wool or marbles retention

[buttle007]

Is there a standard way of retaining the copper wool or the marbles into the column of a reflux still?
I could imagine if you just pack the wool up there the natural sponginess of the wool may keep it in place... but what about marbles or stones?

I have not yet begun my build but this is the only thing I cannot pre-visualize.

tnx
Can't wait to get soldering

[Birrofilo]

For marbles or stones you have to have a "screen", a "filter disk", inside your column.
I bought those for my still https://www.stilldragon.eu/en/filter-di ... -disk.html because they come from the producer of the still so I know they fit.

As an alternative, you might put some copper wool at the bottom, which will sustain the marbles or the raschig rings on top of it, but you have to make some tests: marbles are heavy and the copper wool should not be too tight. This will serve two purposes, as you are supposed to have some copper in your still. If you have a stainless steel still, putting some copper wool inside the column is a good idea in any case.

[bluefish_dist]

On my stills the spools had a couple of bars welded across. This allowed either a screen to sit on them to hold marbles or scrubbies to be packed in and not slide out. Simple, but effective.

[greggn]

I use a tri-clamp filter spool ...

https://www.glaciertanks.com/filter-spo ... 0-100.html

[still_stirrin]

Is there a standard way of retaining...the marbles into the column of a reflux still?

This is how I do it:

Made from 12 gage solid wire and threaded with some strands of wire from a 22 gage wire and soldered together. It sets on the lip of a stainless steel tri-clover ferrule inserted inside my 2”DWV copper column. The open area is good enough to avoid retention of falling condensate (which can cause flooding in the column).

[Tummydoc]

Available at home depot, stainless steel. I cut the solid outer rim in 4 places with a dremel tool. It then can be compressed to fit inside a ferrule and springs back against the pipe and is held by the lip of the ferrule inside the pipe. Held 2 meters of marbles in 2 inch pipe. Under $3 and done![IMG]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202004 ... 15bc87.jpg[/IMG]

[greggn]

The open area is good enough to avoid retention of falling condensate (which can cause flooding in the column).

This can't be emphasized enough. It took two runs for me to realize that I was flooding because the 1/4" raschig rings I use for packing fit precisely into the holes in my filter spool.

Whatever you use make sure it "breathes."

[StillerBoy]

It sets on the lip of a stainless steel tri-clover ferrule inserted inside my 2”DWV copper column. The open area is good enough to avoid retention of falling condensate (which can cause flooding in the column).

Agree with the flooding in the column with the using of ss or copper scrubbies.. as they will limit or restrict the amount of falling condensate.. thereby limited the overall efficiency of the unit..

I use a wagon wheel style of retainer made from 12 g wire..

Mars

sits on the ferrule inside edge

wagon wheel retainer for 2' and 3"

[still_stirrin]

Very creative, Mars.

[StillerBoy]

Thanks.. but so is yours.. and I would say maybe a little easier to put together.. but again, to curl the wire evenly in diminishing size is not easy either or even the other way.. they do take time to put together.. but something to do during a spirit run..

Mars