My first keg still, building progression

Many like to post about a first successful ferment (or first all grain mash), or first still built/bought or first good run of the still. Tell us about all of these great times here.
Pics are VERY welcome, we drool over pretty copper 8)

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quite4
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My first keg still, building progression

Post by quite4 »

Started building my keg last week.

So far I did a few things - modified a 30l stainless steel and bought with a 3kW electric heater inside. I still have to connect it to the SCR.

Keg -
Image

I also built a Liebig condensor. I am slightly worried if it will be able to knock down the vapors.. "Outer pipe" on the condenser is 35mm. The pipe inside the outer condenser pipe is 28mm. It is one meter long, maybe slightly less.

Condensor -
Image

Connection to the T-section -
Image



Tomorrow I will weld all the parts and find a pipe for the column and for the reflux part. For now, I will just cap the upper part of the T-section but plan to build the reflux column later.

I will install a reduction from the barrel entrance to 35mm right away and keep working with 35mm pipes.
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Not sure
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Re: My first keg still, building progression

Post by Not sure »

Keep us posted I like seeing builds I'm sure we al do
Stainless pot with copper shotgun I'm a simple kind of guy
quite4
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Re: My first keg still, building progression

Post by quite4 »

Done with my condenser -

Image

I tried it out and the only place it leaks is on the water input and output, but I can fix that by connecting them in a better way. The pipe seems to cool pretty quick, I think it will be able to knock down vapor in an efficient way.

I also bought a controller! Will try to connect everything and have it ready for a vinegar run by Monday.
greggn
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Re: My first keg still, building progression

Post by greggn »

quite4 wrote: Thu Apr 22, 2021 5:53 am
I tried it out and the only place it leaks is on the water input and output, but I can fix that by connecting them in a better way.

If you make some future changes you may want to consider rotating it, with respect to the tee, so that the water connections point down rather than up ... that will prevent/reduce kinking of the coolant hoses.
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quite4
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Re: My first keg still, building progression

Post by quite4 »

Yep, I realized that mistake too late.
The Baker
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Re: My first keg still, building progression

Post by The Baker »

If you make some future changes you may want to consider rotating it, with respect to the tee, so that the water connections point down rather than up ... that will prevent/reduce kinking of the coolant hoses.

I made the same mistake.
Or actually the friend building it improved on my instructions; installed the connections upward 'so there would be no bubbles'.
I made up some wooden fittings to hold the hoses in position in a gentle curve that ended up downward.

Easier than it sounds to plan, took a while to do.

Not a woodworker Geoff
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quite4
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Re: My first keg still, building progression

Post by quite4 »

Unfortunately, I have no one to blame but myself.

Geoff, do you happen to have a picture of those wooden fittings?

Thanks
The Baker
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Re: My first keg still, building progression

Post by The Baker »

quite4 wrote: Fri Apr 23, 2021 1:30 am Unfortunately, I have no one to blame but myself.

Geoff, do you happen to have a picture of those wooden fittings?

Thanks
I'll try to set it up (not currently using that still but it is not a problem).

And try to get my daughter or preferably a grand-child to take the photo, because that IS a problem!
So it may be a while.

Geoff
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quite4
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Re: My first keg still, building progression

Post by quite4 »

No big deal, i bought some fittings and some ptfe tape and really screw the fittings hard there, so now water is not leaking anywhere. Worried about the electric part, gonna need a good electrician to connect everything for me now. After that, I am good to go.
quite4
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Re: My first keg still, building progression

Post by quite4 »

Been a while, but I managed to find some copper reductions I needed, they were really hard to get for me.

I have everything I need for a little pot still, barring a few ferrules and some modifications on the barrel entrance.

Image
The Baker
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Re: My first keg still, building progression

Post by The Baker »

If you hang DOWN the stubs-that-the-water hoses connect to they will not kink and block the water flow.

Guess how I know?

Geoff
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quite4
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Re: My first keg still, building progression

Post by quite4 »

No way for me to turn them down now, its all welded together. I saw some kink protectors that I might put around the hose before I connect it to the stubs

They look like this -

Image
The Baker
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Re: My first keg still, building progression

Post by The Baker »

Or fit (copper?) bends.

Geoff
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