Southernhighlander

I'll see what I can find out and get back to you Monday.

On off solenoid valves are great for fermenter jacket cooling however they can cause surging when used for coolant flow control for a still's condensers. Proportional valves with PLC control work well for controlling condenser coolant flow but that can be expensive. A really simple and inexpensive way to control condenser coolant flow is a thermostatic Danfoss valve. No energy source or controller is needed for a thermostatic valve and the valve operates in a proportional manner. If you are interested in Thermostatic Danfoss valves just let me know. paul@distillery-equipment.com Most of the German still builders use Danfoss thermostatic valves.

We have Stainless Steel IBC totes and blending tanks with explosion proof agitators. Shoot me out an email and I will get you a quote. paul@distillery-equipment.com

Yes, we can certainly fabricate a gin basket for your still. Macerating the botanicals and putting them in the still pot will also work.

There are a few different ways including using sanitary tri clamp spools with a cap at one end and a valve at the other that are under vacuum that can be connecting to the still by a ball valve on the still so that a sample can be pulled from a closed system. Alexander Alex_Sor has a design for small stills where a different type of pump is used to pull vacuum on the still through an open system so that condensation occurs outside of vacuum. He gave me the basic design but I have never built one. His design solves the issue of needing a very expensive lab chiller for condensation. In a closed system where high vacuum is pulled so that the boiling point of ethanol is reduced to 80 degrees F the condensing temp is so low that a lab chiller that chills to -30 to -40 C is typically used and this adds a lot of expense and energy usage on the cooling side. I like to pull just enough vacuum to lower the boiling point of ethanol to 155 degrees F so that hot water can be used to heat the still and 35F to 53F coolant can be used in the condenser.

Whiskey Tango has it right. Gin basket, Condenser on hearts collection tank and two compartment tank for heads and tails.

Some photos of equipment that we have completed in the last few weeks.

You will need a mash tun that can handle the solids and fermenting and distilling with the solids left in will be the most efficient way to do it. If you would like a quote on a full set of equipment email paul@distillery-equipment.com and or call 417-270-0930 and ask for Pau

We have just what you need. Email me paul@distillery-equipment.com, or call 417-778-6908 or 417-270-0930. https://distillery-equipment.com/45 gallon Still.htm

VFD drives that convert from single phase to 3 phase are better options than phase converters for agitator and pump motors. A VFD gives you variable speed and reversing capabilities and phase converters do not. Our mash pumps and agitators come with VFD drives. Here is something very important to consider when looking at stills: Make sure that the still has an agitator that has a UL listed explosion proof motor. A CE listed explosion proof motor does not meet US requirements, even the European made CE listed ones. A dead give away that the motor is not UL listed is if it has a big EX on the motor's electrical enclosure. Due to the fact that many times mash pumps are used inside the C1D2, we also put UL listed explosion proof motors on our mash pumps. We put them on our CIP pumps as well. Also make sure that you have a good understanding of the class 1 division 2 hazardous environment, including the size and requirements of that area around stills, when you are looking at potential spaces for your distillery. Also, keep in mind that if you are going to store bulk ethanol in your distilleriary you will need to have a room with fire rated walls which is really expensive. A way around that is to simply store bulk ethanol outdoors in a properly UL listed stainless vessel if possible. We have those UL listed storage vessels in many different sizes. Also make sure that all of the safety valves on the still have the proper ASME ratings. The Chinese duel purpose pressure relief/vacuum relief safety valves are not up to code here in the US. Also make sure that the company that you are buying your still from will supply you with complete specification sheets that will give the powers that be what they require and all of your contractors all of the information that they need for proper installation, as some vendors do not supply any of that kind of documentation. If you would like a fire and safety drawing showing the C1D2 around stills with all pertinent codes imbedded in the drawing, just email me paul@distillery-equipment.com. I'm also glad to send you a sample set of specification sheets which will give you a good idea of what you should expect from a distillery equipment vendor.

A phase converter will not help with an electric heating system. You will draw the same single phase amps with or without the phase converter when firing immersion heaters.

A phase converter is not necessary for our agitators or pumps. Being limited to single phase power is not an issue. We supply VFDs for all of our 3 phase agitator and mash pump motors that will run them from a single phase or 3 phase power supply (we do not utilize any single phase motors). The VFDs are necessary for variable speed and reversing capabilities, so phase conversion is just an added bonus. Many of our customers do not have 3 phase power so we supply electric heating systems in either 3 phase or single phase on all of our Baine Marie and direct fired electric stills. My manufacturing facility here in MO is in a rural area where there is no 3 phase. We have two 1,000 amp single phase services at our facility, so getting enough single phase amps to fire large stills is certainly doable. Ideally a location with 3 phase power and natural gas is best however, it is certainly not necessary. The largest whiskey/bourbon distillery in VA runs our stills, mash tuns and agitated fermenters and they have neither 3 phase power nor natural gas. They run their ten million BTU low pressure steam boiler off of propane and the stills we sold them come standard with VFDs. There is a distillery here in MO that purchased four of our 500 gallon Baine Marie stills. They use electric heating systems to fire the four 500 gallon Baine Marie Ultra Pro Vodka stills and they are some of our most successful customers. The largest electric Baine Marie still that we have sold was 800 gallons. The customer that purchased it has an old factory with a very large industrial 480 volt service and the power was incredibly cheap and there was no natural gas in the vicinity, so the 800 gallon electric still was exactly what he needed. I always suggest a natural gas fired low pressure steam boiler and of course we sell steam boilers, however real world situations determine different needs for different folks and we are here to do our best to fill whatever needs the customer has, no matter how unique. If enough vacuum is pulled in a still to lower the boiling point of ethanol by 20 to 30 degrees f, hot water becomes a very viable heating alternate that gives fast run times. If the customer needs an electric still with on board steam generation, the open system pressurization module (OSPM) that I invented will give them that. If the customer wants to fire their still with a wood or oil fired hot water boiler that is not a problem. If you need a vacuum still that will distill at 80 degrees F using a commercial hot water heater as the heat source that is not a problem either. If you need a 2500 gallon pot still that will put out 75 gallons of white dog per hour, we can build it and in fact have now built several of them. If someone needs a small cracking column to refine crude oil, I have designed and built them as well as equipment for unique processes such as turning algae into fuel. If you find a location that you really like that is not ideal in some ways, let me know and we will see if we can fit your needs at that location in both a cost effective and efficient manner.

Low pressure should give you enough as well, as long as you increase the line size from the meter.

If bulk alcohol is being stored then just put it outside in storage tanks with the proper UL listing and no firewall is needed. Of course that is not possible for everyone but where it is possible it saves tens of thousands of dollars.

Run time with our 250 gallon still, with one of our properly sized Rite boilers, can be as little as 4 hours including heat up. I would never do a whiskey run that fast but the still will do it, if that's what you want. It would only take 10hrs if you ran an undersize boiler because of an inadequate gas supply but a 1/2" or 3/4" line at medium or high pressure will give you way more than enough gas for the faster run time. You could run a 600 gallon pot still off that with no issues. More than 500 of our stills are in distilleries across the US. Our fastest non vacuum pot stills put out 75 gallons of whiskey per hour and cost less than continuous column stills with the same production. Our vacuum stills will do stripping runs in as little as 1.5 hrs from start to finish. Most of our customers purchase full sets of equipment from us including, the still, CIP system, steam boiler, chiller, mash tun, fermenters, mash pumps, high proof pumps, receiving tanks, proofing tanks and blending tanks. The electrical systems on our stills, are built in house here in the US. Our agitators, and pumps have US made explosion proof motors. If you would like a quote just give me a holler. 417-270-0930 or email paul@distillery-equipment.com. Thanks and good luck with whatever you decide.

Our 105 gallon Standard Series pot stills have 6" columns and will give you the production that you need and the price is outstanding. They have a 22kw heating system, so the Amp draw is less than 92 amps at 240v single phase. Or we have 250 gallon pot stills with boilers that are propane fired. Can you have a propane tank at any of the spaces that you are looking at? What size are the gas services at these spaces? For one of our 250 gallon Pro Series pot stills you could run a boiler with only 125,000 BTUs of low pressure steam boiler output for a 2 hour heat up time or twice that for a 1 hour heat up time. It doesn't take a lot of gas to produce 125,000 BTUs. We could reduce the natural gas boiler size even more for a 3hr heat up time and you could still complete your run in around 10hrs and even a small natural gas service will do the job. Or if it is allowed you could fire the still with a wood fired or diesel fuel fired hydronic boiler. I could build you a vacuum still that would distill at 155F using 190F hot water that would give you a fast heat up and run time. There are lots of options. We can discuss it on here or you can call me at 417-270-0930. I think the most important questions currently is the size of the gas services and whether propane tanks are allowed.

We have tube in shell mash coolers in stock. Call 417-778-6100 and ask for Susan or email susan@distillery-equipment.com

We have just what you need. email paul@distillery-equipment.com or call 417-778-6908

Different situations require different agitators. What spirits will you be producing? Will your stills have direct heat or indirect heat? What size stills will you be building?

If you are willing to purchase a still other than a Vendome we are glad to give you some quotes. We also have mash tuns, pumps, fermenters, receiving tanks, blending tanks, steam boilers etc. We have over 450 stills in distilleries from 45 gallons to 2,500 gallons. We are known for our quality customer service and price. We have hundreds of references. https://distillery-equipment.com/index.htm paul@distillery-equipment.com 417-778-6908

Sorry, we were snowed in today. Give Susan a call tomorrow at 417-778-6100 between 7:00 AM and 2:30 PM central time except for lunch 12:00 to 12:30 or email her susan@distillery-equipment.com or email me paul@distillery-equipment.com Thanks.

Below are some three dimensional drawings of one of our 2500 gallon systems complete with still, mash tun and fermenters. This still will put out 75 gallons of white dog per hour. We have sold several of these 2500 gallon systems with the oldest being in operation for over 3 years now. This customer ordered four complete systems that will put out over 300 gallons of white dog per hour. Pics of the completed systems coming in January.

Are you liquefying your mash?

We have the hoses and clamps that you need. call 417-778-6100 Monday and ask for Susan. She can quote you for what you need.

As far as cooling water for condensers and crash cooling mash, wells are the way to go if the water is below 60F. I have advised several customers who were in rural areas to dig a well instead of buying a chiller because wells are generally much less expensive to put in place and to operate than the chiller.