Need a little help with a reflux still.....

[Doddsie]

Hello Everyone,
After many hours of searching the web and reading on this forum I've decided to make a reflux column still. I like the design on http://www.moonshine-still.com/page6.htm which seems pretty straight forward to make. My problem is in the fact that I'm having problems getting my hand on a 2" pipe and the fittings. I live up on The Wirral so if anybody knows where I can get my hands on some good copper pipes I would be more than pleased!!!. Oh I'm thinking of making the still with an old Beer Keg as the pot, being all new at this does anybody know of any problems had with such a designed still???.

Thanks again Doddsie.

[rad14701]

Hey, Doddsie, before you make your final decision I'd suggest searching these forums first... Both of the designs in that article are of less than optimal in performance in comparison to the labor and expense of construction... Reflux column design has come a long way in a few short years... In short, you can do better for less... Just my 2 cents...

[Doddsie]

Thanks Rad for your input,
I can get my hands on an old beer keg for nothing it's the column piping I'm having problems with. Either which way I look at it, it involves big (54mm+) piping. I've looked on http://homedistiller.org/photos-sm.htm for still designs and they look even more complicated than the still picked on, if you know of a better still could you please forward a link.


Thanks again Doddsie

[rad14701]

It might help if we knew your geographic location... In some areas the big box stores carry up to 2 inch copper but in other areas plumbing supply houses are the best source...

[Doddsie]

It might help if we knew your geographic location...

South Wirral, North/West England.

Sorry I'll up date my profile.

[Hawke]

I would suggest a VM rig. It is almost identical to the internal reflux that you are looking at, except that it uses a condenser above the takeoff point instead of the cooling tubes in the column. This gives you much better reflux control and purity of product.

[Doddsie]

Thank you Hawke & Rad for your help, I've looked on http://www.homedistiller.org/ and following your advise am now thinking of going in the direction of Bokakob's "Two Cup" still. It looks the most straight forward to make. I also see your point about the refux still and the lower cooling pipe taking some of the heat out of the vapour too soon.

Thanks to yourselves and this wonderfull forum site I'm starting to understand the madness behind the methods. It really is turning into a great little hobby. And it's true what you preach that all is needed is little time and effort in reading what is written infront of us Newbies, before we end up running away with ourselves and doing a little damage to someone or thing.

Cheers HMF you have been a great help and long may it continue!!!.

[plonker]

Hi Doddsie, don't be afraid of the Vapor Management still. They aren't that hard to build, but they are so easy to run.... Even I can do it!!

Cheers

[Doddsie]

Thanks again lads for all your help. Slowly but surely got all my parts together to make my "2 Cup" still.

Just one little question as I'm here, is there any importance in how long the cooling coil should be, I was thinking of using a 3m length of 8mm copper pipe. I think it will end up being about 280-300mm long once I've coiled it.

Cheers Doddsie

[rad14701]

Thanks again lads for all your help. Slowly but surely got all my parts together to make my "2 Cup" still.

Just one little question as I'm here, is there any importance in how long the cooling coil should be, I was thinking of using a 3m length of 8mm copper pipe. I think it will end up being about 280-300mm long once I've coiled it.

Cheers Doddsie

Either with a cold finger down the middle or a double helix which takes about 1 foot of copper per inch of coil height should work as long as the heat input isn't too great...

[HookLine]

Just one little question as I'm here, is there any importance in how long the cooling coil should be, I was thinking of using a 3m length of 8mm copper pipe. I think it will end up being about 280-300mm long once I've coiled it.

3m is good. Overall condenser length should not need to be any more than 200 mm. Space successive winds of the coils about 3-6 mm apart. Any more gap than that is a waste of precious column space.

[Doddsie]

Thanks again Lads, Just off to the plumbing Centre to get my hands on the 8mm copper pipe, and then it's all systems go in creating my first still. Really looking forward to starting my new hobby and seeing how everything developes.

All the best Doddsie

[Doddsie]

Well the mission continues,
got my hand on the 8mm pipe but found it a lot harder than expected to make my coil. Does anybody have any good ideas in making a coil without crushing the pipe while bending it. I did try bending the pipe with some pipe benders but that did not work either, the damn pipe bender choose to get more stuck than help me.

Saying that, made the rest of the still without a hitch, and I'm well happy with my first attempt at soldering!!!.

Cheers lads I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now!!!!

[HookLine]

You did get annealed copper tube? Usually comes in a coil.

[Doddsie]

I got 8mm Microbore Copper pipe HookLine. I've made the actual still out of 2" (54mm) copper pipe and now wish I'd gone for something wider, saying that it was hard enough getting my hands on the 2" pipe.