StillSmart

Am getting my head around building my own still 60 ltr barrel and basic pot head to do bourbon etc ...do i need to include a safety valve for the pressure in the boiler ..logic and the design of my t500 says it is not needed.Gonna use a 3kw element and power controller.

Unless you are planning something hitherto unknown,I cannot see a reason for a Pressure release valve with a pot still.
HTH.
Robert.

Thanks for your reply Robert
just gunna make vino-vintos pot head with tri clamp nowt complex..only very basic skills.Just didnt want to take any chances.

trelliS wrote:Am getting my head around building my own still 60 ltr barrel and basic pot head to do bourbon etc ...do i need to include a safety valve for the pressure in the boiler ..logic and the design of my t500 says it is not needed.Gonna use a 3kw element and power controller.

You can safely operate your boiler without a pressure release valve, many people do However, consider this, if an accident happened in the area of your boiler and your lyne arm and/or condenser got bent over enough to form a fold seal, pressure could start to build inside the boiler. this is when you'll be glad you spent a few quid on a basic pressure release valve.

When you consider the softness of copper fittings and tubing often used in a pot head and condenser I think it's a worthwhile addition even though you hope it will prove completely redundant over time.

AM

Even when my still is running and hot,it would take some serious work with hammers,or the roof caving in,(in which case,so what?) to kink the pipes enough to cause a pressure problem.
I like to be safe,but don't worry to the nth degree.
I guess it comes down to the build/design,but it should be possible to spot a potential problem,and take appropriate steps.
Robert.

Shit happens and Murphy's Law tells us that whatever can go wrong often does, at some point and when it does there's no point saying, "I didn't think that could happen"

There's an old saying, "The ship was lost for the want of a Hapworth of tar" which basically means spending a few pennies on a basic common sense can prevent disaster down the road.

A basic pressure release valve, for our purposes, can be as simple as a small hole in the column with a bung tightly fitted in it.

AM

Cheers Everyone
Gonna use vino-vinto pot head design so a tight fitting bung in column could be a really easy solution ..cheers AM prevention is always easier than the cure.
Regards
Mark

In my early days, I ran lots of weird looking pot stills and never a problem with pressure build up. Didn't even know about boil enhancers or distillers conditioner at the time.

Saving grace was a generous space between the top of the wash and the top of the boiler.

John51 wrote: Didn't even know about boil enhancers or distillers conditioner at the time.

Saving grace was a generous space between the top of the wash and the top of the boiler.

What's them then:)
But I grant you the space thing,and a tall phat column.
Robert.

Boil enhancers give the hot wash places to form small bubbles. Can be ceramic shapes or bent copper washers, cut up copper pipe etc. Without them there is a chance of one gigantic boil bubble forming instead of lots of little one.

Distillers conditioner is an anti foaming agent used to prevent 'puking'. A teaspoon of vegetable oil or a knob of butter works but may effect the taste of the final product. The HBS sell little bottles of the proper stuff. Even a clear looking wash can foam up on a strip run. Think washing machine with too much soap powder. No need for conditioner when running the product of a strip run.

Sorry John,didn't expect to catch anyone there.
It was meant as a joke,but your descriptions of the two are textbook,and so I thank you for posting something new distillers may benefit from.
I always use copper boil pieces,for the reason you state,but also to help clean up the liquid in either of my two SS boilers.
I have never used conditioner or butter; with the smart still I go for a very clear and finished wash,with it's big brother I rely on a tall,large diameter column to prevent a boilover.
I sometimes forget that people on this site are so eager to help,that they often don't look sideways.
My bad.
Unless you are doing a double bluff kind of thing?
Robert.

A lot also depends on your condenser and what you run in the boiler. If you get a puke or a lot of foam is there potential to block up your condenser?

In this situation you can get into trouble. For example distilling on the grain with a worm condenser. Yes it could go wrong.

Even if you never need it, it is nice to have a safety option present.