T500 Pot Still column, would you buy a cheap one?

[Anavrin]

Hi Guys

I've been thinking of making a couple of pot still columns for the T500.

I'm thinking to use a brass 1 1/2 inch BSP nut soldered into a coupling in the bottom of a short (maybe 30cm) 54mm copper column, then a reducer and simple bend into a Liebig with a 15mm inner and 22mm or 28mm outer. (Depends what copper I've already got)

To keep the cost down the Liebig will be soldered at a fixed angle to allow the end to be about 20cm from the counter top.

Cheap, cheerful and very useful for T500 owners who wants to strip washes or carry out single distillations, I'm thinking these could go on eBay for £40 maybe less.

Any thoughts, suggestions?

[Jaggie]

yes!

[Mash]

Sounds like a good plan!

Might be worth getting a cheap set of pipe benders. Would save some soldering and potentially look a bit slicker.

There was a thread I read somewhere about pinching the 15 mm inside the Liebig and that made it far more efficient, but I think it was angle related...

Yeah! ... good plan - think of all the sugar you can buy with the proceeds

[ant]

Yeah Graham Laming the guy who first made it calls it the GLPD. He developed it for recovering methanol from biodiesel.

I made one a while back and have found that although, in theory it is best operated vertically, in practice it works well at any angle even horizontal. The angle problem relates to pooling in the crimps. This would likely cause some smearing on the cuts. I can't say as I have only used it to recover cleaning solvent not drinking alcohol.

[Easydrinker]

Cue Celine,'cos it's all coming back to me now!
A crimped condenser,a topic that I had completely forgotten.
Doesn't really fit with the way that I still,maybe that's a reason for forgetting?

Robert.

[ant]

Well we all remember things we use more.

I'm curious though. It physically fits where any Liebig fits only shorter for a given condensing power. So angle the issue or are you still airstilling without a Liebig?

[Easydrinker]

Yes,I'm still running my big air condenser.
A recirculated water condenser may be in my future.

Robert.

[ant]

Recirculation is what I used for the solvent recovery. I expect to stay with that. I don't like the environmental impact of using mains water and sending it to the drain.

[Easydrinker]

I live within a short walk of a series of lochs and reservoirs supplying possibly 10% of all potable water in Scotland,yet my mains water supply pressure is dire.
Just one of the reasons I've not used water cooling.
My soon to be new home has a large natural pond.......
Enough from me,this thread is off topic.

Robert.

[Jaggie]

Anavrin any news on these ?
cheers
Jag

[Anavrin]

I'm now off work for two weeks, so I'll have a go, I've been so busy at work, I've got very little distilling done, so I've got big plans to make lots of booze over the next week or so, and I'll order some bits to make a few pot heads too :-)

[Anavrin]

I'm going to order some bits from BES to make a prototype next week, it's looking like the materials will cost around £30, more than I initially expected but still worth it compared to the official version, of course I'll need a volunteer to test one as I don't have a T500 boiler.

Can any one tell me the height from the worktop to the hole on the lid on the boiler? Also the diameter of the boiler body?

I need to know this so I can angle the liebig correctly, if I get it wrong the liebig will not pass the lid!

[Jaggie]

1.Can any one tell me the height from the worktop to the hole on the lid on the boiler?
= 24 inches

2. Also the diameter of the boiler body?
= 12 inches

[Anavrin]

Thanks Jaggie

I'm not sure how high the end of the liebig should be over the worktop, I'm thinking it should be just higher than a demijon with a funnel in the top for collection, a 25 litre wash should fit in a single demijon.

Anyone got any other ideas for this that might be better?

[ant]

I don't know I'd say better, might be stupid; more expensive but a little more flexible.

What if you took a 15mm corrugated copper tap adapter and cut it halfway at an angle?
You would get two flexible spouts for the end of the Liebig. Assuming you make at least two of these. Allow a little tweaking to your collection vessel. Maybe.