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I've been thinking of adding a modular "onion" to my pot still. Just to experiment/play around and searching for copper ball I found these

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Copper-Ball- ... 635-2958-0

They would probably need to be opened up,cleaned up and resoldered or as absolute minimum lead tested but do you think it would work ?

I wouldn't want to be paying a fortune or investing loads of time as it's only playing really (unless of course it makes an amazing drink )

I have heard varying thoughts on whether or not an onion or helmet on a hobby sized still is of any benefit.

I personally think putting a 12" copper ball in your vapor path will do very little by itself besides add copper contact with the vapor if you don't have any copper in your still. It also might help with puking a little I guess?

yes I would think at minimum lead test and then completely remove and resolder if it tests positive.

I added a onion and cone to mine, and so far I’m really happy with the results. No puking issues, I can control the flavors and proof coming out by adding air circulation with a fan to the onion as well as pushing back the tails quite a way with adding more air towards the end of the run.

squigglefunk wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 7:38 am I have heard varying thoughts on whether or not an onion or helmet on a hobby sized still is of any benefit.

I personally think putting a 12" copper ball in your vapor path will do very little by itself besides add copper contact with the vapor if you don't have any copper in your still. It also might help with puking a little I guess?

Hence why I don't want to invest a load of time or money . It would just be a fun experiment.

I've been keeping my eyes out for those decorative copper vase /jugs that used to be in every charity shop . Except now im looking for one have all dissapeared.

Newtothis wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 8:34 amI can control the flavors and proof coming out by adding air circulation with a fan to the onion as well as pushing back the tails quite a way with adding more air towards the end of the run.

as far as I understand it, the same idea of "controlling" the flavor, proof, tails, etc. could be done for a fraction of the cost and far more effectively with a real condenser. It's an interesting use for an onion I guess.

Newtothis wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 8:34 am No puking issues

That would be a legitament reason for having a helmet or onion.
It would act like a puke box.
Having said that.
I can't think of any other advantage.

squigglefunk wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 8:56 am

Newtothis wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 8:34 amI can control the flavors and proof coming out by adding air circulation with a fan to the onion as well as pushing back the tails quite a way with adding more air towards the end of the run.

as far as I understand it, the same idea of "controlling" the flavor, proof, tails, etc. could be done for a fraction of the cost and far more effectively with a real condenser. It's an interesting use for an onion I guess.

Well if that was the main idea of having the onion then yes that makes sense. For my set up it’s an added bonus, I have a shotgun condenser and the onion and I can make subtle tweaks with both.

Newtothis wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 9:19 am For my set up it’s an added bonus, I have a shotgun condenser and the onion and I can make subtle tweaks with both.

what does tweaking the shotgun condenser do?

squigglefunk wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 9:30 am

Newtothis wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 9:19 am For my set up it’s an added bonus, I have a shotgun condenser and the onion and I can make subtle tweaks with both.

what does tweaking the shotgun condenser do?

More water flow , less water flow. Increases or decreases output volume and proof depending on temp of boiler and outside air temp and so on. Is that a serious question or something else?

Newtothis wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 9:56 am More water flow , less water flow. Increases or decreases output volume and proof depending on temp of boiler and outside air temp and so on. Is that a serious question or something else?

how does a shotgun condenser change either of those? Not sure you are talking about the right thing? a shotgun condenser does one thing, turn vapor into liquid.

squigglefunk wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 10:19 am

Newtothis wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 9:56 am More water flow , less water flow. Increases or decreases output volume and proof depending on temp of boiler and outside air temp and so on. Is that a serious question or something else?

how does a shotgun condenser change either of those? Not sure you are talking about the right thing? a shotgun condenser does one thing, turn vapor into liquid.

Flow rate of water to the shotgun condenser.

Newtothis wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 10:22 am
Flow rate of water to the shotgun condenser.

I am guessing you must mean a deflegmator hence the confusion

Newtothis wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 10:22 am

squigglefunk wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 10:19 am

Newtothis wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 9:56 am More water flow , less water flow. Increases or decreases output volume and proof depending on temp of boiler and outside air temp and so on. Is that a serious question or something else?

how does a shotgun condenser change either of those? Not sure you are talking about the right thing? a shotgun condenser does one thing, turn vapor into liquid.

Flow rate of water to the shotgun condenser.

Hell I can turn the water down in the shotgun condenser, turn up the fan on the onion and mange temp in the boiler and stop the flow off the spout and absolutely control the proof and volume coming off the still.

squigglefunk wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 10:27 am

Newtothis wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 10:22 am
Flow rate of water to the shotgun condenser.

I am guessing you must mean a deflegmator hence the confusion

Shotgun condenser is what I think, seems more accurate to call it a Gatling gun condenser but that was an argument on a past thread.

If that is your product condenser then the only adjustment you make is that it has enough coolant flow to condense all the vapor it sees.
A (proper) product condenser can not change the quality or flavor of a distillate in any way.

Newtothis wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 10:29 am Hell I can turn the water down in the shotgun condenser, turn up the fan on the onion and mange temp in the boiler and stop the flow off the spout and absolutely control the proof and volume coming off the still.

running a still more slowly really will not affect the proof in any significant way and blowing air on a copper onion will only create the tiniest bit of reflux ... so... pretty much anything you are experiencing could be replicated with no onion as far as I can tell.

Newtothis wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 10:32 am Shotgun condenser is what I think, seems more accurate to call it a Gatling gun condenser but that was an argument on a past thread.

depending on where you put this in the still it would be called a dephlegmator, not a condenser

I have built a 18" bubble ball for one of my stills. I could tell you that it helps with puking but a continuous mixer and the use of Fermcap S pretty much alleviates that. I could also B.S. about the great flavor change but for honesty and integrity I won't.
The main thing it does that nobody really mentioned.... it looks really freakin cool. For that reason and because I love building stuff there is one on my still.

Windy City wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 10:52 am I have built a 18" bubble ball for one of my stills. I could tell you that it helps with puking but a continuous mixer and the use of Fermcap S pretty much alleviates that. I could also B.S. about the great flavor change but for honesty and integrity I won't.
The main thing it does that nobody really mentioned.... it looks really freakin cool. For that reason and because I love building stuff there is one on my still.

it does look damn cool, I must confess! and I totally get the pride of building something that looks cool! Great job on the fabrication. That looks like a small part of a pretty awesome rig windy!

I have an onion/helmet. It definitely helps with pukes. I have (eventual) plans to build a plate or dedicated insert with thumper vapor path and return downcomer to use it as a small vertical thumper...

It makes me feel good and looks cool in any case

Cheers!
-j

Windy City wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 10:52 am … I could also B.S. about the great flavor change but for honesty and integrity I won't.

The main thing it does that nobody really mentioned.... it looks really freakin cool.

WC, it really does look F’n cool, your honesty & integrity are notable as well. Great job!

Windy City wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 10:52 am it looks really freakin cool.

Agreed .

If it helps with the puking then it might be worth it for that alone to be honest.

It kind of makes you wonder. Most of the commercial pot stills I have seen have one.

6 Row Joe wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 8:57 pm It kind of makes you wonder. Most of the commercial pot stills I have seen have one.

from what I've read the commercial size is a whole different ball game as you go up in size the onion/helmet thing supposedly helps more and more? Plus it looks cooler and cooler.

Knife_man wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 2:10 pm

Windy City wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 10:52 am it looks really freakin cool.

Agreed .

If it helps with the puking then it might be worth it for that alone to be honest.

yes indeed.

Windy City wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 10:52 am
The main thing it does that nobody really mentioned.... it looks really freakin cool. For that reason and because I love building stuff there is one on my still.

Uh, yeah! Totally badass. It's aesthetic, ability to mitigate pukes, add copper and (all prior flavor and 'boiler temp management' BS aside) promote a degree of passive reflux are attributes that add up rather quickly. Also quite impressive is that R2 Unit next to it that appears to be a 150hp agitator. Great job!

Twisted Brick wrote: ↑Fri Nov 11, 2022 10:27 am
Also quite impressive is that R2 Unit next to it that appears to be a 150hp agitator. Great job!

I'd bet good money an agitator has more effect on the product than a copper onion.

shadylane wrote: ↑Fri Nov 11, 2022 6:56 pm
I'd bet good money an agitator has more effect on the product than a copper onion.

Fair dinkum Windy could confirm that with honesty and integrity.

I made a plate in my copper ball, and it's one of my favorite components. Will make another that hopefully holds even more liquid to run a quasi double inline thumper, as johnny's_spirit mentions

A Bathysphere on a still! Awesome!

Oatmeal wrote: ↑Sat Nov 12, 2022 5:47 am I made a plate in my copper ball, and it's one of my favorite components. Will make another that hopefully holds even more liquid to run a quasi double inline thumper, as johnny's_spirit mentions

That also looks cool and what I had in mind without the plate or viewing window for now at least.

What size is that ball?