Home Distiller

I have a 55gal barrel for cooling water. I cannot keep dumping water down the drain obviously $$$. Anyone have success with a glycol chiller? I'm open to all suggestions. Thank you all.

What temperature is the water that you are dumping?

Second (or third, or 10th) 55 gallon barrel is a good deal cheaper than a chiller…

I bought a new A/C window unit that I opened up, and bent the copper cooling coils over the edge of an 100 quart igloo cooler. I setup a submersible temperature probe to automate the window A/C unit on/off at 40 degrees F. I then use a submersible pump to cycle water from the igloo to a 50 gallon poly barrel. I run my cooling water from the barrel to the still.The cooler and A/C unit sit on a cart I got from Harbor freight to keep it moveable when not in use.

NZChris wrote: ↑Mon Jun 21, 2021 2:23 pm What temperature is the water that you are dumping?

+1

You’re running a 15 gallon boiler so like 10-12 gallon charge? Is this barrel just sitting outside? I mean, this may be an obvious question but is there anyway to recycle the water each time? You could probably use the barrel with a radiator and a fan, depending on how cool your initial water temp was. Hell, you could use a setup on the inlet and a setup on the discharge for cheaper than a glycol system. Also you wouldn’t want any chance of that glycol to get into your consumables. A Leak would be disastrous.

NZChris wrote: ↑Mon Jun 21, 2021 2:23 pm What temperature is the water that you are dumping?

Hey friend, the temp of my cooling water got up to 100°f. I have since then been reading up on using a car radiator and fan assembly.
I built the system and I'm about ready to plan my spirit rum run soon. I decided to connect my glycol chiller to cool the water as cold as possible. The fan will run the entire time, fingers crossed.

You must be doing something wrong. The water I dump from my condensers is too hot to hold my finger under and will kill weeds if I run it into the garden.

Whiskeysiviris wrote: ↑Sat Jul 10, 2021 10:58 pm Hey friend, the temp of my cooling water got up to 100°f.

Why are you dumping water that is only 100For 37C ?..........water that temp is quite capable of cooling a condenser adequately.

I'm grateful for the help friend thank you. What would be the highest you would let it go? Cheers

Whiskeysiviris wrote: ↑Tue Jul 13, 2021 1:16 pm What would be the highest you would let it go?

I wouldnt be looking at numbers.... I'd be looking at the water and the condensers to see if they were still doing the intended job ........when they are not......its to hot.

Heat rises. Are you taking advantage of that?

Are you drawing your cold water from the bottom of the barrel and returning it to the top, hot, having used only just enough to condense your product?

Are you the letting warm/hot return water mix with the cold and warm the whole barrel instead of staying in a hot layer at the top?

Is your condenser too small to condense all of the vapor without the water having to be run so fast that it isn't hot when returned to the barrel?

Saltbush Bill wrote: ↑Tue Jul 13, 2021 1:29 pm

Whiskeysiviris wrote: ↑Tue Jul 13, 2021 1:16 pm What would be the highest you would let it go?

I wouldnt be looking at numbers.... I'd be looking at the water and the condensers to see if they were still doing the intended job ........when they are not......its to hot.

Yep.
Too many variables for the average slob to cypher.
Reserve cooling media volume.
Cooling media flow rates.
An ever changing cooling media return entry temp.
Etc.

Practical experiences with respect to what you have on hand is a far better source of info.

LWTCS wrote: ↑Tue Jul 13, 2021 2:16 pm An ever changing cooling media entry temp.

A well plumbed system should not have that problem. The temperature at the bottom shouldn't change until the hot layer reaches the outlet. If that happens before the end of the run, add cold water to the bottom and overflow the hot water from the top. If you have to replace a lot of water, you need a bigger barrel.

Wow the amount of knowledge on HD is fantastic. I have my pump at the bottom of the barrel where it's cold.

I am now going to run the hot water from the condenser (biggest 2in from still dragon fyi) to the bottom of my radiator to bottom fill to rid it of air pockets. I hear this will work well with the fan assembly connection.

I dont think I need my glycol chiller but it's already installed. I can cool the 50 gallons of water if need be. Horribly inefficient I bet for this application but I don't like wasting water $$$.

I do have access to my pool if push comes to shove that's A LOT of water lol.

Saltbush Bill wrote: ↑Tue Jul 13, 2021 1:29 pm

Whiskeysiviris wrote: ↑Tue Jul 13, 2021 1:16 pm What would be the highest you would let it go?

I wouldnt be looking at numbers.... I'd be looking at the water and the condensers to see if they were still doing the intended job ........when they are not......its to hot.

Thank you for that perspective friend cheers

Look at the cooling tower in this thread:
https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... 87&t=84025

You can get by with warmer water on the product condenser. But changing temps on the reflux condenser can cause problems…

NZChris wrote: ↑Tue Jul 13, 2021 2:55 pm

LWTCS wrote: ↑Tue Jul 13, 2021 2:16 pm An ever changing cooling media entry temp.

A well plumbed system should not have that problem. The temperature at the bottom shouldn't change until the hot layer reaches the outlet. If that happens before the end of the run, add cold water to the bottom and overflow the hot water from the top. If you have to replace a lot of water, you need a bigger barrel.

Precisely my point.
Some folks dont know what they don't know,,,,,till they read the above.....

Whiskeysiviris wrote: ↑Tue Jul 13, 2021 3:28 pm I do have access to my pool if push comes to shove that's A LOT of water lol.

There is your answer. You have a pool!

The cheapest thing would be to pump that pool water through your condenser. Can’t say what pool water may do to your hoses and such.

If the pool water is not usable directly, make a big copper wort chiller type coil and run your recirculating water through that chiller before putting it right back into your condenser.

Otis

OtisT wrote: ↑Tue Jul 13, 2021 7:58 pm

Whiskeysiviris wrote: ↑Tue Jul 13, 2021 3:28 pm I do have access to my pool if push comes to shove that's A LOT of water lol.

There is your answer. You have a pool!

The cheapest thing would be to pump that pool water through your condenser. Can’t say what pool water may do to your hoses and such.

If the pool water is not usable directly, make a big copper wort chiller type coil and run your recirculating water through that chiller before putting it right back into your condenser.

Otis

I would definitely pin the calcium hardness to the wall.

OtisT wrote: ↑Tue Jul 13, 2021 7:58 pm

Whiskeysiviris wrote: ↑Tue Jul 13, 2021 3:28 pm I do have access to my pool if push comes to shove that's A LOT of water lol.

There is your answer. You have a pool!

The cheapest thing would be to pump that pool water through your condenser. Can’t say what pool water may do to your hoses and such.

If the pool water is not usable directly, make a big copper wort chiller type coil and run your recirculating water through that chiller before putting it right back into your condenser.

Otis

Thank you I will report back when I'm done. Cheers