Wood fired

[Squirrelsniper]

I know I'm getting brave with this topic but, I've always been curious about running a wood-fired still the old fashion way. I have a large chunk of very rural property and have been working on a keg build just to give this a whirl. I'm planning on a 5 gallon thumper to help regulate the 15.5 keg ( may need to make a 6 gallon?). I'm familiar with using electric on my 13 gallon pot and 4.5 gallon reflux rig (both using lebeigs) and have them both dialed in temp-wise for my desired end product and run times. This is an exciting, but scary, adventure to embark on and I'm hoping others have taken this old school leap and will share their experiences. I'm also building an off-grid cabin there and would love to have a way to pursue one of my favorite hobbies there. If the old timers could do this why can't I? I'm confident I could live off the land well if I can drink off the land. Oh, I do have an excellent running water source so that is not an issue.

[Chauncey]

You ever see the way popcorn built a furnace round his setup in the woods in that documentary bout him? That's a starting point for a setup design id say

[Durhommer]

+1 to chaunceys statement thats a pretty efficient setup for a wood fire stove

[shadylane]

Here's some folks running wood fired stills
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=76359

[Squirrelsniper]

Popcorn's setup is kind of what I had in mind. Thanks for the validation on that thought. I've learned to be somewhat skeptical of videos on YouTube (I've seen some very dangerous stuff regarding distilling on there ... sure you all have). I feel like my mind is on the right track though airing my thoughts out in this venue. ... Heard his actual book will be released soon, am looking forward to reading it.

[Squirrelsniper]

Thanks guys! Love the Romanian vids. Very interesting stuff. How did I ever make quality booze before the internet? Oh well, I think the school of hard knocks makes us appreciate and utilize the information age more than some.

[cob]

The eyes in the sky could find a non permitted cabin worth investigating

[Twisted Brick]

I have thought of wood-firing my (keg) still but rather than the temporary (easily demo'd) approach Popcorn used, I would go with brick, like those at George Washington's Mount Vernon distillery.

Firebrick is reasonably priced and can be constructed to make a round firebox. Once brick is heated to saturation, the firebox becomes very efficient and would require minimal fuel to maintain temperature. Its thermal mass (if insulated properly) will slowly release its heat in a steady gradient over many hours and provide enough heat to do several runs. My brick oven takes four days to cool from 850F with the door on. Below are some pics taken during its construction. A straight-sided round firebox would be much easier to construct than a dome, which requires each brick to be cut in a trapezoid.

My thought was to rig a hoist to raise and lower my keg partially in/out of the firebox as needed to regulate heat.

I thought I was just being nostalgic, but I applaud your interest in bringing some of the old-school charm to modern-day distilling. I would do this sooner if I didn't have so many projects to tackle first.
.

[Durhommer]

nice brick work

[Fiddleford]

I used to run a 5 gallon corny keg in my fire pit I would stack granite river rocks around the thing after starting the fire under it, the thing was rather easy to regulate in my experience and I feel a larger setup would have a wider spectrum of flow rate.

[shadylane]

I'm kinda lazy when it comes to cutting firewood and other such work
That's one of the reasons why I'd prefer a firebox and not a masonay furnace.

[thecroweater]

Popcorn Sutton's thumper setup

[still_stirrin]

...building an off-grid cabin...(to) live off the land...(with) running water...

What.....no internet or phone service? Even Jed Clampett moved to Beverly, where he had a cement pond! You want to move to where your crapper is a hole in the ground?
ss

[Squirrelsniper]

Love the idea Twistedbrick. Especially being able to raise and lower the keg. .... Still_Stirring, there's still phone service out there. This is kind of my semi-retirement plan. Sounds like going to Heaven early if you ask me. Have lived. Off the land before and enjoyed it. Can get old after awhile, hence the need for little medicinal likker!

[shadylane]

It kinda appears that Popcorn had the pot sitting on the ground
and it was only heated on the sides

[Squirrelsniper]

I thought he had an Earth/rock oven is sorts built. That's what I'm planning.

[NZChris]

I'd build dampers into the design so that I could adjust the flame the same way I do when running on a wood stove.

[Chauncey]

Heat control vents would likely be useful if that could be done so.ehow, or else alot of stoking the fire will be required

[NZChris]

Control can be a simple as a rock on the chimney and a rock for the inlet hole.

[Chauncey]

True that sir

[NZChris]

I know someone who just happens to have what I need to build a simple backyard wood fire ideal for running a couple of my stills on

I could use it to make a batch of Odin's Easy Gin while the guests arrived, getting them to tend the fire and watch the level in the jug while I got on with less important stuff, like food.

[Chauncey]

The guy that taught me made a ring of st joes bricks with a quarter of it or so open, then sat a grate on top with the keg on it. Then he stacked bricks higher most of the way around leaving one missing in the back for a chimney vent. It worked okay iirc

[NZChris]

A guy from Fiji told me that their moonshine rums always tasted burnt if they ran too long. These were single pass rums on simple pot stills on wood fires.

My guess is that they had burn on above the level of the wash because the sides of the pots weren't protected from the flames.

[Squirrelsniper]

I was kind of thinking about rigging up a friend's smoker/bbq rig just for having cook out/shining parties with my closest friends. I'm afraid of being distracted though an messing a run up but, the friends I have and would invite are all prospective HDers so it could be an educational adventure for them. If only George from Barley and Hops wanted to come hang out too it'd be a real blast. Although George is very anti-thumper, I see wood-fired as a good place for that.

[MichiganCornhusker]

My guess is that they had burn on above the level of the wash because the sides of the pots weren't protected from the flames.

Good guess

I like the idea of a back woods live fire pot still. I have a place where I could pull that off and this post reminds me that I should make the effort to get out there this winter.

Wood fire should be no problem for a pot stilled spirit. Lots of heat up front to get up to boiling temps, then it takes very little to keep it rolling.
I will avoid anything that might scorch the sides of my still. A quite place, out of the wind, and with some running water nearby to refill your flake stand... good luckl and post pics!

[NJen]

Personally if I were going to fire with wood, I would use a gasification system.

Something like this, perhaps, but better modified to our uses;
(The owner of this video disabled embedding on other sites, so you'll have to open the actual YouTube video in your browser. I just thought a preview image may be of some use.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVdfBuKgzZo


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agVrtCtX_ZQ This second link is to a video of how the guy made it. It's pretty simple.

One could probably modify a wood stove to operate in such a fashion with a little work and nice source of fresh cold water for cooling the exhaust. I've given it some thought in the past.

Destructive distillation, lol

[Squirrelsniper]

Here's my update. Made two runs over the wood fire with a pit and some metal grates and cinder blocks making an oven of sorts and the second run I probably made the best corn whiskey has made my entire life. can I get some pictures and little more description when I get time I can see improvements coming.

[DAD300]

I know someone with a large Charles 803.

The boiler is setting over a block trench that is open on both ends. He can feed the fire or drag coals out of either side to control heat. Works super.

[NZChris]

Great result Squirrel. Congratulations. I'm looking forward to seeing what you did.

[living in the hollar]

Rocket stove minimal effort minimal wood requirements