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steam jacket or coil?


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So I am at the stage where I need a new boiler I am going with steam... what is better a coil or a steam jacket (modified jacketed tank with a 3 3/8" hollow between the inner tank and the outer shell the shell is thick stainless and can take the pressure.

 

what is better? what are your opinions?

 

Workpress

 

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Steam jackets are typically the standard for heating once you get into larger equipment. They work well, and when insulated well, will hold their heat for a long time, which is great for mashing/distilling.

Typically the steam jackets attached to the boilers are not that thick, is this a custom built still?

What size boiler/equipment are you upgrading to?

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it is a modified stainless pressure vessel at 1300L  the inner walls are a bit thinner than 3/8'' thick and the outer skin is a bit more than 1/16'' or so I believe it will hold the pressure on my low pressure steam boiler. I am also planning in making a 12" column to go on top with 6 plates....

 

workpress

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35 minutes ago, Workpress said:

it is a modified stainless pressure vessel at 1300L  the inner walls are a bit thinner than 3/8'' thick and the outer skin is a bit more than 1/16'' or so I believe it will hold the pressure on my low pressure steam boiler. I am also planning in making a 12" column to go on top with 6 plates....

 

workpress

What was it originally designed for? It sounds like its made out of some thick material, but without a certified rating for pressure, your AHJ might take issue with it. Whats the total size of all your equipment and your boiler size? Getting that sized correctly can save a bunch of time and money for most people.

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2 hours ago, Kindred Spirits said:

What was it originally designed for? It sounds like its made out of some thick material, but without a certified rating for pressure, your AHJ might take issue with it. 

No certification is required for vessels that operate at less than 15 psi because they are not considered pressure vessels.  Vessels that operate at more than 15 PSI are considered pressure vessels and they must have an ASME rating and the ASME codes must be followed by the manufacturer for the construction of such vessels.  However, a 15 psi ASME section VIII safety valve of the proper capacity must be installed on the jacket of the low pressure vessel. 

Workpress:  If you need a 15 PSI ASME safety relief valve of the proper capacity, let me know.  We have them in many sizes.  We also have a huge inventory of parts that you can use to build your column.  Just give me a holler 417-270-0930 and ask for Paul.

 

 

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Workpress,  A good rule of thumb for boiler sizing is 1,000 BTUs of low pressure steam boiler output for each gallon of mash in the pot.  This gives a 1 hr heat up to operating temp time for my stills which I designed in a way that maximizes the heat exchange surface area.  Depending on the design of your vessel and jacket, it may take longer.  500 BTUs of low pressure steam boiler output per gallon of mash will work for a 2 hour heat up time on my stills.  

 

 

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I lucked in finding this tank, it is National board certified with a plate and serial number... F.V. 45 psi 300*F it is a great tank. I will defiantly reach out to you Paul when I am there. as for the boiler,  we have a 35HL brewhouse that it runs so I am confident that it can efficiently heat up the still in no time...

I value the opinions that are given here and i do not have to re invent the wheel, however I have to make a lot of my equipment myself so I want to do it right the first time eh. 

as for the top end currently i have an 8" diameter column that is 6' tall filled with copper  and a dephlag on top, it works well , however it is so tall and my other options are moving the column to the side of the boiler or I was thinking of a 12" 6 plate column... I am still researching what i want and what would work best for me.

 

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@Workpress If you ever would like to talk any of the engineering of it through, or anything else, be sure to let me know. 

I am formally trained as a mechanical engineer and love helping with designs and distillery planning.

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