Start on my new column today.

[Icefever]

Yes....today is the start of the build, after a load of info (thanks Myles) I'm ready to start cutting the pipe. I've held back from cutting until I was 100% sure that it was correct & right for me.

I didn't want to have any "cock-ups" and have to start again

Write up & photos to follow.

[Benoit]

Fingers crossed for you Ice, I hope it all goes well. I've been thinking of making a column to rerun any failures and feints. I'm not a vodka drinker by any stretch of the imagination but if the alcohol can be rescued & flavoured (Monin syrup thread has really prompted my interest) then it's better than being sat drinking something I'm not happy with.
Here's to your soldering success & shiney copper porn pictures!

[Myles]

looking forwards to this.

[Icefever]

Ok here we go....this is the 2"x 3" reducer clamped to my short section from my pothead



This is the new 3" ferrule into a 76mm straight connector...the fit is a dream...



With the 36"x 3" column..




Now we have the dry run...Jezzz she's a tall bar steward.. I do have the head room in the brewhouse.





These are just a couple of close-ups...





All the photos will enlarge if clicked.

One last one....what would I gain (if any) advantage if I added my SD torpedo/bubble plate at the bottom as so...or would it inpact on the vapour speed?? starting off at 2"x 4"x 2" x 3" ??



There's a couple of fittings I need a 54x54x15mm T for the reflux return..a coil of 10mm for the PC. I have to sort out a gas refill...I can get on with all the soft solder joints, I need to order the silver solder & flux that Anavrin linked to on the bay.

I feel good today...that was until the greenhouse door decided to come off it's runner....that's 3 new 2X2 sheets of glass I'll have to buy..

[Myles]

How tall is that?

[Icefever]

Not sure...I'll have to get the tape out...I would say 7'.

[Benoit]

That is huge! I hope the neighbours weren't peering out from an upstairs window when you were taking those pictures, although if you didn't know what it was I'm not sure what they'd think you were making?!

[Icefever]

It's some sort of rocket mate... "I'm a rocket man"

[Anavrin]

Well done mate, I can't exactly explane why but adding the torpedo under a packed section really helps keep the column stable during a run, it kind of smooths out the grunt from the boiler and provides a stable input to the column.

Like I said, I have no scientific proof of this but I've mentioned it over on the SD forum and several other users have agreed that it helps stabilise the colunm.

[Myles]

It does work, apparently because of the increase in vapour ABV at the base of the column. Whether it works any better than an extra length of packing doing the same function is open to discussion.

Some folks are running a section of SPP just above the boiler for the same reasons, to do the grunt work.

On my column I tried returning some of the reflux all the way to the base of the column, but I don't think I run the column fast enough for that to make a significant impact. I will be removing that line later.

It does improve shorter columns but may not have much impact on a longer one.

[Easydrinker]

Well done mate, I can't exactly explane why but adding the torpedo under a packed section really helps keep the column stable during a run, it kind of smooths out the grunt from the boiler and provides a stable input to the column.

Like I said, I have no scientific proof of this but I've mentioned it over on the SD forum and several other users have agreed that it helps stabilise the colunm.

That is timely information, as the very silly still that I have previously alluded to merely requires soldering on the morrow.And will sit upon my one and only SD torpedo.The recent very wet spell stopped me doing real work, so I cut, cleaned ,fluxed and pushed together the bits for an air cooled reflux column.

I have to build a wooden enclosure for the reflux condenser yet, and wire in the fan.
I accept that I may not be doing this the best way, but hey, think someone should try and report back.

If it doesn't work, I'll build a bucket to fit the 15 ft of 10mm worm reflux coil, fed from the pond nearby on recirc.
I KNOW, I am a primative

I have reached a point in life that looking like an idiot no longer worries me, I am having some fun.

Robert.

[Myles]

15 foot of 10 mm in a bucket is good for about 1.2 kW unless you introduce a water flow to increase the cooling capacity. Cold in at the bottom and hot out at the top.

Like thus.

Introducing a water flow makes a perfectly valid condenser, just a little bit bulky, and definitely more convenient than a big bucket the same size as the boiler.

Just do NOT add ice or put cold water in at the top. Because it is an open bucket it is supposed to have a thermal gradient, hot at the top where the vapour goes in, and cold at the bottom where the vapour comes out.

[Icefever]

Ok just spent another £50.20p at JTM on copper bits & bobs...managed to change my butane for propane so now I'm ready to make a start...

[Easydrinker]

Just think of the money that you will save, the fun that you will have, the whole copper fluxey finger thing.
Winning a lottery probably comes close to the feeling that you get from building a column or still.
And once you have built it, then you just don't need the lottery win...

Robert.

[Capt-Cudellez]

Wow - nice build.

Just to forewarn you, when I ran a column much shorter than that on a T500 boiler, just after heat up you get column oscillation - vibration from the boiling liquid starts the column moving and it amplifies till the column is going round in a small circle.

You might have to brace that column - or it may be so big it's immune to the phenomenon