Home Distiller

What are the benefits of insulating your boiler?
I understand It holds the heat you put in the boiler there by you use less energy to run but how much? What about other benefits?

If you insulate your boiler...make provisions to have visual access to all connections, keg to column, electric element to keg,...etc.

i.e. the top of a keg. My keg to boiler connection failed once and allowed distillate to run under the insulation that was tight around the column, until poof...fire.

Also ethanol burns clear, so make the insulation a light color on the outside, so that if there is a fire, you can see the insulation turn colors as it burns.

DAD300 wrote:If you insulate your boiler...make provisions to have visual access to all connections, keg to column, electric element to keg,...etc.

i.e. the top of a keg. My keg to boiler connection failed once and allowed distillate to run under the insulation that was tight around the column, until poof...fire.

Also ethanol burns clear, so make the insulation a light color on the outside, so that if there is a fire, you can see the insulation turn colors as it burns.

Dad that don't sound like much benefit in that

Not meant as a downer...but keep a lip around the edges, seal it well, and never leave it alone.

I found just insulating the top of a keg was a big deal...cut my heatup by five minutes, so that's about 10%. An aluminum wind skirt around the bottom made the fire more stable. A cloth or cardboard wrapped around the column keeps the wind off. It all helps.

DAD300 wrote:Not meant as a downer...but keep a lip around the edges, seal it well, and never leave it alone.

I found just insulating the top of a keg was a big deal...cut my heatup by five minutes, so that's about 10%. An aluminum wind skirt around the bottom made the fire more stable. A cloth or cardboard wrapped around the column keeps the wind off. It all helps.

How does insulating the column effect reflux seems to me it would create less reflux if it was insulated

Insulation on a column will decrease the reflux.
But reflux belongs at the top of the column, passive reflux on the column walls isn't good.
Boiler insulation reduces the input power needed. A side benefit is a decreased chance of scorching the mash

shadylane wrote:...Boiler insulation reduces the input power needed....

Actually, it reduces the heat lost to the ambient, so that the heat from the element is transfered more efficiently into the wash. The improved efficiency helps stabilize the boil as well, such that small heat adjustments will have a more immediate effect on the boil rate.

Mine is insulated with 2 wraps of the reflectex and also the top and bottom. It helps me get to temperature quicker.

But all of my attachments to the boiler are sanitary welded by a certified sanitary welder. Nothing is going to leak from those joints.
ss

shadylane wrote: A side benefit is a decreased chance of scorching the mash

Yes,
I strip on the grain, so I must not use much power. Without insulation the night would become very long and i think the still would stop producing before the end of the run.

As a side note for anyone looking at boiler shrouds for propane fired boilers. Make sure the shroud never is above the liquid level inside the boiler. A well cleared charge will still scorch everywhere above the liquid level.

Not pretty or fun. Been there done that a dozen times.

Besides what is mentioned, it will also cost more to heat a uninsulated boiler up.
If you have a big boiler with a somewhat underdimensioned element/burner, a draft could be enough to let the rig run unstable.
i am currently sourcing material for a insulation enclosure on my boiler, as i am tired of wrapping it in insulation mats and towels.

Insulating or at least blocking the breeze off column will make it more stable, and promote even temp bottom to top. I have a cloth bag/sock over it now days. I actually adjust the top exposure sometimes, so reflux will penetrate further.

Mine is insulated with approximately 25mm of wood.

The surface of the wood only becomes slightly warm - I think it is a great advantage over a naked boiler that you will blister you leg on if you got too close. The top of the boiler being only warm is available for standing bits and pieces on.

Granted, not a very good material if you are running a gas heater.

bearriver wrote:As a side note for anyone looking at boiler shrouds for propane fired boilers. Make sure the shroud never is above the liquid level inside the boiler. A well cleared charge will still scorch everywhere above the liquid level.

Not pretty or fun. Been there done that a dozen times.

Now that's interesting bear. I've been running propane (switching to electric this weekend. For my cleaning runs) and have a metal barrel as a shoud oven. Comes right to the top of the boiler and then have insulation that encases the top part and column. I've never once had a scorch on a strip or a spirit run and I run pretty dirty for my whiskey. Any thoughts as to the difference we are seeing?

Yak

+1 DAD it's excactly how my insulation on the column and boiler looks by now.

YHB wrote:Mine is insulated with approximately 25mm of wood.

The surface of the wood only becomes slightly warm - I think it is a great advantage over a naked boiler that you will blister you leg on if you got too close. The top of the boiler being only warm is available for standing bits and pieces on.

Granted, not a very good material if you are running a gas heater.

Brian as i first saw you build, it was a inspiration to me on how to insulate my boiler. (in fact i admire your ingenuity on that build and the simplicity of it)
I've planned to make a wooden enclosure as you have made it.
The difference would be, that i am going to make the enclosure larger than the circumference of the boiler.
Now...the space between the boiler and the enclosure , will be filled with foam to insulate.
I will make a separate thread on that, as i don't want to hijack this one...

This sums it up: http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 0#p7249519

bearriver wrote:As a side note for anyone looking at boiler shrouds for propane fired boilers. Make sure the shroud never is above the liquid level inside the boiler. A well cleared charge will still scorch everywhere above the liquid level.

Not pretty or fun. Been there done that a dozen times.

Good idea. The liquid in the pot can never get above it's boiling point. But the foam on top of the liquid would over heat and burn if heat is applied to the side of the pot above the liquid.

My insulation is also over liquid level. I use a hotplate. I noticed, after distilling on the grain some "grain paste" over liquid level. But nothing is scorched and it's easy to clean. Perhaps my insulation is not so perfect, it's only a yoga mat fixed with two expanders. Perhaps the details decide, perhaps it's not the best to build the insulation too massive.

It is not an issue having insulation above the liquid level in the boiler. Where you could run into trouble is having a heat shroud for a flame heated boiler extend above the liquid level in the boiler.

Sorry, it's my bad english. I thought insulation and heat shroud are the same thing. Ok, I read through bearrivers link, and it's clear for me now.