Need advice building my first pot

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Gingerninjarick
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Need advice building my first pot

Post by Gingerninjarick »

So, I was planning to purchase a still today as well as file for the fuel permit, but as I was reading the new member stuff I came across all the TTB and requests for customer information posts and now I'm a little more inclined to building one.. I'm a bit of a jack of all trades but a master of none but I wanna make sure I'm on the right track. I'm seeing some good sized stainless pots on Amazon, as well as a pot with a burner for under $150. There's also some good sized brew pots but I figure that would put me in the same boat as buying a still seeing as it's from a distilling company.. so... I'm thinking 32-40qt stainless pot. Have some tabs welded to the lid and pot for clamps.. then find some 2" stainless tubing for a column. I'd like to go ahead and build a reflux. (I may be getting in over my head but that's usually how I roll.. hahaha..) I can weld but I've never done much with stainless and keeping it food grade. I'm about learn.. Anyway, am I on the right track? Anyone have suggestions or advice? Thanks in advance!
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by sltm1 »

Take a look at the pic's of stills posted here. Everybody that makes one seems to put their own special twist into it's components, you might see some things you haven't thought of or find out something wrong with what you have thought of. Good advice abounds hereabouts!!
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Gingerninjarick
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by Gingerninjarick »

Ok, did some digging.. saw a lot of different designs, some simple and some I feel are too advanced for a newb like me.. but I did figure out image resizing and posting and I did a little sketch.. mostly to get a list of the materials I need.. now don't laugh.. I used to watch a lot of Bob Ross but I didn't have time to throw in a "happy little tree over here"...
20170929_152324-500x600.jpg
Gingerninjarick
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by Gingerninjarick »

My plans are 2" column 24" long. 8"x3" tubing around the 2" column just below the top ferrule for the dephlegmator. And reduce it down to 24"x1" after the elbows, and then a 12"x2" over the outlet for the condensor.. pretty cut and dry but i think its the cheapest alternative to just buying one from a supplier..
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by Antler24 »

Gingerninjarick wrote:My plans are 2" column 24" long. 8"x3" tubing around the 2" column just below the top ferrule for the dephlegmator. And reduce it down to 24"x1" after the elbows, and then a 12"x2" over the outlet for the condensor.. pretty cut and dry but i think its the cheapest alternative to just buying one from a supplier..


First of all, that design is outdated and there are plenty of cheaper and easier to build designs out there. Not to mention ease of use and cleaner distillate.

Secondly, that's alot of welding and cutting for anybody to tackle, let alone someone inexperienced in both food grade welding (he'll, welding in general), and building/using a still. Soldering is pretty easy to figure out, much much easier to fix when you make a mistake and will cost you $20 for solder/flux and maybe a torch if you don't have one. You'll spend more in welding rods just trying to figure it out. You also gotta look at copper vs stainless price. Copper is beneficial to the spirit, as it removes sulphides (I think that's it).

As for boiler, look for a used beer keg, it'll probably be cheaper than a stock pot and you won't need to worry about sealing the lid or attaching the column.
Swedish Pride wrote:
get a brix reading on said ball bearings and then you can find out how much fermentables are in there
dukethebeagle120
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by dukethebeagle120 »

get a beer keg
almost ready made and easy to use
really solid looks good too :thumbup:
its better to think like a fool but keep your mouth shut,then to open ur mouth and have it confirmed
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by MichiganCornhusker »

A keg and a short riser with liebig is a great starter rig. You can always add to it later.

Here's a cheap n easy way to get a reflux still:

http://www.homedistiller.org/forum/view ... 17&t=65801" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
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Gingerninjarick
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by Gingerninjarick »

Thanks for the reply antler! Believe it or not, it's hard to find a beer keg locally for me. I found a company that sells all the ferrules, clamps, reducers, even precut sticks of ss304 and priced it all out at around $250 shipped. Found a 40 qt pot on Amazon for about $125. As for the welding, I've got a good friend that I call every time I want my welds to look pretty.. haha.. seriously though, he's good, and knows what to use correctly. Only thing I'd have to do is machine down some flat plate for the dephlegmator and condenser ends.. The money and the labor don't bother me too bad BUT... if there's a more efficient design more suitable for a beginner I'm open for suggestions.. what would you recommend?
Last edited by Gingerninjarick on Fri Sep 29, 2017 3:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Gingerninjarick
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by Gingerninjarick »

MichiganCornhusker wrote:A keg and a short riser with liebig is a great starter rig. You can always add to it later.

Here's a cheap n easy way to get a reflux still:

http://www.homedistiller.org/forum/view ... 17&t=65801" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Awesome!! I'm liking the T idea for future modifications!
Thanks!
Gingerninjarick
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by Gingerninjarick »

Also, I may have broke a cardinal rule and jumped the gun. I started some fermentation before I even acquired a still.. :| I intended on purchasing one last week bit the wife wanted a new dog and some new end tables and this and that and so on and so forth... so it got pushed back to this weekend... and then after some reading I decided that maybe building one would be less conspicuous. But I'm the king of procrastination... honestly if my life was smooth and easy I think I'd die of boredom.. hahahaha! BUT... I do not Intend on carrying that attitude into distilling.. I intend to be patient, prepared, and safe!! :thumbup:
Gingerninjarick
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by Gingerninjarick »

Aaaaaaaaaaannnndddd I just found 2 kegs on a local trade page for $50 each... about an hour from me.. Waiting for a reply..
Antler24
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by Antler24 »

There ya go! I searched locally for 2yrs, and I had alot of contacts in bars/restaurants. Only saw a couple and they were all about 6x over priced. Eventually when traveling for work found one for $25, guy even delivered.

I'd recommend a flute for a still design. A great all around design that can do it all. Want nuetral? run 5+ plates. Want rum or whiskey run 1-4 plates. Can be as simple as plain pipe and plate tree.
Swedish Pride wrote:
get a brix reading on said ball bearings and then you can find out how much fermentables are in there
Gingerninjarick
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by Gingerninjarick »

Antler24 wrote:There ya go! I searched locally for 2yrs, and I had alot of contacts in bars/restaurants. Only saw a couple and they were all about 6x over priced. Eventually when traveling for work found one for $25, guy even delivered.

I'd recommend a flute for a still design. A great all around design that can do it all. Want nuetral? run 5+ plates. Want rum or whiskey run 1-4 plates. Can be as simple as plain pipe and plate tree.
Thanks again! I'm researching Now. Yeah, seems like everyone knows the value of a good keg and knows how supply and demand works.. :roll:
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by Antler24 »

Gingerninjarick wrote:
Antler24 wrote:There ya go! I searched locally for 2yrs, and I had alot of contacts in bars/restaurants. Only saw a couple and they were all about 6x over priced. Eventually when traveling for work found one for $25, guy even delivered.

I'd recommend a flute for a still design. A great all around design that can do it all. Want nuetral? run 5+ plates. Want rum or whiskey run 1-4 plates. Can be as simple as plain pipe and plate tree.
Thanks again! I'm researching Now. Yeah, seems like everyone knows the value of a good keg and knows how supply and demand works.. :roll:
Yeah that's the worst. A buddy of mine has one wants $100 for it, I'm almost tempted to buy it just in case lol
Swedish Pride wrote:
get a brix reading on said ball bearings and then you can find out how much fermentables are in there
Gingerninjarick
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by Gingerninjarick »

Buy it and post it for $200! Hahahaha
Gingerninjarick
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by Gingerninjarick »

Ok so just read through nchooch's build thread and I LOVE IT! The craftmaship, the enginuity, the look of it... (with respect to Old dog of course!) That's IT! That's the one I wanna build.. buuuuuut... I've never bought much copper before.. definitely not 3".. I'm not even sure I have a local supplier.. anywhere I can order online without drawing a lot of attention?
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by Gingerninjarick »

20170930_134906-300x500.jpg
SCORED!!! $60 each...
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by The Baker »

Think about doing the main boiler first; turn it upside down and install a drain in the existing hole in this new 'bottom'.
Then you can cut a bigger hole in the new 'top', to take say tri-clip fittings.

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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by Yummyrum »

Gingerninjarick wrote:Ok so just read through nchooch's build thread and I LOVE IT! The craftmaship, the enginuity, the look of it... (with respect to Old dog of course!) That's IT! That's the one I wanna build.. buuuuuut... I've never bought much copper before.. definitely not 3".. I'm not even sure I have a local supplier.. anywhere I can order online without drawing a lot of attention?
Most plumbers usually have a rack of short off cuts in a variety of sizes . They are usually happy to sell you a length for cash

If you want 4 foot and they have a 6 foot length .... don't be a wanker . Say thanks mate , how much for the 6 foot and take it . :D
You'll no doubt get the "building a still mate "comment but just laugh and nod .
Seriously they don't give a shit
Gingerninjarick
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by Gingerninjarick »

The Baker wrote:Think about doing the main boiler first; turn it upside down and install a drain in the existing hole in this new 'bottom'.
Then you can cut a bigger hole in the new 'top', to take say tri-clip fittings.

Geoff
would that interfere with the heat source if I used a propane burner?
So I'm assuming the neck of the keg is perfect for a triclamp fitting and a clamp/gasket without modification?
Yummyrum wrote:
Gingerninjarick wrote:Ok so just read through nchooch's build thread and I LOVE IT! The craftmaship, the enginuity, the look of it... (with respect to Old dog of course!) That's IT! That's the one I wanna build.. buuuuuut... I've never bought much copper before.. definitely not 3".. I'm not even sure I have a local supplier.. anywhere I can order online without drawing a lot of attention?
Most plumbers usually have a rack of short off cuts in a variety of sizes . They are usually happy to sell you a length for cash

If you want 4 foot and they have a 6 foot length .... don't be a wanker . Say thanks mate , how much for the 6 foot and take it . :D
You'll no doubt get the "building a still mate "comment but just laugh and nod .
Seriously they don't give a shit
Thanks yummyrum, I think I may have a connection. Possibly 2. Will know more tomorrow. I don't mind spending the cash if I get to enjoy the experience of creating and learning. Wife hates that though. The lady I bought the kegs from asked what I was using them for and without hesitation I said "hot rod fuel tanks!" :)
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by Antler24 »

Great score on the kegs! If you'll be using propane for heat the keg is fine to use as is!
Some folks say to turn the keg upside down and you the fitting for a drain. No real reason why but I'd rather keep it right side up. I've got a fitting welding in mine for my element. Thinking of also adding a 4" fill Port at the top and a weldless drain fitting.

That full size keg would make a great thumper for doing all grain. Put clear wash in the boiler and the grainy mess in the thumper. Easy 25 gallon runs! You'll be looking for a 5 gallon barrel in no time!
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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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by The Baker »

Ginger said, "would that interfere with the heat source if I used a propane burner?"

Probably would unless you could get a burner with a BIG hole in the middle....

Geoff
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by Gingerninjarick »

ok, so heres a thought.. ive been looking at 3" flute builds.. my concern is... once its all put together.. say theres 4 plates and you want to add another...(assuming its all soldered together) how do you get the tree out? do you have to "unsolder" it? (again, assuming.. youd heat it up until the solder releases?) soooooooooooo.... my idea was a 3" ferrule at the bottom of the 3" flute collumn which would clamp to a 3" to 2" reducer thats clamped to the keg... this way if you suspended the tree to the 3" to 2" reducer, you could undo the clamp at the bottom of the collum and lift it up off the tree for adjustments. Or a 3" ferrule/clamp/ferrule between the collumn and deflag and then lift the tree out of the collumn... BUT... I.D. of the 3" ferrule is 2.834" so your plates would have to be smaller than that and I.D. of 3" type L is 2.945", leaving your gap between plates and collumn +.111". Which im guessing is unacceptable?
Am I making this more difficult than it needs to be?
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by corene1 »

Haven't posted in a while but saw this and wanted to chime in. Since this is your first still and you are just learning I would keep the still very simple and build it with the ability to add on to the existing boiler as you learn. I have built a few starter stills for friend using a keg and you can do it affordably. Sounds like you have some access to welding stainless. so I would start with the keg. keep it upright and weld a 1/2 inch NPT collar in the bottom with a valve for draining. I would take and cut the top and install a 4 inch ferrule clamp assembly . With that you have access to easy cleaning and the ability to make a pot column, a packed column, or a plated column. A very simple setup would be a 36 inch section of 2 inch tube either stainless or copper . build a 2 inch by 6 inch deplaghmater on top with a 42 inch liebeg condenser. Pack the column with copper packing and there you have it. You can run it without the deflag and packing as a pot still for doing stripping runs, whiskies, brandies , or rums or load it with low wines and run the dephlag and pull 190 proof neutrals. Here is a picture of a simple one I built for a friend for you to think about.
P9050015.JPG
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by Gingerninjarick »

Thanks corene, I may just go ahead and do that. I think I can build a simple column pretty quick and easy and do a few runs to get over the newb anxiety.. then I won't be so rushed to build a flute.
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by Gingerninjarick »

Recommendations for output tube size?
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corene1
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by corene1 »

no smaller than 3/8 inch inside diameter but would like to see a 1/2 inch inside diameter. Most liebegs are 3/4 inch over 1/2 inch with some type of turbulance wrap between the outer tube and inner tube to help circulate the water around the perimeter of the inner tube. Plenty of liebeg builds on the site here.
Gingerninjarick
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by Gingerninjarick »

corene1 wrote:no smaller than 3/8 inch inside diameter but would like to see a 1/2 inch inside diameter. Most liebegs are 3/4 inch over 1/2 inch with some type of turbulance wrap between the outer tube and inner tube to help circulate the water around the perimeter of the inner tube. Plenty of liebeg builds on the site here.
Thanks again corene,
im having a hard time finding all the stainless fittings within the same company, and i can barely find a 2" to 1" reducer, let alone anything smaller than 1" unless i use 2 reducers. seems like everything goes down to 1.5"... and im assuming a 1.5" output is too big..
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corene1
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by corene1 »

You can make your own reducers if you want stainless throughout. I would definitely use copper for the liebeg condenser though. Simply use you column diameter whatever you choose, lets say a 2 inch column make it the way you want and cap the end then come out of it with your finished size that will couple with the liebeg. I always like to use a union so it is adjustable and removable.It doesn't have to all be purchased, look at the top turn on this one. it is a ferrule with the tube cut at 22 degrees in 2 sections welded together then capped with a copper tube and union half added. I silver braze the copper tube to the stainless cap then use regular stay bright 8 for the rest of the soldered joint. Safety silv 45 flows at 1125 degrees so any other types of solder won't affect the connection.
P8010002.JPG
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corene1
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Re: Need advice building my first pot

Post by corene1 »

Just an add on, set the small outlet tube as low as possible to prevent possible puddling at the reduction point.
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