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And some more Pics

Here's the collection of bits I'd gathered before I started ...at this stage it was going to be 6 plates with a drop in tree
A pic looking down from one module to the next
A window views
This first one is of an experimental Deflag reflux diverter...but pretty much what I would see before plates load up

Righteous. But man, you've got to take that tag off of the braided stainless steel hoses. They're fugly.
ss

p.s. - crack a bottle of that wine over it and fire that mother up!

still_stirrin wrote:Righteous. But man, you've got to take that tag off of the braided stainless steel hoses. They're fugly.
ss

p.s. - crack a bottle of that wine over it and fire that mother up!

Thanks still_stirrin ....LOL ...IIRC in that photo I was firing it up on 4 plates for the first time with only the Deflag on it in Full Reflux. I hadn't even finished off the connections to the PC .so she was all very fugly

The wine bottles are all empty ...just like collecting them ...used to make a lot of wine ...bad habit still .

Really nice flute and craftship !

I'll steal some ideas

I’m a little late to the party.
That is a hellofabuild yummy!
Definitely inspiring. I’ve got to start raising my own bar.
Have you made any changes since 6 years ago?

Stonecutter wrote: ↑Tue Jun 28, 2022 5:41 pm I’m a little late to the party.
That is a hellofabuild yummy!
Definitely inspiring. I’ve got to start raising my own bar.
Have you made any changes since 6 years ago?

Thanks Stonecutter .

LOL I first started that back in 2013 and didn’t finish it until late 2015 .

I modified the coolant manifold a few times . First I placed a valve in parallel with the needle valve so I could quickly go into full reflux and back to running again .
Heres some pics of when I was using it with a packed section . The boiler shown was just to mount it on . I would use a 80 litre keg on it .
I was having issues regulating flow with the brass needle valve .It was always a super touchy thing .
I was gifted a nice parker needle valve from Copperhead road and decided to upgrade my manifold again .
This time I included a three way valve . I could then have
1) normal plate still with coolant controlled with Needle Valve .
2) No reflux ….. no coolant flow …. IE …Pot still mode .
3) Full reflux …. Coolant bypassing Needle valve .

(Incidentally , you can see three connections to that Deflag . Only two are used . One of them was for an old project and is used as an anchor point to hold the assembly . It is a capped port with a fixing bracket soldered to it .)

This arrangement was extremely flexible and I could switch from normal running to Full reflux iff’n the phone rang . Or quickly switch to Pot mode to strip tails . This meant that the needle valve setting didn’t need so much shagging with to redial in each time . Although these improvements helped , I was still frustrated at how sluggish the cause and effect of tweaking a needle valve to seeing a change in output was .
I also was frustrated with how the flavour off the spout would change so quickly with changes in wind gusts as I use flame and run outside .

All in all , I was hating the while CM deflag thing . So I decided to modify it to a VM head .

I had a spare module I had made and never used , so I stuck a 1 1/4” nipple on it that would fit the Ball valve and condenser off my 2” LM/VM still . Instead of making a dedicated Reflux Condenser , I just flipped my original flute PC upside down and used the Deflag and inverted PC as an RC .

To this day, I still use it this way . Time poor . One day I’ll make a dedicated VM head for it .

Anyway , I sas blown away by this mod . Adjusting the Ball valve gives changes in output within tens of seconds verses many minutes with the Deflag and needle valve .
Fluctuations in heat although causing changes in output rate do not effect quality if spirit like they did with CM design .
Heres a link to my VM mod
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=73475#p7552229

I will never go back to CM

Wow! Thanks for the copper porn link, not sure if I would have ever wrapped my head around the flipped flute concept without it. That auxiliary RC and valve operation is truly brilliant. As mentioned you’ve got some amazing copper skills. Some of you guys could probably get a degree in thermo/fluid dynamics with the rigs your coming up with.

Edit: Even with that link I’m not sure if my brain is comprehending it all correctly. I’m sure as I journey through the hobby I’ll have some legitimate questions regarding your setup. Right now it’s like sitting in on an advanced college class . I’m pretty much just in awe of the craftsmanship. Eager to read up and learn more.

Thanks stonecutter .
Yeah that VM setup looks way more complicated than it needs to be . All that valve manifold stuff is only there because it was it was already attached .It serves no purpose .

Infact , I removed it a few years back and now I just have all three condensers connected n series with braided flexible hoses .

bump up

So I couldn’t figure out why in the hell all the commercial “flutes” I’ve seen have some stupid parrot attached right above the boiler making it a damn nuisance to try and collect. I knew if I searched around here I’d find a couple design inspirations. But the thing that really inspired me about this picture was the collection contraption you’ve rigged up. That thing is badass Yummy! A little “L” block bracket attached to an adjustable bracket. Pretty slick.

download/file.php?id=42632&mode=view

Arrrr , guess you're talking about the collection jar holder .
That was knocked up in a hurry one day . As I did antenna installation , I had on hand a Tile Ridge mount bracket , an extension mast and a wall mount bracket and a pice of wood ......Whaalaa , jar holder

That thing stil get used for all sorts of things . It's been used to hold up bits of my continuous still project.
viewtopic.php?p=7586167#p7586167

I suppose as the old saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

Haha maybe “inspired” is a little much but I thought it was cool either way. Seeing the many ways in which we hobbyists collect our hooch is always entertaining.
FWIW I’m using a cooler and a piece of tile, your technological advances are far superior

Great thread Yummy, have looked through it a half dozen times, if I liked neutrals at all, and could get a piece of copper that big, I'd be making a clone in a hurry.

I also enjoy seeing the complex DIY still projects, and then slabs of wood, chairs, milk crates, etc anything people can stack, to balance everything on. Been wanting to make a measured/designed multi-tier platform for my set-up for a few years now. Maybe after the next project.

I don't know how I have not seen this before. Just wanted to say that you do awesome work man. Really enjoyed reading this. Nice work. You should be proud man.

Thanks Wildcats
I really enjoy building but never seem to have the time . Hoping now I have moved to a more manageable property I might get back into it again .

Yummyrum wrote: ↑Wed May 31, 2023 12:56 pm Thanks Wildcats
I really enjoy building but never seem to have the time . Hoping now I have moved to a more manageable property I might get back into it again .

I know what ya mean. I have all kinds of copper and pipe and fittings. I been thinking about building some small display stills. Like maybe 10" x 10" . You know like a small mantel still. Just for decoration. Also been thinking about building another stii head with tri clamps that I can just clamp on. But I have a fence to build around the pool first. The wife would have a fit if I tinker in the shed when I have a pile of lumber just dropped off yesterday. Lol

Thumbs up yummyrum! Nice…. Very nice!