hi all, advise on pot

[will_2012]

Hi to all on here
I,m a newbie to all this distilling and was looking to construct my first still I have been researching on google and youtube for a couple of months
to save time and money on making a copper pot from scratch would it be possible to use a domestic copper water heater tank (I have been offered a new one for £80 still in packaging)
as it also has the coil inside it that would double as a worm once removed.
thanks in advance and sorry if this is hard to read writing is not my forte lol
will

[Coyote]

Do yourself a big favor and now that you have found
Home Distillers

READ Read read READ

All of your questions can be answered if you are willing to read the parent site
at least twice and then spend 50 to 100 hours reading these forums.

The wealth of knowledge here is amazing and you will find all the help you will ever need,

HOWEVER,

Most folks round here except you do to your own research before asking a lot of newbee questions.

This is NOT a hurry up hobby. Don't rush and you will have a more harmonious out come.

Welcome and safe stillin'

Coyote

[will_2012]

cheers for the reply I'll be reading up on here as soon as i have the chance but was wondering if its worth bothering with the copper tank if there is any problems with these before i do anything with it
cheers
will

[Coyote]

Must be copper not brass

Must be soldered with lead free solder

Test the solder with lead test kit available at your local hardware store

Coyote

[Soldat Louis]

If it's new and made in the last 20 years (lead free), it's a bargain.
I just bought a used water heater tank, with the coil in it. But I had to spend a few hours cleaning it up.
You might not be able to remove the coil without cutting it (it's been installed before final closing of the tank).
The pros of a water tank are that all in/out plugs are already here (for drainage, mash pumping, thermometer, etc.) and if not used can be fitted with plugs (to be used later or not).

That's the one I bought a few days ago, currently undergoing some changes

And it would make no sense to have a water heater tank in brass (it's heavy and average thermal conductivity). You'll have some brass fittings on it, and it's not a problem, they're all food grade anyway (on a water tank)

[Bayou-Ruler]

welcome aboard.

[will_2012]

thanks for the help everyone. think i'll get a lead solder test kit and remove the brass purely because i'm paranoid lol

[Soldat Louis]

Again, you won't have lead in solders made recently. Think about it, what manufacturer in his right mind would use lead solder in a water heater tank ?

[myles]

UK domestic tanks are very thin - less than 0.5mm - and use the insulation to provide rigidity. Also the outside of the copper has a strange coating that tastes and smells real bad if you try to abrade it off

That said the internal coils are usefull, and there are ways to stiffen the thin copper by adding in soldered seams. The top and bottom domes are very strong, spun copper in a heavier weight copper, and are worth salvaging even if you dont use the thin copper walls. There are a few examples where the cylinder has been shortened to make a nice pot boiler. They do have potential but think carefully about how you intend to heat the boiler, the thin copper won't like gas very much.