8" Copper Still and Accessories

[Yummyrum]

Look at this piping layout. This is almost exactly how mine is set up except I have two columns running in parallel. This still pictured has the ability to run in pot still mode or in plated column mode with only one 3 way diverting valve for the entire thing. There is no separate valve to prevent vapor from feeding back into the column when run in pot still mode.

What is obvious is that the output from the plated column arrives at the Condenser Higher than the output from the Pot head. I wonder if this is a design point . From my reading it would suggest that Alcohol rich vapour tends to fall rather than rise which would stop vapour coming from the pot wanting to go back up into the plated column whereas vapour coming from the plated column would be stopped at the three way valve .

[HDNB]

I can officially legally run a still!

I am really excited for you! Have you given this beauty her first run yet?

guessing it may be a few more days?

I'm dreading the final cleaning and polishing.

[DeepSouth]

I can officially legally run a still!

I am really excited for you! Have you given this beauty her first run yet?

guessing it may be a few more days?

I'm dreading the final cleaning and polishing.

Haven't done the first run yet. I've been having all sorts of fun hooking up my boiler. Drilling two 10" diameter holes through the 12" thick exterior walls for the exhaust vent pipes just about killed me. My boiler chemicals get here Friday and the state boiler inspector will be by Monday to tag it and sign off on everything. At that point, I can turn it on, make steam, and start the internal cleaning runs.

Unfortunately, after I hooked up all of the cooling water lines to the condenser, I discovered an internal leak in the product condenser. Didn't have anyone to blame but myself. I spent all day yesterday removing one of the end plates on the product condenser, resoldering around all 37 tubes, and putting it back together. Everything is working fine now, but I said a few choice words yesterday. Luckily since I built it I knew how to fix it.

[Oldvine Zin]

Unfortunately, after I hooked up all of the cooling water lines to the condenser, I discovered an internal leak in the product condenser. Didn't have anyone to blame but myself. I spent all day yesterday removing one of the end plates on the product condenser, resoldering around all 37 tubes, and putting it back together. Everything is working fine now, but I said a few choice words yesterday. Luckily since I built it I knew how to fix it.

I kinda hear ya - my tiny rc with only 6 tubes had a pinhole leak and was a piece of cake to fix but I also had quite a few choice words, can only imagine what you sounded like resoldering 37 of them.

[DeepSouth]

Update: I finally ran my steam boiler for the first time today. I successfully didn't blow myself up or burn down the building! Actually it went pretty smoothly. I only had a few steam leaks at a couple of unions in the steam supply lines and a couple turns of the wrench fixed that. The boiler cycles on and off like it was supposed to. I filled my mash cooker with 300 gallons of water (in 3 minutes, 2" supply line). I opened the steam valve at the entry of the steam jacket. In 35-40 minutes I had raised the temperature of the water from 70F to a rolling 212F boil.

I can now begin my steam, vinegar, and sacrificial alcohol runs through the still. I'm going to make 300 gallon all corn whiskey mash tomorrow and get it started fermenting. The next day I'll make another one. First one will be for cleaning and second one will be the first keeper batch.

[Hillbilly Popstar]

Mmmm...
This is the kind of porn I don't get in trouble for looking at.

[HDNB]

Update: I finally ran my steam boiler for the first time today. I successfully didn't blow myself up or burn down the building! Actually it went pretty smoothly. I only had a few steam leaks at a couple of unions in the steam supply lines and a couple turns of the wrench fixed that. The boiler cycles on and off like it was supposed to. I filled my mash cooker with 300 gallons of water (in 3 minutes, 2" supply line). I opened the steam valve at the entry of the steam jacket. In 35-40 minutes I had raised the temperature of the water from 70F to a rolling 212F boil.

I can now begin my steam, vinegar, and sacrificial alcohol runs through the still. I'm going to make 300 gallon all corn whiskey mash tomorrow and get it started fermenting. The next day I'll make another one. First one will be for cleaning and second one will be the first keeper batch.

WOOO HOOO! great work! don't know if you could hear the cheers from here to there, that performance is outstanding! the boiler and line loss must be a lot less significant than "they" say.
let us know how the booze comes out of that monster!

[Swedish Pride]

Congrats man.
So corn withdawg initially and then on burboun and rum or how do you see your products roll out over the next year or two?

[raketemensch]

I'm going to make 300 gallon all corn whiskey mash tomorrow

I know in my heart that I should never, ever open a commercial distillery of my own...

But that sentence makes me lightheaded.

[BoomTown]

What does 8" copper run? Is it more cost effective to roll your own or is pipe just better? I pity the man that has to polish that beast, great work so far!!

8" copper pipe isn't a standard size for plumbing. This is actually seamless tube though that has an exact ID of 8" with a 3/32" wall thickness. The OD is 8-3/16". This tubing began its life on a television broadcast tower. The tubing is made by a company called Dielectric. This was originally used for the outer conductor on a piece of coax. I got lucky and found a guy who builds and disassembles towers and he had a large quantity of this 8" pipe from a TV station tower he took down. I think most people would have to roll their own tube, but this stuff is seamless and is dimensionally perfect. All the plates were waterjet cut to be 8" OD and were sanded to remove a few thousandths of material to fit inside.

If your friend in interested in sharing more of that 8" copper, please PM me his name and contact info. We would be interested in following along in your footprints.

[DeepSouth]

What does 8" copper run? Is it more cost effective to roll your own or is pipe just better? I pity the man that has to polish that beast, great work so far!!

8" copper pipe isn't a standard size for plumbing. This is actually seamless tube though that has an exact ID of 8" with a 3/32" wall thickness. The OD is 8-3/16". This tubing began its life on a television broadcast tower. The tubing is made by a company called Dielectric. This was originally used for the outer conductor on a piece of coax. I got lucky and found a guy who builds and disassembles towers and he had a large quantity of this 8" pipe from a TV station tower he took down. I think most people would have to roll their own tube, but this stuff is seamless and is dimensionally perfect. All the plates were waterjet cut to be 8" OD and were sanded to remove a few thousandths of material to fit inside.

If your friend in interested in sharing more of that 8" copper, please PM me his name and contact info. We would be interested in following along in your footprints.

PM sent

[UnSub]

I'd also be interested in a section of 8"...

[Windy City]

8" is actually the largest of the cataloged standard copper pipe and fittings.
I bid a job this past year that called for some and if I remember the quote right it was about $120.00 per foot for 20' lengths. I don't remember the price for fittings but recently purchased a bunch of 6" x 4" tees for around $700.00 apiece.
For distilling applications it would be cheaper to buy a roller and sheet copper, and you would still have money left

[BoomTown]

I can officially legally run a still!

I am really excited for you! Have you given this beauty her first run yet?

guessing it may be a few more days?

I'm dreading the final cleaning and polishing.

Excellent! Me Too! It's a bit like having grabbed a Tiger by the tail....huh?

[BoomTown]

Update: I finally ran my steam boiler for the first time today. I successfully didn't blow myself up or burn down the building! Actually it went pretty smoothly. I only had a few steam leaks at a couple of unions in the steam supply lines and a couple turns of the wrench fixed that. The boiler cycles on and off like it was supposed to. I filled my mash cooker with 300 gallons of water (in 3 minutes, 2" supply line). I opened the steam valve at the entry of the steam jacket. In 35-40 minutes I had raised the temperature of the water from 70F to a rolling 212F boil.

I can now begin my steam, vinegar, and sacrificial alcohol runs through the still. I'm going to make 300 gallon all corn whiskey mash tomorrow and get it started fermenting. The next day I'll make another one. First one will be for cleaning and second one will be the first keeper batch.

Did you post a picture of that steam boiler? or did I miss it?

Boom

[DeepSouth]

Update: I finally ran my steam boiler for the first time today. I successfully didn't blow myself up or burn down the building! Actually it went pretty smoothly. I only had a few steam leaks at a couple of unions in the steam supply lines and a couple turns of the wrench fixed that. The boiler cycles on and off like it was supposed to. I filled my mash cooker with 300 gallons of water (in 3 minutes, 2" supply line). I opened the steam valve at the entry of the steam jacket. In 35-40 minutes I had raised the temperature of the water from 70F to a rolling 212F boil.

I can now begin my steam, vinegar, and sacrificial alcohol runs through the still. I'm going to make 300 gallon all corn whiskey mash tomorrow and get it started fermenting. The next day I'll make another one. First one will be for cleaning and second one will be the first keeper batch.

Did you post a picture of that steam boiler? or did I miss it?

Boom

I didn't, but I will later on if anyone wants to see it. It's a Burnham 5011B, cast iron sectional boiler. It was pretty cheap as far as boilers go, but it was a ton of work getting it all set up. I did extensive research learning how to set the whole boiler, steam supply, and return system up. Also, I got lucky in that the state boiler inspector lives about 10 minutes from the distillery and came out several times and clued me in to things that would be required by code.

[emptyglass]

Good work mate

I was going to mention something about the column return drains, but I think I spied some on the last pic posted.

[LWTCS]

Good work mate

I was going to mention something about the column return drains, but I think I spied some on the last pic posted.

Where did you see that EG?

[acfixer69]

Also, based on your diagram you're only getting the equivalent of a 4 plate column rather than 8 plates.

Or was that your intention?

Also, are you confident that a 1/2" diameter drain back will be enough to cope when running higher reflux ratios?

Exactly, the piping diagram you drew is not what I intended. This still is designed to run as a four plate column. My two columns share a common inlet and actually run in parallel instead of in series as you drew.

Look at this piping layout. This is almost exactly how mine is set up except I have two columns running in parallel. This still pictured has the ability to run in pot still mode or in plated column mode with only one 3 way diverting valve for the entire thing. There is no separate valve to prevent vapor from feeding back into the column when run in pot still mode.

In pot still mode the point of entry to the condenser is lower then the branch to the column. With the product condenser collapsing the vapor it will cause a vacuum like effect in condenser and vapor will flow the desired path that is not the case with your configuration. Valving appears to be necessary to stop weeping in column. It is a beautiful still but does look like a problem to control efficiently. Hope I'm wrong please let us know how she runs.

AC

[DeepSouth]

Also, based on your diagram you're only getting the equivalent of a 4 plate column rather than 8 plates.

Or was that your intention?

Also, are you confident that a 1/2" diameter drain back will be enough to cope when running higher reflux ratios?

Exactly, the piping diagram you drew is not what I intended. This still is designed to run as a four plate column. My two columns share a common inlet and actually run in parallel instead of in series as you drew.

Look at this piping layout. This is almost exactly how mine is set up except I have two columns running in parallel. This still pictured has the ability to run in pot still mode or in plated column mode with only one 3 way diverting valve for the entire thing. There is no separate valve to prevent vapor from feeding back into the column when run in pot still mode.

In pot still mode the point of entry to the condenser is lower then the branch to the column. With the product condenser collapsing the vapor it will cause a vacuum like effect in condenser and vapor will flow the desired path that is not the case with your configuration. Valving appears to be necessary to stop weeping in column. It is a beautiful still but does look like a problem to control efficiently. Hope I'm wrong please let us know how she runs.

AC

[DeepSouth]

I just posted a picture of the backside piping. There is one main horizontal vapor pipe that connects the three way valve, both dephlegmators, and the condenser. The pipe is horizontal and the entry point to the condenser and exit points of the dephlegmators are at the same elevation. In pot still mode, no vapor flows back into the columns. The pressure at the condenser outlet is lower than anywhere else. The vapor won't flow back into the columns, because they have a drain that connects to the bottom of the pot. For this to occur, the vapor would have to fill the columns and actually build pressure.

Not sure if everyone still understands how it all works but it runs really good, and I've had no problems getting the columns to run equally. Next spirit run I do I'll have to post a video of the plates in operation. Output rate is around 8-12 gallons per hour running four plates. Stripping run is around 15-20 gallons per hour.

[DeepSouth]

One thing, is I did change out the SD bubble cap plates with custom designed perforated plates. The bubble caps wanted to flood and didn't have enough drain capacity. I made perforated plates with 1/8" holes covering about 6.25% of the plate area and have 3" cups and 2" downcomer pipes.

[acfixer69]

Great to hear the success. The collection rate is great. Maybe you have something I don't see or say understand in the column drains. Since it is working as you planed I am wanting to learn where I'm missing it. Thanks for your generous sharing. Great on your success.

AC

[emptyglass]

@LWTCS
I missed the post where Deep South said he hooked them up to the boiler.

One thing, is I did change out the SD bubble cap plates with custom designed perforated plates. The bubble caps wanted to flood and didn't have enough drain capacity. I made perforated plates with 1/8" holes covering about 6.25% of the plate area and have 3" cups and 2" downcomer pipes.

I like perf plates myself.
Glad to hear your having success Deep South.

[LWTCS]

Yeah can throw more heat at the perfs as a general rule

[DeepSouth]

In regards to performance, here is a picture of a stream during my latest bourbon spirit run.

[DeepSouth]

Here's a bottle shot of my first product, Corn Whiskey. Used it to make mint juleps this weekend while watching the Kentucky Derby. This corn whiskey hit store shelves for the first time last Friday. One store sold out the first day and already re-ordered! It was a really gratifying moment to see my product on the shelves for the first time.

[yakattack]

Congratulations! Sounds like your well on your way living your ( and most of our) dreams.

[LWTCS]

Very nice.
I really like the package.

[bitter]

Very nice deepsouth!

Wish that was up here in Canada! Would buy a bottle.

B