 Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
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"How is everyone keeping their water cool? Are you guys using fresh water in the condenser?
My water is getting pretty warm while doing my run.
I read somewhere, I think, your product coming out of our still you want to be around 68 - 70 degrees. Is this true?
Im thinking about testing my engineering skills and making a DIY water chiller. Just wanted to see what everyone else was doing?
Please inform. :)"
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 Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered
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I just use a cooler and put ice jugs in it when it gets too warm. I don't keep it ice cold just cold enough to condense the vapor
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Wow.. I must be going over the top then.. I use a pair of 2.5 gal water container that I froze, and then I put that in the 25 gal cool water container with the pump. When it thaws, I put another one in... Keeps that water about 48-52 degrees..
I don't start a flow until I achieve 7-8 degrees before my target temp for the day.. |
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
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So far I have only used a 5 gal bucket with cool water to condense. I have frozen a few liter soda bottles but the water gets hot pretty quick.
I plan on upgrading to a 30 gal container soon but thought it would still get hot. I also thought about replacing the hot water with fresh cool water but I hate wasting all the water.
I have a kegorater close I thought about spiraling the cooling water through the refrig to cool it but I thought that would be a lot of work.
I have also thought about using a 30gal waste can, rigging up with a fountain water pump and a fan and making my own cooling tower.
But if no one else is having these problems then maybe Im doing something else wrong. Or maybe cooling the product to 70 degrees is non-sense? lol hrmmmm ... not sure yet.
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
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I have a 10 gallon trash can with my coil in it. Fill it, freeze it. Good for 3 3 gallon runs on my little pot still.
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
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[ATTACH=CONFIG]888[/ATTACH] Here is my rig. Wuglar attached the following image(s):  distiller.JPG (228kb) downloaded 0 time(s).You cannot view/download attachments. Try to login or register.
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
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I use a plastic 44 gallon drum with a submersible 250w pump. Have the drum under the downpipe on the shed, never have to worry about waisting water. Ive read many threads saying using ice will make your out put not very stable, cold water swirling around hitting the condenser walls then warmer water hitting it making it irratic, is this true?.
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
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Never heard of that. I have heard that the water temp may have something to do with the smoothness of final product.
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
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I have built two different systems. One is a 'water tower' that uses evaporation as the means of cooling the water and the other is a dual radiator (I used the heater core for a car) and a 1500 cfm fan to cool. Neither system could bring my water below 85f when I was running. In addition, it sounds like I am not running enough heat to my pot. My runs are taking me 36 hours for a 6 gallon wash in reflux. I am assuming my water temperature will go up even more as I try to transfer more heat out.
I have a new idea of running a wort chiller inside a barrel that I can encompass in frozen water and then use the heater core set up to pre-chill the cooling water coming off the tower. It has become more of a challenge than an efficiency thing. I was looking on Craigslist and found several very small chest freezers that I was thinking of converting to a chilling station as well. I am imagining a copper wort chiller that is in a tub of anti-freeze that is placed in the freezer. Then drilling two holes in the side of the freezer to put the ends of the wort chiller through so I can hook up my cooling water and have it transfer through the freezer and hopefully chill it.
More than anything I am trying to find a good method of keeping the cooling water a temperature that is low enough while maintaining a constant temperature. I like consistency.
If I make any of these ideas, I will pass along pictures and designs.
Thanks,
Blaztaz
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
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Yep ... I have done a lot of looking around too for different ideas. Thought about taking an ac unit and lowering the evaporator into my water. That would cool it but not sure how much. You can also use a dehumidifier.
Ideally I would like to do a 4 - 7 hour run with about 30gal of water.
I would like to use less but not sure how I would cool it.
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered
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36 hrs for 6 gal wash ? What are you using to heat the boiler? You definitely need more heat there. Originally Posted by: blaztaz  I have built two different systems. One is a 'water tower' that uses evaporation as the means of cooling the water and the other is a dual radiator (I used the heater core for a car) and a 1500 cfm fan to cool. Neither system could bring my water below 85f when I was running. In addition, it sounds like I am not running enough heat to my pot. My runs are taking me 36 hours for a 6 gallon wash in reflux. I am assuming my water temperature will go up even more as I try to transfer more heat out.
I have a new idea of running a wort chiller inside a barrel that I can encompass in frozen water and then use the heater core set up to pre-chill the cooling water coming off the tower. It has become more of a challenge than an efficiency thing. I was looking on Craigslist and found several very small chest freezers that I was thinking of converting to a chilling station as well. I am imagining a copper wort chiller that is in a tub of anti-freeze that is placed in the freezer. Then drilling two holes in the side of the freezer to put the ends of the wort chiller through so I can hook up my cooling water and have it transfer through the freezer and hopefully chill it.
More than anything I am trying to find a good method of keeping the cooling water a temperature that is low enough while maintaining a constant temperature. I like consistency.
If I make any of these ideas, I will pass along pictures and designs.
Thanks,
Blaztaz
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 2/1/2013(UTC)
Posts: 77
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Originally Posted by: dieselduo 36 hrs for 6 gal wash ? What are you using to heat the boiler? You definitely need more heat there. I am using a 1500W hotplate with the controller that Maddawgs designed. I run it at about 9.6 amps and have a lot of room to crank it up. I have just been too timid. The good side is that I am pulling 96% pure :) But that is too much sitting and watching time. I am still new to things, so I haven't dialed things in yet :)
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
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" Originally Posted by: Wuglar Yep ... I have done a lot of looking around too for different ideas. Thought about taking an ac unit and lowering the evaporator into my water. That would cool it but not sure how much. You can also use a dehumidifier.
Ideally I would like to do a 4 - 7 hour run with about 30gal of water.
I would like to use less but not sure how I would cool it. I will be sure to pass on anything I find to you. It is more of a challenge now!! I hate to lose and the cooling water has me 2-0 so far. But I am getting closer!"
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crank it up until you start to get product then cut it down. You'll probably cut your time by 30 hrs 
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Originally Posted by: dieselduo crank it up until you start to get product then cut it down. You'll probably cut your time by 30 hrs Listen to Diesel, save you time, he will.... I hit it hard till it starts, then crank it back... |
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
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Originally Posted by: RCRed Listen to Diesel, save you time, he will.... I hit it hard till it starts, then crank it back... Yeah, I shot a question to the group awhile back and have been corrected on my temp and timing :) I just haven't had another run since, so I can't say I have improved. I don't want to take over this topic though. As far as cooling water goes, I really don't have a working solution yet. I do have a couple things that help, but not a solution :)
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered
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I'm sorta worried I am using water that is too cold... Hoping the elders with strike me down with the lightning bolt of wisdom....  |
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
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Originally Posted by: RCRed I'm sorta worried I am using water that is too cold... Hoping the elders with strike me down with the lightning bolt of wisdom.... I am a bit curious on this one as well. I know that I will have to get it colder than the 85f that I have been able to get it if I want to increase the temperature at the kettle. I end up with the cooling water running at full to both the tower and the condenser. The only way to increase my kettle temperature is to get colder cooling water, but how cold can you get it?
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered
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All you need is cool water not freezing. The shock freezing could cause puking. you don't need to run full to the tower when refluxing. Run for maybe an hour to stack the layers and cut back until off. Why don't you try one time with out any water to the column like your running in pot mode, just to the condenser and cut back the heat to a slow drip. I think you'll like it better
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
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Originally Posted by: dieselduo All you need is cool water not freezing. The shock freezing could cause puking. you don't need to run full to the tower when refluxing. Run for maybe an hour to stack the layers and cut back until off. Why don't you try one time with out any water to the column like your running in pot mode, just to the condenser and cut back the heat to a slow drip. I think you'll like it better By cool water, do you mean 50-60f ??? 60-70f ??? What is 'puking' ??? Is this when things start to come in spurts and you get the smell of the tails in with the good stuff? I think I ran into that on my first run. It would do that, smell terrible, then produce some good stuff. Then repeat. I think I have been very close to your other method before, but it took me the 36 hours to get a batch completed. When my heat is low enough for me to not be too hot at the column, it all comes very slow and takes very little cooling water to the column.
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