Search found 32 matches

by Stillbilly
Thu Nov 23, 2023 10:03 am
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: Old Copper water heater, ideas?
Replies: 30
Views: 8707

Re: Old Copper water heater, ideas?

Good point Shady.

Go Lions
by Stillbilly
Wed Nov 22, 2023 8:00 pm
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: Old Copper water heater, ideas?
Replies: 30
Views: 8707

Re: Old Copper water heater, ideas?

Hey Stillbilly you still around??? been a long time for me? just found my password! Yo Sniper! I am still around and kicken. It has been 9 years since I logged into here crazy how time flys.. I was gonna give up stilling but a friend really missed my hooch so i blew the dust off my old column still...
by Stillbilly
Thu Dec 11, 2014 7:01 pm
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: Old Copper water heater, ideas?
Replies: 30
Views: 8707

Re: Old Copper water heater, ideas?

Hey Sniper, Funny, our replys are quick, takes us 9 months to complete our thoughts.. :lol: I have not been on here much either, obviously. No pics, the barrel sits in the basement, at least it's not in the barn anymore.. No update on that, been using my reflux with good results. Cleaning it up now ...
by Stillbilly
Tue May 28, 2013 8:32 pm
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: What'd ya'll make today?
Replies: 7313
Views: 988989

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

this thread will never end. love it sprouted corn, stinky corn. 6 row n stinky corn. ferment went well. double distilled under 160. threw it on charred white oak like Pinto does. month later it sips real nice gave to friend who gave to friend who buys bunch from GA, he said it was the best he has ha...
by Stillbilly
Thu Oct 18, 2012 5:35 pm
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: What'd ya'll make today?
Replies: 7313
Views: 988989

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Stripped 20 gal of sugar, 6row, rye, and raisin bran. Slowed it in the middle to sneak some off, warm n smooth. :wink:
by Stillbilly
Sat Jul 07, 2012 5:26 pm
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: Old Copper water heater, ideas?
Replies: 30
Views: 8707

Re: Old Copper water heater, ideas?

Hey Sniper, been a while, hope u r doing well. I am constantly walking past it in my basement. Been so busy ... Who isn't. Much time making washes and running my vm still, finally can make a descent sugar head and friends n family are quite happy. It just comes down to time. I hope to start on this ...
by Stillbilly
Sun Apr 22, 2012 3:37 pm
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: What'd ya'll make today?
Replies: 7313
Views: 988989

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Preoaking? :lol:[/quote] haha, yes, It's a preemptive preoaking process.. likely will do little i know, but an experiment in the making. Native Americans used to boil and eat the acorns. Curious if cracked acorns have ever been used for flavoring during the boil.. have a few white oaks near me...
by Stillbilly
Thu Apr 19, 2012 6:32 pm
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: What'd ya'll make today?
Replies: 7313
Views: 988989

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

wait n see..
by Stillbilly
Thu Apr 19, 2012 5:31 pm
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: What'd ya'll make today?
Replies: 7313
Views: 988989

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Messing with some ingredients. >> Boil everything for 60 minutes 50 lb sugar 5.5 gal water 4 lb box Grape-Nuts ceral 4 chopped up potato's 4 chuncks baked white oak 1 lemon juice A litttle epsome transfer to Brute barrel, top with well water till the gravity is in 1.06 - 07 range, add some yeast nut...
by Stillbilly
Thu Mar 29, 2012 8:19 pm
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: What'd ya'll make today?
Replies: 7313
Views: 988989

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Just stripped a mollasis sugar run. nothing exotic just some simple booze. will run it slow with some heads n tails later.
Started another 25 gal wash of sugar, potatos, Bran flakes, and Shredded Wheat. Smells good and yeast is tearing it up.
by Stillbilly
Wed Feb 29, 2012 9:36 pm
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: Old Copper water heater, ideas?
Replies: 30
Views: 8707

Re: Old Copper water heater, ideas?

It looks like one of those metal balls they were finding and thought were something alien and fell from the sky. They finaly figured out they were satellite fuel tanks. Good luck with that. :crazy: Wow, I did not realize what I had sitting in my basement.. That explains why my Lab would stop, stare...
by Stillbilly
Wed Feb 22, 2012 6:49 pm
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: Old Copper water heater, ideas?
Replies: 30
Views: 8707

Re: Old Copper water heater, ideas?

Ha, the admission is free. As Don Henley and Glenn Frey wrote,
Relax, We are programmed to receive. You can check-out any time you like, But you can never leave..

at least I have some shine to share..
by Stillbilly
Mon Jan 23, 2012 5:03 pm
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: Old Copper water heater, ideas?
Replies: 30
Views: 8707

Re: Old Copper water heater, ideas?

Might be tough to sell, but If I do I'll let you know..
Been a strange winter. Finally have some ice (only 3.5") and found a short hour with my vexlar. Can't wait to sip on some rum and pull up the perch..
by Stillbilly
Sat Jan 21, 2012 9:51 pm
Forum: Column Builds
Topic: VM take-off, velocity & design
Replies: 7
Views: 1151

Re: VM take-off, velocity & design

Today's run was aprox 8 gal. stilled a version of Rad's All Bran wash @ 10.8% I did run the wash a bit early, it was only 5 days old and final gravity was at 1.002 so... sorry yeast.. your gonna bake.. but I did thank them. I did have some white particles at the bottom of the first L collected and a...
by Stillbilly
Sat Jan 21, 2012 1:27 pm
Forum: Column Builds
Topic: VM take-off, velocity & design
Replies: 7
Views: 1151

Re: VM take-off, velocity & design

Thanks for the feedback, Yea, did a water/vinegar cleaning run, then made a sugar wash (10%) and ran that through to clean it, then discarded. Inside column looks real clean and I did see some crud come out during the cleansing runs. Made an 8 gal batch, 11% wash about 9-10 days old, racked it once ...
by Stillbilly
Fri Jan 20, 2012 10:29 pm
Forum: Column Builds
Topic: VM take-off, velocity & design
Replies: 7
Views: 1151

Re: VM take-off, velocity & design

Thanks tons to many for helping me get to where Im at today! Just curious about ABV from my rig. I ran two runs through her so far and looks like im pulling 84 abv from middle of the run. Im curious if tweaking my set up to hit 90 - 95 range is worth it or not.. Propane fires it up. built a 54"...
by Stillbilly
Sat Jan 14, 2012 8:32 am
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: Old Copper water heater, ideas?
Replies: 30
Views: 8707

Re: Old Copper water heater, ideas?

Rod wrote:would they allow it in Alcatraz
Nice Rod! your the first to crack the code...
So many rooms here. My still runs in the SW corner, D Cell-Block.
Stop by if your in the area..
by Stillbilly
Fri Jan 13, 2012 9:32 pm
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: Old Copper water heater, ideas?
Replies: 30
Views: 8707

Re: Old Copper water heater, ideas?

If I scrap it Southpaw, I'm truly in dire straits!
by Stillbilly
Fri Jan 13, 2012 8:33 pm
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: Old Copper water heater, ideas?
Replies: 30
Views: 8707

Re: Old Copper water heater, ideas?

you should have went & played the lottery the day you found that gem!!!!!!!!!!!!!! boy the ideas runnin thru my head..... cut it in half on the seam. roll a copper sheet about 20" tall to the diameter of the pot. add it to the middle, solder it all back together. and gain 10 extra gallons!...
by Stillbilly
Wed Jan 04, 2012 8:56 pm
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: Old Copper water heater, ideas?
Replies: 30
Views: 8707

Re: Old Copper water heater, ideas?

Try the flea markets for some stainless pot lids. There will be one somewhere that fits nice and tight in the hole. Need to add a clamping device and flour paste. Then consider keeping the central hole as purely a loading/emptying/cleaning port and attach the column behind it. I find it more conven...
by Stillbilly
Wed Dec 28, 2011 10:29 pm
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: Old Copper water heater, ideas?
Replies: 30
Views: 8707

Re: Old Copper water heater, ideas?

yea, I looked around and a 7" triclamp is not easy to find and I'm sure it will be pricey. It would be nice to hammer out a tapered neck.. time will tell.
by Stillbilly
Wed Dec 28, 2011 12:42 pm
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: Old Copper water heater, ideas?
Replies: 30
Views: 8707

Old Copper water heater, ideas?

Returned from my parents old barn in search of the pot still I was building 25 yrs ago. Heard these were rare so I did some digging. I found it which is remarkable, if you saw how much Stuff is in there.. looks like a hoarding episode.. Found the pig but could not find the copper top I was building....
by Stillbilly
Sun Dec 25, 2011 11:37 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Hybrid VM Column / Pot still
Replies: 10
Views: 1605

Re: Hybrid VM Column / Pot still

turbulence.gif Regarding turbulence, I was thinking of using a washer but it would not be easy to adjust up and down and I also question the amount of turbulence it would generate. I'm going to install a 7/8" o.d. copper pipe inside the 2" column below the take off T. It is adjustable ver...
by Stillbilly
Sat Dec 24, 2011 9:40 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Hybrid VM Column / Pot still
Replies: 10
Views: 1605

Re: Hybrid VM Column / Pot still

Ok, I found some pre-condenser pics and yes that is a good Idea to use with stripping. Pre-condenser on the top of the liebig.. not the column. I will likely build a separate whiskey still after VM is whistling Dixie.
by Stillbilly
Sat Dec 24, 2011 8:43 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Hybrid VM Column / Pot still
Replies: 10
Views: 1605

Re: Hybrid VM Column / Pot still

Sorry forgot to say that with that length of 2" tube you have plenty for a VM column and a pot still. You could use the same condenser on both, but I would reserve a bit of the 2" to make a pre-condenser. Wind yourself another coil to go inside the 2" tube and put it on the pot still...
by Stillbilly
Fri Dec 23, 2011 10:26 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Hybrid VM Column / Pot still
Replies: 10
Views: 1605

Re: Hybrid VM Column / Pot still

Thanks Rad, I will have the coil 2 - 3" above take off. Yea, I may have a velocity issue with no reducer. I will run it and see and later add a washer if it has issues. btw, I boiled up your All Bran Recipe this past Monday. It's still bubbling away. Im use to beer wort which is no where near a...
by Stillbilly
Fri Dec 23, 2011 1:52 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Hybrid VM Column / Pot still
Replies: 10
Views: 1605

Re: Hybrid VM Column / Pot still

I will plan on building a dedicated VM still and add a pot n thumper later as it looks to be the way to go. I finished wrapping a simple column condenser for my vm build. Been searching on HD google but have not found the ideal distance to have the condenser above the take off branch. I heard having...
by Stillbilly
Mon Dec 05, 2011 6:52 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Hybrid VM Column / Pot still
Replies: 10
Views: 1605

Hybrid VM Column / Pot still

Hello, and thank you for any help (and patience) during my learning curve. I love this art and learning is half the fun. As soon as I think I know what I'm doing and what I want to build I find and learn about yet another process of stilling that leads me down another rabbit trail.. This site has me...
by Stillbilly
Sat Dec 03, 2011 11:04 am
Forum: Column Builds
Topic: VM take-off, velocity & design
Replies: 7
Views: 1151

Re: VM take-off, velocity & design

sounds good, I'll put it on top and try to install it snug so that I can be removed for future mods.
Thanks,
by Stillbilly
Fri Dec 02, 2011 8:47 pm
Forum: Column Builds
Topic: VM take-off, velocity & design
Replies: 7
Views: 1151

VM take-off, velocity & design

Hello, looking for any feedback b4 I run some solder on my first still. Building a 2" VMs with a packing column of about 48"/120mm long. Using a 2"x2"x2" T with a 2" condeser on top. The 2" take off reduces to 1" at the valve and then to 1/2" through the ...