Hi all!
Hope you're Well!
I am currently running a Nixon Stone offset head still, 2 inch pipe, and only 13 inches of packed column as measured from below the return to where the condensate re-enters the boiler...
It takes 4-7 hours to get 3/4 of a gallon at 92%
My Friends are all like "When are you going to give us Jars of Awesomeness?"
And I'm all like "I can barely make enough awesomeness for myself!"
Not Cool... VERY Not Cool!
I can't be spending 4-10 hours of Blood, Sweat, and Mosquitos and still not have enough Product to impress my Friends with Jars of Awesomeness!!!
SO....Things HAVE TO CHANGE!!!!
This is my "Build" Thread... Build is in quotation marks because I personally will not be building every piece...
or any piece, actually... although I will be "helper" when my Brother does the condensor and the still head...
anyways....
I will be buying or have already bought a lot of Stainless 3 inch,
pre flared for triclamps.
I may not be a good welder, but I can apply a tri-clamp like nobodys business!
Also, my Brother the Plumber will be fabricating my condensor and still head.
I know, Right?
So here is my plan, represented in these awesome drunken cartoons I did in windows paint.
First, here is my boiler, a SS keg, 2 inch triclamp to 3 inch reducer, upside down, like a funnel.Attached to that, a 1 foot and 2 foot section of SS three inch pipe.
I got my kegs from a Good Friend, he owns the Liquor store near my work, where I always am.
I have a 7.5 quarter Barell and a 15.5 Half Barell...
It's a stillage thing, and it wasn't like some few dudes brewing trying to make a go of it,
although I'm sure many would say it's not OK...
Some People here may think that's wrong,
but we deal Face to Face...
Anheiser Busch will surely survive.
Were my 7.5 and 15.5 SS kegs to be locally owned, rest assured, I would treat them accordingly.
Kind of different from this interwebz...
Second, my condensor... 12 feet of 3/8 copper tube, in a standard Dimroth configuration,
mounted in a 3 inch copper cap... it will fit onto anything 3 inch. This is important for later.
Next up, my still head. it will also clamp onto anything 3 inch.
You can see it is a standard inline Boka configuration, no tricks.
So, in a standard Boka configuration, the still head will sit on top of a 3 foot column of 3 inch.
Linear standard configuration.
Seriously... good drawing, eh? Explains it.
A third piece will be a 1 foot piece of 3 inch copper pipe, open at one end, ferrule for triclamp at the other end.
This can clamp on anywhere in any configuration. The condensor in it's 3 inch cap can slip onto this.
This is key for my "Microscope", or Pot Still configuration.
I ordered a ss 90 and a ss equal tee, all in 3 inch, and this is how I plan to do a Pot still head... from 3 inch down to 1/2 inch with reducers, then to a 1/2 inch npt female to a copper outlet tube down to the jars.
I will have a 2 foot and a 1 foot section of SS 3 inch pipe, to be triclamped in as I see fit.
Most likely a 3 foot packed stack at 3 inch w/copper mesh packing.
However, I can mix and match these sections for whatever.
These are the basics.
Once I have my condensor bult into a 3 inch cap,
and my Boka Head with the slant plates and takeoff put together.....
Everything Fits Everywhere Else..
Everything Is Interchangable...
All is Flexible.
ALL THINGS BECOME POSSIBLE!!!!!!
I will be adding pictures and commentary here
as I pull my Dreams out of the clouds and make them REAL.
Pointing out design flaws or stupidity is of course encouraged!
But honestly, I think I got this.
You already taught me this stuff
And Soooooooo Much More...
I am Forever Grateful.
True Story Bros...
Thanks Again,
and Cheers!
Cheers!