Home Distiller

Bored and tinkering around, company shutdown for the holidays.
Got the spare parts bin out and came up with enough to see if I could make a shotgun condenser.
Ended up with a 2"x18" with 7 3/8" tubes.
A little easier than I thought it might be.
Don't really have use for it but maybe in the future depending on one thing.

Will that cool anything I can throw at it?

I currently have the "standard" build 15.5 keg, electric 5500w/220, 2" column...

It should handle 5500 nicely.

But flow rate and water temps will also factor in.

Yep that should do the job. That's 148.44 square inches of active cooling just in the tubes.

Thanks Gents!

2 mice for the blind cat in one week, I should go play the lottery.

Make sure you do a test making sure you don't have any leaks. Have any pictures to share?

Didn't take any pics during the build.
It is under pressure in a tub of water as we type. Has been for about an hour now.
Suppose I could pull it out now, what's the old plumbers saying, if ya got no leaks ya got no leaks.

Haus6565 wrote:Didn't take any pics during the build.
It is under pressure in a tub of water as we type. Has been for about an hour now.
Suppose I could pull it out now, what's the old plumbers saying, if ya got no leaks ya got no leaks.

Thats it.
It woulda leaked by now

I guess this now leads to another question.

When would I reduce the column down?

1 - On the up, so 2" up to a 1" reducer then 90 - 90 then 1" down (kind of flute looking)
2 - On the down 2" up 2" 90 -90 reducer to 1" down

I like to keep vapor velocities minimum throughout the duct...at least as long as possible. So, I use a 2" 90* elbow at the top of the riser followed by the reducer to 1", where I have a breakout union. From there it runs to a 90* street elbow and vertical again into the shotgun. The shotgun operates best when vertical.

Others reduce before the 90* turn, which would cause the flow velocity to accelerate (constant mass flow, right?). When the vapor accelerates, its static pressure drops, which in turn causes the boiling point of the vapor to lower, keeping the vapor in a vapor state. As the velocity once again slows when entering the shotgun inlet, the static pressure rises and the boiling point rises once again, initiating condensation. Once the condensation starts, it starts to liberate heat to the condenser.

This is how you use pressure differentials caused by vapor velocity changes to aid in condensation when you want it to occur and where you want it to occur.

Compressible fluid mechanics lesson 101.
ss

Thanks S_S,
Well explained

I think I may put the union on the down though, like you say it works best in the vertical and that won't change. Given I built modular I can adapt to my other configurations keeping it a "straight shot"

Haus6565 wrote:Thanks S_S,
Well explained

Very well written.

OK, let me have it, see anything wrong?

I can't seem to get the shut off valves to work, water just keeps flowing.

And the solder splash just pisses me off.

I am going to shorten up the two discharge lines now that I have the valves.

So I discovered this.

With the combination of the valves and a pond pump, the flow was severely hampered, almost halved it seemed like. I assume due to all the extra bends.

I would say if you use a garden hose it would work fine since you could just apply more pressure.

Replaced the valves with a "straight thru" discharge and it picked right up to near full flow again at any height I held it at.

Why is their two discharged on one outlet? You got me cornfused.

I kind of liked independent controls if a defleg ever comes into play or to the column condener and it is an obvious HB flute copy.

I got ya. Been a while since I seen somebody make one like that just wondered on your reasoning. Most now days including myself tee off a main supply so each get their own independent supply. This way, for me makes running it very simple to pretty much set it and forget it. The heat coming from the shotty will change as you change flow on the deph, which means very fiddly changes needed to get things where you want them.

When you say the shut off valves don't work, water keeps flowing. Are you saying with both valves shut, the water still comes out?. Both outlet, or one?. Doesn't sound rignt!. I can't see the bends and valves restricting it that much, confusing results you have.

googe wrote:When you say the shut off valves don't work, water keeps flowing. Are you saying with both valves shut, the water still comes out?. Both outlet, or one?. Doesn't sound rignt!. I can't see the bends and valves restricting it that much, confusing results you have.

lol, actually I was joking. In the pic I did not have them soldered in yet...

What's funny in my head doesn't always make it to the keyboard

pfshine wrote:I got ya. Been a while since I seen somebody make one like that just wondered on your reasoning. Most now days including myself tee off a main supply so each get their own independent supply. This way, for me makes running it very simple to pretty much set it and forget it. The heat coming from the shotty will change as you change flow on the deph, which means very fiddly changes needed to get things where you want them.

Now that you say it, I didn't consider that on a recirculation system the water will gradually warm up requiring adjustments as you go along something again may not be an issue if you have a constant flow from water source like a faucet.

I have learned yet another lesson today.