heat source

Enlikil · Post by **Enlikil** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 6:42 am

My current plan is to Run my still in my backyard. using propane.. anyone have any tips or suggestions, I cant see shelling out $120 US to get a 1500W burner. when propane is cheep and i already have it. My question is,, besides boiling to fast and spilling out the top of my condensor, does anyone have any tips or suggestions.. I'm totaly worried that i'm going to blow up my still LOL...... Almost to the point I may buy a burner.
My still is a 15.5 Gallon Keg.
Thanks all...

The Chemist · Post by **The Chemist** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 7:03 am

Ethanol vapor and open flame is just not a good idea. I know, I know, people have done it for years, and not everyone has blown themselves up. Be careful, and you won't either. I'd be more worried about the neighbors

.

Enlikil · Post by **Enlikil** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 8:38 am

yeah.... sigh.
My problem is I don't know that the wife will let me spend 120 bucks or so on a heater.
anyone care to elaborate on there heat source? and experianced.

Post by **Grayson_Stewart** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 10:58 am

I use internal elements and have a 3800 W wired to 240 V (to speed boilup) and a 1800 W wired to 120V. Even though some folks use propane burners, and use them well, I wouldn't even attempt this hobby if I had to use them. I've boiled mine over a couple of times due to being lazy and not paying attention. Thankfully I was using internal elements and didn't burn anything down.

I can't distill on grains and pulp because of the internal elements, but this will be remedied after this weekend. I've obtained a 40 gallon hot water heater and will cut the top off and use as a doubleboiler with my 15 gallon keg. Since the doubleboiler will work for sugar or grain washes, I'll remove my elements and place them in the hot water heater and plug the keg where the elements used to be.

rectifier · Post by **rectifier** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 12:04 pm

Hmm, 1500W? I got a 1500W hot plate for $2. It's an old electric fry pan from the Salvation Army. A little slow to heat up but very functional, and has a temp control built in.

I use a 15L pot though, which fits in my pan. If you use a keg and a pan, you may have to modify the pan in some way, hack off the sides or something.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 3:44 pm

Depends on your skill at finding cheap (secondhand) elements and fitting them yourself. If you can do that Graysons way workswell (in the USA)
If you only have 240 (aust) small wattage elements(900w) are hard to find.
If you have to pay top price, one element and a sutronics would be optimal.

Grumpy old man

Arnie_sla · Post by **Arnie_sla** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 5:05 pm

If you're in OZ try this site http://www.countrybrewer.com.au/category87_1.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow (scroll down the page)

they have 1000 and 1380 watt elements for under $40.00 Aust. If you get one of each you can set them up to give different total wattages.

ie wired in series they will give 580 watts total

wired in parallel they will give 2380 watts total.

You should be able to select each seperately as well so with two elements you can get 4 different wattage totals.

Post by **Tater** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 7:37 pm

Propane is what I use. Its safe if used with commen sence. I have a 15 gallon keg as well used as a pot still.I allways toss a hand full of copper fittings in my still. Others use marbles . I turn mine up on high till it reaches temp and then back off to temp to run . Listin to the fittings rattle and it will let you know how hard your boiling your wash

a slow rattle is where mine does its best. hope this helps.

Enlikil · Post by **Enlikil** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 6:46 am

I can get a 1100 watt hot plate for 40 bucks. but i thought that wasn't high enough or just that just mean it will take me longer to heat up? its one of those crappy Looks like the top of a stove kind...

Grayson, how did you get your heating elements inside yoru keg? thats what i'm trying to figure out. I only have a hole in mine the size of the Column.

DBM · Post by **DBM** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 7:58 am

You can pick up a one burner, cast iron, chinese made, propane, stove for (cheep). I paid 4.99 for the one I've been using for the last several years. I saw some at the farm supply store last week (ASC) for $4.99. I also saw some in the northern tool catalog a while back (dont remember their price though)

Post by **Grayson_Stewart** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 10:42 am

My internal elements are the type that go into a hotwater heater. I had two threaded couplings welded to the keg and the elements slide through the couplings, into the keg then screw right in....just like on the hot water heater.

Enlikil · Post by **Enlikil** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 1:41 pm

So, do you think i can get by with a 1100 watt heater until i can get the time and resources to put in some internal element...
Also If i go wit hthe internal kind, what type should i go with?

but my biggest question is.
If i DO boil over... will It catch fire on an external electric Hot plate in the same mannter as propane? if it wont then i can see how its safer. but if it will catch fire on an external electric hot plate (like 1100 w) then how is that any safer then propane..
maby i could just build some sort of Catch all around it in case i do have a boil over that it could run down and out to the side away from the heat?

Sigh.. so many questions.

booger · Post by **booger** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 12:01 am

I use an 1100 w hotplate with my 7.5 gallon potstill...it takes a little while (1.5 hours or so) to get to temp. but then does just fine. I have no experience with boil over...but I don't fill my boiler beyone 5 gallons. I may be crazy, but boil over seems to happen when you've filled your boiler too full and don't keep an eye on your temps and adjust your heat once you get up to boiling temperature.

Uncle Remus · Post by **Uncle Remus** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 6:10 am

I uses a cast burner out of an ng furnace. I had to make the orifice hole smaller to burn propane. I think about .056''. The burner is mounted inside a 16" tire rim with legs welded on it to get it a little ways up off the floor. It will bring a full 66ltr beer keg up to temp in about 1hr 20 min.

I know a lot of guys don't like the idea of an open flame around a still, but if they saw this setup I'm sure they would agree it is perfectly safe. Like Tater said it's a common sense thing. The alcohol collection is done at least 6" away from the stove. The flame is well contained within the tire rim (which holds a beer keg perfectly.) The shop is well ventilated, and we do keep a fire extinguisher handy. It also helps if the still operators don't become too ventilated themselves while cooking

Post by **Tater** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 2:15 pm

Stillin has been done longer over fire then anything else.

Enlikil · Post by **Enlikil** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 11:27 am

How low to put the internal heating elements in a keg?

Also, does anyone know what the flash point of Ethonal or propanal, or any other alchols in a boil over?

I"m almost thinking that i can make a propane burner customized so that if i do get a boil over that it won't hit the propane..

My keg has a funky 2 inch Rail around the bottom of it.... I think would allow the boil over to clear the Propane... any one know>?

Post by **Tater** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 12:04 pm

wash isnt flammable till its distilled.You pour wash on a fire it will put it out. leave head space in still and watch what your doing it shouldnt boil over.

Brett · Post by **Brett** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 5:25 pm

imagine using something like this for a stockpot style still (if it will fit on the cooking plate), think ill have to keep my ebay eyes open. doubles as a nice patio heater for those late evenings sitting around sippin brew.

http://www.naturalheating.co.uk/product ... cts_id/692

Enlikil · Post by **Enlikil** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 6:29 pm

So if i have a 15.5 gallon keg. and do one batch washes... (5.5 gallons or so) What are my chances of a boil over with propane?

Post by **Tater** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 6:48 pm

ive been doing 13 gallon washes in 15 .5 ss keg for over twenty years and have yet to boil over using propane

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jun 18, 2005 2:13 pm

what abt the water heaster idea. Is th inside ok for boiling a wash with grains? Can it work for really boiling and not just heating?

Virginia Gentleman · Post by **Virginia Gentleman** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 8:08 am

Ya'll that use propane, about how many runs (avg. 8 hrs. per run) does a full tank last you? Just wondering if I need a second tank for back-up.

Grassy ass.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 8:30 am

Grayson,

for 15 gal ss keg and reflux still

1. what combo on wattages do u think is best for the parallel/series hook up?

Do u just unplug your 220 one when temp is reached?

I want to build or buy a series/parallel circuit to do that via switching..Know where I can get one?

Thanks

nate · Post by **nate** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 10:21 am

Until a couple nights ago i had been using propane in my backyard, but i discovered a much faster, easier way-a wood fire! I have a metal fire bowl, and the cast iron base was just perfect for holding my keg about 8" off of the ground, although a grate from a grill balanced on bricks would probably work just as well. Anyway, i dug two small firepits touching each other in an "8" shape, this way i could pull my wood or coals out from under the keg easily in the same fire pit. Next, without the keg on it i started a very large, about 3' fire in one of the pits making up the "8", this was to get enough coals going to easily ignite wood that i put on. Then i split a large pile of wood all to the same size-about 2" by 2" by 18".
To start my run i filled my keg with mash and set it over the coals, i put on two of the pre-split wood pieces, which got my entire 15.5 gallon still (half full) up to temp in about a half hour, which is much faster than when i used propane. For the rest of the run i placed an aluminum wind guard/ safety guard around the fire with a small opening next to the other side of the "8" and slowly fed one piece of wood at a time into the coals, i would slide in about a 2" length of wood, and this provided the perfect heating for a nice slow run. This seems like something you guys might like to try- it gave me a lot of control, faster start up time, and it felt really cool to sit under the stars with a still being heated by a campfire.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 10:26 am

Hey VG, I use a propane turkey frier rig to run the still, and was able to get about 4 runs on a 1/2 full tank. I went out and bought an extra tank when I thought it was getting close. During the 5th run I had to change it out in the middle of the run.
I will have to try and keep a record of the number of runs per tank.

Furball

Virginia Gentleman · Post by **Virginia Gentleman** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 10:50 am

Thanks furball, I should be in good shape with a full tank at least until it gets down toward the end.

Nate, that's pretty cool, just like the old timers. Just make sure you got a fire extinquisher, or big ole bucket of water around! My set-up's all indoors (w/ a garage door that opens) but I have thought of trying the huge wood stove I have in a shack sometime. Will be a test to control the heat by the damper and amount of wood in it.

Jaeger · Post by **Jaeger** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 3:05 pm

Charcoal might work better than wood?
That is a cool way of doing it if you have lots of privacy!

Brett · Post by **Brett** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 3:21 pm

heres what im working on

i llinked to the page because i wasnt sure how large it would show n didnt want to kill the page with a pic

http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/706/ ... ill5gl.jpg

burner is made from a metal trash can and stainless pipe and will burn wood reportedly temps up to 900 C, im also working on linking it to burn old engine and vegetable oils which i can get for free

(units in the left side)

diskmaster23 · Post by **diskmaster23** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:48 pm

Yea...definatelly getting a higher powered element is a good thing.

I tried using a 750 watt element...and it took my water like 3 hours to heat up to 212 degrees....too long if you ask me....

Virginia Gentleman · Post by **Virginia Gentleman** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 1:06 am

Damn, that's a big heat source. Must be a right large still you're firing. Suppose it'll run pretty cheap once you build it. Looks like a cool project.

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