richard1

I am not 100% in agreement, and YES there is merit for being in attendance BUT for heat up after hours I see lots of Pros and almost zero Cons.

Provided that you have all of your automated safety interlocks in place as well as low level monitoring and together with a maximum pre-heat up temperature this can not be an issue.

I have heating interlocks which include low level monitoring, kettle temperature monitoring, monitoring of outlet coolant water temperature as well as excessive RC vapour temperature.  A manual kettle basically has almost none of the above.

I put it to all, ........... less chance will happen here with an automated kettle by comparison to that of a manual kettle.  In fact there is more danger with a manual operation than that of an automated system.

Sorry give me a correctly automated still any day over that of a manul one.

The PT100 is generally of stainless steel construction and has a diameter of 6mm.  This is perfect to insert by itself without pocket.  The PT100 is held in position with a compression fitting for perfect sealing.

I would not consider use of a thermowell.  The PT100 which can fit into the thermowell is initself sealed ... well generally it is and so this is sufficient for your use.

The thermowell is basically a protection pocket for the PT100.

The comment as to why I would not use the thermowell is because you will have temperature inacuracies due to delayed heat transfer through the pocket.

14 hours ago, indyspirits said:

Other than cost,  why on earth would anyone not go with steam, or at the very least bain marie?  I can think of no other benefit other than cost. Not one.  Someone help me understand

I am of the opinion that with steam, you do not have as exacting temperature control together with response as compared to electrical elements.  More importantly so, I am do not have steam and nor an I planning to install a steam generator.

With the Bain Marie, you do not get the Maillard reaction.

14 hours ago, Southernhighlander said:

All of the stills that we currently sell to distilleries have wall thickness that are good for at least 25 psi before they rupture (some of our inner pots are good for over 100PSI) and they have 5psi pressure relief valves on the pot

My wall thickness is substantially thicker than Chinese imports.  The boiler is 3mm throughout.  I only use stainless steel fittings so with respect to my SS pressure relief I have an option of either using adjustable down to 0 bar or the fixed unit which I am presently favouring because it functions both as safety over pressure at 1 bar (a little too high) as well as vacuum safety.  I further am comfortable with the latter because I have additionally internal presure monitoring within the kettle via the PLC / pressure transmitter and this is furter interlocked with both heating and kettle functioning.

14 hours ago, Southernhighlander said:

Is your new build compliant with all of the rules for the class 1 division 2 hazardous environment?  One of the biggest mistakes that is made is having a control panel that has a cooling fan to pull air into the panel to cool the SSRs

Yes, but I have concerns.

The control panel is intended to be at least +5m away from still.  I am not using the baby SSR's as everyone uses where you can stick the cooling fins external to the panel but rather a large single 30A unit for the three phases and for sure this is going to get warm.  This unit is equipped with monitoring and other features.  So the jury is presently out on cooling and hence the proposed distance.

The only control sitting on the still is the HMI.  The entire still control and its heating manipulation will be from this HMI.

4 hours ago, Silk City Distillers said:

30% alcohol at 113 F is equally as flammable as 85% alcohol at 74 F.

Once you've gotten into heat-up, there is no difference in the flammability of the two liquids, one simply contains more fuel than the other.

Interesting comment above.  Some still suppliers have a fast ageing process where a finished distilled product and depending on the product, may be re-heated up and maintained in the still to about 60 Deg C (140 F) and simultaneously fast agitated (95% - 100%) of agitator speed through a VSD for up to 6 days.

The intent of this 6 days fast agitation process is meant to leave the product in a more aerated and mellow condition and is further considered to be up to the equivalent of a two year ageing process when done in a barrel (obviously not wood flavours).

It's desperately easy to wire a basic system with interlocked level and heating.  I guess it's all about available money and or not knowing better.

In my new build for an automated 500L direct fired still, its all PLC controlled with interlocked level and pressure.

I do not know if this deserves the appropriate reply.

A quick query on your cracked malt that you used.........

Surely it was not milled fine enough i.e. basically flour.  I say this because;

1. The finer you mill it the more flavour is realised
2. You have no lauter tun so are not worried about blockage of a false bottom
3. You no doubt will be fermenting and distilling on the grain

@DonMateo As a matter of interest, what dollar excise do you pay on a 750ml bottle of spirits in Argentina

Very nice video.  Waiting on edge of stool for episodes 2 & 3.

I was a bit slow with Panoramix trying to figure that one out.  Still read these today.  Brilliant stuff.

Thought you might like this .... someone's beer in SA.

Makes me sh*t scared and thankful that I am not in that part of the world.

Not sure I am with the sarcasm, but it makes one think a bit. 

Okay so profitability is linked to machine occupancy.  You can get your own unit cost down for yourselves whilst paying off the plant and trying to maximise selling price.  if you have a large still, presently bigger than what you need for yourselves, then this to me makes sense.

But what if you wish to make whiskey or whatever from a mix as above from say 8% wash to 60%, well then this then allows someone without still infrastructure to simply barrel it with you having done the basic work.  This has to be interesting and for sure will have a more premium price than simply doing GNS.

Sample of butt weld welding waiting on final pickling cleaning.

Just a correction ... on thin walled SS to SS, a root and cap is not done if a competent welder is doing the welding.

Same scenario with the Edrometer.  Bloody good price though.

Pricey but looks nice and will get the job done.

You will need some engineering requirements to do that.... driiling, 4.5mm flat plate and finally welding of a SS nut to such plate and leg.

Possibly easiest is to just pack underneath the leg with square thin plates unitl level

Any news on your whisky movie , ....mashing and fermenting  ....that you promised some time back ??

@Odin

Posted February 5

Was an interesting read.

But this also brings in to question the negatives of using copper in the cooling section.  Years gone back it was understandable as to why copper was used.

So with SS shell & tube condensers .....Taking it a step further with the time of cooling being considered, this means that cooling water entry ought then always be in "counter flow" in both RC and PC.  Everyone generally does "counter flow" in PC but do "with flow" in the RC because of rising air bubbles in the cooling water.

It also potentially means wrt extending cooling time within PC of slowing down flow and extending PC length.

A slightly different angle on this regarding agitator shaft sealing; ..... 

I see people using PTFE bushes, followed with carbon packing and then .......and then I see another just using a wiper / scraper seal (as for front of a pneumatic cylinder).

Comments on just using a wiper / scraper seal because internal pressure within the still is so low and furthermore this is such an easy way to seal a shaft.

Another angle, .. try not to exceed 2.5 bar.g at the sprayball otherwise you will start to atomise.  Based on this you can work backwards wrt the pump and its available flow rate.

Are you running full power once at temp and are you agitating continuously ??

Air cleaner is fine BUT I feel that the biggest problem is from dust and storage.

Dust will require a liquid rinse but storage is another issue.  Have bottles been bulk stored outside (damp and moisture), what are the dividing boards between bottles.  If plastic, fine but if cardboard or masonite, then mould is or may be an issue.