"air cooled"

[Snuffy-ga]

I said once I found a camera I would post a pic of my creation. This budget nugget was made from a stock pot, 1" pipe and some tubing. I had a heck of a time making a hole in the lid so I had to use a silicone pot holder as a gasket. I split the lid handle to give more support for the tower and while I ran the clean out run with vinegar I saw some leakage around the handle rivets. I will have to search the forum for the flour paste recipe. I have built the reflux tower and will try it out as soon as the ice storm is past. I need to get a valve to regulate the water flow. My only concern now is the zinc covered nut inside. Just how much zinc can a guy get anyway?

Can I use an exterior condenser for the tower instead of putting it inside? I cant get the pipe to bend sharp enough. I plan to add some extra 3/8 in pipe to bring the output lower for easier dispensing. Do you see any major flaws?

All ears.

[jholmz]

welcome to the forums ill start you off with a few things the silicone gasket in my opinion shouldnt be used as per rule 8 of the rules we live by. the zink nut is plated when that plating starts to heat up and gets exposed to alcohol vapor it will flake off and you will see it in your drop, then it will start to rust. make sure the handle rivets are stainless a lot of those pots have aluminum rivets. and finally for me the coil you have there i dont believe will be long enough to knock down your vapor using air only, when the coil heats up it will take more than air to keep it cool and youll have vapor escaping. good luck to you and dont get discouraged theres just better things to use out there. stay safe

[Snuffy-ga]

After reading this post I told myself that I definitely need to get rid of the zinc nut. I also said (to myself) "Where are these rules to live by?" So I began a search and the only thing I came up with was other post referring to the one I was looking for. I would love to read them but cant find them. Could you perhaps provide a link?

The coil of tubing I have is only half of the amount I will use. I was previously using old material but the cleaning run I did produced ugly stuff so I decided I would buy new. Paid more than $30 for only 10 ft of copper tube. I have another 10 ft to add to what I have. I will soon be using the Liebig pictured so this will be a moot point.

Thank you for your response. I greatly value your experience and suggestions.

[Prairiepiss]

Rules we live by. There is a link at the top of every page.

[Snuffy-ga]

Thanks, I looked at this but it really did not answer my questions. I felt a little dense when I realized what was being referred too. I dont intend to use any plastics or anything like that anyway. I had some questions regarding mason jar lids and have been reading the post about that. I see that any non metal has an abundance of opinions.

[Prairiepiss]

More like anything other then copper and stainless. For a still. Glass and stainless for storage.

[Snuffy-ga]

More like anything other then copper and stainless. For a still. Glass and stainless for storage.

Been looking at this and considering everything.
I know a bunch of guys that store product in plastic jugs from distilled water, and I have some commercial products, (Evan Williams and others) that package their products in plastic bottles. Almost all store bought whiskey, bourbon, vodka and other products are sold in plastic and all have plastic caps. How can we say that our distillates are not safe in a mason jar or in a bottle with a plastic cap? Why all the controversy? I can see if we intend to age something for a year or so but most of what we produce is consumed within a couple of months.

[Prairiepiss]

Alcohol will start breaking down plastics immediately. Use a plastic hydrometer test jar. For testing high proof alcohol. And see what happens. It won't last long at all. Ok don't try it unless you plan to throw the test out. And clean up the mess.

We as a whole would just like to see this hobby carried out the safest way possible. And that doesn't include storing any alcohol in used milk jugs.

How many top shelf spirits do you see in plastic bottles? None. I wonder why? Every other product in the world. Is not sold in primarily plastic containers. But yet the spirit industry still utilizes glass. Except for the cheaper bottom shelf crap for the most part. So if its so good. Why hasn't all the other spirit manufactures gone with plastic?

Sory I'm about to be blunt here.

Someone coming here posting a questionable still design. And to follow up with the plastics thing. Starting make you look like a troll. I will give you the benefit of the doubt. And assuming you just haven't really done enough research here. To know what this may look like to the rest of the forum. It's very easy to get a thread sideways. Then people get their feelings hurt. And it just turns ugly. I'm hoping you really want to learn. And do the proper thing.

[MadMasher]

Air is 784 times less dense than water. Its just not effective to use it as cooling unless you want a large radiator with fans on your still. Some have made a radiator to cool their water for the condenser. This makes much more sense to me if having enough water is a problem. For me, 1 - 5 us gallon flake stand does 2 stripping runs no problem. The more copper you got in the water the better.
Ditch the gasket from a baking sheet and use PTFE tape around cardboard and flour paste is just flour and water.

[Snuffy-ga]

the silicone gasket is history. For the rest I was just posing a thought about my observations. I Do see some "booze" in plastics but as I said I am sure they dont stay there long. I am just trying to learn and asking a few questions in the meantime.

I did distill some water with the "air cooled" thing and it tasted good enough to keep. I was wondering about using it for spirits but I can see that it wont do. If I seem a bit dense about things, sorry. I am not trying to undo anything good just trying to be safe and still question everything. This probably wont be the only "troll" like things you may hear from me. Guess I am just stubborn (like my wife tells me).

[jbird1992]

Running water with the air cooled set up wouldn't bother me BUT get some flammable vapor coming out of it and your looking for trouble.


Take two frying pans and get them real hot on the stove..... now put one in front of a fan and the other in the kitchen sink with water in it. That is the difference between air cooled and liquid cooled. The vapor coming out of a running still is SERIOUS business not to take any chances with.

[just sayin]

Snuffy,
Welcome! I visited your post when I saw "air cooked". I knew immediately you would be "guided" as soon as I saw your post. You will be able to make modification to comply with our approved materials list without too much expense or trouble. Your "Air Cooled" still can work as shown, but only if your cut your heat input to balance the heat transfer capacity of your present coil. Ten feet of 3/8" (is that ID or OD?) is not enough to knock down many watts of power. Members here have been successful with air cooled stills but it may have been with 60'+ of 5/8" copper coil over a beefy box fan.

The distillers at this forum are very much interested in your health and safety. The broader picture is given Home Distiller is the "Big Kahoona'" among the plethora of global hobby distillers sites, the crew here have made safety their number one mantra.

Imagine future testimony before the US Senate committee debating an eventual bill to legalize home craft spirits. "Senator So and So, the hobby distilling community, as represented by Home Distiller's Forum are resolute in their commitment to safety, their forum has for more than a decade vigorously enforces their own health and safety rules that meet and more frequently exceed your own Federal requirements for the distillation and packaging of commercially produced spirits currently available to the pubic, your Honor."

When you commit to the "rules we live by" you are bringing our community one step closer to emerging into the sun light in the way our brothers in New Zealand are currently enjoying.

For now, enjoy, don't sell, don't tell.

Just Sayin'

[BentJar]

Well said!

[Snuffy-ga]

love these replies. THAT is how a person learns! I got my answer to the question "any major flaws" LOL.