Think I broke it

[scubadiver]

I had spirit run to do today so got all set up and as the still was coming up to I temp noticed a thin black line of something running down under the water out fitting I decided to keep an eye on it and carry on, at 48C she started to drip from the produce out pipe at 49C she started spurting like crazy out of the product pipe so I pulled the plug, I have the copper column and never let it go over 62C on the stripping run my spirit runs max out in the mid 50s.

I guess something has failed or melted in the column allowing water into the column but before I start to strip the column down has any one any words of wisdom of what to do or not do as the case may be, I have searched and read this forum re striping the condenser including the excellent post by Vino-Tinto but as that is quite old now wonder if anyone has any other advice to offer re repair and repacking.

[vino-tinto]

The copper column is built on the same principle as the SS one.

The only "O" ring that is black is the column base to lid, silicon seals can normally cope with 200C
Unless something is punctured there is no internal connection between water & spirit. Water flows up the condenser across the link pipe, through the coil, down the tube and out.

Under normal running conditions, the vapour temp at the top of the column is 78 to 82 degrees.

Everything suggests you just flooded the column, (can be caused by packing the column too tight). I used a power controller on mine, but before that I never filled to the MAX mark just in case.

[scubadiver]

Thanks Vino.

I still do not really understand what happened but before you replied I stripped the column and pressure tested the cooling circuit this proved there was no leak so the liquid coming from the column / coolant out fitting must of been spirit, on re packing it I could not fit all the stainless steel bits back into the column so these have been thrown into the bottom of the boiler along with the copper pipe off cuts prior to this I had never touched the packing and it was as supplied and the leaking joint sealed.

I finished the spirit run today the liquid level was as before around four inches under the max level and the still ran better than ever there was little / no temperature fluctuation whereas in the past I was adjusting it frequently despite the PRV valve being fitted the really odd thing is in the past the column was quite noisy tinging all the while but on todays run no noise at all the product purity is still the same at 94%.

So as you suggested the only real change is the column is not packed as tight as it was from the manufacturer and its working much better.

Thanks again for the advice.

[vino-tinto]

Glad you resolved the problem.

You have done exactly as I have, packed less tight and used the spare packings as boil enhancers.

As you have SS packing, it is self cleaning if you reflux at 100% for 10 minutes every time you do a spirit run (100% reflux is where you turn up the water flow so NO spirit flows).

This 100% refluxing will also help concentrate the FORES at the top of the column for easy removal.

[Icefever]

You can pack a column to tight, if your getting 94% then you must be doing right, keep at it.

[Easydrinker]

Sounding good to me too.

Robert.