Indoor big electric still

[farmlander]

Hey all,

Wondering if anyone here distills with a 220v electric element still indoors. I'm wanting to run 12 gallon washes in my 20 gallon still, equipped with a 5500w 220v element that is PID controlled. Would be in the kitchen, with a couple windows open and an exhaust fan. I'm really not sure just how volatile the fumes are. Sound safe or bad?

[The KYChemist]

As long as your condensing all your vapors, no fumes to worry about. Others will be along shortly, I'm sure. LOL.

[bellybuster]

you got fumes....you got problems

many of us run electric indoors without any ventilation issues.

[thisguy]

I still with a 220v element 5 gal boiler in the basement out of a pot still for stripping runs. Plan on doing it at 120v 1500w element, 5 gal boiler in the kitchen for spirit runs when I get the controller built. In both cases I fill it to about 4 gal. Grounded to the boiler.

Plan on using the propane from the stove top burner in combo with the element during heat up then turning the stove off when it reaches temps and only using the element to maintain temp.

When I still in the basement with the pot I have a fan going and a window cracked. When I do spirit runs in the kitchen, I do it with the stove vent on and a fan blowing. better safe than sorry.

So yes, from what I've experienced and read, it'll be fine. I've even used the stove top burner when I first started this hobby as my only source of heat. Granted I sat in the kitchen with it the entire time.

And as belly said you got fumes you got problems.

[Windy City]

Close your windows don't you know its cold out
Also lose the pid controller.
As said before as long as your product condenser is working properly there should be no fumes.
And as far as the pid you can't run your boiler by temps but by heat input.
Check out some of the controller threads Jimbo has a real good one

[farmlander]

Good to know I should be ok in the kitchen. No fumes - I've got a pretty efficient setup with a good shotgun condenser.

As far as the PID - I've mainly got that since my still boiler triples as my beer brewing kettle, sparge/mash water heater, and still boiler. When running the still I will monitor/control the breakover point, rather than the boiler temp.

Thanks for the helpful input.

Cheers!

[3d0g]

As long as your PID has a manual mode (% output), you'll be fine. Otherwise it'll be a nightmare to run.

[The KYChemist]

Another thing to make sure of... Make sure there are no vapor leaks anywhere on the still itself. Ethanol vapors are heavier than air. They will settle to the floor. If you are near any kind of pilot light, it could be disasterous.

[farmlander]

KY - yep it's vapor tight - and no pilot light. That's a poem!


3Dog - check about the manual mode. Thanks!

[thisguy]

I just flower paste the hell out of it.

[ben stiller]

+1 on indoor 220 stilling. I don't use any ventilation.