Modified Ice Water Pot Still design... suggestions?

Simple pot still distillation and construction with or without a thumper.

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livefreeordie
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Modified Ice Water Pot Still design... suggestions?

Post by livefreeordie »

Hi, I have been reading a ton on this website and am fairly well educated on the entire distillation process. With that in mind, I want to build an ice water still similar to the one described in this website, but with one major modification. At this very early point in my distillation hobby, I value discretion highly as I live in an apartment and dont have any land to work with.

I have already purchased a stainless steel 15 gallon stock pot and a very large round bottom stainless steel wok. As I'm sure many of you are familiar with the ice water pot still design, the vapor upon heating condenses on the bottom of the cooled wok and rolls to the very center, where it falls into a bowl suspended over the wash.

My idea is to replace the bowl with a stainless steel funnel connected to a stainless steel pipe that will extend diagonally downward through the side of the stock pot (I plan to drill a hole in the pot and use a silicon grommet to ensure an airtight seal for the pipe), and then continue a foot or so and then have a collection vessel under the pipe for the distillate to collect.

I havn't drilled any holes yet, so nothing is set in stone, but I'm hoping this will work as it seems discreet (I can dissemble it easily) and I can seperate out the distillate into foreshots, heads, hearts, etc.

Thoughts? suggestions?

thanks,
livefreeordie
beelah
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Re: Modified Ice Water Pot Still design... suggestions?

Post by beelah »

Before you start putting some holes in that nice and likely expensive stainless stick pot do a bit more reading before you start building.

I , like many here started off in a great hurry with only a slight idea of what we wanted and what we needed and what to build.

There are a number of great pot still designs found here that are as you say discreat and easy to break down and put away in the cupboard from prowling eyes.

One very common design that I have used and built is the stainless sink drain on a stainless bowl inverted on the top of your stock pot.

In this configuration I have both a Boka for reflux work with a long column, as well as a shorter detuned column in pot still mode. I also give credit to the design that Rad, one of the regulars and mentors here, developed for use in an apartment. It is a great desing and easy to build.

Here is just one example of the one that I built http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 50&t=16038

I have used it very succesfully and I am more than happy with it. It is great to learn on and once you get this experience under your belt you can always build something more complex.

So as I am sure you will hear, read, read and read some more before you start building.

Good luck and be safe.
beelah
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Re: Modified Ice Water Pot Still design... suggestions?

Post by beelah »

Here is another great pot still design http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 15&t=17101
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LWTCS
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Re: Modified Ice Water Pot Still design... suggestions?

Post by LWTCS »

Hello livefreeordie.

Please don't take this the wrong way.

But this version of what you are proposing (if I understand you correctly) reminds me of the college dorm room youtube excersize that allows the operator (in due time) to realize that its time to use a proper still.

We have a lot of really succesful smaller still designs. Try and hold off till you have read a bit more.

Good luck
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mikeac
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Re: Modified Ice Water Pot Still design... suggestions?

Post by mikeac »

I've done the ice water stills and they are not worth it at. A small leiberg will be just as easy to conceal as a stock pot with a while in its side/tubing inserted. Turn that nice big stock pot into a potstill. You will be WAY more satisfied. You'll only wish you had a keg...
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Guy Friday
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Re: Modified Ice Water Pot Still design... suggestions?

Post by Guy Friday »

livefreeordie wrote:........ My idea is to replace the bowl with a stainless steel funnel connected to a stainless steel pipe that will extend diagonally downward through the side of the stock pot (I plan to drill a hole in the pot and use a silicon grommet to ensure an airtight seal for the pipe), and then continue a foot or so and then have a collection vessel under the pipe for the distillate to collect.
livefreeordie

This is an interesting idea ... and I see no reason it would not work!

I know this is an old thread ... but better than starting a new one?

I find there is some small misinformation and I feel they are "looked down upon" by the more proper distillers ... The OP was very familiar with traditional pot stills and mentioned that ... he wanted info and feedback on his idea .. it's a shame he'll never come back to let us know how it worked ... I've read a LOT of info on the Wok Still and never come across his funnel idea.

The set up I have is working perfectly (with in it's obvious limits) but his modification seems interesting! ...
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shadylane
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Re: Modified Ice Water Pot Still design... suggestions?

Post by shadylane »

What keeps alcohol vapor from exiting through the funnel instead of condensing on the wok full of ice water?
The design sounds good at first, but if you draw it out and study it, the problems are obvious.
And yes, I've seen some FNG's get treated poorly. In this case it wasn't so.
Copper Thumper
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Re: Modified Ice Water Pot Still design... suggestions?

Post by Copper Thumper »

Collecting all of the alcohol into one container...no cuts?


No thanks.
sungazer
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Re: Modified Ice Water Pot Still design... suggestions?

Post by sungazer »

Copper Thumper wrote:Collecting all of the alcohol into one container...no cuts?


No thanks.
Remember that distilling doesn't make anything only concentrates it. So in Theory if you made a drinkable beer or wine there should be no more methanol in the end product than what you started with. However of course you are not drinking the same volume of water with it to dilute it to your kidneys and the rest of your system. Still not a good idea.
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corene1
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Re: Modified Ice Water Pot Still design... suggestions?

Post by corene1 »

sungazer wrote:
Copper Thumper wrote:Collecting all of the alcohol into one container...no cuts?


No thanks.
Remember that distilling doesn't make anything only concentrates it. So in Theory if you made a drinkable beer or wine there should be no more methanol in the end product than what you started with. However of course you are not drinking the same volume of water with it to dilute it to your kidneys and the rest of your system. Still not a good idea.
Interesting thought, I was under the impression that distillation did not concentrate the wash but rather made separations of the wash. Hence the separation in foreshots , heads, hearts, and tails through out the run. Are you suggesting that the acetones and methanol that come off in the foreshots and are typically discarded are OK to drink using this system? I think not
Bagasso
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Re: Modified Ice Water Pot Still design... suggestions?

Post by Bagasso »

sungazer wrote:Remember that distilling doesn't make anything only concentrates it.
I don't think this is entirely accurate since a pot full of chemicals under heat do tend to create different things. Esters, for example, are created from acids and alcohols when put under heat in an aqueous solution.
corene1 wrote:Interesting thought, I was under the impression that distillation did not concentrate the wash but rather made separations of the wash.
Actually it does both. It allows for seperation based on the different boiling points but if you collect everything into a single container you will negate the seperation and really only concentrate everything that you have distilled.

You will still have the seperation of anything left in the pot when you end the run.

The theory that sungazer metnioned means that, if we use Photonics lab results where the wash had 9 mg/l of acetone and 5 mg/l of methanol and you decided to drink the wash as a wine, then you will be drinking that amount of those two chemicals. If you distill the wash and get 45%ABV low wines and choose to drink that then you will have 27mg/l of acetone and 15mg/l of methanol. (Note: Photonic left the 5mg/l amount for methanol to play it safe because the lab could not detect lower amounts).

So, if you drink a liter of "wine" or 333.3ml of the low wines you will still be drinking the same amount of both.

I'm sure everyone here will agree that it is better to cut that stuff out of your drinks but the theory is that if those amounts are safe in the "wine" then they should also be safe in the distillate.
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pfshine
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Re: Modified Ice Water Pot Still design... suggestions?

Post by pfshine »

I agree but remember alot here and out in the world will drink spirits a a higher % than they would wine as well as faster.
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thecroweater
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Re: Modified Ice Water Pot Still design... suggestions?

Post by thecroweater »

these sort of stills were all the rage some 6000 yrs ago, there is a very good reason they belong to pre civilization history and that is because there are way, way way way better ways of doing things. they waste a lot of ethanol and all you can separate is water with all the shit collected together. you could build a collection cup with a drain externally for making cuts but why would you when a simple pot still would be easier and a whole lot better. The reason for the disclaimer on the parent site is because it is a shit idea and somebody claiming to do it for years and then saying the product is crap tasting would be better off collecting stamps for a hobby :thumbup:
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Bagasso
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Re: Modified Ice Water Pot Still design... suggestions?

Post by Bagasso »

thecroweater wrote:why would you when a simple pot still would be easier and a whole lot better.
True, the amount of effort put into an internal collection cup is about the same as making a regular pot still with the advantage of making cuts.
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