First Pot Still Run

Many like to post about a first successful ferment (or first all grain mash), or first still built/bought or first good run of the still. Tell us about all of these great times here.
Pics are VERY welcome, we drool over pretty copper 8)

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C2H5O5
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First Pot Still Run

Post by C2H5O5 »

Back in September 2016 I posted asking about Running a LM Reflux (Nixon Stone Offset) as a potstill.
At that time I knew that you should use the right tool for the job, but it isn’t always an option. And I am sure many of us have used a hammer as a multi tool. :shock:

I got away with it barely, but then I switched to SPP in the column and new that I had to build a pot still for stripping.
http://ww.homedistiller.org/forum/viewt ... 15&t=63198

Shortly after I started drilling the forum with questions, I didn’t get many replies from this post so I just kept reading on this forum as well as others.
http://ww.homedistiller.org/forum/viewt ... 16&t=63126

In October I was researching the Liebig.
http://ww.homedistiller.org/forum/viewt ... 87&t=63415


I knew what I wanted and there were a lot of opinions on how to build a pot still and Liebig, although there were a bunch of different opinions on the build, they were all basically the same.

Over time I acquired what was needed to build a pot still, I had plenty of time to research and collect parts, this is a seasonal hobby that I do in the fall every year and I was done for the year already. (Fall 2017 will be my 4th season)
20161018303 (Custom) - Copy.jpg



The Build

Plus since my brother is a pipe fitter, he loves this stuff and can get bits and pieces here and there, this build cost me two hose fittings and a 2” connection to the keg.
20170304507 (Custom) - Copy.jpg
20170304502 (Custom) - Copy.jpg
20170304508 (Custom) - Copy.jpg



When I measured out what I wanted, my goal was to have the 2” riser tall enough to work the union at eye level, the second measurement was for the liebig to be long enough to reach a low table and since I run propane I wanted the burner a safe distance from the table.
20171010200 (Custom) - Copy.jpg
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Here is what I ended up with.
  • 27” riser
  • 64" Liebig ¾ over ½ w/10 gauge copper wire turbulator.
  • 50" water jacket
  • 64” 3/16" flattened copper tubing for vapor tube
  • 2” union
Last edited by C2H5O5 on Thu Oct 12, 2017 4:47 am, edited 2 times in total.
"Carrots may be good for your eyes, but Booze will double your vision"

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Still Life
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Re: First Pot Still Run

Post by Still Life »

Good planning in your build has made a nice set up.
That oughta whack it down good.
C2H5O5
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Re: First Pot Still Run

Post by C2H5O5 »

Part 2 because I can only upload 6 images at a time :D
Fast forward to September 2017




Wash

I started three batches of Rads all bran in 20 gallon rubbermaids, probably about 16 gallons in each and basically just let it sit for a month. Every weekend seemed to be booked
This gives me 4 fully loaded charges.
20171011203 (Custom) - Copy.jpg
20171009101 (Custom) - Copy.jpg


Cleaning

To clean the still I filled the liebig vapor tube with vinegar and then dumped in the boiler, I done the same with the riser.
Added half gallon of vinegar and a gallon of water and ran for an hour.
Dumped and filled with ¾ gallon of some old feints I was saving for this build, cut with water and ran an hour, tossed the cleaning run on some weeds on the patio.




Now onto my runs


The run posted below is actually my second charge, my notes from the first run seemed sketchy and I thought the run times were actually longer than noted so I documented my 2nd charge meticulously.

Here is my first experience with running the pot still this week. I charged the still with 12 gallons of Rads and 1 gallon of some 110 proof whiskey I made last year that was just plain nasty.
  • 13 gallon Charge heat up Start to drip 48 minutes.. (Collection in ½ gallon increments)
  • Unbroken Pencil stream at 52 minutes
  • Thicker swirling stream at 54 minutes
  • 12 minutes
  • 13 minutes
  • 13 minutes
  • 14 minutes
  • Turned up heat and ran another 10 minutes amount minimal 12 oz?
My math was telling me I should have collected a little shy of 2 gallons with the added whiskey but I got almost 2 gallons totally clear. After the the almost 2 gallons of clear I switched to a jar that is for my end runs (cloudy). I dont know why I do this but I do.
20171012200 (Custom) - Copy.jpg

This blew me away, :D 15 minutes to charge the boiler and setup the still
48-52 minutes for heat up
64 minutes to collect
Shutdown to cool and drain the next day.
So basically I setup, ran and was cleaned up in less than 2.5 hours, I have 2 charges left till I can start my low wines through the Reflux.

I still have two charges left and some wine and limoncella to rerun
My first run I recycled a gallon of nasty, nasty :sick: , orange dreamsicle and some limoncella, I spent a lot of time making the limoncella :x
My last two charges have a gallon of a "feints" divided between the four 6 gallon pails. I just want to get rid of all the crap and cleanup a bit.
"Carrots may be good for your eyes, but Booze will double your vision"

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The Baker
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Re: First Pot Still Run

Post by The Baker »

I've got some sweetened liqueurs that were a real failure.
But rather than dump it in the still a bit at a time with other stuff (say feints), I plan to throw some at a time in a tomato-sugar wash when it is fairly well fermented.
So the sugar in it will ferment and the alcohol in it will still be in the wash.
Anyway that is the idea.

Geoff
The Baker
C2H5O5
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Re: First Pot Still Run

Post by C2H5O5 »

The Baker wrote:I've got some sweetened liqueurs that were a real failure.
But rather than dump it in the still a bit at a time with other stuff (say feints), I plan to throw some at a time in a tomato-sugar wash when it is fairly well fermented.
So the sugar in it will ferment and the alcohol in it will still be in the wash.
Anyway that is the idea.

Geoff
Wouldn't the alcohol content in the botched liquors kill off the yeast, that was my concern
"Carrots may be good for your eyes, but Booze will double your vision"

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C2H5O5
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Re: First Pot Still Run

Post by C2H5O5 »

I ran my third charge last night, 13 gallon

To save some time I fired up the burner as the first 6 gallons of wash was transferred to the boiler, I also ran the heat a bit higher this time

3:55 charging boiler
4:50 Sizzling (nucleation coils dancing?) 55 minutes
  • 4:55 drip per second
  • 4:56 broken stream
  • 4:57 steady stream
(62 minutes to start collecting)



4:57 started collecting (half gallon increments)
  • 4:57 - 5:08 (11 minutes)
  • 5:08 - 5:18 (10 minutes)
  • 5:18 - 5:29 (11 minutes)
  • 5:29 - 5:41 (12 minutes)
  • 5:41 - 5:52 (11 minutes)
  • 5:52 ran 5 more minutes into cloudy jar and shut down
Total run 2 hours 2 minutes

2.75 gallons collected I was bit surprised at the amount of product considering the wash should yield no more than 10% alcohol I would think the collection would be 1.3 gallons and maybe 2 gallons with the added feints.

I also gauged my water usage this time
5:01 - 5:48 water 20 gallons (20 gallons per 47 minutes)
water was turned on after 30 minutes of heat up so I'm assuming about 40 gallons of water for this run.


I think I now have a decent baseline on what to expect with the still, I'll be running my final 13 gallon charge tonight, I'll back off on the heat this time as I don't think the extra propane is worth saving a couple of minutes.
"Carrots may be good for your eyes, but Booze will double your vision"

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The Baker
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Re: First Pot Still Run

Post by The Baker »

C2H5O5 wrote:
The Baker wrote:I've got some sweetened liqueurs that were a real failure.
But rather than dump it in the still a bit at a time with other stuff (say feints), I plan to throw some at a time in a tomato-sugar wash when it is fairly well fermented.
So the sugar in it will ferment and the alcohol in it will still be in the wash.
Anyway that is the idea.

Geoff

Wouldn't the alcohol content in the botched liquors kill ,off the yeast
that was my concern
I plan to add only a small quantity of the botched sweetened liqueur, one or two litres in a fifty litre wash??
And I will water it down before adding, using as a rough guide the sweetness of the watered liquid. Comparing it to the actually rather light sweetness of the original sugar wash.
And of course less sweetness will mean less alcohol by volume.

At the moment I am trying adding some failed marmalade in the same way; one or two litres in fifty and then watered well. Seems to be working okay.

Geoff
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Re: First Pot Still Run

Post by Antler24 »

Nice build man, that's a beauty! I have to ask where you got those copper threaded pieces for the liebig water lines? Those are neat! I just have plastic hose clamped over a 1" copper line, the platic hoses kink and piss me off, if I had a couple of those threaded pieces I could use some braided stainless braid washer machine hoses and really clean up the look!
Swedish Pride wrote:
get a brix reading on said ball bearings and then you can find out how much fermentables are in there
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Danespirit
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Re: First Pot Still Run

Post by Danespirit »

That's a nice build...congrats..!
The 64" Liebig is much more than adequate for the build...you'll not be in need for cooling capacity.
You may want to support it somehow, to release the stress on the piece of pipe just after the elbow.
Maybe a small stand that can be placed on the collection table..? :idea:
Antler24
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Re: First Pot Still Run

Post by Antler24 »

Danespirit wrote:That's a nice build...congrats..!
The 64" Liebig is much more than adequate for the build...you'll not be in need for cooling capacity.
You may want to support it somehow, to release the stress on the piece of pipe just after the elbow.
Maybe a small stand that can be placed on the collection table..? :idea:

A microphone stand works great for this! Infinitely adjustable!
Swedish Pride wrote:
get a brix reading on said ball bearings and then you can find out how much fermentables are in there
C2H5O5
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Re: First Pot Still Run

Post by C2H5O5 »

I ran the burner a bit lower than my first three runs

13+ gallon charge (4th run)
  • 4:22 Fired up burner while charging
  • 5:29 first drop
  • 5:34 unbroken stream
  • 5:35 started clock
Total startup time (73 minutes)



Half Gallon Increments
  • 5:35 - 5:49 (14 minutes)
  • 5:49 - 6:03 (14 minutes)
  • 6:03 - 6:17 (14 minutes)
  • 6:17 - 6:32 (15 minutes)
  • 6:32 - 6:47 (15 minutes)
  • 6:47 - cloudy container another 10 minutes, volume not gauged
Aprox. 2.75 gal. Total run Time (82 minutes)
Total Time (155 minutes)

Water usage was approximately the same
I'm using a 30 pound propane tank and will try to gauge that a bit after I start my Reflux Runs.
"Carrots may be good for your eyes, but Booze will double your vision"

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C2H5O5
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Re: First Pot Still Run

Post by C2H5O5 »

Antler24 wrote:Nice build man, that's a beauty! I have to ask where you got those copper threaded pieces for the liebig water lines? Those are neat! I just have plastic hose clamped over a 1" copper line, the platic hoses kink and piss me off, if I had a couple of those threaded pieces I could use some braided stainless braid washer machine hoses and really clean up the look!
I sent you a PM but putting here also in case other folks are interested.


(2) Water Connection: Brass Garden Hose-to-Pipe Rigid Adapter, 3/4" Male Garden Hose, 3/8" NPT Male Connections McMaster Carr # 73605T56 (Teflon Tape to Join to Reducer adaptor)

1) Everbuilt Home Depot SKU # 1001274431 http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-3-4 ... /205854152) 3/4 in. x 3/4 in. x 5 ft. Stainless Steel Washing Machine Hose.

(2) Water Connection: Reducer Adapters, Female Socket-End to Female Threaded Pipe 1/2” x 3/8” McMaster Carr #5520K406 (1/2” Nipple, sweat to join to Reducer)
"Carrots may be good for your eyes, but Booze will double your vision"

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C2H5O5
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Re: First Pot Still Run

Post by C2H5O5 »

Danespirit wrote:That's a nice build...congrats..!
The 64" Liebig is much more than adequate for the build...you'll not be in need for cooling capacity.
You may want to support it somehow, to release the stress on the piece of pipe just after the elbow.
Maybe a small stand that can be placed on the collection table..? :idea:
Yeah I know it is rather long and the choice of length wasn't thought of as "bigger is better" but rather it came down to making the length according to how and where I would operate it.
So far the weight hasn't been an issue and I can get it to support its own weight, but as you can see in the earlier pictures I collect in a jar in a jar and the weight can rest on them jars also. Plus my water is pretty light in my area :shh:
"Carrots may be good for your eyes, but Booze will double your vision"

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