Home Distiller

JImbo, Windy gave me most of the skinny on some of that at S3. I would love to see it or hear about it. Grateful for whatever y'all will post. Love to make a long weekend of it and come see it too. You guys rock and we love ya.

I finished welding the outer lip for the water seal.
Next will be the plumbing for the steam injector.

Brutal wrote:Fit a medium density 5500 watt element to the element fitting and put glycerin or oil in the jacket.

I thought long and hard about doing that. It would have been the best way.
If I hadn't wanted to use the water jacket as a wort chiller.

shadylane wrote:I finished welding the outer lip for the water seal.
Next will be the plumbing for the steam injector.

so you are injecting steam? i thought i saw somewhere^^^ you had cut the inside out and moved it up to accomodate a couple of 4000w lwd in the jacket, in a bath???

im cornfused and far too lazy to read this whole thing again.

It's a hybrid bain marie, with steam injection for heat.
With the ability to cool what's in the pot if needed.

HDNB wrote:

shadylane wrote:I finished welding the outer lip for the water seal.
Next will be the plumbing for the steam injector.

so you are injecting steam? i thought i saw somewhere^^^ you had cut the inside out and moved it up to accomodate a couple of 4000w lwd in the jacket, in a bath???

That was to get extra water needed for steam.
Before the water boiled out and the electric heaters burn out.

I think in the long run you'll find water to be easiest to work with on more than one level.

*Readily available
*No smell
*Rapid response to heat input adjustments compared to some other mediums.
*Easy clean up if it spills.
* Will not scorch like oil during rapid heat up.

And prolly a couple more pros maybe?

Cost
Ability to run as a hybrid
Zero chance of cross contamination

yakattack wrote:Cost
Ability to run as a hybrid
Zero chance of cross contamination

100%

It's lid building time. I ordered the SS sheet, ferules and weld spuds.
Figure I'll make a lid out of paper, then use it for a pattern.

Figure, it's time to ask for ideas on making the water seal lid/cap.
Or other hair brained ideas.
Here's what I'll have for building the lid.
Three sheets of 36" x 24" 304 2B
The lip on the lid will be 20" dia

You thinking flat, dome or cone?
I believe I would go with a cone and have a channel on the bottom. The outside in the water seal and the inside inside the boiler to direct any parrisitic reflux back to boiler.

Flat's easiest, but weak and flimsy.
If it was copper, domed would be the game plan.
That leaves a cone shaped cap.
How tall can I make it from a 24" wide piece of SS ?

Played around on a cone calculator. I came up with a 5" hi cone for a 20 inch diameter. Uses 23.2 inch

Just guessing but a 5" rise in the middle of 20" should be a tall enough cone for strength.
I wonder how difficult it's going to be, making it out of 14ga SS ?

The five inch rise wass also for a 3" hole on top. Wasn't sure how big of an output your thinking.

I'm thinking about using a 2" ferule and a 1-1/2" riser tall enough for the liebig.
I've already got the riser.

There's been a change in plans.
The SS sheets came in and 14 gage is thicker and stiffer than I thought.
Making a cone out of it would be difficult, I'll probably be making a flat lid.

I needed something round to cut a 20" circle.

shadylane wrote:I needed something round to cut a 20" circle.

Shady I would pull the core outta the valve stem. I had two wheelbarrow tires explode from sitting to close to the woodstove. Better safe than sorry.

The jet from the plasma cutter didn't touch the tire.
I've used pieces of wood for a guide, without setting it afire.

Never played with a plasma cutter and wasn't sure about heat generation.

You also got me thinking about building an all copper version. I don't have the tools or skills to build a stainless one. So I figure I'll start saving up for some copper.

It makes a little, narrow jet of fire.
It slices metal fast enough that it doesn't over heat it.
Posting with Jed
If I had the copper, I'd use fire for heat

shadylane wrote: If I had the copper, I'd use fire for heat

That's would be the plan.

One thing I haven't made is a wood fired copper pot.
In my junk pile is enough copper to make a 10+ gallon pot that's thick enough to last for generations.
I'll get around it one of these day's, right now I'm trying to TIG weld with my glasses and welding helmet fogged up

Shady,
I heard of someone using an old CPAP machine to blow fresh air into the helmet to keep it from fogging up. Sounded like a good idea, plus you won't be breathing all the crap that off gasses. That stuff can be toxic. I know of several foundry men that brain tumors from exposure to gases from molten metal. I found one on CL for cheap.
MedStiller

Gosh, I have an old CPAP pump in the closet...noisy as all get out...but still puts out 8-10cm of water pressure. I would guess it around 7 to 8 liters per minute when running unrestrained.

Interesting idea....for a welder's mask.
ss

I've used a CPAP for fresh air when welding.
But the helmet fogged up a little bit because I still had to exhale
I did some more work on the lid today.

I'll need a way of measuring the boiler water, or I'll probably run it dry and burn out the heater.
I'm too cheap to spend $75-100 for a ready made boiler sight tube.
So, I'll use the homemade fittings from an old thumper out of the scrap pile.
I've ordered a pound of 1/2" X 24" thick wall borosilicate glass tubes.
Figure if it's glass, I better have some spares