Home Distiller

I thought i had this thing down pat, but ive been reconsidering that here over the course of the afternoon. First i overfill, then i scorch it, and now I have vapor coming from the spout after the condenser.

I have a ccvm still i built last summer, but i mostly run it as a pot still (Picture attached) .I started out as a pot still today, but after the vapor, i added the coil. Besides the one i may keep acrost my lap, i have an 8 inch shotgun condenser on it.
I have run maybe a dozen and a half batches through it, no trouble, and i even did a different one last night.

Can someone tell me what the hells going on? Do io need a larger shotgun? Maybe a thumper? Or is this entirely user error?

I hope this the right place for this, i never can figure it out

I suspect you need a much larger shotgun condenser. It sounds like you are running with more power than that little shotgun can handle. The only other alternative I can think of is to drastically increase your water flow to compensate for the higher energy input. A longer shotgun condenser would be the ideal solution. It will give you MUCH more knockdown power, drastically reduce your water consumption and allow you to run at full power for stripping runs.

Is it alcohol vapor or smoke coming out? If smoke, you likely still have scorch on your element. Otis

OtisT wrote: ↑Sat Apr 16, 2022 2:51 pm Is it alcohol vapor or smoke coming out? If smoke, you likely still have scorch on your element. Otis

Its gotta be alchohol, i run with propane

It doesn't gotta be alcohol, propane can scorch too. What is the temperature of the condensate? What does it smell like?

What in the name of all things holy is this in your distillate path?

If you have run your Still as both Ccvm and as pot in the past successfully, there has to be a variable that is different. Thermodynamics doesn’t lie so it can only be two places. Heat in or heat out. I’ll just assume you didn’t buy a new binford 1.6M btu burner. I’ll also assume your water supply is hooked up the same as it was previously, and you didn’t starve your pc by routing everything to the Rc.

That leaves heat out. First thing I would do is measure the flow from your product condenser input line when not connected to the condenser (distribution valve for pc full open, distribution valve for Rc full close. Then hook up to the condenser and measure the flow at the return to drain or collection barrel. After balancing the system, they should be pretty close.

If they are, you have ruled out restrictions in your cooling loop. If they are not, you may have debris or scale in the system. You are probably running at low volume, if You have hard water or are on a well, this may be likely. CLR is your friend. You know this already, but if your flow was restricted and you are pushing Vapor, your output water temp would also be very high.

There are two other options. Temperature and volume. In the picture it appears your hooked up indoors to a house house supply. You have measured the flow, so plug in your condenser numbers into the calculator and see if it jives. If it is not even close, the rate of your supply has dropped. Would be odd for house supply but maybe hose bib is cocked and doesn’t open full any more. Or, if your on a pump, it wore out from pumping against partially closed distribution valves.

If the flow is close or reasonably close to the calculator (your rig up worked previously) all that’s left is input cooling temp. That’s really all there is.

I realize you have a number of runs, and likely checked all this, and many other things, but maybe in your frustration you missed a step somewhere. Hopefully something simple.

HTH.

On edit…

Actually there are two more options…

Ambient air temp. It would tend to inhibit heat in more than heat out unless your burner is shrouded and your column is un-insulated. If that is the case, your system gained btu out through the environment.

This is unlikely, but you stated you overfilled your boiler. If you had the beginning of a puke you may have pressured up and ‘pushed’ your vapor through. I say unlikely as there would have been an ohhhh shyte moment followed by a mother f*%#¥er!!!! moment.

Deplorable wrote: ↑Sat Apr 16, 2022 5:18 pm What in the name of all things holy is this in your distillate path?
image.png

I’m going to guess that is a funnel with copper pipe shoved in it and the funnel has been taped to the PC condenser…. With Tarp tape!

Spelling correction.

South Cackalackian wrote: ↑Sat Apr 16, 2022 2:17 pm I thought i had this thing down pat, but ive been reconsidering that here over the course of the afternoon. First i overfill, then i scorch it, and now I have vapor coming from the spout after the condenser.

I have a ccvm still i built last summer, but i mostly run it as a pot still (Picture attached)
18D74399-5DEF-4EB8-8EBA-990D578526D5.jpeg.I started out as a pot still today, but after the vapor, i added the coil. Besides the one i may keep acrost my lap, i have an 8 inch shotgun condenser on it.
I have run maybe a dozen and a half batches through it, no trouble, and i even did a different one last night.

Can someone tell me what the hells going on? Do io need a larger shotgun? Maybe a thumper? Or is this entirely user error?

I hope this the right place for this, i never can figure it out

You really doing product collection right beside your propane burner? In an open pot?

The coolant lines are probably kinking off from the heat rising off the propane burner. That will shut down your condenser pretty quick. Looks like vinyl tubing. Doesn’t like heat.

There is a tube connected to the left hose bib. ? Hot water? Can’t make out where that is going.

Take a few minutes to consider what happens when you spill that pot of alcohol. I don’t see a water hose for fire suppression.

Deplorable wrote: ↑Sat Apr 16, 2022 5:18 pm What in the name of all things holy is this in your distillate path?
image.png

it works

Dancing4dan wrote: ↑Sat Apr 16, 2022 7:51 pm

South Cackalackian wrote: ↑Sat Apr 16, 2022 2:17 pm I thought i had this thing down pat, but ive been reconsidering that here over the course of the afternoon. First i overfill, then i scorch it, and now I have vapor coming from the spout after the condenser.

I have a ccvm still i built last summer, but i mostly run it as a pot still (Picture attached)
18D74399-5DEF-4EB8-8EBA-990D578526D5.jpeg.I started out as a pot still today, but after the vapor, i added the coil. Besides the one i may keep acrost my lap, i have an 8 inch shotgun condenser on it.
I have run maybe a dozen and a half batches through it, no trouble, and i even did a different one last night.

Can someone tell me what the hells going on? Do io need a larger shotgun? Maybe a thumper? Or is this entirely user error?

I hope this the right place for this, i never can figure it out

You really doing product collection right beside your propane burner? In an open pot?

The coolant lines are probably kinking off from the heat rising off the propane burner. That will shut down your condenser pretty quick. Looks like vinyl tubing. Doesn’t like heat.

There is a tube connected to the left hose bib. ? Hot water? Can’t make out where that is going.

Take a few minutes to consider what happens when you spill that pot of alcohol. I don’t see a water hose for fire suppression.

Water? for alcohol fire? i have a fire extinguisher, but there are other hoses. the vinyl may be the issue ill check into it. the hot water hose is not connected to anything on the still.

NZChris wrote: ↑Sat Apr 16, 2022 3:45 pm It doesn't gotta be alcohol, propane can scorch too. What is the temperature of the condensate? What does it smell like?

I did happen to smell it, and ethanol was all i smelled. the condensate was cold to the touch

Yes, Water is good for extinguishing an alcohol fire. Alcohol is only flammable at around 50% ABV or above. Dilute it down below 50% and it no longer burns.

You have cold product coming out with the “vapor”. It sounds more and more like a scorch. Have you looked inside of your boiler? You will likely find a burnt on crust inside that will need to be scrubbed out.

I know you are looking at kinked cooling lines, etc. To be alcohol vapor, your shotgun would likely be hot to the touch top to bottom and the product you collect would be hot. And smelling alcohol vapor would burn your nose, both from the 170F+ heat and the high concentration of alcohol. Scorch smoke when your condenser is working is cool. I know these things from experience. That does not sound like your situation. Otis

OtisT wrote: ↑Sun Apr 17, 2022 6:06 am Yes, Water is good for extinguishing an alcohol fire. Alcohol is only flammable at around 50% ABV or above. Dilute it down below 50% and it no longer burns.

You have cold product coming out with the “vapor”. It sounds more and more like a scorch. Have you looked inside of your boiler? You will likely find a burnt on crust inside that will need to be scrubbed out.

I know you are looking at kinked cooling lines, etc. To be alcohol vapor, your shotgun would likely be hot to the touch top to bottom and the product you collect would be hot. And smelling alcohol vapor would burn your nose, both from the 170F+ heat and the high concentration of alcohol. Scorch smoke when your condenser is working is cool. I know these things from experience. That does not sound like your situation. Otis

Well ill be, i never knew that. and yes, after further inspection, found the burnt crust on the bottom and took a a pressure washer to it. running again this afternoon, and seems to be as fine as fine can be. Thank you much, i reckon i was getting exited over nothing

I'm glad the other guys had this sorted out. My original reply assumed it was not scorching and that it was in fact vapor leaving the spout. I have never scorched anything (yet, knock on wood).

OtisT wrote: ↑Sun Apr 17, 2022 6:06 am .

You have cold product coming out with the “vapor”. It sounds more and more like a scorch. Have you looked inside of your boiler? You will likely find a burnt on crust inside that will need to be scrubbed out.

aaaaaaaaaaaaand this happened to me today.

Must have been something wrong with my wash. It was taking forever to heat up so I turned up the temp. When it finally got to the temp that it normally starts running vapor was coming out of the spout. The condenser was cool to the touch so was the spout. I shut it down and when looking in the pot a thick burnt crust.