Pressure safety valve

Cakicen

Hello all,

Recently finished my first run. One thing confused my mind and i would be glad if you can advice. I have simple pot still 3/8 copper worm condenser system. Just making pure sugar washes.
My main concern is the possible pressure increase in the boiler. I have a pressure cooker boiler. It has safety pressure valve on it. Whenever i open it during the run a "ssssssss" sound comes and vapour leaks out. So i keeped that off. And the maximum temperature was around 100 Celcius when i finished the run. The run was ok, i collected distillate with minimum heat input. It took 4 hours to get 2.35 liters of %48 alcohol from 8 liters of wash.
So if distillate comes from the spout (no blockage) and i don't exceed the max load in boiler, is there a possibility to occur dangerous pressure inside the boiler? It is obvious that if i open the safety pressure valve it would be more dangerous imho. But if I don't open it i always feel bad during run.Is 100-110 Celcius reading on thermometer on top of the lid dangerous or not?
Many thanks in advance.

Demy

You shouldn't have pressure in the boiler (i.e. there will be but it's minimal), are you using a reflux system or a simple pot-still?

ErictheRed

Pressure will not be a factor provided there is no blockage. As you are doing sugar washes only,  that's not a concern.
Your temp will not go over 100 ever. More likely max temp will be 96 to 98 depending on altitude.
Is your boiler an aluminum pot?My fekking eyes are bleeding! Installed BS Filters - better! :D

Cakicen

Simple pot still.

Cakicen

Pressure will not be a factor provided there is no blockage. As you are doing sugar washes only,  that's not a concern.
Your temp will not go over 100 ever. More likely max temp will be 96 to 98 depending on altitude.
Is your boiler an aluminum pot?Hello Eric, thank you. Boiler is SS. Not aluminum. So i dont have to turn on the safety valve? And yes temp Will not go over 98 100 so does it mean there will not be a hidden pressure inside the boiler? Thus this mean the pressure only depends on the temp? Cheers.

Dee-Envy

The pressure should be released through the still itself.  There should be no pressure in the whole system no matter the temperature.
If you have any pressure at all it may indicate a blockage.
Be aware there may be a slight buildup because of "back pressure".  But this is very minimal.

shadylane

I'm confused. What type of safety valve?

Dancing4dan

Copper worm condenser likely isn’t running consistently “downhill” resulting in product pooling in the condenser. The still has to build enough pressure to overcome this liquid. Resulting in some pot / boiler pressure. All it takes is a section of one loop to cause this."What harms us is to persist in self deceit and ignorance"
Marcus Aurelius
Yellow Label... I put that sh#t on everything!

Dancing4dan

One question…. You are not running from your pot (pressure cooker) to your worm condenser through the pressure relief valve are you?"What harms us is to persist in self deceit and ignorance"
Marcus Aurelius
Yellow Label... I put that sh#t on everything!

Sporacle

Another very important check is to make sure that all of your vapor path from the boiler to the end of the product condensor are free from blockages prior to running.
I'm having an issue with wasps at the moment so I plug all my outlets and inlets with copper mesh, remove before I run and check all the pipes are clear.
Good habits

e2dcnoluero.gif

" you can pick your nose and you can pick your friends; but you can't always wipe your friends off on your saddle" sage advice from Kinky Friedman

StillerBoy

There is always a pressure build up in a still, and the amount of pressure buildup is relavant to the the boiler size and the riser size, the smaller the riser size the more pressure is require or built up..
Pressure is a requirement of distilling, it's what pushes the vapors up through the riser in a pot still..
In your situation, having a 3/8" tubing as a riser, requires considerably more vapor built up to push them through..  so to lower the pressure build up, change to a larger riser, something the range of 1/2 - 3/4"..  
Mars" I know quite certainly that I myself have no special talent. Curiosity, Obsession and dogged endurance, combined with self-criticism, have brought me to my knowledge and understanding "
– Albert Einstein

Cakicen

I'm confused. What type of safety valve?This oneAttachments

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Cakicen

No no i run it from the riser. They are different parts.

Cakicen

Thank you. Do you think there is explosion risk? I mean if everything is ok even.

Uncle-Jesse

I've got a 1 lb pressure relief valve at the top of my column. I know it works because a couple of times I've had puke come out of it when I ran things too hot!  

fuuexankn40.gif

If only the best birds sang, the woods would be silent.

Stonecutter

There are definitely risks involved with this hobby. But BBQ-ing brings its own risks as well.
Building model airplanes could get you too. I used to voluntarily pay to essentially stand on a waxed bottom sled and send my drunken happy ass down the side of a mountain as fast as I could.
I have buddies who throw themselves into the ocean at high tide for fun.
If you follow what’s been laid out in this thread and within the forum and continue to keep safety in the forefront you’ll be aight.
Never leave you’re still unattended.
Keep a fresh fire extinguisher around. If you’re using electric elements and controllers for any part the process you should know basic electrical safety.
Ventilate your stillin shack.
Go with your gut. If you think your still is behaving oddly or abnormally stop the run and check it out.Freedom had been hunted round the globe; reason was considered as rebellion; and the slavery of fear had made men afraid to think. But such is the irresistible nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants, is the liberty of appearing.
-Thomas Paine

Metalking00

Im a bit surpised no ones mentioned it yet - when you open that valve and hear your "ssssssss" youre just dumping alcohol vapor into the air, which is bad, and if youre doing it on your stovetop on an open flame is double bad. People go to a lot of effort to make sure their stills dont leak so they dont emit explosive vapors into the air, dont go opening a valve that does the same thing....

NZChris

A pressure cooker is designed to hold pressure, so if you do have a serious problem and are green enough not to recognize the symptoms, you might be about to take a holiday in the Burns Unit.  Thermometers should not be reading much higher than the boiling point of the contents.
Safety valves are ok for steam, but they are not very safe if they are venting hot fuel into your distillery.
Many pressure cookers have food grade seals that are not suitable for use with hot, high proof, ethanol and the many other solvents associated with fermentation and distilling.

Demy

Im a bit surpised no ones mentioned it yet - when you open that valve and hear your "ssssssss" youre just dumping alcohol vapor into the air, which is bad, and if youre doing it on your stovetop on an open flame is double bad. People go to a lot of effort to make sure their stills dont leak so they dont emit explosive vapors into the air, dont go opening a valve that does the same thing....You're absolutely right, we should have mentioned it before.... fair point

Cakicen

Im a bit surpised no ones mentioned it yet - when you open that valve and hear your "ssssssss" youre just dumping alcohol vapor into the air, which is bad, and if youre doing it on your stovetop on an open flame is double bad. People go to a lot of effort to make sure their stills dont leak so they dont emit explosive vapors into the air, dont go opening a valve that does the same thing....Absolutely Metalking,
I keep the valve closed during run. I use open fire and if i keep it open surely the alcohol vapor Will be so bad. But i sometimes open it  for just 2 3 seconds. It is just a psychological thing, a fear. Against possible explosion risk. Cheers

Cakicen

Hi Chris, i never exceed 100 degrees celcius on the thermometer reading. Actually when doing stirring run, temp stays at around 94 celcius for a long time. Cheers

ErictheRed

Suggest that some reading will help to understand what happens in your still, and why you are seeing that "stuck" temp
Start here
viewtopic.php?t=16635My fekking eyes are bleeding! Installed BS Filters - better! :D

shadylane

The pot and safety valve sounds safe enough.
I'd "Highly" recommend bigger tubing than 3/8" for the worm.  

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Better yet, if it's a stove top still, ditch the worn and build a liebig.