Reflux still salvaged from scrap yard

[djem]

I visited my local scrap yard today to pick up some material for another project and happen to find a distillation unit in the stainless steel section. Since it looked OK I bought it for scrap price (witch is very high now) and brought it home. I haven't cleaned it nor tried it yet. It is a standard reflux still with what I think is a graham condenser. The column is just over a meter long and 60mm in diameter. The pot is probably just over 50 liters big. There's no plates in the column so it needs to be packed, although it seams packing the column isn't a normal practice around here. It's way too big for my use so I'll probably sell it after giving it a run and testing it out.

[Prairiepiss]

I visited my local scrap yard today to pick up some material for another project and happen to find a distillation unit in the stainless steel section. Since it looked OK I bought it for scrap price (witch is very high now) and brought it home. I haven't cleaned it nor tried it yet. It is a standard reflux still with what I think is a graham condenser. The column is just over a meter long and 60mm in diameter. The pot is probably just over 50 liters big. There's no plates in the column so it needs to be packed, although it seams packing the column isn't a normal practice around here. It's way too big for my use so I'll probably sell it after giving it a run and testing it out.

ss_prewash.png

Nice find. It looks like a through tube CM still with like you said a graham product condenser. The cooling is routed kinda weird? Does the too through tube go into the bottom of the graham? That would make cooling water routing kinda hard to work out right?

I don't know what you've been reading around here. But packing is done in most if not all reflux columns. It's needed for reflux to happen. Other then plated stills which is a different breed in itself.

I would be keeping it and run it. It's not that big? If you could get a electric element in it. It could be ran pretty easily in the house. Maybe rerouting the cooling would all that would be needed to get that thing running good.

[Bayou-Ruler]

nice..............

[djem]

@Prairiepiss: I don't quite understand the problem with the trough pipe going into the graham condenser. Now it has to be said that I'm fairly new to this and routing the cooling isn't something I've put much thought into earlier. But can't I just put water trough the bottom through pipe, then into the through pipe that goes to the condenser and from the the top of the condenser to the drain?

I know packing the column is needed to get good reflux, but most column I've seen homemade around here are empty. Probably just lack of knowledge or a need for speed.

[blind drunk]

Nice scrap yards you got over there.

[Prairiepiss]

@Prairiepiss: I don't quite understand the problem with the trough pipe going into the graham condenser. Now it has to be said that I'm fairly new to this and routing the cooling isn't something I've put much thought into earlier. But can't I just put water trough the bottom through pipe, then into the through pipe that goes to the condenser and from the the top of the condenser to the drain?

I know packing the column is needed to get good reflux, but most column I've seen homemade around here are empty. Probably just lack of knowledge or a need for speed.

Here this thread will give you a better explanation. And it would help you with that still. http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 17&t=25732

You must be cornfusing pot still columns with reflux columns. Reflux columns by design should have packing of some sort.

Does that still have a cap on it?

[djem]

Here this thread will give you a better explanation. And it would help you with that still. http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 17&t=25732" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

You must be cornfusing pot still columns with reflux columns. Reflux columns by design should have packing of some sort.

Does that still have a cap on it?

I'm not confusing pot still with reflux still I think, why would you need a high column in a pot still. But never mind that, I intend to use packing and have always done so.
I skimmed very fast trough your link and I see what you're talking about. However I won't be studying that since I have a bokakob that does a better job when it comes to regulating reflux and with the very cold water at very high pressure I got here there won't be any problems with the water getting warm before it's out in the drain. Whoever I sell it to will have to worry about that.

It has a cap on it if I understand the question right. There's no opening other than the through the condenser.

When it comes to the heating I was thinking I might try one of these http://www.ebay.com/itm/Water-Heater-Sc ... 5646d561dd

[Bushman]

That is a great find, have you figured out the boiler size yet?

[Mr.Brown]

Nice grab. Especially at scrap price ! I dont even think i can buy from the yard here. Probably ought to check that out though