Can anyone build this?

[Knightknight00]

Is there anyone on here that is willing to build this? If so how much would it cost? I am also wandering f it looks like a good design?

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Antique-Prohibit ... 1WDgwMA==/$(KGrHqF,!i0F!j-0uelpBQViEufVMQ~~60_3.JPG" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow


Mahalo

[ro palinca]

Hello and welcome to HD; the item you liked is a very poor design. Of course any member that is involved in copper tinkering is able to duplicate this, but without any real benefit for you. Maybe it is better to present yourself in the "Welcome Center" and read as much as you can, so you can formulate a question that will give you a good answer.

[myles]

Yes that could be built easily enough but it is a very old design. It has bad features and you could easily have something far superior if you wished. It looks very small - what sort of capacity are you looking for?

[LWTCS]

The design is clever if one assumes that the builder had some limitations. Hats off to the builder in deed. But this design is is quit limited. Perhaps this design was employed by someone that had very specific set of parameters?
Beyond that,,,,this design can be eclipsed quite easily.
No offense intended........Please.

Kind regards
Larry

[BareKnuckles]

That's a pretty cool still but you can make one much better....

[rad14701]

Looks like a simple pot still with a thumper ball and air cooled worm condenser... A novelty, for sure, but not the best choice for a working still...

As for comments regarding how members should answer novice questions, it's been covered and there is no need to carry that discussion further here at will not prove productive and merely detracts from the subject matter of the OP's topic... I'll be cleaning up this topic to get it back on track... If anyones earlier posts get deleted, don't take it personally...

[Dan P.]

That still was made for display or maybe just for fun.
My still is schematically similar, but of a more suitable size, and has served me well.
And yes, anyone can build that and many much better contraptions besides.

[Knightknight00]

Thank you all for your replies, both good and bad. Obviously I am new to this and trying to learn all i can.

Dan do you have any pictures of your design? If so may I have a look see.

I just have a question to challenge you with in order to further my knowledge. Please describe in depth why this design would not be a viable design for a still. Please keep in mind this still is quite small for obvious reasons. They made only enough for themselves and not excessive amounts to sell or barter with. It was also designed almost 75-100 yrs ago and easy to conceal for the hobbyist.

Any and all information is greatly appreciated

[myles]

The pot riser (that curved tube) is too small. Personally I wouldn't use smaller than 3/4" even on a 1 gallon pot. Also that thumper ball is too small relative to the boiler. Opinions vary but 1/3rd of boiler capacity is a good guide. You can go smaller but you would probably want to include an overflow back to the boiler.

I know it doesn't work quite as simply as this, but in an ideal world you would transfer ALL the alcohol from the boiler into the thumper, and then use the steam from the boiler to re-distill it. In reality it is more complex than that.

The first bit of alcohol is condensed into the thumper until it warms up, and then all sorts of things happen at the same time.

As for the air cooled condenser, not very efficient, so it would restrict your power input. You would have to run very slowly or you would blast hot vapour out of the condenser.

I am sure you could get it to work though, but you could design a better hide away still if you wanted to.

[mash rookie]

I get the impression he is trying to replicate an antique. It looks like a collectors item and may have historical value. Yes, it could be replicated.

[LWTCS]

For me the the design is innovative for it's period.....But by today's standard, a compact rig like Rad's apartment still is way more capable of rendering a quality spirit with less work compared to this little guy here.
Though it is a clever little conversation piece....

[Dan P.]

Dan do you have any pictures of your design? If so may I have a look see.

I just have a question to challenge you with in order to further my knowledge. Please describe in depth why this design would not be a viable design for a still. Please keep in mind this still is quite small for obvious reasons. They made only enough for themselves and not excessive amounts to sell or barter with. It was also designed almost 75-100 yrs ago and easy to conceal for the hobbyist.

The still in the picture you provided looks, firstly, way too small to make anything worth drinking, both in terms of quality and quantity. Having said that I don't actually know how big it is...
Aside from that; there's no where to load the "thumper", I don't believe that that worm would function without coolant, I'm just all together not convinced that it was made to be used in earnest. I think it was made for display, which is fine.
Here is my still, minus the worm. It's ca. 60 litres. As you can see, the riser on top of yours is a lyne arm coming out the side of mine. On the advice of one Mr. G. Eye I made the cap domed, "turnip" style. Nothing too difficult without a bit of practice.

[Knightknight00]

Thanks Myles,great info and very well put for the novice. Thank you also Dan and I get the reason for the domed top...
This is fact a learning curve that I would trust never ends :0) which is why it has so many people continuing there search for the "perfect Still"

Thanks again

[Knightknight00]

OK can someone point me in the direction of finding information on capacity of still and the quality of fluid they produce.
Couple Questions

1. Design Ball top vs Popcorn top? Benefits why the different shapes?
2. Can I make methanol? is it possible?
3. This "new" style worm in the copper tubing why is it more efficient than just a worm?
4. I am really interested in knowing why people are making their stills round and a lot of the older ones were oval? I assume this is because of the larger surface area = more efficient steam?

Mahalo in advance.

[Dan P.]

OK can someone point me in the direction of finding information on capacity of still and the quality of fluid they produce.
Couple Questions

1. Design Ball top vs Popcorn top? Benefits why the different shapes?
2. Can I make methanol? is it possible?
3. This "new" style worm in the copper tubing why is it more efficient than just a worm?
4. I am really interested in knowing why people are making their stills round and a lot of the older ones were oval? I assume this is because of the larger surface area = more efficient steam?

Mahalo in advance.

Volume of a cylinder is area ((pi x radius) squared) x height.
Quality is up to you, the operator.

To answer your numbered questions;
1. Make whichever one is within your powers to make that you like the look of better. I'd be surprised if you were to find too many scientific comparisons of moonshine still designs, so, for this type of still, it really boils down to aesthetics and ability.
2. You can make methanol if you like, but it's cheaper to buy. By which I mean to say; you need to do research on what compounds are being created by your chosen ferment. Methanol can kill you, so you better get it right!
3. More compact condensers are better because they are compact. An old style worm is better because you don't need to have water flowing through it continuously.
4. I don't think people ever purposely made oval stills, I think you are mistaken. Fabricating an oval boiler is going to be a great deal more difficult than a cylindrical one.

[myles]

A lot of the still shape variations are simply regional identity, or personal choice. As for oval? The only sort of oval still I can think of is a "blackpot submarine" and that is NOT something you should aspire to.

Build one that shape if you like, but please not by using the methods that were used in that era.

[Dan P.]

Yes, sorry, the submarine is oval, isn't it?
I was thinking of oval in plan rather than from the side.

[Dnderhead]

some made stills from wash boilers.id say these was from 5-25 gal?
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... A&dur=1481" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[Knightknight00]

Yes , I was not clear. I was indeed speaking of the old wash basin, or boiler pot. Will this work or is Oval not the way to go?

Is anyone familiar with the pint-o-shine still. what do we think about that design?

Also one last question, back on subject. What does the still design in the original post need to make it "operational" and "viable" ?

Does it just need to be larger?

Lets just say we make it larger 3gal , Make the thumper ball larger 3/4-1 gal, add a overflow back to the main mash compartment and a spot for a thermometer above the overflow on the thumper ball. (plugged by a Stopper,that would be used to preload the ball with the legs or ends and encase the actual worm with 2" copper pipe, breather hole on top and male female ends to run water through in order to cool re liquify the stuff.

Would this now be a decent still?

[shadylane]

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Antique-Prohibit" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow ... ~~60_3.JPG
Also one last question, back on subject. What does the still design in the original post need to make it "operational" and "viable" ?

There is nothing that can be done with the design. It's too small. The rig must be turned upside down to drain the boiler. The thumper? is even worst. The air-cooled condenser is very inefficient. It's not even an accurate piece of art work. But it looks good...

[Dnderhead]

the original pot that was posted looks familiar as something other,,but cant place it.

what I posted was a wash boiler,,to be basic it was placed on heat the dishes/clothing or you was washed ..
it was sort of water heater/washing machine/dish washer/and bath..and during harvest time it mite double as a cannier.

[Knightknight00]

Lets just say we make it larger 6gal , Make the thumper ball larger 3/4-1 gal, add a overflow back to the main mash compartment and a spot for a thermometer above the overflow on the thumper ball. (plugged by a Stopper,that would be used to preload the ball with the legs or ends and encase the actual worm with 2" copper pipe, breather hole on top and male female ends to run water through in order to cool re liquify the stuff.

Would this now be a decent still?

[rad14701]

Lets just say we make it larger 6gal , Make the thumper ball larger 3/4-1 gal, add a overflow back to the main mash compartment and a spot for a thermometer above the overflow on the thumper ball. (plugged by a Stopper,that would be used to preload the ball with the legs or ends and encase the actual worm with 2" copper pipe, breather hole on top and male female ends to run water through in order to cool re liquify the stuff.

Would this now be a decent still?

Why not just build a traditional simple pot still...??? Then, once you have a handle on the basics you can add a right-sized thumper that is 1/3 - 1/2 the volume of your boiler... A 3 quart or 1 gallon thumper just isn't big enough for a 6-ish gallon boiler... And no synthetic stopper...

[Knightknight00]

Thanks Rad i'm in the final stages of the Thumper right all I have left is to put the two Pipes i I can not make up my mind as to the size should I go 1" or larger? Then silly question if I solder the pipes Then how do I pre charge it?

Thanks