Home Distiller

Maybe some folks are awaiting a posts of my side, here it is. I have learned my first steps of distilling in HD and developed on a certain percentage base a business which I’m running right now (I was reading and learning on several other sites and books as well); I’m thankfully for that to many fol...

thought he was against everythang this place stood for. he couldnt even be a member here for breakin most all the rules so im tole Yeah, right goose. Sometimes I just don’t get it, Father Williams posted about a 19 year old guy that got cought selling booze and many folks here called him stupid and...

Under that conditions I would built something like I draw once for KS:

Has a huge surface for vaporation, propane powered and jacketed with glycol.

It's scaled down to what I'm building at this moment but in 1000Ltr and 500Ltr util.

All measures in cm !!!

Joe

Got some questions for you flute guys as Im considering one myself(sort of)Is the deflag used just to compress heads? Do you turn them off or way down when you get into hearts? If you shut off the deplagmator after heads compression you will run in pot mode and will archive much less ABV but you mi...

so tell me Joe how about this. I like that KS, with this hole size/quantity you might get around the first plate problem you experienced. Anyhow, I would not feel comfort to fire a still with small (but good) hole size without a pressure release before the first plate (in the column or boiler) as =...

If you scale down this continious plate (which should be about 15 inch) to 4 inch and with that also the hole size you will know what I mean. I always said that the holes you are working with are to big and too few for the diameter you are building, that's why these stills don't work as they COULD d...

No need for pressure gauge when using the perforated plates which it what I have in mine. I would suggest however if you plates other than perforated to use a pressure relief. Why do you except perforated plates? They run risk be tapped the same as any other plates if you have the correct hole size.

MuleKicker wrote: The old lady wont let me ferment in the house this winter.

Swop her for a younger one.

That's a real beauty, if you ever get visitors from the cops they will not detect it as a still, just put a lamp on top.

Please tell her that she can brake my parrot as well, if she wants she can break all of them, not a bad deal.

If you want to control a switch or heat source you would need a thermocouple controller, if you only want to read the temp you can go for a K-type instrument. The shortes probe in K-type I have bought is this (2 cm): http://cgi.ebay.com/1-K-type-Thermocouple-Temperature-Sensor-Probe-2cm-5-/130379743...

Yes, was me who suggested to try a valved plate. This plate looks pretty well done, it’s very unlikely the all valves get pushed up and close the holes with the washers, they are long enough. But… I would not miss to install an overpressure valve (15 PSI) in the lower column before the plates or in ...

My opinion: Thumpers, or doublers give you a higher ABV in one single run and have the advantage that you can flavor them. One or two are common; a third won’t work in most cases as each doubler loses heat on it's way. Plated stills, well built, are working as thumpers in some way and you can have a...

You don’t need to “hang” your plate assemble, just let it sit on your lower reducer or fitting.

There is no need either to fix it in any way, the proper weight will do the job.

Barney Fife wrote:For sure, don't screw around with yours since it's working just fine.

In the name of progress, don't say that,please, if everybody would follow that we would still sit behind a gooseneck potstill with a worm in barrel.

Joe

Tater wrote:Next off topic post on this thread gets poster a 2 week vacation from this forum.

Dic-tater

Thanks for the chart Austin Not only useful for distilling, saved it for future projects :) In short words there are only 3 products that resist alcohol in temps around 100C. The most recommended in the PDF is PTFE at 200 C followed by FPM at 180 C and last not least EPDM at 120 C. Interesting info.

Thanks for the belated greating Werner.

Sure I recognize you, lol.

Maybe you want to pass by the welcome center to tell folks here who you are and whats your brewing experience.

Joe

Both mentioned material are recommended for ethanol fuel, sealings for tanks, injection, carburators etc. Anyhow I wouldn't use it in my stills where I can work easily with the most recommended material => Teflon - PTFE , I want that my clients get the best. :wink: Joe So I'm tole (sorry goose :D )

The way to go in home distilling is glass bottles but about a week ago I was reading a big article that a lot of likker is sold in England in PET bottles cause many folks love to use a bottle in the pubs as an arm. :twisted: Anyhow I'm sure that those bottles will have an expiration date unless the ...

Did you have to re-tool to incorporate a wash out operation Joe? Or are you just tearing the thing down old school? Did you create a schedule for cleaning? Yes Larry, I do have a clean in system spray cap just above the last plate. I would love to have one on each plate but I would need to mod a lo...

That would be ok for smaller builts which you disarm, clean and dry. In bigger ones you would need a cleaning system and even with that the stuck water can mold and stink after a while, don't ask me why I know. :wink: Great sucess today I worked all morning (regular job) then got home and started w...

I see that the bottom tubes are a bit longer but the top of the dephlag the tubes should be flush in order for the vapor to liquids to fall back through, right? Correct, flat is ok for the top, a little concave on the top plate would be great to drain all liquid but not a must. I would think if the...

You have to have patience and good skills to built a bubble plate, of course some bucks as well but the reward is worth it. I started a thread "still with bubble plates" some month ago, you might search for it. There is almost no information on that theme as already mentioned, I had to jum...

Aluminium is a NO-NO material for ethanol, not even in ethanol fuel they use it as it will be eaten in no time.

Joe

Thanks again folks, now it’s true, Joe got 52. 8) Was a real exiting year with many good points archived and hope that the next gets even better. When I was 40 I said - what you don’t make till 50 you will never make - I have to revise my opinion on that. Today I’m working, having two spirit whiskey...

I'm going to add inner fins in a cross pattern or even split the vapor path into six chambers to increase efficiency. Wondering now if giving it a twist would help... Thanks for all the help and encouragement, Guys. It's sure that finning the tube helps a lot, if you could get them tight in just by...

rockchucker22 wrote:I see that the bottom tubes are a bit longer but the top of the dephlag the tubes should be flush in order for the vapor to liquids to fall back through, right?

Correct, flat is ok for the top, a little concave on the top plate would be great to drain all liquid but not a must.

I really would love to learn from a vacuum still operator. A friend of mine is experimenting to extract natural color from a seed, he want to soke the seeds in high ABV and later get the alcohol out, he will have a color mud to process. The problem is that he can't go higher than 70 C without distro...

Another potential sugar cane distiller, great.

Welcome and saudade Marcello