My New Small Scale Combo Still

[stilly_bugger]

Nice thread, Rad.

I'm another newby and have been trawling the site mulling over various designs, trying to work out what I'll build/buy. Your mini still is appealing to a newby for a number of reasons. 1. all the soldering is easy-access, and there isn't much of it (good for hacks like myself). 2. The materials won't send me broke. But the main reason is that, 3., your upper-reducer reflux capture method is ingenious. I don't have to worry about cutting tube at the correct angle or soldering at an angle inside the column.

Anyway, a question on design: What's the theory behind the loose slanted reflux deflector? In your initial post you mention that it's there to deflect reflux (I'm guessing into the reservoir) before it goes back down the column, and that this makes cleaning easier. How so? And are there any other reasons for including it?

[EDIT: Yep, thought about it and realised that cleaning is easier because you can pull the deflector out, unlike a boka. (Duh!). And then, as for asking about "other reasons", I deserve to be sent to the New Distiller Reading Lounge to get schooled. Double newb ]

Regards,

Stilly.

[el-zonko]

Thanks Rad!

[recon]

Small at only 1.25 inch... I was adding more info while you were posting...

nice still
what do you for the heat? does this fit on the stove top?
thanks for all your good advice in your other post

[Fly By Night]

This design is really tugging at me. I found a 1' and 2' stick of 1 1/2" copper that my dad has had laying around. I think this would be the perfect use for them, has anyone made one of these in the 1 1/2" size? This will be my first still and I think really let me experiment with both a re flux and pot still. I intend to use a ~20 Qt. Stainless stock pot for a boiler. What is the point of the "cap" just above the takeoff? I haven't grasped that just yet. I also considered soldering a cold finger to the 1/4", then sliding a pipe over the cold finger and wrapping the coil over that. However I think I have enough pipe and headroom that the extra complexity is not necessary.

[Fly By Night]

Could an additional take off be added above or in the reflux area for a more "pure" reflux still action?

[kentucky_cracker]

Looks great, jaidormi... Your posts serve as a good example of how some designs can be scaled up or down effectively... I'd say that my still is about as small as reasonably effective with yours being more the norm, although perhaps a bit taller than some folks might want to run... From what I've read, the Charles 803 continuous column, which is vaguely similar in design, has been scaled all the way up to six inches...

So, are you happy with the performance so far...??? Any surprises...???

I know this post was a LONG time ago..but...
as I understand it, 12:1 means that with a 7 inch condenser you would make the reflux tube 72inches? is that right?
question #2 assuming that is what 12:1 means; what would be the ratio for for 1.5 inch colum? I have plenty of 1.5 inch pipe, so that is what I will be working with.

[rad14701]

Looks great, jaidormi... Your posts serve as a good example of how some designs can be scaled up or down effectively... I'd say that my still is about as small as reasonably effective with yours being more the norm, although perhaps a bit taller than some folks might want to run... From what I've read, the Charles 803 continuous column, which is vaguely similar in design, has been scaled all the way up to six inches...

So, are you happy with the performance so far...??? Any surprises...???

I know this post was a LONG time ago..but...
as I understand it, 12:1 means that with a 7 inch condenser you would make the reflux tube 72inches? is that right?
question #2 assuming that is what 12:1 means; what would be the ratio for for 1.5 inch colum? I have plenty of 1.5 inch pipe, so that is what I will be working with.

Where did the 12:1 ratio come from...??? I've never used or heard it used as a relation between condenser and column sections...

The ratios typically used here as a generality are for height:diameter and they are only for ballparking purposes columns up to 2" in diameter... That ratio range is 12:1 - 24:1 with 30:1 being the extreme upper end... Using these ratios you could "guesstimate" that for 1.5" diameter copper you would have best results with a packed column section height of 18" - 36"... This serves as an alternative to using HETP "guesstimations"... And using measurements based on practical application experience backs up that range of ratios...

[kentucky_cracker]

Thanx, that makes sense. There is so much to read and so many opinions to interpret which is best.
For now, I am trying to absorb as much as I can. ...(so that later..I can absorb as much as I can).
A man came to tune the piano for our daughter last year, when he was finishing up, I asked him a question.
"Is this a fairly good piano?" He answered.."how long is a piece of string?"

[rad14701]

Thanx, that makes sense. There is so much to read and so many opinions to interpret which is best.
For now, I am trying to absorb as much as I can. ...(so that later..I can absorb as much as I can).
A man came to tune the piano for our daughter last year, when he was finishing up, I asked him a question.
"Is this a fairly good piano?" He answered.."how long is a piece of string?"

Just toss some ideas out before building whatever design you decide on... If it is this design then you can ask whatever questions you have here... I am at a point with my build that I am very content with the number of ways it can be configured to suit my needs... I have another piece of copper to make into a dual slant plate head and have entertained adding an optional VM section as well... Then I will have all the versatility I could need or want, with the exception of CM...

[lrandall000]

I built and ran 1.5 boka last week it worked far better than I expected. Ran a batch of stinky 40% from a failed persimmon brandy run and got 2l of neutral 92% in just under 3 hours start to finish. It was made out of scrap bits I had lying around, thats why it is 1.5 inch instead of 2 inch. I still plan to make a 2 or 2.5 inch LM/VM but I gonna wait until I can get my hands on some cheap pipe. I think I will give it to a friend who has 7 gal boiler, I think it is a perfect size for that.

[MKills]

While I still intend to make a Graham condenser for this still I decided to make a liebig with what I had here onhand... Using a wet rag to keep the take off tube cool was getting old... After my last run, 8L of brown sugar wash, on Monday, I decided enough was enough... The photo below show what I came up with...



Because I didn't have reducers onhand, and the fact that they are pricey and I'm cheap, I improvised... I cut two 1 1/2" pieces of 1/4" copper as inlet and outlet nipples... I then crimped a 6" piece of 1/2" copper so it fit fairly snug around both the nipples and the take off tube which runs diagonally through the 1/2" copper... Next I fired up the propane torch, heated, fluxed, and sweated, and it was done... From start to finish took less than 30 minutes including parts gathering and cleanup... Now I just need to get some wash fermenting so I can give it a good workout...

I made this same exact condenser for my bokakob take off. Cheap and effective, no fittings.

[lampshade]

I like the collection cup because it seems easier to build than the boka plates. What advantages does the boka offer over Rad's collection cup?

[rad14701]

I like the collection cup because it seems easier to build than the boka plates. What advantages does the boka offer over Rad's collection cup?

The main difference is construction price...

The dual slant plate column only requires 1.5" or 2" plus 1/4" copper... The plates can be made from a short length of the column copper, slit and flattened...

The dual reducer column requires 1.5" or 2" (or 1.25" in my case) plus 1/4" plus 3/4" or 1", plus two appropriately sized reducers...

Clearly, the dual reducer will have a higher construction cost... But it requires simpler cutting and soldering...

[Frosteecat]

That is a really beautiful still! Very impressed! Do you find that the domed lids (I.e. SS bowls) are advantageous (I've seen the incredibly basic "floating bowl"/internal convex "drip" stove top types) or is it typically just because the mixing bowls are easiest to find/fit? (apparently SS pots pretty much come with glass tops unless they are "restaurant grade"...). I ask because one odd solution I have toyed with is a SS dog bowl! It can nestle down in the pot opening if the proportions are right, can be used upside down or right side up as needed, and often have a removable "gasket" on the bottom to prevent sliding on linoleum, but functions well as a watertight o ring!

[Nifty]

Great story, great little unit, nice coil making, Iam a refrigeration mechanic so Ive seen my fair share of copper, and yes you have to hold your mouth right to get such a nice coil of 1/4 around piece of 3/4 lit alone 5/8, Great work. I have just made double wound reflux with coldfinger 1/4 around 7/8 with 5/8 finger to fit 4" collum. will post photo's soon.

[whiskeytripping]

I really like this design of a smaller reflux still I might build for using indoors. My question is that how exactly does the little plate (the piece shown on page one, that cascades the distillate brack to the center of the column) go in there? A picture would help seeing it in place, I definitely like this method better than the slant plates design, it also seems like it would hold a little extra distillate in the pooling area. If anyone has a picture of how they installed that little piece I would like to see it.

I would see also how this design wouldn't need the piece to center the refluxing distillate near as much as the slant plate design because when the collection cup fills up and cascades over the smaller diameter pipe, it falls into a wider pipe below (although not directly in the center). On a standard Bok slant plate design, since it doesn't reduce down the refluxing distillate would just run down the walls. I hope I'm explaining my self clearly enough

Any pictures or info is much appreciated guys. Thanks.

BTW, DAMN fine looking apartment still Rad

[rad14701]

whiskeytripping, believe it or not that piece simply drops into place and stays there all by itself... Because I got lucky that way I have never done anything else like using a trimmed down T fitting like others have used... It sits in the column at about a 45 degree angle just above the throat... I thought there was a picture or two somewhere in this topic that shows it in place...

Edit: HERE is the post that shows the plate in place...

I love this little rig...

As an aside, just yesterday I stumbled across two ten foot lengths of 1.25" copper down at my fathers that have acquired a bit of a patina and dust over the years but have never been used... I have been trying to figure out what other small scale stuff I can build ever since...

[emptyglass]

Arghh, Rad. You gotta revisit that avitar man.
Its both part ledgend, and part achilles heel.

I've seen dudes photoshop it. And they come up with some funny stuff.

But all the newbs think your some sort of red neck, desert dwelling trailer park dude that makes liquor on a stove. I wish I could get my gear to do what yours does.

And to think, you are only 21 years old.

Unbelievable!

[LWTCS]

He tried to shed that avitar ,,,but the mob made him keep it...Damned if he do and damned if he don't

[Frosteecat]

ThE only way that avatar jives in my mind with Rad is that he would be obstinate and utilitarian enough to take a dump that way if his house had burned down around him while nature called.

"I AM TAKING THIS DUMP! It would be inefficient to pinch it off at this point! GO TO THE READING LOUNGE!"

[rad14701]

And to think, you are only 21 years old.

Not sure where you got that idea because my youngest son is 25...

Yeah, I did try changing it and got bitched at so it stays as-is...

[lampshade]

Life can be a bitch for an HD god.... For those who think Rad is a cranky, recluse desert dweller, look up his zip code, 14701. He lives in upstate New York. Those pesky Thumpers (from the cult-film Tremors http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100814/ ) don't bother Rad. Although, I'm sure if they did, ole Rad would give them a piece of his mind.

[Charles_Marlow]

I'm sorry to revive an old thread, but I read through everything and didn't see any measurements. I need to be as short as functional. How tall did you go on your parts?

I'm looking to build a stove top piece and this looks like a winner. I'm trying to find 2inch pipe, but might use your design at 1.5 inch diameter pipe.

I like that this could be taken down and because of it's modular design could be used for as a potstill or a reflux set up.

Would 2 inch be more difficult to attach to a pot lid using a sink basket? And I see everyone avoiding the rubber in the sink basket, would the silicone that's used in those silicone baking dishes impart a flavor to the finished product?

[Samohon]

First off, Welcome to HD Charles_Marlow...

I used Rads excellent design for a friend of mine last year who stays in an apartment. He lives 200 miles from me, so visiting was not practical.

I asked him to measure the distance between the stove-top and the ceiling in his flat.
I then deducted 4" (100mm) from the size he gave me, to allow for fitting things together.
Taking the height of the 25L boiler into account, he was still left with a column 37" (940mm).
The stoves extractor hood was a problem, but since he has the ability to remove it on brew day, it was soon over-come.

He makes some great neutral using Rads All-Bran recipe and Odins Special K recipe. I substituted 2" pipe and fittings instead of Rads original diameter. I have plenty of space here so having a tall still is not a problem, but if I were really stuck for height, Rads apartment still would be my first choice.

I failed to take some photos of his still when I was putting it together, but next time I'm in contact, I'll get him to take a few. Rad has given a great starting point to anyone who is stuck for space, but what works for Rad, doesn't necessarily work for everyone, and if that is the case, then you will have to adapt/modify the design to work for you.

Assuming that you have studied distillation theory and the safety aspects afforded to the discipline, Rads Small Scale Still should be very easy to modify to your own needs.

Hope it helps on your future build and please do keep us in the loop with lots of piccies...

[rad14701]

Charles_Marlow, as Samohon has pointed out, the overall design is intended as a proof of concept rather than an exacting blueprint... And, as you will learn during your research here, column diameter controls take off rate and vapor speed whereas height controls purity...

At some point I need to do some more experimenting to validate what I recall as numbers... With my shortest column section I seem to recall being able to run as a reflux column with pot still results because the %ABV hangs in the 80%/160 proof range throughout the majority of the run... And with the column at its maximum height I have no problem dialing in 95%/190 proof... Pot still mode yields ~65%/130 proof right on down to ~30%/60 proof, or even lower...

[Charles_Marlow]

Charles_Marlow, as Samohon has pointed out, the overall design is intended as a proof of concept rather than an exacting blueprint... And, as you will learn during your research here, column diameter controls take off rate and vapor speed whereas height controls purity...

At some point I need to do some more experimenting to validate what I recall as numbers... With my shortest column section I seem to recall being able to run as a reflux column with pot still results because the %ABV hangs in the 80%/160 proof range throughout the majority of the run... And with the column at its maximum height I have no problem dialing in 95%/190 proof... Pot still mode yields ~65%/130 proof right on down to ~30%/60 proof, or even lower...

It's a great proof of concept. As I said in the welcome forum, I got some 1.5 inch pipe today at scrap price so now I need the proper mood and inspiration. I like the boka two cups because of it's simplicity, but your design because of it's adaptability. If I get a hot plate I can add a taller column... ANd really, 80% is fine for me to start on...

Going to have to research and day-dream more.

[BareKnuckles]

Rad. Quick question. Would I get into trouble if I went from 2" to 1" back to 2" on the bottleneck?

Thanks in advance

-BK

[Oxbo Rene]

Looks nice Rad ! ! !

[rad14701]

Rad. Quick question. Would I get into trouble if I went from 2" to 1" back to 2" on the bottleneck?

Thanks in advance

-BK

That would be the recommended sizing if not going small scale... The 1" throat will definitely help reduce the possibility of choking and flooding which can and will occur with a 3/4" throat... I could run my 1.25" small scale rig harder if it wasn't for the 3/4" choke point... The difference in vapor speed increase between 3/4" and 1" is substantial...

[BareKnuckles]

Thanks Rad... I'm seriously considering building one of you design. Going to pick up copper today and going to have it cut so I won't have to. Any recommendations on column length and head length? I'm using 2"

Thanks again