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sealing my pot still?

Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 2:03 pm
by getnstarted
I have a 20qt stainless still stock pot. Any ideas how to seal around the lid. Dont want to use flour and water.

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 2:21 pm
by Prairiepiss
You have 2 good options. Samohons everlasting PTFE gasket. It flour paste.

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 2:24 pm
by Prairiepiss
By the way. You mite want to stop over to the welcome center and give up a proper introduction. Let us know what your using for a still what you have done so far. Bla Bla Bla. You get the idea.

Top link in my signature is a good one. :thumbup:

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 8:10 pm
by white_likker1
I mad 1 for my pot still in about 45 minutes. That includes beer time and all. It works a treat also.

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2012 4:00 am
by dakotasnake
it is a pain in the ass to use flour paste but it does work. i am going to give the teflon tape a shot one of these daze. currently i am sealing my cream can with lasanga noodles. i just nuke some water for 8 minutes put the noodles in there for 15 minutes put them around the rim overlapping about an inch, put the lid on and shes ready to fire up. its a furly easy clean-up and the dog-chickens and birds come a running when i clean up.

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2012 4:23 am
by MGilbert3
Check this out, here's the thread to the everlasting gasket, I made one for mine and just clamping the lid down with black paperclips, works great so far.

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2012 8:36 am
by Rachiu
Good idea with noodles!
I make a dough with flour and little water, rolled on the table like a long snake. I put it around the border of the lid and the lid on the pot. Then I press it and catch with binder clips.
For cleaning the dried dough I put some wet towels over it and after several hours it can be easily cleaned.
Certainly it's safe, other materials are controversial.

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 1:12 am
by UKwildcatshiner
I know this is a older post but I just put my pot still together 5 days ago and I made one out of gasket maker and cork I laid the lid down and put a medium line of gasket maker down and cut of strips of cork and bent it around the lid and let it set and gum up (the strips will start to come off and separate). Then I put the lid on the pot and clamped it down since the (strips started to come off) and put some heat on it and now its perfect!!

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 1:19 am
by blind drunk
Just make sure you have the safe cork - check out post #3 by cob.

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 15&t=27646

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 5:42 am
by Coaster
UKwildcatshiner wrote:.....I laid the lid down and put a medium line of gasket maker down and cut of strips of cork and bent it around the lid and let it set and gum up....
@ Ukwildcatshiner,

Please explain in detail exactly what you mean by “let it set and gum up”. I have difficulty in understanding exactly what you are referring to unless you are using some type of undisclosed adhesive glue material. What is the “gasket maker” you are referring to?

Regards,
Coaster

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 10:30 am
by UKwildcatshiner
Wow! blind drunk thanks! I didn't know there was a difference. I lucked out though and got the right kind. Coaster I just put the gasket maker (used for automobiles) and i put it on there and let it dry for a minute or two and it starts to get tacky and then put the cork around it the gasket maker never comes in contact with the steam.

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 4:41 pm
by rad14701
UKwildcatshiner wrote:Wow! blind drunk thanks! I didn't know there was a difference. I lucked out though and got the right kind. Coaster I just put the gasket maker (used for automobiles) and i put it on there and let it dry for a minute or two and it starts to get tacky and then put the cork around it the gasket maker never comes in contact with the steam.
Absolutely positively do not drink any spirits that come out a still using that gasket...!!! No composition cork and not gasket glue... You have no idea what toxic chemicals as in that bonding agent... Remember, you don't eat engine gaskets...

You obviously need to stop what you are doing and do some serious research... If that's too much work for you to do in an effort to keep yourself and anyone you may share your spirits with safe then perhaps yoou should scrap the whole idea and head down to the liquor store... We take safety far too seriously to ignore such blatant disregard to the The Rules We Live By...

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 5:50 pm
by UKwildcatshiner
Rad, I understand that the gasket glue is toxic but the steam does not come in contact with the glue. Also, the cork I used is bellcork which is compatible with international safety standard for food products. I do appreciate your concern, but I think the response to put respectfully was a little severe. Safety is a concern of mine considering I don't want to end up in the hospital with some sort of poisoning I understand I am a newbie here but I do believe I deserve a little more respect than that. Read the rules we live by ( #2)!! I understand that you are a master distiller and I respect that fact and that is admirable that your in that position, but there is no need to tell me I should just stop and go to the liquor store. We all started somewhere!!

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 8:14 pm
by rad14701
UKwildcatshiner wrote:Rad, I understand that the gasket glue is toxic but the steam does not come in contact with the glue. Also, the cork I used is bellcork which is compatible with international safety standard for food products. I do appreciate your concern, but I think the response to put respectfully was a little severe. Safety is a concern of mine considering I don't want to end up in the hospital with some sort of poisoning I understand I am a newbie here but I do believe I deserve a little more respect than that. Read the rules we live by ( #2)!! I understand that you are a master distiller and I respect that fact and that is admirable that your in that position, but there is no need to tell me I should just stop and go to the liquor store. We all started somewhere!!
Are you absolutely sure there is no contact...??? :think:

We aren't working with food, we're working with solvents... :idea:

Care to rethink your stance...??? I stand by mine... :problem:

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 10:59 pm
by Coaster
@ Ukwildcatshiner,

Perhaps you should do a little research on exactly how Bellcork is manufactured. Bellcork is manufactured by the “Colmation Process”. This process consists of steam treating natural sheet cork bark until it is flattened and the imperfections in the cork sheet are filled with cork dust and a Silicone Based Adhesive.

Besides dealing with solvents used in your Automotive Gasket Maker you also dealing with the solvents used in the Silicone Based Adhesive.

Regards,
Coaster

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 4:01 pm
by FreeMountainHermit
Post deleted by FMH due to operator error.

Please excuse.


FMH.

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 5:34 pm
by rad14701
FreeMountainHermit wrote:Is food grade silicone sealer acceptable and safe to use ? If it is, it may be possible to make a reusable gasket .
It is a common misconception to think that "food grade" means safe for our purposes but that is not always the case... The term "food grade" does not take into account the exposure to high temperature high proof alcohol vapor and/or liquids... High proof alcohol is a solvent and is very similar to some of the solvents I used years ago to remove silicone sealant when doing automotive repairs... I would never trust a vulcanizing sealant anywhere in a still... And all silicone sealants are not created equal so saying the use is acceptable could become blanket approval in the eyes of new members or passers by who only do selective reading and interpretation... From an overall safety standpoint, when in doubt leave it out...

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 5:40 pm
by PolishedPA
Agree^^. Get the food grade shit outta here. I made a ptfe gasket per Samohons design and it works wonderfully.

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 7:04 pm
by FreeMountainHermit
Prairiepiss wrote: Samohons everlasting PTFE gasket.
or this tubing.

http://www.coleparmer.com/Category/PTFE ... TAodqiFwUQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Made from PTFE just like Samohons gasket. A length of this tubing slit lengthwise could be used around the rim of a pot with binder clips fairly easily I'm thinking.

Thoughts ???

FMH.

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 10:42 pm
by blanikdog
Rad, you have the patience of Job. Some folk just know all the answers and when the poison themselves and several of their friends or family they just whine and tell one what a drag it is to use safe materials. I can't for the life of me understand the thinking (?) when flour paste is mentioned.

The ferment takes a week or two, the distillation and cutting several hours and removal of SAFE flour paste takes five minutes. :crazy: :crazy: :crazy:

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 8:32 am
by UKwildcatshiner
I recently scraped off the cork and sealant and I am now using lasagna noodles to seal the pot.

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 10:27 pm
by Ghostpepperman
I've done the cardboard and PTFE wrap....works good but gets deformed....
So I was thinking about taking the cardboard and wrapping it in pure copper wire or stainless steel wire for strength then wrapping in PTFE tape...
It would give it strength cause the metal wire would not flex as much as the cardboard...In hopes of not getting deformed after a few uses

Any Yeas or Nays???
Any other ideas?

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 4:59 am
by bellybuster
Why not just wrap Teflon tape around the top of your pot? Half a dozen wraps around should seal it nicely and I bet it will last quite a few runs

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 10:27 am
by Ferment_It
I tried making an everlasting gasket with copper instead of cardboard... Couldn't get it to work, don't think I got it flat enough and it needs the "give" of the cardboard. If i were to try it again I'd use smaller gauge wire and use a couple more rolls of pfte tape.

This being said its probably not worth the work. I just do what belly said. Give it a few wraps with pfte tape then one more with some electrical to hold it in place.

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 10:52 am
by bellybuster
Ferment_It wrote: I just do what belly said. Give it a few wraps with pfte tape then one more with some electrical to hold it in place.
Belly never said that.... electrical tape aint good

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 11:45 am
by ben stiller
Don't over think it. Couple wraps on the pot rim and a couple on the
Lid, clamp it and enjoy. Been doing this all along and even use the ptfe
Seal several times. If it is looking weak I just add another wrap. When I unclamp
The lid hot, it actually is stuck to the pot. Most simple method that I have found
And cheap too.

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 1:45 pm
by thumper123
Solder that sucker closed! You can fill, empty and clean it through your attachment to your column easy enough if you are particular about what you put in the pot. Strain everything going in. It only takes a second to screw in the column with a little teflon tape for a good seal. You don't want to be worrying about leaks in your pot - think fire. I've never had a problem with this procedure. If you have to rely on various gaskets, seals, or gunk to seal your pot you need to revise your plan. It's nice to worry about health issues as they apply to materiel, but safety overules.

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 4:15 pm
by ben stiller
Depends on what size column he has. I would hate to try and fill and drain my pot through the drilled 1 inch cap on my pot. Give me the wrapped gasket any day.

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 4:56 pm
by Kegg_jam
Making an everlasting gasket for a big pot sucks big time.

Wrapping the lid is insanely easier If you can find the heavy wider ptfe and works just as well.

Re: sealing my pot still?

Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2015 7:57 pm
by Ferment_It
Sorry belly, didn't mean to pin the electrical tape on you. Tapatalk has a terrible search function so I can't find the thread, but its been discussed previously.

Nothing wrong with a wrap or two of electric tape over top of a few wraps of pfte. Not worried the vapors can work their way through pfte to the electric tape and then back through the pfte into the column... Have bigger fish to fry if the vapor can get through the pfte in the first place. Way I look at it is safer cuz you don't have to worry about the pfte slowly getting loose over the course of the run and developing a leak. Two things if you decide to use electric tape over pfte
1. Make sure the e tape doesn't touch the metal, the glue is a pain to get off copper once it cools and 2. Don't forget to put a small fold at the end so you don't have to search/scrape for the end after a run.

Then again did I miss something, should I be worried? Thoughts from the minds here at HD?