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Venting propane fired stills for indoor use


scohar

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Hello,

We are in the process of establishing our small distillery. We will be using two propane KAB4 banjo burners (210,000 BTUs ea) to directly fire a 110 gallon "Colonel Wilson" copper still. This is an indoor distillery, so I need to see what options exist for venting the exhaust from the burners. The setup is pretty straightforward: The still rests on an iron fire grate about 24 inches off the floor, the burners sit underneath the fire grate, heating the copper still. The still would be about 7 feet tall, so mounting a hood would be tricky.

Does anyone have any experience with a setup like this?

Thanks,

Scott Harris

Catoctin Creek Distilling Co.

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Scott,

Why don't you brick in the base up to the bottom of the still, mostly enclosing the burner. This also will serve as a way to retain heat reducing fuel consumption. Make a sheet metal pipe flange (or buy one) that will mate with a row of bricks, leaving couple of bricks out near the top creating a hole to mount the flange in/to. Purchase lengths of heat resistant piping and fit it to the flange. Attach a heat resistant vent fan to the opposite end and run it through a door or window.

I attached a picture of our former rustic style still where this was done, albeit not in the best fashion. This design vented above the brick rows through a false copper cap covering the still as the body was a 50 gallon stainless steel drum. That part was perfect, but the flex hose lacked durability and was difficult to maintain. But when we were able to get it assembled it worked!

IMG_2079.jpg

Eric Watson

Master Distiller

Cayman Island Distilleries

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You should check with the local fire marshal about what you can and can't do. I have a colonel wilson still and we are in the process of building a brick and mortar firebox that has an incoming air vent from outside and a flue going up through the roof. Our fire marshal said we had to use low pressure propane indoors, not high pressure tanks like for propane grills, and that it has to have the flame completly separate from the air in the distillery in case of a high proof alcohol spill.

I had the fire grate I got from the colonel cut and welded to make it round and the exact diameter as the still kettle. I also had the legs extended so the base of the still is now around four feet off the floor. We have been making a square brick firebox that will round in to the top of the firegrate and kettle base. We will have relatively air tight seal from insulation around the kettle base, and a tight door in the brick box for access and to see the flame level.

The plan will allow me to take the kettle off the grate for cleaning, and also to be able to pour out the remaining 5 gallons that won't come out through the poorly planned side waste valve.

the still being higher makes it easier to set up the additional condensers that the colonels stills need to function properly.

i'll post photos over the next week or so.

Hello,

We are in the process of establishing our small distillery. We will be using two propane KAB4 banjo burners (210,000 BTUs ea) to directly fire a 110 gallon "Colonel Wilson" copper still. This is an indoor distillery, so I need to see what options exist for venting the exhaust from the burners. The setup is pretty straightforward: The still rests on an iron fire grate about 24 inches off the floor, the burners sit underneath the fire grate, heating the copper still. The still would be about 7 feet tall, so mounting a hood would be tricky.

Does anyone have any experience with a setup like this?

Thanks,

Scott Harris

Catoctin Creek Distilling Co.

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