Pappy's old still

baron4406 · Post by **baron4406** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 11:08 am

here is my grandfather's old still, dunno where the worm is but i think my now deceased father sold it. Looks to be about 10 gallon, would take some work to make a boiler out of it, but an all copper boiler seems pretty cool. Should i be worried about any lead in the solder since its so darn old? From what my mom said he used to drink stuff from it all the time and he died in his 80's-from black lung. He was an immigrant from Austria btw.

Post by **Prairiepiss** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 11:19 am

Wish I would of had something like this in the family.

Yes I would be worried about lead solder.

just-a-sip · Post by **just-a-sip** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 11:20 am

yes you should be concerned, but you can buy a simple lead test online and see what you got there. but the nostalgia is real cool

Uncle Lozza · Post by **Uncle Lozza** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 11:44 am

Well, if he lived to his 80's and still had most of his marbles the solder cannot be that bad, or was he just lucky?
Its a lovely piece of history, it would be a shame to spoil it buy taking it to bits to replace the solder, unless of course done by an expert!

fullhouse · Post by **fullhouse** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 4:35 pm

id like to have a bit of what pappy made in there!!! reguardless!!

Uncle Artie · Post by **Uncle Artie** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 4:41 pm

The best likker I ever had was some slivovitza made in a still very similar to this by a friend's grandfather.

RumBrewer · Post by **RumBrewer** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 10:09 pm

Don't know if I'd jackass with it or not.
On one hand, you've got a real piece of family (and likker) History there!
On the other hand... a quart jar of hooch from the family still might be a damn cool thing to try.... lead or not!

***RumBrewers Disclaimer***
Again, it's not safe to use lead or anything containing lead no matter how many gallons and how many years it worked in the past!

Still... I wouldn't use it as my main still!

retlaw · Post by **retlaw** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 10:28 pm

Prairiepiss wrote:Wish I would of had something like this in the family.

you do,
you are going to be the old guy that leaves it in the garage after you die for your younger family members,
lol
wasn't thinking of it that way were you?

not saying your old, just have a pretty good idea you are not going to sell your still,

Panda · Post by **Panda** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 11:29 pm

I'm sure your grandfather would be over the moon with you using it, even if you pull it down and redo the soldering, rather then keeping it mothballed. It would be a tragedy to put it in storage because you didn't want to modify it. He did after all modify a tub to make it in e first place, any modifications you do will just be a tasteful evolution on his work.

retlaw · Post by **retlaw** » Sun Apr 01, 2012 10:38 am

Panda wrote:I'm sure your grandfather would be over the moon with you using it, even if you pull it down and redo the soldering, rather then keeping it mothballed. It would be a tragedy to put it in storage because you didn't want to modify it. He did after all modify a tub to make it in e first place, any modifications you do will just be a tasteful evolution on his work.

i just had to make the same decision,
keep the old boys still the same or do some modifications,
i did the mods and i am happy i did,

like panda said,
"any modifications you do will just be a tasteful evolution on his work"

we have access to all this great info and other people's experience at the push of a button which the old timers never had,
forums like this one have a great impact on the quality of the produce,

the top 90 at the start of the lyne arm looks like brass, that has to go,

baron4406 · Post by **baron4406** » Sun Apr 01, 2012 11:18 am

Great reply's guys! Its kinda funny one day not too long ago I wanted a new, fun, challenging hobby. Something told me to become a moonshiner (lol). I love good bourbon and whiskey (drink a glass every night -straight) so why not? I remembered the old milk jug below my father's workbench back home and went to retrieve it. That's when my mom told me about her dad and how he used to be running his still in the garage. She told me he never bought booze ever, he preferred to make it all himself. Its kinda bizarre I'm 45 years old and this is the first time my mom ever brought this subject up, or told me about my pap's "hobby". So trying not to sound too off the wall here i think my pap would be proud of me if i took his old still and got it working again. That is until I can get a lead test done of the copper, however it didn't seem to bother him or my grandma (who was quite a drinker and lived into her 80's also). The whole top screws off and is kinda slick, but I'd get rid of everything and chuck the top on a lathe to cut a bigger hole in it. BTW no Boka or reflux for this still, that would be like spinners on a 57 chevy.

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