Shiny Still Pics!

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

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Hack
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Shiny Still Pics!

Post by Hack »

I've finally gotten around to posting pics of my rig with all the latest changes for everyone to check out. If a picture is truly worth a 1,000 words here's about 7,000 of them.

Here's everything fitted together. That's 2" columns that taper to 5/8" copper tubing. (I just learned when I upgraded to the 5/8" tubing that it is the same size as 1/2" rigid. This made it nice to be able to fit everything together with copper fittings and avoid pickling brass.) The lyne arms are a slip fit and sealed with flour dough when I run. A bungie cord holds the cap on the boiler. A stick wedged in the handles of the doubler hold its lid on. Both are sealed with flour dough when I run. This setup runs a collection rate of five quarts an hour that comes out about 140 proof after cuts on a UJSM.

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A closeup of the boiler

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A closeup of the self filling doubler. A 20 quart stainless stockpot inside a 22 quart graniteware canning pot. The space between the inner and outer pots is filled with water just covering the coils wrapped around the inner pot. This initially acts as a condenser, until it heats up, filling the doubler. That's wire tying the handles of the pots together so the inner pot isn't floating in the water bath. I just bought some springs to tie them together but haven't put them on yet.

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Here's the inner thumper pot with the coil wrapped around. That's a 3/4" pipe cap soldered over a hole in the pot where the coil enters the bottom of the pot. I did it this way to keep the space between the two pots as tight as possible. The other two chunks of pipe soldered to the bottom are just feet.

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Here's a picture of my diffuser. It simply slips into a 5/8" hole in the bottom of the pot.

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A picture of the bottom of the diffuser. On the left end I cut the elbow so it is only about a 1/4" long where it slips into the inlet. On the right I cut the elbow so it is flush with the bottom of the cross tube. This allows the diffuser to lay right on the bottom of the pot with only a small gap.

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Worm condenser. That's a six gallon bucket with 5/8" copper tube. I fill it when I start and leave it. The top quarter gets hot and the bottom stays cool. The distillate comes out cool. 6" stove pipe works perfect to wrap your tubing around to form a coil that fits nicely in the bucket.

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tracker0945
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by tracker0945 »

Hack,
I hope it works as good as it looks.
Well done.

Cheers.
2"x38" Bok mini and
Pot still with Leibig on 45 litre boiler
myles
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by myles »

Well Hack thats a nice rig. What I would like to know, coz it will be usefull, is how you bent that coil?
Did you wrap it round your stockpot, as when I tried that, it messed up the pot ( pot too thin) or did you use pipe benders? Or did you wrap it round something a bit smaller than your pot? I have only bent coils out of rigid water pipe but i notice there are no creases in your coil. Even with an internal spring bender I get creases, and have not managed to get a regular coil with the pipe bender.
I did see a plan somewhere for an adjustable rig that would let you wind a coil with a bender, set to any diameter with a pulley wheel on the end of an arm, but have lost the link.
Or did you use soft tube? Spill the beans. :D
Hack
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by Hack »

Thanks for the compliments.

Myles, yes I used 5/8" soft copper tubing for the coils. For the thumper I used a 10' roll and wrapped it around the stock pot. The coils in the roll were almost the same diameter as the stock pot so it only took a little adjustment to get things set up right. For the worm I used a 20' coil and wrapped it around a piece of 6" stove pipe I had laying around. Since the radius was tighter on the worm and I didn't do anything to fill the coil to prevent it, it did flatten the tubing slightly, but not enough to really be concerned about.
Centimeter
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by Centimeter »

Great rig Hack! I’m liking the recent surge in thumper users. I kind of wish you’d installed a window in that thumper. With that diffuser, I could stair at it for the whole run. I’d love to hear some reports on how it all works.

The trick to making beautiful coiled rigid is to anneal the pipe REALLY well. I use a MAP torch and work my way along the pipe—getting every single inch glowing a dull red. I then clean off the char (much easier while it’s not coiled) fill it with salt and use brute strength for the rest. Doing this, I made a coiled leibig with ¾” inside 1” and it looks dandy if I do say so myself. A good source of large diameter mandrels is sewage PVC. I found mine as a piece of scrap at a construction site. You can then drill holes in it to hold the pipe too. I used ratchet tie downs to help get the coil started.
HookLine
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by HookLine »

Nice job, Hack.
Centimeter wrote:I used ratchet tie downs to help get the coil started.
The first turn is the hardest part of winding a simple coil.
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minime
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by minime »

Hack wrote:I've finally gotten around to posting pics of my rig with all the latest changes for everyone to check out. If a picture is truly worth a 1,000 words here's about 7,000 of them.
Hack, I swear when I opened this post I was looking at photos of my garage LOL. Sure not my still though.............outstanding job!
ER70S-2
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by ER70S-2 »

Nice looking set up, I like the tapered lyne arms. Reading about your thumper and it's performance helped give me the shove to build mine, great job.
imeasystreet
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by imeasystreet »

I'm just posting to bump this thread to the top so it's not lost and forgotten. I copied Hack's idea for thumper design and it works great. Thanks Hack.

g
Hack
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by Hack »

Hey, wow! I haven't been on in a long time, though I'm still making whiskey. I'm really happy to hear somebody copied my idea and it worked as well for them as it has for me!
Horse_Shoe
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by Horse_Shoe »

Pretty cool! I dig the diffuser.
docdave
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by docdave »

Hack,

I'm just curious, what have you been charging your thumper with?

DocDave
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by imeasystreet »

nothing
that's the point
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LWTCS
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by LWTCS »

Yes the self filling capability allows for more abv through the course of the run doc
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docdave
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by docdave »

Thanks for cluing me in LW! I leave the forum for a few months and you guys are changing the game again! I was thinking about a doubler for my rig. It looks like a fun build!

Thanks DocDave
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LWTCS
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by LWTCS »

This one here has got a few years on it. You must have missed it.
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Hack
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by Hack »

LWTCS wrote:Yes the self filling capability allows for more abv through the course of the run doc
Not only that, but it makes it closer to a true second distillation like one would get from double running their hooch.
Ian Jay
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by Ian Jay »

I am seriously considering building this. I have searched the forum and site for some help in calculating the heat input required, but cannot find what I need. My local circumstances are such that the only heat source I can use will have to be electric. Would fitting a 240v 3kw immersion heater with thermostat in my 50L ss beer keg be OK? I plan to run 25L mashes.

Many thanks in anticipation for any wisdom you can offer me.

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LWTCS
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by LWTCS »

4500 watt would be better (with a controller). The 3000 will represent longer heat up time which may matter if you have family matters clamoring for your attention.
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Usge
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by Usge »

KS over at HillbillyStills.com sells a 240 5kw setup with controller. And he also sells nice stainless pots that have fittings for the unit to just bolt/clamp in.
Ian Jay
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by Ian Jay »

Thanks for the advice, guys. Living in the Czech Republic means that its not easy or cheap to import from outside the EU, sadly. I have done some drawing, preparing for a build, and only have one question - what size hole is under the keg pot? I guess the valve has been removed and the hole enlarged? If so, and I just left it with the valve out would it drastically impede the vapour flow and output?

So much to learn ......

Thanks

Ian
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by hendecp »

imeasystreet wrote:I'm just posting to bump this thread to the top so it's not lost and forgotten. I copied Hack's idea for thumper design and it works great. Thanks Hack.

g
+1 on that! I think I am going to embark on a pot still design as well. I have a 2" Boka, but would like to have a pot still head for just stripping runs and whiskey/rum runs. Good stuff, thanks for the idea Hack!
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claytonhaske
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by claytonhaske »

have you ever had any problems with the bungee cord getting to hot???? i like your design, its awesome!!!
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freshwaterjellyfish
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by freshwaterjellyfish »

i followed a path of hyperlinks to get to this...somewhat in between builds..this will give me some great ideas..a work of art. i like the idea of using the wood to stabilize the coil. i was actually gonna use bricks...duh.
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seasider62
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by seasider62 »

Thanks for a great design, have made one from you pic . Been running for about 2+ years.not much posting. So decided to thank the creator. Work great every run takes about 1.5 to heat boiler and thumper up to temp.
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Kareltje
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by Kareltje »

Interesting: a self-filling and -cooling and -heating thumper!
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LWTCS
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by LWTCS »

Kareltje wrote:Interesting: a self-filling and -cooling and -heating thumper!
Inline thumper with reflux condenser also self fills.
Trample the injured and hurdle the dead.
bluc
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by bluc »

Interesting idea, was thinking a 6 inch inline thumper on my 2"pot and for a rc to keep the plate loaded a piece of 4" made into an open top "cup" around the 2" directly above the inline thumper filled with water. You reakon it would work or would it boil dry and dry the plate up?
imeasystreet
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Re: Shiny Still Pics!

Post by imeasystreet »

Wow, this old thread lives on.
When you add cooling water to this type of tuneable thumper you can maintain abv for a limited amount of collection volume(2-4 pints). When I'm getting abv just less than 60, if I add 1/2 gal of water to the thumper per pint of collection, the abv will jump a point or two, or maintain, or drop more slowly. So if you find a sweet spot for taste and want to maintain abv briefly rather than let it drop, add thump water. Then it will drop like a rock.....50's...40's... 30's in 3 pints. Not sure if this is a useful observation, but it is interesting.

I use "j" bolts on stock pot handles to water container to keep the thumper from floating and those big paper clips to keep the pasted lid attached.


Again, thanks to Hack
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