Column for SD boiler ?

[Phantom]

Anyone know how I can work out what column to order ? The 2+2.5 Crystal dragon is looking favourite (price-wise anyway). Not having made any study of bubble plates etc, I'm not sure about whether a 3 plate column is gonna be enough.

I know there's lots of technical stuff that I'm not familiar with, and even trying to read some of their blog stuff, or look at some of the video clips is proving heavy going (for a "not very" gifted amateur).

I mean, what is the actual difference between a 2+2.5 crystal dragon and a 4 inch one ? Is it just capacity i.e. litres per hour etc ?

Maybe I should go for a 4 inch Dash column ? again, do I need that much capacity or would it be overkill ?

Any pointers and guidance are very much appreciated as it's all a bit over my head at the moment...........

[Myles]

There are a couple of points to consider here.
1. Each column works within a small range of boiler sizes - what size is your boiler?
2. Each column works within a specific range of power levels - how much power do you have available?
3. What product do you wish to make?

You can make virtually any product on any column. However, and it is a big however, the product rates will be enormously different.

Column height controls product purity, column width controls product speed.

You can compensate height and speed. If your column is not high enough you need to reduce product speed to drive the purity back up to what it would have been in a taller column.

[Easydrinker]

That actually made sense on second reading Myles, though seemed difficult reading the first time
Maybe I just need to check in here before the nightly brew has kicked in

Robert.

[Myles]

Probably me.
I know what I mean and sometimes don't explain things well for people that can't read my mind.

Lets try it this way.
2.5" Crystal Dragon - originally designed for a stove top 30 liter boiler. Works fine on a milk can or 50 liter keg.



Probably OK on a 100 litre but it might be a bit slow.

4" CD. I know Sadi uses one of these on what I think is a 70 liter boiled so it would work ok on 50 litres to about 150 liters.



It would probably be two slow on a 200 liter boiler - time to move to 6".

[RumJohn]

Hours could be spent discussing this topic and yet it has been answered well already.

The first question to answer is usually what do you want to produce. A neutral or a product that retains some flavor. You have decided, or are considering something with plates. So a neutral is probably the target. Unless your looking into a mini continuous still.

How much do you want to produce needs to be addressed. You are limited by a 2“ column, but it could still produce far more than you, the missus and all your mates could drink. If you are considering flogging off the excess, then a 4“ or even a 6“ maybe indicated.

Bear in mind that costs change dramatically with size of column. As Myles mentioned, increased boiler size will be necessary at a certain point. Space may become an issue. With increased size comes increased immediate costs. A wash for a 200 L boiler becomes a lot more expensive. More sugar, more yeast, more juice to heat. And so it goes on.

Any time you change one aspect, in all probability you will affect the others. You have already considered “overkill“, so you will understand what I am trying to portray.

[Leatherman]

I was about to make very similar post. I am very interested in Still Dragon 4" Dash column. Thinking about doing 50 liters washes, because 25 liters T500 boiler takes ages. Maybe in far future could expand up to 100 liters. I am looking to make neutrals and possibly grain washes. Can someone advice me on that, please? It would be a big money to spend and would want to be worth every penny. Somewhere I read that with still dragon dash column it is possible to do spirit straight from wash. Without doing stripping run. Can someone comment on that?

[Phantom]

Thank you for the input everyone, very much appreciated.

Definitely given me food for thought.

One of the video clips on the SD channel showed the 2+2.5 inch crystal dragon, but the person had a second section above the plated section that was packed. No overly tech stuff like thermowell and thermometer etc (I've noticed the price differences).

I only want to run neutral/vodka as I'm quite happy with essence flavouring (certainly don't have the space or patience for most flavoured spirits). The boiler is a milk can (SD branded) and Ice had installed a 5kw element and it has the various blanking plates and triclamps.

I'm not sure about how to achieve the 3 plate and packed section column as yet, that's gonna need a bit more watching/reading.

The main hope is to be able to double the batch size, so 50 litres from 25 litre batches. If it'll do that in less than the 4.5 hours it takes to do 25 litres in my T500, then that's a bonus.

Obviously, I have a few limitations like column height and stepped/split height type arrangements shouldn't, from what I've learned so far, need any thing too excessive. Plus while it's marvellous to have pretty looking kit, I'm more about practicality first (if it's pretty as well as practical, then that's a bonus).

[Myles]

I only want to run neutral/vodka as I'm quite happy with essence flavouring (certainly don't have the space or patience for most flavoured spirits).

Don`t bother with plates. It is a compromise option for someone that already has the plates. If you are starting from nothing and are aiming for neutral then a simple packed column will be more efficient.

I would just add a pure packed column to your boiler. It could be a 2 inch column but a 3 inch one would be more convenient to use.

[Phantom]

Don`t bother with plates. It is a compromise option for someone that already has the plates. If you are starting from nothing and are aiming for neutral then a simple packed column will be more efficient.

I would just add a pure packed column to your boiler. It could be a 2 inch column but a 3 inch one would be more convenient to use.

Ah, ok Myles, that actually makes it easier/cheaper then. I'm thinking I'll still need to get a 4 to 2 reducer, then they also do those copper ferrules which could be added to a plumbing pipe column (found a place that will do copper tube from 6mm to 247mm, but that might indeed be overkill ).

I'm thinking about a metre high, with SPP for the packing should do the trick. But equally I might have a look through their offerings at SD, as it'd be great to have one of their parrots inline to whatever I end up collecting in.......

More looking and thinking me thinks........

[Easydrinker]

Phantom, having a single plate/SD Torpedo under my packed column is helpful as it shows me the rate of reflux.
I seem to recall that you bought a sight glass from China land recently, that would do the same job.
Good luck with decision making.

Robert.

[Myles]

+1 on above.

Although I say you don't need plates for neutral, there is a real advantage in having a sight glass in the bottom of the column. Even better if it is an a short empty section between the boiler and the column.

If you want to go down the SPP route I would suggest that 1 meter of SPP in a 76 mm column is a good starting point.

This is my 3" column that I re-homed to someone else. It is a bit longer, reduces to a 2" ferrule , and is packed with graded lava gravel instead of SPP. The 76 mm copper tube is a nice option IMO.



The 3' copper or brass ferrule will not fit 76 mm tube but it will fit a 76 mm female coupling so you could get a single 76 mm straight connector and cut it in half. Use the two short bits to pad out the 76 mm tube to take the 3" ferrule.

You might even consider using a 76 mm T at the base of the column. It will probably fit the 3" ferrule (might need to sand it down a little bit as it will probably be tight) and use the branch for your sight glass.

If you have a 4" ferrule on the boiler you would then need the 4" to 3" reducer.

[Phantom]

{snip}
I seem to recall that you bought a sight glass from China land recently, that would do the same job.
Good luck with decision making.

Robert.

Nope, not me Robert. But, as per Myles's comment, I'm thinking that I'll be checking out the torpedos listed at SD as it does indeed make a lot of sense (even if it's "sense" that I wouldn't have thought of)..........

[Myles]

If you want a cheaper sight glass option you could consider adding in a 54 mm T into the bottom of the column if you are using a 2" column or even with a 3"column.



It is big enough to see the reflux and you also get the glass for an indication through "fogging" of the onset of tails.

The copper or brass 2" ferrules are a perfect fit on 54 mm tube This is 54 mm in between two 76 mm sections.

[Mash]

Phantom, I get the feeling you & Myles should be talking about commissioning a build - forget SD.

Sorry I will go now....

[Myles]

That would be difficult, I am stuck in UAE.

I was thinking that Phantom could DIY this.