Show Us Your Dragon

marcus

we have finished our still and yes the columns are on the floor some StillDragon parts used

punkin

Very nice mate.

richard

Looks great but it always poses the question...... Apart from having to use a serious block and tackle, how do you get in to service the plate sections and also how are the individual plates sealed against the collumn.

punkin

Climb in from the top.

marcus

there is 20 perforated plates so no need to do anything and each tray has a washball foe cleaning and sealing each tray is is done by the shape of the tray

Kill_Devil_Spirit_Co

@punkin said: Climb in from the top.

Use that secret-ops training and just rappel on in there

squeakyclean

This is the dragon's lair for my yet-to-be-opened distillery. As you can see I've reserved space for four dragons, to be kept on a leash ;)
Hopefully I'll be in business in a few weeks time!

Anavrin

Here my latest SD LM/VM setup, it has a 2” LM Boka section on top for taking off heads and a 1” VM takeoff for the hearts.

It’s basic configuration is 4 plates and a 300mm section filled with SPP under a V2 4” deflag

kimbodious

Christmas came early at the Spotted Hound Distillery in the form of a 20” long StillDragon shotgun condenser! Now that I am only using recirculated water for my condenser I am looking for the best water use efficiency. I am hoping the greater surface area inside the 7 tubed condenser gives me greater water use efficiency.

[EDIT] the new set up is working just as I’d hoped, cooler product for the same water flow rate.

kimbodious

As the ABV decreased the vapour temp went up and I was starting to get mild huffing occurring. The condenser water temp would have been 32C. I’ll have to watch for huffing in the cooler months when the condenser water will be significantly cooler; probably have to put a ball valve in the return hose.

It is so hot right now the fermenters are chortling away with no form of insulation or heating. You’ve got to love the resilience of bakers yeast

grim

Replumb the vapor path to get the condenser vertical and use a concentric reducer and not the end cap.

CothermanDistilling

I agree, a 20" extension and a SD parrot will be parts that will last you forever..

Also, if you put some ss scrubbie material in the condenser tubes it will be more efficient... I use two of those condensers vertically on my gin rig, and very happy...

kimbodious

@grim said: Replumb the vapor path to get the condenser vertical and use a concentric reducer and not the end cap.

I tested the system in pretty challenging conditions, 30+C water temp 32+C air temp and a low ABV wash. It performed very well, I could run the 2200 W element flat out

Yeah a long reducer is on my shopping list (mainly just for looks). I didn’t have as much product pooled behind the endcap as I’d get with the SD Big Baby.

I have teased out SS scrubbies up the Big Baby, was waiting to see if I needed it with the long condenser, probably will when I use the recirculated evaporative water chiller.

I would have to offset the PC somewhat from the column for it to be more vertical in the pot configuration (12” riser, 20” PC). On just a 50l keg boiler having the hefty PC hanging off to the side will make the structure unstable without any form of brace. I also run the low wines straight in to 20 litre drums so the PC is always going to be angled unless I get a taller riser. The long copper spout is required when in CCVM configuration (very tall). I understand the theory about vertical shotgun PC’s but while my set up already does the required job I am not going to bother buying more fittings or compromise the stability of the set up.

grim

That’s cool, just keep in mind you are leaving efficiency on the table. You said efficiency was important due to recirc.

kimbodious

New condenser on the CCVM

cleadus1

Finally got all the small little kinks ironed out and she is a beauty, currently running a stripped wash and sitting nicely at 95%. basic set up at the moment but it works.

DonMateo

Here is my vodka double dragon. Ready for its first run this week.

DonMateo

Another foto.

punkin

You must be very proud of that one.

DonMateo

I suppose so mate, I hadnt thought if it like that, just another problem to solve on the long path to getting a small distillery working. Thanks for flogging me the columns and the bits I could bring into Argentina. It took about 18 months to get the glass columns out of Chileno customs but thats another story.
I will be happier when it is cranking out some product and I am making some money. Until then its great Eye candy. I am going to run it next week with a cleaning run and then do an ethanol run and then put some wheat low wines through it. Thanks again @punkin and the SD crew.

punkin

You are very welcome mate. I only shipped to your brother in Brisbane, it's him that wants thanking for shipping to you.

N_D

Beautiful stuff @DonMateo ! Looking forward to see your progress with that beauty.

DonMateo

Thanks @N_D. How is your gin going ??

Fiji_Spirits

Question:

When you do a Double Dragon do you really need a reflux condenser on the first column? What’s the net effect of it? Does it add more “plate” to the system or just allow control of the vapor?

crozdog

@Fiji_Spirits same as on any column, the reflux condenser is needed to generate reflux to load the plates. Without it you'd only have minimal passive reflux and the plates wouldn't fully load meaning the 1st column would be ineffective (for rectifying eg what you want for vodka)

Fiji_Spirits

So the reflux in the second column wouldn’t generate enough plate loading back pressure in that column to load the plates in the first column?

I feel like a moron asking this and I do see why it works, but I’m weak on why it wouldn’t without the second RC.

I’m assuming the inter column piping would cool vapor too much and you’d get flooding at the entry to the second column?

grim

No, because there is no way for the liquid reflux from the bottom of column 2, to make it back to the top of column 1. You could pump it, which would eliminate the need for two reflux condensers - but the pump adds complexity (needs to run at a matching flow rate).

Otherwise, you run two reflux condensers, which you'll find is a little bit more tricky to operate than a single reflux condenser.

Pump will provide a slightly higher level of efficiency over two RC's, since you wouldn't be losing the precious reflux generated in column 2 - back to the boiler. Keep in mind though, it's pumping very hot high proof - like I said, the pump isn't really an easier solution at all.

DonMateo

@grim Thanks for your comments. I am about to do my first runs on this thing this week and I appreciate the guidelines on how to drive one of these things. Pot Stilling is much easier, turn on and turn off.

Smaug

@grim said: No, because there is no way for the liquid reflux from the bottom of column 2, to make it back to the top of column 1. You could pump it, which would eliminate the need for two reflux condensers - but the pump adds complexity (needs to run at a matching flow rate).

Otherwise, you run two reflux condensers, which you'll find is a little bit more tricky to operate than a single reflux condenser.

Pump will provide a slightly higher level of efficiency over two RC's, since you wouldn't be losing the precious reflux generated in column 2 - back to the boiler. Keep in mind though, it's pumping very hot high proof - like I said, the pump isn't really an easier solution at all.

I've been thinking about a reservoir built into the base of column # 1 to forestall immediate draining back into the kettle. The reservoir would receive vapor from the kettle below the liquid level in the reservoir ah la thumper style. I have already done this concept via my "Humper Thumper" set up on a much (much) smaller scale.

Who wants to test the concept on a commercial size rig?

jbierling

Column # 2 right?

Tricky part would be being able to fully drain it, ideally to the kettle for cleaning purposes.