StillSmart

Mash wrote:I reckon 615 litre would work. If you chlorinated it occasionally (squirt of Bleach) you could re-use it for ages.

Yes, that's the aim. It'd be recycled rain anyway, it's just the quantities mentioned that made me think. I may still have to put my hand in my pocket for a 600 litre IBC, cos that way, it gives me the flexibility so it doesn't matter whether I get a bespoke still dragon or something home produced and still run the T500 at the same time.......

All overkill, but the flexibility would be worth it I reckon........

I get that. Don't pay more that £30-40 for an IBC.

Mash wrote:

I guess you dont have water supply to hand, better solution would be a length of hose.

I have a garage tap, but no sink, could run out to back garden if needed, but were on a water meter and 2L a minute for 5-6 hours sounds expensive.
Thanks for the feedback, I didn't realise the water would get that warm, I shall have another think about my options.

cheers

Will probably be about a £1. But then how many times?

Saving rainwater works, but just thought... It will probably get to 12-15c in the summer?

What you guys need is an air cooled still.

Mash wrote:I get that. Don't pay more that £30-40 for an IBC.

The ones at that price are 1000 litre ones. They don't fit between the wall and shed.

The 600 litre ones will, which is my only choice because I won't demolish the end of the shed as that'd be just too much hassle.......

So, I only run air cooled stills.
I may move to re-circulated water stills and condensers in the future.
Forget the cost, to me the thought that someone can discharge 2 litres of potable water down the drain a minute is so wrong when people are dying of thirst.

Putting my soapbox away

Robert.

Picked up a fountain pump, have cystern water here, can't afford to waste water cooling my condenser, works too well, need to pinch back my water stream to maintain good temp in the reflux

Welcome to this site Rigdaddy, not quite sure what you are saying, but understand the need to conserve water.
Is it not possible to feed cooling water back into your supply?
Possible idiot question.
Will check back tomorrow for a response.

Robert.

Rigdaddy wrote:Picked up a fountain pump, have cystern water here, can't afford to waste water cooling my condenser, works too well, need to pinch back my water stream to maintain good temp in the reflux

You may outgrow that fountain pump fairly quickly. Generally they are large volume, low pressure pumps. I used to use one that worked fine for a product condenser but would not lift water high enough for a reflux condenser.

These days I use a Hozelock water butt pump, but when that dies I might consider replacing it with one of the 12 volt mini mag pumps from here https://www.brewbuilder.co.uk/pumps.html

These have more than enough flow rate and pressure for running condensers.

Some pumps really don't like it when you restrict the water flow. Magnetically coupled pumps do not care, and the Hozelock garden pumps are high pressure pumps for sprinklers and irrigation use so they do not care either.

jonx69 wrote:

Mash wrote:

I guess you dont have water supply to hand, better solution would be a length of hose.

I have a garage tap, but no sink, could run out to back garden if needed, but were on a water meter and 2L a minute for 5-6 hours sounds expensive.
Thanks for the feedback, I didn't realise the water would get that warm, I shall have another think about my options.

cheers

Think you'd need 2 more water butts, interconnected at staggered heights, hot water return going into the highest set

Myles wrote: I might consider replacing it with one of the 12 volt mini mag pumps from here https://www.brewbuilder.co.uk/pumps.html
These have more than enough flow rate and pressure for running condensers.

That's where mine is from, the TS5 mini mag pump.

packapoo wrote:
Think you'd need 2 more water butts, interconnected at staggered heights, hot water return going into the highest set

I've got a wash ready to strip, so I'm going to see how my initial plan with frozen water bottles will pan out.

So I did my first parrot yesterday. My first soldering experience with torch. Wasnt the best soldering but I hope to improve my self in a time. Considering that I have two left hands, I am very happy with results Just wanted to ask if I did it right, after soldering I put all parrot in vinegar bath and left it for a night. Was this a good idea? Because all solder looks now a bit greenish. I used solder and flux kit from B&Q. Lead free (but not silver) and water soluble flux.


Thanks everyone for opinions
P.S
Doing second one, a bit smaller and because I really liked soldering

Good work. They good like good joints. The vinegar won't hurt, but isn't essential.

Metal polish or toothpaste works well to clean the outside up.

It’s snowing like hell down here, so no fishing to day. Just rotated my 3 brew bins, the empty to a new wash, the wash to clearing and the cleared wash to position for use in my still. Fed the hens, walked the dog, now making breakfast. Then I will decide what runs I will do, and it is only the back of 9.

A distillers life fun.