T500 reflux vs Baby crystal dragon 2+2.5

[Leatherman]

Hi everyone,

Was thinking to updated T500 reflux column into baby crystal dragon and wanted your advices. Is it worth if I would mainly be interested in making neutral. In terms of speed quality, abv and etc. Worth to mention that this would be conected to 50litres keg boiler with 2.5kw heating element.

Many thanks for answers!

[Myles]

Baby CD is realy intended for flavoured product. You would need a lot of plates to get neutral.
If you are aiming for neutral it is a lot easier to do it with a packed column.

[Anavrin]

Hi Leatherman

I have a Baby CD with 6 glass sections amongst my various bits of kit, like Myles suggests they’re better suited for flavoured products, I’ve made Rum on mine with six plates that turned out well, I’ve also used it for neutral, by filling it with packing and using it above some 4” plates, but if you just want neutral then it’s a very expensive option, it sends you along the road to buying more and more expensive bits from StillDragon, which is is fine if that’s where you eventually want to end up.

But if your only interested in neutral, you might be better suited with a home made 2” maybe 3” packed column, it’s a lot cheaper.

[Easydrinker]

That reads as two bleddy good responses to me.


Robert.

[Leatherman]

110% clear answers. Thanks a lot for that.any sugestions for the lenght of packed column? And did I uderstand right: packed column and the dephlag on top and then final condenser?

[Myles]

110% clear answers. Thanks a lot for that.any sugestions for the lenght of packed column? And did I uderstand right: packed column and the dephlag on top and then final condenser?

Basically yes. In some configurations you only have 1 condenser and it does both jobs.

Packing height depends on the packing used and the speed you run. You can use shorter columns but need to increase the reflux ratio (decrease product speed) to compensate.

If you use SPP you only need about 1m however in general with other packing it is 24x to 30x the column diameter as a baseline.

[gaza the instructor]

You are shattering my dreams here guys. I look longingly
at Baby Dragons, I do make a lot of Rum and want to do
some Fruit based stuff.
So do I sell the wife and rugrats or do they get a
reprieve.

[Myles]

From reports I have read the baby dragon (or alternative) will make fine whisky/rum/brandy

It is what they were intended for with a small boiler or stove top still.

The issue is neutral I am sure if you run slow you can get a clean vodka. Take the hearts, dilute and run again and you might get close, but might possibly need a 3rd run to strip out all the flavour.

Even folks running dedicated packed columns might need to do a double (or VERY slow) run to get pristine neutral with no flavour.

[gaza the instructor]

Yes I agree there Myles. A double run on the T500
will give a good neutral, as long as the wash is
properly done.