Need Help : Still Designs / Plans

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

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magnuson25
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Need Help : Still Designs / Plans

Post by magnuson25 »

Hello Everyone,

I have been distilling with a simple alembic pot still for the past 8 years and have decided that I want to take my hobby to the next level and try to build a still from scratch on my own. I have basic soldering and metal working skills so I am confident that I could make it work. My question is, does anyone know of any plans or step by step instruction son how to do it? I would like to build a still similar to the one in the picture.

Any help pointing me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated
245941469_10208645744579129_8722520151317401239_n.jpg
247623141_202148535373035_1688084250924914555_n.jpg
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Demy
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Re: Need Help : Still Designs / Plans

Post by Demy »

Do you want something bigger or want to change design?Some more info could help in the answer.
magnuson25
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Re: Need Help : Still Designs / Plans

Post by magnuson25 »

I would like something around that size. I would like to build something that can hold anywhere between 8-10 gallons of wash. Currently, I have an alembic pot still with a T500 boiler. It was what I purchased a while ago to just start practicing. I would like to do something a bit more advanced than what im currently running with a thumper incorporated.

This is the still I currently have
alembic.JPG
Ideally, I would like to build something like the pictures in my first post.
Setsumi
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Re: Need Help : Still Designs / Plans

Post by Setsumi »

pintoshine posted plans of a 6 galon one in the potstil section and stillanoob has a thread with some videos in scaled to 12 galon.
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Boozewaves
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Re: Need Help : Still Designs / Plans

Post by Boozewaves »

I have seen some plans/step by step instructions for something similar in a book which you can download for free , "moonshine recipes" by Matthew Rowley

https://b-ok.cc/book/2272251/373643

this thread is pretty interesting as well , good instructions for copper forming and some video's , might be something you'd incorporate into your design https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... ad9de6d6b/
Become a distiller : start here viewtopic.php?t=52975
Andrew_90
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Re: Need Help : Still Designs / Plans

Post by Andrew_90 »

Just a question, do you plan on making flavored product exclusively or will you also want to make a neutral at any point?

Making what you posted still kind of limits you to what you can produce.

I started with a pot still and soon realised that without a reflux still that I was rather limited for my chosen products.
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: Need Help : Still Designs / Plans

Post by Saltbush Bill »

Andrew_90 wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 2:28 am I started with a pot still and soon realised that without a reflux still that I was rather limited for my chosen products.
Without one of each you will always be wishing you had the other. Both are different tools for different jobs.
If I had to pick only one, and had no choice but to use only one, it would be a good reflux still, VM or LM, It could be "detuned" and used as a pot still when need be, that way I would have the best of both worlds , but only one still......as it is I own 5 ...all have different purposes.
Andrew_90
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Re: Need Help : Still Designs / Plans

Post by Andrew_90 »

You mean these more to distilling life after the a pot and reflux still :mrgreen: .

Next move will be to replace my 30l SS boiler on the pot still to an all copper one, have these geyser already.

Then I want to venture into the coppersmithing world and make a very small Alembric style still to get my toes wet, probably in the 2l range. This for experimentation with flavored neutrals, specifically Gin's.

By then I would have neglected my household chores to such a degree that I will be forced to take a break and attend to the home.
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Ben
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Re: Need Help : Still Designs / Plans

Post by Ben »

Just put a big tri-clamp on top of your boiler, then you can have all the stills and only one pot :)
:)
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