distiller insulation

I like your project.


At the risk of sounding ghetto, aluminium foil?

>>1019645
Not really ghetto, aluminum foil is a common solution with lab glass. Wrap it so that it hinders convection as well.

>>1019554
If you want something fancy and permanent, mineral or ceramic wool would work as well.

>>1019645
This is pretty much how it's done on a lab scale. Usually wrapping the distillation head (the y-shaped bit above the flask) is sufficient.

>>1019554

Are you not using water to cool your condenser?

Your still (in the reflux column) should reach 150 for a bit while the heads come out, then 175 while the body comes out, then 212 when you run out of body.

If it gets too hot turn down your cooker.

What mash recipe are you using?

>>1019744
>What mash recipe are you using?

This could be the dude who wanted to distill water.

>>1019554
Armaflex would be my first choice if the temperature is likely to rise above 80 degrees celsius. otherwise just use cheap camping mattresses and tape.

I am sorry I was not clear. I need to insulate the cooker because it is losing heat and I pay for hydro. Water is free, so yes, this water cooling condenser.
Any solutions are appreciated, ghetto or not. I was born in Russia and don`t care about 'ghettyness' of things ;)
I use just sugar for mash, I believe it gives less ugly stuff like methanol and heavy spirits.
There is temperature controller on the pic. It shows 74, setup is 77. It works like in cycles. Takes time to warm up the sensor and then cool down. Maybe when I`ll finally get my thermoelement from china it will work more evenly but now I have only regular heater from a stovetop.
So, working range is 74-84.
The main idea I can leave it safe w/o supervision. It takes all night to get a liter or 34oz of 60%vol ethanol.
Speaking of insulation, I am thinking about material made of foil glued to rockwool of some sort. I do not know wat is it called and can I use it in my project.

>>1019650
In my lab every vessel is covered w/ foil. I do not touch anything but my computer and do not know what is it for. Dustproofing?

>>1019744
>150
>175
>212
I presume those are in F, my good sir?
It was my next question, which temperature do I need. I can set up needed temperature on my controller. It took about 12 hours to get a quater of gallon at 170, but it rises and falls every minute. It jumps from 165 to 185 every time.

>>1019645
>>1019650
>>1019651
Aluminum is used in lab because it's cheap and easy to apply. And also cheap.
It is not the most efficient insulator, especially since it's a metal. (It does prevent air flow and traps a layer of air, so it's better than nothing.

>>1021113
Remember simple physic. Use something that makes sense.

>>1021114
I just wrapped the cooker with my sweater and it works good enough. I had concerns about fire and safety but plywood under the heater just a bit warm. Thermo chip from eBay works nice and will disconnect circuit if something go wrong.

>>1021133
You could use a fire blanket instead if you're worried about a fire, but I doubt it could get hot enough to ignite your sweater. I didn't follow your original thread.
One way you could make it better is by wrapping the sweater with aluminum foil to isolate the inside air (inside the sweater) from the outside.

>>1021137
Good point, thank you.
The system has only the cooker and two feet of pipe in common w/ my original thread so I don`t care to talk about here. Ir had air cooling and actually was a big chunk of shame.
Thermochip makes huge difference and the system generally runs itself.

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Meet the Sam-O-Gon v.2.1
Copper pipe is just holding the condenser. It swivels at the elbow and I can move condenser back and forth.

You could try a boiler jacket mate. I'm not sure it might be too hot.

>>1021249
Are you britbro? Gogle gives me UK websites only.
Anyway, thanks, now I can explain what I want to that slacks in Home Depot

Any idea for a bigger boiler?
System works fine and I can solve the problem w/ the too powerful heater. And it takes about a week to still my three 5gal mash bottles. If I can get something like 10-15gal boiling tank I can leave it for a couple of days.
Mayby I can use real hot water tank / boiler?

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I am thinking to use a 5 gallon fuel tank. I can put heater on one side and make a hole in other.

>>1020713
>put cooker inside bucket
>fill bucket with sand
>?????
>profit

>>1022413
sounds good.
maybe foam instead of sand
thinking about insulated hot water tank

>>1021248
Looks aight.

How much do you trust your creation not to distil you some acetone?

>>1019554
For such low temps you can use normal fiberglass. Just wrap it around and wrap that in aluminum foil.

>>1021248
This is a pretty shitty idea. Don't leave the alcohol on open air, it will evaporate.

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>>1019554
I just want to say that I work for an industrial insulation company. We insulate the exact thing you're talking about but on a much bigger scale. Boilers and distillation towers. We first cover the vessel in an insulation called Pyrogel and then wrap that with stainless steel flashing. The attached pic is what it looks like when completed.

>>1019645

How about foil with layers of cardboard, paper, foam, or something between?

Pipe insulation?