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This is my homemade "pot still" i made this thing from skimming through a few destill plans i looked up online then i scale them down to a manageable size its my VERY FIRST pot destiller design.
here is an overview the whole thing
here is a closer look at the kettle i used
The entire Destiller is infact empty at the time of these pictures.
here is a closer look at the what i call "The cooling tank"
I used Corks on both ends of the destiller to prevent leaks
I also used tape on the top of the kettle altho im not sure that was a wise choice... maybe it'll cause some toxins in the liquor not sure...
This was a ultra low buget build that would possibly result in some ultra low grade liquer but i decided to take baby step on my very first attempt at making a destiller. Im sure yall have plenty on suggestions and ideas on how to do this "The RIGHT way" and im eager learn on how to improve on my tactics and design. please comment!
Just a souther swamp boy lookin for a little kick in his kidneys.
For a simple wash you can't beat "Wino's Plain Ol Sugar Wash." Look it up in the Tried & True section.
Refilling your boiler isn't going to be any harder with flour paste than it will be with tape. You gotta' re-apply it whichever you use.
Seems to me though that you are going to want to upgrade, or upsize, your rig real soon. I don't know what the capacity of your pot is, but your wash is going to be around 10-12% alcohol and you'll maybe get 100 proof (50%) product. So figure 20% of your pot capacity will come out as liquor. Then you have to dump foreshots, heads and tails and you are back to 10% of your pot capacity as drinkable product. I just think you are going to have to fill that pot a lot of times to get anything worthwhile and that could get old in a hurry.
If you don't want to make a wash just to try the still, you could always go and buy a four litre box of whine and run that through. Cuts - as mentioned earlier - will be a problem, but you will get to see how she works, then you can begin thinking bigger. Not too big mind you.
Most importantly, stay safe.
Simple potstiller. Slow, single run.
(50 litre, propane heated pot still. Coil in bucket condenser - No thermometer, No carbon) The Reading Lounge AND the Rules We Live By should be compulsory reading
thanks for the tips guys and blanikdog ill try that but im already thinking if this works imma try to upgrade my kettle to a 8L pressure cooker from what ive read from other posts stainless steel is the best choice but nobody really explains why... im a guy with very little income and ill most likely recycle the "cooling tank" and ill most def use that rye flour paste before i try to make wine. thx guys. give me your thought on my plan here.
Just a souther swamp boy lookin for a little kick in his kidneys.
Howdy from Arizona, born and raise in Pensacola, Fla. I married a Native American and she can't stand Hurricanes so we live here. Listen to these guys and they will keep you safe. aluminum will pit over time and it is best to go stainless. Get rid of the tape for sure, plastic and glue on tape will dissolve and get in your likker. Wife just picked up a set of stock pots from FingerHut with largest being 22 quarts, I think she said she paid $36.
Edit = Well they were basically $40 and you can find them here: http://www.fingerhut.com/ProductGroup.a ... JZxRMxLAmj" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
I appreciate all the helpful advice yall are givin me and i must say it was a bit unexpected i was not expecting a large helpful community of drunks lol but really thanks yall before i even attempt making liquor imma search the local thrift shops and find the right boiler for me, i was thinking pressure cooker for 2 reasons 1 it has that awsome sealed lid (that should eliminate tape altogether) and 2 its got that pressure regulator on the lid which i hope will fit with my copper tubing. After i find everything i need ill update you guys and give yall some dimensions of the entire rig and yall tell me if its safe of if it could use an update.
Just a souther swamp boy lookin for a little kick in his kidneys.
Pressure cookers often use a silicone gasket, it can dissolve as well. And they usually have a second valve that can leak and you are dealing with a liquid that is highly flammable. I had planned on doing that with a PC but I did some reading and decided against it.
I may be wrong here, so please correct me lads if I am, but I think the coil should be made a bit shorter and wound carefully, so that there is definitely a downward slope all the way through, any slight deviation from a downward slope will cause distillate to collect in the pipe, this will cause a bit of back pressure, and will encourage leaks in your system--- Stainless steel and copper (and flour paste) are the only materials that are definitely safe, most people say that ptfe plumbers tape is ok too----- bear in mind that you will need to distill at least 7 liters of low wines to get a bottle of good drinkable rocket science--good luck !---stay safe!
hey yall ok so ive been looking for a pressure cooker all day and i didnt find one (good thing ive been told) in any thrift shops worth buying, but what i did find was like a blessing i found a huge 50qt reinforced aluminium (i guess means heavy duty) stock pot now ive been told these things bend and warp but for $5 buck who cares im glad i found it or more like it found me. i hit my shin on the damn thing walking past it in an OLD ASS HELL thrift store it was under layers of clothes and i saw a handle and thought maybe its something good. now ive hear that aluminum will pit over time but im sure this badboy will last me a awhile here are a few snapshots of it.
Now here are the dimensions of the glass pot im using as a "Cooling Tank" and the copper tubing im also using. Heat tank is 50qts and its aluminum the Cooling tank is 4qts and is glass the copper tubing is not thicker then a bic plastic pen and is 10ft long (sorry dont have exact size) im guessing imma have to upgrade my whole setup cuz the heat tank is so damn big and im not sure i can use this beast in my kitchen but doing this outside is defiantly not an option i live in a community of old ppl and i dont want them thinking im cooking meth outside and shit so i guess that leaves the garage any suggestions on... EVERYTHING lol from tubing to cooling tank to heat source im a guy with little income ppl so lets get inventive or stone age whatever works...
Just a souther swamp boy lookin for a little kick in his kidneys.
oynutter wrote:I think the coil should be made a bit shorter and wound carefully, so that there is definitely a downward slope all the way through, any slight deviation from a downward slope will cause distillate to collect in the pipe, this will cause a bit of back pressure, and will encourage leaks in your system---
Thanks for the advice nutter i didnt know that, i spun the whole thing by hand and didnt really take my time on it, any ideas on how i could make a consistent downward slop without braking the pipe?
Just a souther swamp boy lookin for a little kick in his kidneys.
RumReapers avatar made me think of this. If your are not from gator country you might not know, if you see a gator in the water and can't tell how large it is and might think it is okay to stay in the water. From nose to eyes in inches is how many feet in length it is.
Hi Rumreaper, if you put small spacers every 5 inches or so down the coil, you can ensure the slope is downward and even--- sorry to put a downer on your plans, but personally, I would be worried about using aluminum---I'm not sure how likely it is to end up in your hooch, but it is definitely a poison in the brain, I wouldn't even use it for cooking myself--- It may be that its unlikely to end up in your drink, but personally I wouldn't risk it----- if you can find a stainless steel pot, then at least you know for sure that it's safe---good luck!
hey nutter i was researching the pros and cons of using aluminum in cookware online and i found volumes of information about how aluminum is bad/good for you but the funny thing was that i also researched stainless steel and found volumes of info saying it was also bad/good for your health, now i know that when you search things online they are usually untrue or expressing they own opinion but i gatta say EVERYTHING MAN MADE IS BAD FOR YOU shit im mean even the sun could kill you so imma just have to trust my gut a go with the aluminum boiler maybe its foolish. here is a link of 1 of the many sites ive visited http://environment.about.com/od/healthe ... okware.htm
Last edited by RumReaper on Fri Nov 19, 2010 5:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
Just a souther swamp boy lookin for a little kick in his kidneys.
Azframer wrote:RumReapers avatar made me think of this. If your are not from gator country you might not know, if you see a gator in the water and can't tell how large it is and might think it is okay to stay in the water. From nose to eyes in inches is how many feet in length it is.
I dont know that saying but id say i would RUN outta the water lol a random guess tho id say every inch from the tip of the nose to the eyes equals to 2ft in gator length.
Just a souther swamp boy lookin for a little kick in his kidneys.
I have a VM still made with a keg and 2" column so am not familiar with the pot still. I need to keep my water cool and am just wondering if you have had a problem with that small of an area on the condenser coil with it heating up. If so I would consider a way to cool the water. Like I said I am not familiar with that small of an operation so it might not be a problem!
RumReaper wrote:hey nutter i was researching the pros and cons of using aluminum in cookware online and i found volumes of information about how aluminum is bad/good for you but the funny thing was that i also researched stainless steel and found volumes of info saying it was also bad/good for your health, now i know that when you search things online they are usually untrue or expressing they own opinion but i gatta say EVERYTHING MAN MADE IS BAD FOR YOU shit im mean even the sun could kill you so imma just have to trust my gut a go with the aluminum boiler maybe its foolish. here is a link of 1 of the many sites ive visited http://environment.about.com/od/healthe ... okware.htm
yeh-- science of it says that heavy metals cannot carry over in the distilling process, so the only issues really are spitting or foaming, durability, and what you do with the backset-- seems some people reuse the wash, but I would be worried about doing that with ali pot---- still--- should be safe enough--- good luck getting it up and running---- I do agree with above post about your cooler tho--- I think a bigger bucket would do a better job, especially when the temp goes up collecting tails
Yea in that small of a container with that new pot you will need to go larger with water container or find a way to circulate new water in, or your water will get to hot.
well ive most def been contemplating an upgrade in a cooling tank and ive spaced out my tubing its now gone from maybe a foot in hight to 3-4ft in hight and i defiantly fixed the downward slope of the of the tubing and im thinking i should place this thing into a garbage tank filled with water and drill a few hole in it... maybe put a cork on the bottom and a hose in the top and when the water is warm ill just pop out the cork and refill as it drains (yeah i think that would work) now ive gone to home depot and found the exact size of the tubing iv had and its a 1/4 of an inch... is that WAY to small or will it concentrate the flow of alcohol and also ive had a hell of a hard time trying to think of a way to seal this aluminum stock pot and still have it able to open when i need to refill it. ive thought maybe if i just weld/smolder the top on drill a hole on the lid (close it with a cork) and refill it that way maybe itll work but then i thought ill need to clean the damn thing eventually so im kinda stuck here and im not the type to give up so any ideas guys? i sure wish i could have a uber pro destiller give me the answer like a nerd during a calculus test LOL.
Just a souther swamp boy lookin for a little kick in his kidneys.
hi rumreaper---Personally, I think 1/4 inch tubing is certainly too small with that pot, it could create back pressure quite easily--- also because, if the tube gets kinked or blocked in any way, you have just made a bomb!!!--- 10mm I think is the smallest you should consider--- although most would say 1/2 inch is the best-- mine is 10mm, and it does work fine--but I have to be very careful not to get any solids in the pot.
Ali is difficult to weld, but if you make a seal with flour paste and have a clamp system or some way to hold the lid down quite firm, that should be fine--- but you will have to test for leaks regular during each run.
