home still: column, dephlegmator

Completed dephlegmator and column.

Today I completed the assembly of the column and dephlemator. The column design is very similar to the gin basket, but with the addition of a thermo port on top.

Thermo port tube.

The thermo port is just a tube with an opening cut into it. The opening allows the probe to be in the vapor stream, but prevents condensation from dripping onto it and changing the readings. A silicone plug with a thermocouple will seal the tube and measure the vapor temperature.

All the main parts were brazed together and ports for the cooling shell were added. The ports are 1/2" OD tubing and I will use push-to-connect fittings to attach them to tubes.

Hand bent cooling coil.

I also started on the condenser portion of the still. The cooling coil was bent with a 90 degree hand-held tube bender from 3/8" OD tubing. I then annealed the copper and squeezed the coils closer together by hand.

The ends of the coil use 90 degree braze on fittings and a straight tube to connect to a water supply.

The next step for the condenser will involve the collection plates and tube for the condensed liquids.

home still: dephlegmator update

Here is an update on some work I have been doing for the still. I have mainly been working on the dephelgmator section.

Internal shell parts.

The plates were all waterjet-cut with the holes slightly smaller and finished with a uni-bit drill. The diverter plates are the semi-circular plates in the picture.

Dry fitted together.

I dry fitted them first to figure out the best way to braze them together. I decided it was best to braze the center tube to the diverter plates first.

Center tube brazed to the internal diverter plates.

I used two other tubes to help align the plates. I like the colors that came out when the copper was heated. It's too bad they will be hidden.

Completed internals.

Some of the plates weren't perfectly aligned and some of the plates bent when inserting the outer tubes. I was able to make it work, but it was not visually appealing.

Major components of the dephlegmator.

I decided to bead blast the interior to remove the oxidation from the inside.

Next will be the final assembly.