feeds to the condenser instead of reading direct from the vapour in the head.
The modification is really very, very simple....
I drilled the well out to around 10mm and then made a PTFE bush so that the temperature probe passed through and was insulated from the mass of stainless at the still head.
It is a snug push-fit.
The probe is now far responsive to changes in temperature as it is in direct contact with the vapour and less influenced by the mass of the top stainless fittings thay carries the cooling water feed.

[Saltbush Bill]

Most people here wouldn't have a clue what a " Create+ copper column was or looked like, a few photos would help a lot.

EDIT. Google says it just another name for a full copper T500, which most folk will understand at a glance.

For what its worth you will find it much easier to run that still by watching your product output speed and disregarding the thermometer readings all together.
I ran one of those many many times when I first started in this hobby, chasing temperatures around is the hard way to run them.
Tape over so you cant see, you might be supprised at how much easier it is.
To put it as simply as possible, the slower the output speed , the higher the reflux ratio, the higher the reflux the more pure and clean the end product.
The trick is to find the speed and purity that your happy with.
A thermometer reading wont help you do that.
Thermometers dont own tastebuds or noses.

[Yummyrum]

Nice mod and solution .
But …..what Saltbush said is all true and will get you best out come at the end of the day . Stop watching the temp numbers and start watching the takeoff rate . Twiddle the coolant flow and watch the speed of the take off . That is where it is at .

If the manufactures could have included a takeoff meter , they probably would have . Alas , it is not so easy so they give you a thermometer and get you to watch a back ass measurement.

OK , so you can measure take off rate …. And at the same time check the ABV get yourself a 100ml measuring cylinder . Collect for a minate . Multiply that by 60 and you got mls/ hr .

Drop ( carefully) an alc meter in there and instantly see your ABV .

None of that has any relavants to temp and is much more valuable info .

But , look at the stream of Alcohol coming out the still . Memorise that image . Relate it to the takeoff rate .

[moorem]

Blow me!... I've forgotten how to upload an image!

Yeah guys, I do see your point... but I am interested at monitoring the temperatures from around 40'C upwards to see where the nasties start coming off and lead into the hearts.... its just me... I find it interesting.

I also have a 2" Boka at the workshop that I made quite a few years ago. Using that, I used to notice the different temperature profiles as the wash was boiled through its product life.

I would think that the T500 Pro column, that is fitted with a temperature probe and meter, was fitted for a reason, so I've just been following their guidance but making the monitoring that little bit more refined. According to their notes - run the head between 78.5°C and 79.5°C.

And the instruction effectively echo what you say - run lower for better quality - faster for lower quality.

I honestly don't know why they did not do this in the first instance - so simple and saves an engineering process.

[SW_Shiner]

but I am interested at monitoring the temperatures from around 40'C upwards to see where the nasties start coming off and lead into the hearts.... its just me... I find it interesting.

There is nothing interesting to learn there other than realising you're just wasting your time. The most common misconception with distilling is that you can separate fractions by temperature. This is not the case.
Manufacturer put thermometers on them because they don't know how to run them. trying to chase temps will leave you more confused than you should ever be. The most common and best advice for those columns is to remove the thermometer, and run it how it should be run.