StillSmart

i been thinking i might set meself a new project next year,building me own still
summat along the lines of ie: a baby burco water boiler(30ltrs),with a power
controller(control the power on boiler)and with a small colum like this >> http://i.ebayimg.com/t/new-reflux-alcoh ... ~60_58.JPG you can see the full monty here >> http://i.ebayimg.com/t/new-reflux-alcoh ... ~60_58.JPG

the reason i gone for this size,is because of the space i dont have

has anyone got any plans to make the colum,and is there a better alternative
to the plastic pipes that connect onto the colum

I have seen reports on other forums about stills similar to this one and they have not been very favourable. Here is a typical disscussion
http://www.artisan-distiller.net/phpBB3 ... management

If you really want to continue with a CM still and need plans have a look at this one, http://moonshine-still.com/ There are a couple of guys who use this type of still and like it, but not many, there are lots of guys that have made one and then promptly discarded them and built another type. “A World Class Home Distillation Apparatus” is a title given by the author and not by users. The designs are out dated and once again there are many threads about problems associated with this design.

I can see that the size is very appealing but I think that you would be disappointed with the performance of this particular model. CM (Cooling Management) stills such as the one you indicate this are difficult to control; you are limited to the type of packing that you can use and with the model that you reference the product condenser is very short which will limit the amount of power you can use.

Most people that use this type of still at some stage end up installing a needle valve to control the flow of cooling water. If you are going to use a needle valve then why not have a think about a “Mini Bokakob” (Liquid Management) This is a tried, tested and successful design. With a column not much taller than the one in your pictures I can reliably produce 95%ABV. Take out the packing and you can use it as a Pot Still.



My Bok is probably a bad example as I like making things for the hell of it and make them more complicated than they need be, But you can make a simple elegant “Bok” with only 4 soldered joints.

Choosing which still to make is a PIA and depends on your skills, available materials, time, cost, and yes - space available. Before you finally decide, make sure that you know the design works rather than just taking the word of the guy that is selling it.

Having a column twice that length really wont take up that much room, mine gets a rinse out with the shower then goes in the corner of the cupboard.
You can always run with the boiler on the floor to give you head height.

This is just a pot still, and the condenser is way over kill in this application, but gives you the idea.



CM's can be tricky to run, in winter time my tap water is 6-7oC, trying to run it slow enough was a tough one. If your going to have to shell out for a needle valve, I'd consider what Brian suggested and put it on the product take off side.

this is a very good deal, £12
http://www.valves-online.co.uk/acatalog/1-4--Stainless-Steel-Needle-Valve--75_008720_02.html

I'm attempting to build an even simpler version of this one:

http://forum.moderndistiller.com/viewto ... f=43&t=447

imo, boiler on the floor is the way to go as not many rate short column reflux stills. Also, a pressure regulator for the water supply seems to be worthwhile.

thanks for the input guys the reason for a small
still is i got a feeling the council will downgrade
my house to a smaller house also i don't want
to get anything bigger cos the missis will freak
out

Cost aside, the Amphora Society PDA1 looks lovely and comes with it's own case to pack away. It has an extension column option too.

http://www.amphora-society.com/The-Amph ... 1_p_9.html

For the cost of the PDA-1, I would start looking at the StillDragon line.

Chuck

A nice little column for a turbo 500 boiler, use 40mm copper tube then a double reducer head with 2 x 40 mm to 25 mm reducers. To attach it to the boiler a 40 mm tube bush on the base and a backing nut on the other side to tighten and attach to the lid.
Sorry I don't have a photo, easy build and they work well, make the column as long or as short as you want.

Can we just clarify what product you wish to make. Some column variants are more suitable for some products than others. With an optimised VM for example, it can be very difficult to get it NOT to produce neutral.

That particular version of a CM is not one that I would recommend. A good CM is very good indeed - but it is "hands on" and needs to be routinely tweaked.

A VM or LM (even a combination of both) is relatively simple to run. The least hands on, is possibly a VM.

Product wise - even with a very short column you can make neutral - you just have to do it really slowly. If you are more interested in for example, white rum, then that is fairly simple at reasonable speed with only 36" or so of packing.

What sort of column length (above your boiler) is your upper limit, as that would give us a guide to work around.

The slant plate version of the Boka is not my favourite - IT IS PERFECTLY GOOD - just there are a LOT of alternatives. Personal choice comes into play.

cheers for the input guys but at the moment the
boka project has been put on back burner for the time
being,as i got a 30" Pot Still riser and Pot Still head connected to a Liebig condenser
but im still going with the catering boiler/tea urn (just have to find one
at a right price )
and cut the top of a ss keg and use that on top of the boiler with the tri clamp ferrule already on,and toggle the lid down onto the boiler