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Hello all,
for hobby purposes I'm thinking of ordering the following equipment from StillDragon Europe:
Yes, I know a packed section is cheaper and requires less height, but the full size CD is way prettier and easier to clean. Requirements: make very clean ethanol (for use as vodka or base for gin and ouzo) from a 14% ABV sugar wash in less than 5 hours including warm up time. I'll probably order a separate 4 or 5 plate 4" Dash Pro for tasty products.
Any thoughts?
Comments
How many sets of bases would you use to do the 16 sections? 2 x 8 maybe? Besides the difficulty of sourcing threaded rod longer than a metre i'm not sure you stable it would be in one section. But 2 x 8 would work fine, you could even order the boiler Double Dragon style..
StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand
If I can't source threaded rod long enough 2x8 would certainly work. I've got more than 4m height available so that's no problem, and I can support it with pipe hangers if necessary. Any idea how much power I would need for the actual distillation? Is 12.5kW too much for heat up?
Should heat up way under an hour. Not sure what you'd need for run power.
StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand
That would be great. I've found 2m threaded rod sections but I don't know the required thickness, couldn't find it in the archives. M8 for a 4" Crystal Dragon?
M8 that's right
After heat up I run a crystal 4" with about 4400w. That feels like the sweet spot to me....but I only run up to 7 plates.
Can also put a single tee section on as a start collar so that you wouldn't have to dis assemble the entire CD assembly to scrub only one funky plate,,if you see my meaning?
We did two tees on this one and added two on the other side for symmetry.
StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America
I like those side exit couplings. a real blessing for those tight ceiling heights. I find round here that 3m is about the most you can expect.
Yes Larry, our resident Steve.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lrbw4-vkFM
StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand
Would there be any disadvantages in splitting the CD up in smaller sections (apart from requiring some extra components)? If not I could split the stack 2-4-10 or 2-4-5-5 which would indeed make cleaning a lot easier, and I could use the 2- and 4-plate stacks for pot distilling and single-run whisky respectively.
That would be my preference.
StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America
Lost me. Huh?
StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America
have you looked at captainshooch's thread
Thanks everyone! A 2-4-5-5 split looks best. And now it's time to get back to work, need to earn some more $$ to give to @SDeurope ;-)
You, my friend, are an ideas man.
You drive most of the innovation round here in conjunction with our customers.
StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand
How about 4 -6-6 I am tempted to set up a 200l still like that. I am curious about the drain on the bottom section.
4 /6/6 is fine. It's really up you you. The secondary column is not really going to need the same level of cleaning maintenance as the first two plates on the primary column.
What would you like to know about the bottoms drain?
StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America
I would assume its like a normal bubble plate drain ?? Ie a copper plate with a couple of bubble cap drains so it allows some drainage but keeps the primary vapour flow through the columns.
I am thinking about this as I have a 4" dash and two 6" plate crystal dragon towers, thanks punkin. A configuration like this would save me getting another boiler. My tank maker is taking a while. Sorry Smaug I am in Mendoza and I cant get large products into Argentina.
No worries.
The secondary column drain back is a plate with a 50 mm tube that extends below the liquid level in the kettle. No vapor can enter the the secondary column unless it is fed from the primary.
StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America
Show him the video you made of it, laaaarrreeee
StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand
It is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDakvOVPn50
Hopefully it helps?
StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America
This is lost on most americans. ya gotta watch the Oz movie "the Castle" kinda like our Lampoons Vacation or Clerks for auzzies. entertaining enough to sit thru and good enough to quote from timeto time.
"whats he askin?... awww. he must be dreamin!"
Castle is brilliant. A definite cult movie. I agree that the humour would be lost on the Americans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8WLuQOLq5Q
StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand
Thanks very much mate.
Hey Larry and Punkin. Thanks for the video. I might try and do this with the Whiskey helmet I bought from Punkin on a 200l still. The helmet is in Chile now and I just have to figure out what to say that it is when I get stopped by a customs agent crossing the border from Chile into Argentina.
a diving helmet accessory maybe
Wear it while cruising the border on a motorcycle
New question in my "own" thread - I'm still interested in building a large (16plate+) 4" crystal dragon, but I'm wondering which dephlegmator I need for a 16-24 plate stack. 4" V1, V2 or Super? If I understand everything correctly such a tall column doesn't need a powerful dephlegmator which might be essential for a high power few-plate column.
@squeakyclean there's no such thing here as "own" thread ;) that's the charm of this community. The sooner you give in to this, the better
To your question - I'd go with super. Better efficiency and who knows, what you might want to do later.
Go for the super. Unless you have extremely cold cooling water and an extremely efficient column there is almost no drawback. Worst case you use way less cooling water.