Hello from Asia

[skinny_chef]

Hello,
Been an all grain beer brewer for about 5 years now and recently found my self going down the whiskey rabbit hole and now looking at distilling.
After lurking in the shadows for about a month like a trench coat freak I decided to join. hopefully in the next month attempting to build a still.

Probably will have a few questions over the next month or so about a few things.

Cheers

[Sailman]

Welcome

[BoomTown]

Hello,
....
After lurking in the shadows for about a month like a trench coat freak I decided to join. hopefully in the next month attempting to build a still.

Probably will have a few questions over the next month or so about a few things.

Cheers

Still building is like a narcotic...be careful how you approach it! Welcome

[skinny_chef]

Cheers guys,

I know what you mean, I can't stop researching.
But I want my first one to be a simple and cheap set up to see if I like the hobby before I progress into it with a nicer still.

Any recommendations on a cheap build?

[BoomTown]

Cheers guys,

I know what you mean, I can't stop researching.
But I want my first one to be a simple and cheap set up to see if I like the hobby before I progress into it with a nicer still.

Any recommendations on a cheap build?

I bought a “copper water pot” from India, that sits there teasing me every day. I want to solder a 1 ½” copper nipple to the top, and use a ½“X1 ½” reducer as the Lynn that feeds directly into a condenser made by forcing the ½” Soft copper tubing through another ½”x 1 ½” reducer, through a 16 to 18” of 1 ½” and out through another 1 ½” reducer to a collection vessel. You can use ridged copper tubing, but that adds the cost of several fittings. All the tubing will be soldered except where I plan to use PTFE tape To join the first nipple and the female 1 ½” End of the Lynn and around the lip of the pot’s lid to create sealS as the copper expands when heated ( PTFE seals serve as a safety feature too: if the outlet gets obstructed the rig wont blow up - but will blow the Lynn/condenser off and release pressure.)
This rig will run great, is easy to keep clean, can fit on a kitchen stove burner, though I use a Cadco commercial grade Hotplate for a heat source. When I first started I made such a rig from a SS Fuji can: before I knew the copper pots were cheaper and better simply because they are copper. Made many many gallons of great tasting bourbon over about a 3 year period.

You can choose a 16 or 18 Liter copper pot from https://www.indianartvilla.in/ and get it here for about $150 USD, and another $30 at Home Depot, a minimum of soldering skills, and you are set up: within a week. I currently use mine as a Mash Tun, you could too, and then run it without having any fluid transfers. I capture Output in ½ gallon mason jars, you’d need 6 to start.

You’ll either love it, grow out of it, or have a beautiful ornament to talk with your friends about!