tyson

Oud Alchemist
Here is the 50 liter copper still system with a "goldfinger condenser "Tony Bolton even thought of making a venturi shape to instigate precipitation at the top of the condenser, he is currently turning some copper for the ends of the condenser . Distilling this sandalwood will be one of the first projects
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Al Shareef Oudh

Master Perfumer

tyson

Oud Alchemist
ceg style is that a 4 inch?
Yes its all 4 inch tubing and connections, no reduction in flow except right above the condenser for the venturi effect. The condenser has a double stainless steel coil with 1 micron 24k gold coating.The cooling water runs inside the coil and the steam outside the coil but inside the fused quarts tubing . Fused quarts is very very pure and has almost no expansion and contraction .
 
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tyson

Oud Alchemist
Yes all 4 inch tubing and connections, no reduction in flow except right above the condenser for the venturi effect.
@tyson looking great and glad its all taking shape for you. Would you be willing to carry out sandalwood distillations for people if they sent you some wood :p
Yes id be happy to do that . I really enjoy distilling sandalwood . I also really enjoy making attar with it. Ive been searching for some frangipani flowers . Need someone to pick them and dry them in the shade and then send me a few kilos . Frangi/sandal/agar/vanilla/white ambergris has been on my mind lately
 

Al Shareef Oudh

Master Perfumer
Yes its all 4 inch tubing and connections, no reduction in flow except right above the condenser for the venturi effect. The condenser has a double stainless steel coil with 1 micron 24k gold coating.The cooling water runs inside the coil and the steam outside the coil but inside the fused quarts tubing . Fused quarts is very very pure and has almost no expansion and contraction .

One of our pots are a similar configuration, except that it is in Stainless steel and the condenser sits above the pot. what direction is your steam flowing?
 

tyson

Oud Alchemist
One of our pots are a similar configuration, except that it is in Stainless steel and the condenser sits above the pot. what direction is your steam flowing?
Steam rises 12 inches then to the right 12 inches and then is directed downward past the venturi into the vertical condenser . Trying my best to mimic nature's cycle . i wanted to bring over the steam at a min height to capture all the delicate volatiles that can be lost with a high tubing as it prematurely condenses and fall back into the pot this also reduces the temp needed to bring the steam over , capturing all the low temp volatiles , and maximizing plant intelligence 'essence'. First the essential oils are realeased into the water in the copper pot at low temp and then over a series of temp increases ill bring over fractions into the condensor. I have a special impingement jet burner that has alot of control over the temp so i can have many different temps over the course of distilling, if the case of sandalwood ill have 9 different temps. This system is pure red copper 99.99 type m and the copper pot is 3.2mm thick , about 3 times as thick as the hammered copper stills you usually see on the market
 
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F4R1d0uX

Resident Artisan
Steam rises 12 inches then to the right 12 inches and then is directed downward past the venturi into the vertical condenser . Trying my best to mimic nature's cycle . i wanted to bring over the steam at a min height to capture all the delicate volatiles that can be lost with a high tubing as it prematurely condenses and fall back into the pot this also reduces the temp needed to bring the steam over , capturing all the low temp volatiles , and maximizing plant intelligence 'essence'. First the essential oils are realeased into the water in the copper pot at low temp and then over a series of temp increases ill bring over fractions into the condensor. I have a special impingement jet burner that has alot of control over the temp so i can have many different temps over the course of distilling, if the case of sandalwood ill have 9 different temps. This system is pure red copper 99.99 type m and the copper pot is 3.2mm thick , about 3 times as thick as the hammered copper stills you usually see on the market

It's a fantastic set up @tyson :clapping:
With fresh harvested sandalwood roots you think you can reach 4% yield assuming that low temperatures + copper + hydrodistillation ?
 

tyson

Oud Alchemist
Steam rises 12 inches then to the right 12 inches and then is directed downward past the venturi into the vertical condenser . Trying my best to mimic nature's cycle . i wanted to bring over the steam at a min height to capture all the delicate volatiles that can be lost with a high tubing as it prematurely condenses and fall back into the pot this also reduces the temp needed to bring the steam over , capturing all the low temp volatiles , and maximizing plant intelligence 'essence'. First the essential oils are realeased into the water in the copper pot at low temp and then over a series of temp increases ill bring over fractions into the condensor. I have a special impingement jet burner that has alot of control over the temp so i can have 9 different temps over the course of distilling
It's a fantastic set up @tyson :clapping:
With fresh harvested sandalwood roots you think you can reach 4% yield assuming that low temperatures + copper + hydrodistillation ?
Sinking roots im sure would be 4 % and thanks its been along journey from design to finish and only waiting now on tony to finish the coppers ends for the condenser and its finally done
 

tyson

Oud Alchemist
Just finished a kodo ceremony with this sandalwood and its remarkable , such a faint scent but what it lacks in perfumery it makes up for in how it makes me feel a deep euphoria my mind feels expanded and i feel a calm serenity . definitely have to powder this wood and gently heat an deeply inhale at very close range . Then one does not smell it but listen to it , in this way this wood has exceeded my expectation .
 

Al Shareef Oudh

Master Perfumer
Steam rises 12 inches then to the right 12 inches and then is directed downward past the venturi into the vertical condenser . Trying my best to mimic nature's cycle . i wanted to bring over the steam at a min height to capture all the delicate volatiles that can be lost with a high tubing as it prematurely condenses and fall back into the pot this also reduces the temp needed to bring the steam over , capturing all the low temp volatiles , and maximizing plant intelligence 'essence'. First the essential oils are realeased into the water in the copper pot at low temp and then over a series of temp increases ill bring over fractions into the condensor. I have a special impingement jet burner that has alot of control over the temp so i can have many different temps over the course of distilling, if the case of sandalwood ill have 9 different temps. This system is pure red copper 99.99 type m and the copper pot is 3.2mm thick , about 3 times as thick as the hammered copper stills you usually see on the market

thanks for the explanation, and as others have said the setup looks great! You may already know this, but i will share it for the benefit of others, my couple recommendation for what you are trying to achieve would be a more upright pot than the spherical pot. The roofing effect that the upper part of the sphere has, itself causes some of the premature condensation that you were referring to, especially with high grade copper. 4inch on 50 litres is very generous and it wont allow much pressure to build creating a temperature variance due to the lack of back pressure, which again can contribute to a cooler top of the pot vs bottom. A simple way to over come this is to insulate the upper part of the pot above the waterline so that the temperature of the top of the pot remains high enough not to allow condensation.

The other point to keep an eye on is the distance the steam is travelling before it reaches the first ring of the cooling coils and having enough flow to ensure the oil doesn't clog on the coils.

good luck and keep us posted!
 

tyson

Oud Alchemist
thanks for the explanation, and as others have said the setup looks great! You may already know this, but i will share it for the benefit of others, my couple recommendation for what you are trying to achieve would be a more upright pot than the spherical pot. The roofing effect that the upper part of the sphere has, itself causes some of the premature condensation that you were referring to, especially with high grade copper. 4inch on 50 litres is very generous and it wont allow much pressure to build creating a temperature variance due to the lack of back pressure, which again can contribute to a cooler top of the pot vs bottom. A simple way to over come this is to insulate the upper part of the pot above the waterline so that the temperature of the top of the pot remains high enough not to allow condensation.

The other point to keep an eye on is the distance the steam is travelling before it reaches the first ring of the cooling coils and having enough flow to ensure the oil doesn't clog on the coils.

good luck and keep us posted!

Wonderful suggestions, i can tell you have alot of experience,and am absorbing your wisdom . Are you familiar with https://www.facebook.com/jack.chaitman he only works with round flasks and talk alot about how everything circulates/flows better within them . He is who i got the pot from . I have indeed been thinking of jacketing the top of the pot and the tubing bringing the steam over but your words reinforce that that should be done . The still being modular ill play with the distance to the cooling coils and ensure proper flow . Im sure it will take some tweeks but in the end i feel that i can get it right with some practice .
Have a nice evening Al Shareef :)
 

Al Shareef Oudh

Master Perfumer
I hope what I shared was helpful. It is all a journey of knowledge, and bravo to you for taking the journey.

Thanks for the link Tyson. I don't have FB so I had to ask one of my guys if I could borrow theirs to view the content :). Lovely discussion and work by Jack. Related to our topic if you watch some of the videos both in the glass flasks and the copper pots that have viewing glass, you can note the condensation that we are talking about taking place and dripping back into the pot. He does have his condensers vertical though and they are a more 'open' flow upwards and straight walls (no coils) down for the distillate.

I love the fact that he is using thick sturdy copper and he has some decent size systems. The Omani project in particular was close to my heart.
 
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