So I think I have my plans for a still all set, I intend on buying the following column from the Ali Express store Yohoyama. It is a 2" SS column with shotgun condensors for the product condensor and the dephlegmator.
The product condensor:
Now I know CM has a little bit of a bad rep here but it would be easy to convert this to a CCVM with the addition of a 'T' shaped fitting and I think it would still work out near the cheapest way of making such a CCVM still for me. It also gives me the option of using both condensors inline as product condensors in a future 3"-4" CCVM build.
I will of course replace all gaskets with ptfe. Does anyone have experience with or opinions about Ali Express ptfe? Best price I have found them in NZ from a more reputable supplier is $20 USD each.
Thinking about buying a sight glass which will be useful both to monitor puking on stripping runs and to increase the height of the refluxing portion of the column during reflux runs to something closer to 20:1. How are they sealed, bare metal to the borosillicate? Are they OK to pack, it won't cause too much temperature variation in the glass having copper touching it in places?
https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/4000195764404.html
For packing I plan on buying 15m of 127mm copper mesh.
This is a summation of the article "The Impact of Copper in Different Parts of Malt Whisky Pot Stills on New Make Spirit Composition and Aroma" which I found in "Whisky Science: A Condensed Distillation" by Gregory H Miller.
So what I am getting from this is that I should leave my packing in for stripping runs?
For cooling water I have a 5000 litre tank of water that is pumped to a holding tank in the roof of my house, which feeds out via gravity. I figure this will provide both a constant temperature (if I purge the holding tank first) and constant pressure.
Water to the reflux condensor will be controlled by one of these flow meter valves.
I think I will control the flow of water to the PC with this little push connect valve. There are cheaper versions but this is the only one I could find that says it is good for water.
https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005007943540182.html
I plan on measuring coolant water temperature going in and out of each condensor with some cheap electric probe thermometers that read to a tenth of a degree celsius. I thought anything more sensitive would be pointless. Just another data point.
I plan on clamping the whole thing to a keg. For now the only hole I want to put in the keg is for an element, as I plan on distilling only neutral and figure a water blaster (power washer) will suit my cleaning requirements. I am looking at one of these kegland elements because while they are significantly more expensive than comparable offerings the screw threads face the opposite way so they are easier to install. They are 300mm long and run at 2200 watts, so a little under 10 amps on standard NZ 230v power. I am thinking that one of these will be adequate.
https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/4001084195651.html
The other option is to have a 4" tri clover ferule welded to the keg and use a generic element at half the price. If I do go this route I see it as I have two options. One is to place the 4" ferule on the bottom of the keg in the middle, flip the keg over and use the original port as a drain, attaching the column with a reducer. Two is to place it off centre on the top, using it as a fill and cleaning port.
My plan is to use one of these generic 4000W SCRs to moderate power levels. Initially I will just use a multimeter to do some testing then run it largely unmonitored, but eventually I will slap it into a box with a voltmeter and ammeter. I will keep a spare on hand. Not sure if I should ground the chassis.
https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005009056986325.html
Thoughts? Any criticisms of this plan will be welcomed.
My specific questions were:
How are sight glasses sealed? Are they OK to pack?
To convert stinky sulphur compounds, am I best to make my stripping runs with the copper mesh packing in place?