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I think he is still building. The last I heard he was building his product condenser. He is a stickler for perfection so I am sure the un- vailing will well documented with great pictures. I know I am looking forward to seeing it. He has been a little quiet recently. Probably working hard.
MR

He may not be building due to the enormous pressure he has likely placed upon his self to put together an animated working diagram of a certain still,,,for a certain person.........

Maybe not.......But I am shocked that you fellers have placed the burden of so much responsibility squarely upon Sam's shoulders. Shocked I say.

I must admit I learned a ton of stuff in this thread. The only area of confusion is this pickling of brass. I have never heard of this before. I do a lot of canning and assumed it was placing it in vinegar or something like that. However, later on someone referenced pickling brass to putting it in 20% acid solution. How long do you do this and how does that get rid of the lead?

It's a mixture of vinegar and peroxide, and you leave the brass to soak for 10-15 minutes, no longer, then rinse with clean water.


OD

I very much regret that have seen this topic today.
At me a similar design which I have made 2 years ago,
and now I modernize it.
How at you this matter , guys?

My new plate in proceed....

BUMP...

My work schedule took its toll on this thread, but I'm getting ready to finish my build in a few weeks...

All components are still in place, so just keep chiming in now and again, I'll have something soon...

In regards to making this easier and cheaper to build as mentioned in the first thread, I think you missed the mark on easier. The downcomer design and bubble cap looks complicated and difficult to build. It would be much simpler and cheaper if a new builder (like me) stuck to the original sieve plate design and just incorporate the improvements this design. Combine the best of both, like a combo Hillbilly/Mark 2

The original was the magic flute. Not a hillbilly.

Yer missing the point and the history of the evolution Backflush.....But thats ok.

do your research and move forward as you would.

Cheers
Larry

I realize that. I used the hillybilly as an example because it has fixed plates that are soldered in place instead of a center pipe or threaded rod holding the plates in place. Good design idea I thought. Yes, I know it was not KS idea first. I guess I should explain in more detail, but I think you know what I was getting at.

I have read through the entire evolution of the flute. Man, I have been spending way too much time reading through all these threads.

A thousand pardons

Backflush wrote:I realize that. I used the hillybilly as an example because it has fixed plates that are soldered in place instead of a center pipe or threaded rod holding the plates in place. Good design idea I thought. Yes, I know it was not KS idea first. I guess I should explain in more detail, but I think you know what I was getting at.

I have read through the entire evolution of the flute. Man, I have been spending way too much time reading through all these threads.

Eight posts. I kind of doubt you have read all flute posts or have built shit. Show some respect for what you get to learn for free. Build something, Design something origanal and bulid it or go home.

mash rookie wrote:

Backflush wrote:I realize that. I used the hillybilly as an example because it has fixed plates that are soldered in place instead of a center pipe or threaded rod holding the plates in place. Good design idea I thought. Yes, I know it was not KS idea first. I guess I should explain in more detail, but I think you know what I was getting at.

I have read through the entire evolution of the flute. Man, I have been spending way too much time reading through all these threads.

Eight posts. I kind of doubt you have read all flute posts or have built shit. Show some respect for what you get to learn for free. Build something, Design something origanal and bulid it or go home.

X2

Don't get me wrong. I have total respect for the research, designs and builds on this forum. I love reading them. Just saying that this flute is more complicated to build, and thus not "easier"

Post quantity is not a reflection of time. I build my first still and reflux column over 10 years ago. Distilled for a while, and then job, promotions, relocations, wife and kids, etc. I just did not have the time and ended up selling it years ago. Just recently did I get interested in distilling again and holly smokes have things changed. Also got back into brewing beer from scratch and the two go hand in hand.

Bump! A newbie is anxious for more pics of the build!

Take a look on this link,it,s a 51cm vodka colonn that Germany Carls have built and design and it is in 21 plates ( For vodka produktion) and it have ONE BIG BUBBELCAP that have a size of 50% of column diameter… and "normaly downcomers...

http://www.tevsjodestilleri.se/wp-conte ... -14941.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

http://www.tevsjodestilleri.se/branneriet/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I Think that this with ONE big bubbelcaps is a cheep solution and the big manufactures are using it, so it must be a good solution.
But this is in big size and maybe this is what it take to be good and working good, it should be intressting so se this solution with ONE BIG BUBBELCAPS in 8" 10" and 12" solutions...
Maybe it need more space betven caps and columnside to work good and that it shall have in bigger size if you are going for 50% caps size....

This is only what a peronally is thinking


Cheers

Do the powers that be think that a six plate version of this Mark 2.0 flute would be versatile enough for a good Vodka. Then, with the valve system de-tuned for flavored spirits?

Thanks for humoring a Noob

Zaney

Samohon wrote:The process of fractionation, vapour/condensate, going on inside the flute, is directly attributed to the amount of coolant going through the dephlegmator and how much reflux is obtained. We already know that to achieve a full flavoured product, 1 or 2 plates within the system would be enough to give us this. But the abv is still way above ageing strength, so how can we achieve a full flavoured whiskey/rum and still be able to have some control over the stength of the distillate. IMO, the answer to this lies in the plate disabling attached to the column.

Carl Still.png

As OD has pointed out, his build is currently taking place and I, like all here, await his results eagerly... My build will start next week, my surgery got in the way, (Man I'm really Milking This...), or It would have been under-way. This is the design I will be using on a six plate flute.
I believe that, if running all six plates, with full reflux from the dephlegmater, a high abv% neutral will be obtained. My VM gives me azeotrope +95% abv very clean neutral, I always run her a bit faster and this knock the abv down-to 90% - 92%, this is also very very clean. The six plate flute will give me the best of both worlds in the hope that I will have a system that gives me the flavours and abv I want for my whiskey and the neutral Mrs Sam expects from her vodka, from one system, friggin genius...

Learning to drive this beast will be a pleasant and fun experience IMO, but once those sweet spots are found, a still like this will allow the hobbyist a whole new set of variables to play with.

Heres another Image: Look at the 22 plate still to the right, thats 22 disabling valves at the back.

Carl Still 2.png

I'am convinced that to control the abv coming of one of these stills, the plate disabling system must be utilised in the build...
Its gonna be friggin awesome tweaking this system to achieve an output that I can put straight onto oak...

And so it continues...

Nevermind

Found the answer...

Here we go! Build thread coming soon!

Cheers!
Zaney

Has a complete set of final plans been drawn up for OD's MarkII?

To the powers that know...
Check out the link to the pic to see...

http://homedistiller.org/forum/download ... &mode=view

Does the lower 3/4 inch pipe that supports the 3-way valve just attach to the column or does it penetrate the Delph, looping the water system?

If it does, how do you not screw up your finely crafted shotgun?

Thanks in advance!

Zaney

It's attached to the column as a butt weld for support. It does not loop the system.

First off thumbs up to all that contributed to flute one and flute two. It has been along two weeks getting through both posts. That being said I still have many questions regarding the flute design whether it is one or two. Back in march 2011 this thread started and the excitement was out of this world. I went from wanting to build flute 1 to building flute 2. We are just shy of 2 years from the date in which this all started on flute 2. As I have read Old Dog built flute #2 and has posted a few results. Besides that unless I missed something no one else ever built one unless they posted to another thread. I know there were a few other people that where in the process of building but never posted finishing and any results from it. Now to get to my point. Is the flute 2 any different from flute 1 besides being able to shut down differrent plates which in theory would and should be get. I may be wrong but, what I got from Old dogs results he wasn't impressed with the results of shutting down different plates. If I am wrong please set me straight. What I was hopeing out of the flute2 was to be able to make a flaverfull whisky by shutting down plates and then making a neutral comparable to the output of a vm bok. Because of the added. Is their ANY difference between the whole process from start to finish between flute 1 and 2 when running the same number of plates on both stills. Has any one with a flute 1 or a flute 2 produced a neutral comparable to the neutral from a bok. If so how many plates was needed to acccomplish this. I would rather not have to build two different still heads two be able to have the best of both worlds, but I will if I have to. I really want a flute whether it is a 1 or 2 or a mixture of both, but I also want the tasteless neutral too. Once again the wealth of knowledge here is amazing and I would once again like to thank all for their devotion to helping idiots like me start a new hobby and keeping me from killing myself.

Hi just a pup. I used old dogs mark 2 as the basis for my build. But just for the way it looks mostly. Although i didnt use the weir type plate system. I too reviewed old dogs results for disabling the plates and deemed it wasn't worth it to have the system. A flavourful whiskey can be had by 3 plates but. The proof is rather high. Kegging strength however can be had with 1 plate(ive never tested that), I am sure but that does nothing for obtaining neutral. The simple fact is that flutes make good flavourful whiskey with just a few plates. It takes a whole lot more to make a good neutral. What I have found and seems to be the obvious answer is filling the plates with packing when running for neutral. I have 3 plates in mine. And 1 litre of rings fills each plate nicely. It seems to minimize the amount of reflux needed for neutral and also keeps the production up. I just fill through the site glass ports. Getting them out is a little work though and takes a little shaking lol. My future plans for my flute is two columns below the deflagamator. 1 with packing and 1 with plates. Interchangeable by way of 4" tri clamp flanges. Also I am going to modify the discharge end of the final condenser to allow liquid managent. There will be two valves. One that allows product to be sent back to the top plate in the column and one to the jar. Flutes have very good tails compression. Heads compression not so much. By combining both liquid and cooling management I hope to solve the heads smearing.

Not real sure why you say they don't have real good heads compression. They should. If ran correctly.
And I don't see how your planned mods will help. Just turn the cooling up and let it reflux. Then slowly bleed off fores and heads. I see your mods smearing worse the what a normal flute/cm still would.

Prairiepiss wrote:Not real sure why you say they don't have real good heads compression. They should. If ran correctly.
And I don't see how your planned mods will help. Just turn the cooling up and let it reflux. Then slowly bleed off fores and heads. I see your mods smearing worse the what a normal flute/cm still would.

+1

Any still with a reflux condenser is capable of heads compression if the operator uses it correctly. Holding in equilibrium long enough using reflux, heads mostly travel up the column where they concentrate and can be removed carefully before hearts.

Tails can not be compressed as such but can be avoided in a similar manor while taking hearts if there is sufficient plates or packing “HETP’s” to separate them from hearts. There must be enough HETP's to allow equilibrium of different fractions or they will come off together. (Smearing)

Flutes with only a few plates and a reflux condenser can compress heads but will not separate hearts from tail fractions.

I make great whiskey and rum with a packed column by running it faster. Neutral from running slow, not disturbing equilibrium

Samohon:

I didn't see this addressed earlier, so I'll ask:

In the legend for the Spiralled Shotgun condenser PDF, part #3 End Cap is 54mm.

And the legend for part#4 Nipple (which are much smaller) are labeled 54mm x 50mm. The 50,00 clearly means the length of the nipple but the in/out diameter can't be correct at 54mm, right?

great thread all you builders, so much important info for a builder to be.

What is the final verdict on OD's MK2? I saw that he did make some good Gin.

Does anybody know if this still is still around http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... &start=216

Aussiedownunder01 wrote:Does anybody know if this still is still around http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... &start=216

Not sure what you mean by is it still around. Are you asking if OD still has it or are you asking if the design was a good design? As far as if OD still has it he would have to say. As far as it being a good design, all in all I would say yes. I'm not sure about the plate disabling feature. There wasn't much said in regards to it. I personally think the first design of Old dog's flute was easier to build. There are some nice features on this design to save some money on copper fittings, reducers, ect.