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Posted: **Tue Oct 07, 2008 11:53 am**

phoenix wrote:HI All,The liebig is 3/8" inside a 1/2"x 18" long water jacket. It is just to further cool the distilate but I still hope I made it big enough.
Kim

Your liebig is more than big enough to handle a 2" pipe. If you find your distillate isn't cool enough push a few strands of packing in there to slow the flow down and create more surface area.

YOU DO GOOD WORK there Kim, You won't regret getting the SS needle valves. They're worth the extra cash.

Posted: **Tue Oct 07, 2008 2:38 pm**

Thanks minime,
I think while I'm waiting for my goodies to arrive I'm going to make a "parrot". Are all alchoholmeters the same diameter? I have one coming from Smiley's but I don't know how fat it is

. It's the 30cm model. I see most people are making theirs from 3/4" and I just found a brand new 1.5"-3/4" reducer at the scrap yard. I just have to go back and get some more fittings and pipe and I think I'll give it a try.
Kim

Posted: **Tue Oct 07, 2008 4:03 pm**

phoenix wrote:Thanks minime,
I think while I'm waiting for my goodies to arrive I'm going to make a "parrot". Are all alchoholmeters the same diameter? I have one coming from Smiley's but I don't know how fat it is . It's the 30cm model. I see most people are making theirs from 3/4" and I just found a brand new 1.5"-3/4" reducer at the scrap yard. I just have to go back and get some more fittings and pipe and I think I'll give it a try.
Kim

3/4 is perfect, You want to keep the volume in the parrot as low as possible so it reacts to changes immediately. Applies to height also. Only needs to be deep enough to accommodate 95.6 with maybe a 1/4 inch to spare. Best to wait 'till you've got the meter to do the final cut on hight. Hope you have some 95.6 on hand to check the float level. If not make it a little taller and cut it after you've got some pure product. Had a couple tonite so maybe this advice is not very well stated.............

Posted: **Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:22 pm**

you sound exactly like me! ha

ive been waiting on some parts to finish building my voltage controller and in the spare time ive build a extra liebig 'cooler' for my reflux's output and a parrot.

my liebig is 1/4 X 3/4 and about 18 inches long. mine is overkill but just built it out of scraps laying around so no complaints. and it works fine BTW. i tested mine on a stripping run (since thats all i can do till my damn controller gets finished

)

Posted: **Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:49 pm**

minime wrote:3/4 is perfect, You want to keep the volume in the parrot as low as possible so it reacts to changes immediately. Applies to height also. Only needs to be deep enough to accommodate 95.6 with maybe a 1/4 inch to spare.

Can't remember who, but somebody a while back made the excellent suggestion of putting a small piece of scrunched up mesh on the bottom of the main tube in the parrot, so there is no danger of the meter bottoming out on a hard surface.

Posted: **Tue Oct 07, 2008 7:15 pm**

I predict fine hootch in your future phoenix...

Posted: **Tue Oct 07, 2008 8:21 pm**

by the way, any reason for (what looks like) sand blasting the copper? besides looks i 'spose

Posted: **Tue Oct 07, 2008 9:09 pm**

eternalfrost wrote:by the way, any reason for (what looks like) sand blasting the copper? besides looks i 'spose

Looks mainly, the pics don't do it justice, it's all sparkly

. I built the sandblast cabinet a while ago and use it for everything I can get in it, lol. I can't wait till I can "have a couple" of my own stuff, that GG is stinking expensive! I have 2 WPOSW on the go right now but they seem to be going real slow so I just started another packet of EC-1118 and will add it tomorrow to see if it speeds things up a bit. Should I add more nutrient to the washes when I add the fresh yeast, they are already 3 days into fermentation. They were 1.070 to start with 1tbs of "Nutravit", all the local brew shop had for nutrient, in the 20lt wash. Citric acid to a 4.4ph. 2 packets of EC-1118 in one and 2 of BK1, I know that's not the best to use but I wanted to use it up, in the other. I just sprinkled it on top dry. They are holding at 30C. Is that temp OK? Tonight they are reading 1.048 and 1.051 respectivley. Is that normal fermentation speed? Will more yeast speed things up? Do I need to speed things up? If this is OK then I can just start 2 more washes tomorrow with the yeast starter I have going and put these in carboys as soon as I filter and bottle the wine that's in them now.
Kim

Posted: **Tue Oct 07, 2008 9:39 pm**

I'm going to have to learn how to make bourbon also, it goes so well with BBQ
Kim

Posted: **Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:18 pm**

I bin pawing at them ribs and ant had a taste yet , I'm thanking their a fake!!!!!

Posted: **Tue Oct 07, 2008 11:26 pm**

You must have a cold, Dunder. I'm sure I can smell em from here.

Very nice BBQ ya got there, Mr Phoenix.

Posted: **Wed Oct 08, 2008 1:00 am**

phoenix wrote:all the local brew shop had for nutrient, in the 20lt wash.
Kim

Kim, with that amount of ribs and that Barby I'd say you're a go big or go home kind of guy. You'd better be scaling up those washes so's you don't have to worry they're going slow. Always have lots on hand and you can still when it's convenient. Them yeasties work on their own schedule so go get yourself a couple (or more) trash cans and you'll be able to stay ahead of the crowd.

BTW that's a helluva view you got there. WoW

Posted: **Wed Oct 08, 2008 7:45 pm**

Thanks for the compliments, I just thought the BBQ went well with this content of this sight

That's 72# of beef ribs on there and yes they were fantastic! A buddy of mine and myself built the beast a few years back, I love BBQ!!!!!
Kim

Posted: **Thu Oct 09, 2008 9:30 pm**

minime,
You're right about the view, still amazing after 3 years.
Panorama

Rainstorm over the lake last night from my hot tub

Posted: **Thu Oct 09, 2008 9:33 pm**

Drats, it cut off half the panorama. At least it kept the best part.
Kim

Posted: **Fri Oct 10, 2008 4:43 am**

Now you're just bragging.

Beautiful view.

Posted: **Fri Oct 10, 2008 7:17 am**

C'mon Hookline, I'm not bragging, just sharing

Really I'm just wasting time till my stuff comes in the mail so I can "get'er done". My washes are down to 1.010 and I'm starting a couple of new ones today so I should have lots to do when I get it ready to roll.
Kim

Posted: **Fri Oct 10, 2008 7:57 am**

phoenix wrote:C'mon Hookline, I'm not bragging, just sharing

Yeah, I know.

Just kinda envious. I got a nice view of tropical savannah forest from my verandah, way better than anything on offer in the suburbs, but nothing as good as what you see from your hot tub.

You get many wild critters coming in for a visit? I get all sorts of stuff, including wallabies grazing within a few meters of the house.

Reminds me, gotta set the dog traps, there is a couple of wild mongrel pups running about the place.

Posted: **Fri Oct 10, 2008 8:55 am**

I just had 4 mule deer, 3 does, one small buck feeding in my side yard. Too early in the season to take that small of buck. I get black bear and coyotes (kinda like your wild dogs) quite a lot also.

Kim

Posted: **Fri Oct 10, 2008 6:46 pm**

I've had a coyote hanging around for a while... I think he's trying to figure out how to get into the chicken yard. He may be the reason we are down one cat recently too... I like the coyote, the harder you try to kill them, the smarter and tougher they get.

Posted: **Sat Oct 11, 2008 10:14 pm**

I can't believe it! I go from no boiler to 2 in less than a week. If only they had come the other way around. First I bought a 15.5 gal keg, ordered a copper bowl to do the attachment to, bought SS carriage bolts to use as studs etc. Total outlay $150 or so. So yesterday I'm having lunch with my ex boss and am discussing the welding and stuff with him and the millwright from my old job and I mention clamping the top down. My ex bosses eyes light up and he says "why go to so much work" and tells me to come to the shop and then he gives me this,

It is a pressure vessel good for 110psi@ 250F. Solid SS including the clamps for the lid! My only problem is it is only 10gal and it has this big skirt on the bottom.

I know the skirt can be removed easily enough and it already has holes for the tri-clamp and thermometer plus a couple extras. I just don't know if 10gal is big enough and I am worried about the seal that fits on the lid. It is a Graco tank and uses a gasket that in the parts diagram is only labeled as "Thiokol". Anybody know what that is and if it will stand up to what we are using it for? These tanks are made to hold and dispense different types of paint under pressure. You would think the gasket would be pretty tough and chemical resistant. It sounds like one of the gaskets that blew up in the space shuttle a few years ago made by Morton-Thiokol

Is it useable and what do you all think of a 10gal as opposed to a 15.5gal boiler? Pros and cons.
Kim

Posted: **Sat Oct 11, 2008 11:52 pm**

I reckon it's brilliant. Don't cut the skirt off. 10 gall will be good for small spirit runs or grain runs.

Just run two boilers.

I'dRunBothAtOncePunkin

Posted: **Sun Oct 12, 2008 9:42 am**

punkin wrote:I reckon it's brilliant. Don't cut the skirt off. 10 gall will be good for small spirit runs or grain runs.

Just run two boilers.
punkin,
My propane burner won't hold a flame with the skirt on there, when I turn it up it just blows inself out and I don't think I can raise the tank much higher and still get enough heat to get a good boil. I'm thinking I'm going to get the keg boiler going and then figure out what I am going to do with the paint tank.
Kim

I'dRunBothAtOncePunkin

Posted: **Sun Oct 12, 2008 4:39 pm**

Why would you want to cut the skirt off? I ask because the 10 gallon boiler I have under construction has a skirt and a few holes like yours and I figured that would be a good thing.
I ask because I dont know better...

That sounds like a new signature line for me -

Posted: **Sun Oct 12, 2008 4:40 pm**

Never mind - I just saw your response...

Posted: **Sun Oct 12, 2008 6:29 pm**

My keg has a skirt too, but i welded a couple of small bits of 3/4 angle to stop it slipping off the wheel rim burner and it was enough (the 3mm thickness) to lift it and get some air in.

Posted: **Sun Oct 12, 2008 6:55 pm**

punkin,
I tried clamping it higher today and there is still a problem. As soon as I turn the burner up the flame goes all weird and then the burner blows out. My 15.5gal keg has a 1.5" skirt and works just fine. This tanks' is 6" and just seems to trap the spent gases and CO and blows the burner out constantly. I could maybe cut a few more holes in the side, that would probably fix it but I just think cutting most of the skirt off is easier. Any thoughts on the gasket question?
Kim

Posted: **Sun Oct 12, 2008 7:10 pm**

I thank if you cut part of that skirt off you will weaken it Id say more holes

Posted: **Sun Oct 12, 2008 7:39 pm**

how high is the burner off the ground ?

Posted: **Sun Oct 12, 2008 10:32 pm**

Hi All,
Pics being worth a thousand words here's 3000 for y'all. I didn't mean to remove the whole skirt, just the bottom 4-5". It would still leave enough for strength just not enough to bother the burner. I don't know how efficient that burner is but I do know it throws a lot of heat. punkin, what is this "wheel rim burner"?

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