MY SD Build - Open for discussion!

vooharmy

Currently I am the proud owner of a SD 5" 6 Plate still and now that I know a bit more about my usage patterns and have had the opportunity to drive it for the past year, I am now hungry to upgrade!

Overview

I am planning to standardise my entire setup around 100L Batches, I could go with a 200L boiler but quite frankly I think that's ridiculous for a home distillery with no aspirations for commercial production. What I would like to be able to do is keep the setup in place, CIP and still maintain the ability to strip runs, and swap between 3 plates for rum, 4 plates for Scotch and 7 plates for White rum. I would of course preferred to keep the whole thing in 3" but then that requires a customer boiler and a 3" 3 way valve. If there is no real advantage to this other than aesthetics then I couldn't be bothered.

The Cartridges

I plan to keep 2 "Cartridges" of Crystral Dragon plates, 3 plates + 4 plates, through experimenting I know this will cover everything I am looking for in a still. I would like these cartridges to connect to the product condenser section with flexible tri-clamp pipe.

This is my plan, I am looking for feed back from the community on my design. I don't profess to being an expert in these matters and would appreciate any feedback or thoughts on this design, I know similar ideas have been tossed around in the past.

Lets Discuss!

Cheers Voo!

googe

What's the thing between the column and PC?.

vooharmy

@Googe That is for the vapour to bypass the Column and head directly to the PC, I wanted to have the benefit of a stripper and Column from a single boiler without the need to break it down everytime. Switching the 3 way valve should (As I understand it...) give me access to both option from the same boiler.

FloridaCracker

Sounds like your current rig is what I am aiming at now. My 15 gallon boiler is quickly growing small and I would love something at least 25 gallons. How are you liking the 5"? I am going to try and stretch to get one because I can grow into it. My time is kinda limited and 8 hour spirit runs are more than I can stand.

As far as what you want, if you have a fixed PC and parrot, it should be a little flexible, right? Seems like it would be very hard to switch out columns and have them be exactly the same length.

Unsensibel

What's your plan on "hot swapping"?

Depending on what you're running, I'm not sure if a separate column is necessary for stripping. Just stripped a double batch of rum through my setup without any water to the RC and had no issues stripping

grim

I can't imagine you are gaining a whole lot by going with 3" on the ancillary plumbing and stripper section over 2" - other than the cost of it. The 3" 3-way is brutally expensive compared to a 2". Although - if the intent is for it to be structural and hold the condenser/flex - I can understand the desire to go this route.

punkin

I would also tend to go to 2" at the valve. The bottom section needs a 2x3 reducer somewhere anyway, so it's only two extra reducers.
One of the commercial guys actually tried this a few months back and thought there was no need for the valve. There was limited feed through the plates with the vapour tending to use the easiest route from memory. Perhaps someone with a better memory can link to the thread?

vooharmy

@floridacracker Running a 5" still is a dream,, the only neg for me is that a 50l keg boiler is too small to feed it properly. I am hoping that the flexible tc pipe will allow for any mating issues.

@unisensibel Alot of this design is to address/limit cleaning and keep most of the setup in place with as few as possible components requiring to be moved. I can see the simplicity in stripping straight through the rig but I also have the double goal of wanting to easily change my plates, which I am Hoping the fixed PC/ stripper will solve!

@grim The valve will have very little weight attached to it so I am not concerned about that. If there is no advantage to having a 3" over a 2" valve than I will give that a skip!

punkin

I'm positive it will.

vooharmy

I wish I could come to your garage @Punkin and mechano the shit out of this :)

punkin

You are welcome to mate. I'll put you up here and make sure i have something good on tap.

Actually there's an old truck down your way that i'm looking at, feel like driving a 29 model up? :))

TheMechWarrior

'29? I like the sound of that @punkin. Any details? I've been looking for a circa '28 AA or similar.

punkin

At the risk of losing it cause i'm not ready to buy for a while...

1929 CHYRSLER BUCKBOARD FOR SALE @ JustCars AU

TheMechWarrior

Yup, I did see that. It's gorgeous. I look forward to seeing you in it one day soon.

Kapea

The Dragon Wagon. Company merchandise transport...
You gotta get her @punkin She's a beauty!
(Bet she'd run great on azeotrope.)

FullySilenced

Fakin Steering wheel is on the wrong damn side...

Kapea

Factory defect...

punkin

That's where they go when you drive on the left.

Other wise you'd be running into head on cars rather than cars the same speed as you. ^#(^

vooharmy

My wife won't let me near her car and I'm never home to bother getting my own! On the rare occasion I drove hers, I reversed into the neighbors car! Somehow I doubt I'm the right person to entrust with your wheels :) That said I am the right person to drink your beer :D

punkin

Sorry for the sidetrack mate, back to your question.

It'sABadHabitOfMinePunkin

TheMechWarrior

@vooharmy , getting back on topic, my 2 cents:

I like where your headspace is at and I'd like to suggest you take it one step further.
From someone who does pretty much what you're trying to do I can tell you it's a pain in the arse climbing up a ladder and pulling it all down every time you want to change something.

So much of a pain I've even contemplated multiple stills, each one specific for the job.

@captainshooch and @Myles are on the money with plate bypass designs.

I'm suggesting you build your 7 plate and incorporate bypasses and CIP into your design. You'll want a dash rather than a CD for this job IMO.

vooharmy

@themechwarrior I currently have a.dash, I would be happy to go the bypass route. I have heard about it but I never realized this was a legitamate path to take. The thing about this designed that appealed to me most was the PC condensor standing free.

TheMechWarrior

I'm not a fan of the valve design, I'm too tired right now to confgiure it in my head to ensure you can NEVER dead-head your system. If you have the money to do it, eliminate the valve and replace it with an extra dephlag if you get my drift?

CothermanDistilling

if you put a single valve on the stripping port outlet, and throw a little water into the column via the CIP or other port(either one time addition or a drip a second or so to keep up), I think it would make a great dual-use design without being deadheaded...

vooharmy

@themechwarrior This had not occurred to me as a problem, as I thought the 3way valve would ensure its always open! I would hate for this to have explosion risk, and wouldn't proceed if that was the case.

punkin

you can install the 3 way valve in such a way that there is always either or both vapour paths open.

TheMechWarrior

I'm still too tired. I keep seeing a bomb, can someone draw this up with the 2 pathways for me?

vooharmy

@punkin Ahh excellent! I want to have it so its either going to the column or the stripper, which is what I originally thought would happen with a 3way valve. I want to avoid any valve that would allow me to seal it up and turn it into a bomb, eek!

punkin

Yes, you have to orient the valve properly (and make sure it's the correct 3 way valve (i think someone said 'L'), but the 3 ways on my pump lines and steam wand are either on one way or the other or both. I have them oriented so i cannot turn them off.

TheMechWarrior

The correct 3-way in this instance is a T-Port.

This is the only way I could see it working without causing an issue, note the pathway to the condenser is always open.

googe

Yes a T 3way is the one you want, I have it on mine. $30 from.aliexpress for a 3/4".