Still from scratch

[RimaNTSS]

Hi! I've started to build my new still. The boiler for it will be ~90liters and made out of 2mm SS. I do it in my friend's workshop where he has lots of proper tools. I do most of the welding, but in some cases ask friend to help, as he has lots of experience. I've already got much further, bot to show the process I will do step-by-step explanation what is done. I also appreciate useful comments
So, this is SS sheet rolled to barrel

[RimaNTSS]

Forgot to mention that before sheet was bended we made couple of holes in it. One for minimal liquid sensor and another one for heating element.

Then I welded M10 nuts to the ends of pipes, those pipes will be the legs of the still. And nuts are needed to have possibility to have still stable.

From piece of 100x100mm tube made drainage element. It will stay at the very bottom of the boiler.

[RimaNTSS]

Upper and lower parts for boiler will be made out of 3mm SS and they are 50cm in diameter. Drainage and legs are welded to the lower part and joined together by strength ribs.

[Copperhead road]

Nice job, I like how you have achieved a centre drain with a flat bottomed boiler using a stainless sump.

[RimaNTSS]

In the upper lid several holes were made:
42mm for distiller
50mm for column
4 extended M6 nuts for handles
M6 extended nut for cable support
10mm for temperature sensor.
Afterwards the lid was welded to the boiler.

[Kareltje]

Very nice, this step by step report!

Suppose you get some scorching, how do you clean the inside? I had a still with only a small opening and did not like it. Could not check how things went inside.

[RimaNTSS]

Well, making bigger opening (154mm) was my following step-by-step approach. When you have such an opening than it is no problem to clean inside of the boiler

[fizzix]

Excellent, professional work!

[corene1]

I was just looking at the collar for your heating element. Is that a threaded collar and is it far enough off the bottom to screw in the element? Most of the elements I see people use are formed in a S shape. For the tops I like to fabricate a shallow cone . It adds a bit of rigidity to the top and helps lessen the warping from welding in the various ferrules and collars.

[RimaNTSS]

I will use such an element

so, no problems to install it. It will be for 3-phases 380V. Where all 3 phases will be used to make initial heating and only one phase will be controllable for distillation itself. I decided to use 380V heating element cuz I have only 16A connection at home, but to heat such a big tank I need more than 4kWt.

[RimaNTSS]

Forget everything what I've said after "Hi!" in my first post Friend of mine needed it and I gave it away. So, I can start to plan how to build my new still. The size of it will be same +/- 90 liters. Heating element I have already received from Ali, it is 6kWt Teflon coated and has clamp connection.

After rebuilding my home heating system (I am still busy with) I got several pumps available

. So, I will use one of them for my new still to pump out of it stuff after destination is done. But if the pump will be installed than it is also possible to use it as agitator during the destination process, so that can prevent overheating of the heating element. Is that good idea?

[Pikey]

Forget everything what I've said after "Hi!" in my first post Friend of mine needed it and I gave it away. ..........

Can I be your friend please ?

[RimaNTSS]

Can I be your friend please ?

Sure, why not?! So, what you have to give away to me?
In fact, that friend of mine replaced all the material used in the build by new material.

[Chauncey]

I was quite enjoying this. Are you going to document the next one?

[RimaNTSS]

Tomorrow I go to my friend's place and we will start to built my new still (again) . Have some stuff already in the box

, and something is stored in the workshop of my friend. My goal is to build more or less universal boiler, which also can be heat-insulated in the future if there will be need for that. Have plans to fix pump under the boiler to be able to empty it after distillation. The same pump will be working during the destination process as an agitator. And, maybe, the same pump could also be used to fill the boiler with mash. 6kWt heating element will be placed at the bottom. Level sensor will also be near the bottom. On the very top of the boiler will be several elements (same as I already had couple of month ago.
All automatics will come together with column. For the beginning there will be upper infrastructure (column) which Forum's oldies do not recommend, so I do not wish to discuss about this . In the future I have plans to experiment with different columns, but first I should have the universal boiler.

[corene1]

I don't want to sound negative but I am curious as to what type of still you are building that needs all these monitoring devices and digital readouts you have shown so far. How many stills have you ran to know what needs monitoring and where. To me it just seems so overwhelming for such a simple process such as distilling spirits. It will look really cool though.

[RimaNTSS]

Well, prices for foods in PRC shops are so low that sometimes we buy too much, that is true
Friend of mine is building stills for many years. There couple of pictures of the automatization block of one of his builds. For my still I will have something similar. But if I am going to experiment with different columns than each of them will, most likely, need it's own automatics.

[Copperhead road]

90L is a nice size boiler for the home Distiller, the sump is cool I like it!

[corene1]

I wish you well in your journey but there is too much automation for me. This is my friend George's still , he has a distillery in Las Vegas. It is controlled by hand with only a few digital readouts to track vapor temps as well as boiler temps and steam pressure and steam temps the rest is all done by hand and cuts are made by taste. Nice and simple.

[Yummyrum]

Have to agree with you Corene .
The human that is in charge of the still is the best at making decisions .
There is no problem having a thermometer here and there to keep an eye on whats happening but its really just eye candy to keep the distiller entertained while watching the still .
Unattended fully automated stills are not tolerated on this forum .... they are a disaster waiting to happen .

BTW ... that build is looking good and that control panel will be impressive but let it be for information not automation .
There are several members that have semi-automated reflux ratio controlled by PID to set AVB .... that's fine ....but they are always there in the room watching it ...... Lets hope that is your intention .

I was concerned when I saw "Wifi" writen on your mates control panel . That makes me think he is monitoring it remotely . Just hoping you aren't going that route .
I have had to quickly put out a small Still fire when I was right there beside it ....there is no way I could have saved the house had I been operating it remotely .....just say'n.

[steelmb]

...Nice and simple.

Ok, looking at that pic I will give you "nice", I will certainly not give you "simple".

....I was concerned when I saw "Wifi" writen on your mates control panel . That makes me think he is monitoring it remotely . Just hoping you aren't going that route .
I have had to quickly put out a small Still fire when I was right there beside it ....there is no way I could have saved the house had I been operating it remotely .....just say'n.

Maybe he will have an automated or remotely operated fire suppression system. No need to risk life or limb that way on such a risky hobby.

[RimaNTSS]

I have to agree that is not so much automation but information and control block. Couple of relays can be used in auto mode or blocked to just show temperature in boiler and column. Voltage regulator is very cool thing to have and it is main device in whole block, as it allows to have very precise voltage on the heating element (and, of course current). Process of distillation (rectification) can take ~24 hours and it is not bad to have possibility to switch off still directly from your cell phone. Of course, WiFi switch could be blocked if you do not like this function. Anyway, I will think about control&information block fo my still later. But today (in the limited time frame, we started to make some parts. First of all 4 legs.

Then my new heating element got new INOX cover (plastic one is not very durable and has to go to garbage).

And a drainage element. Drain has 2x3/4" holes, one for connecting the valve and another one for the pump. Will make it shiny tomorrow.

[RimaNTSS]

Moro work is done today. We used sheet of INOX 500x1500mm to make 90L barrel.

[Copperhead road]

Maybe he will have an automated or remotely operated fire suppression system. No need to risk life or limb that way on such a risky hobby.

I don’t think that would be safe either, WIFI can drop out for many reasons.

I am with yummyrum and the only way to operate an alcohol still is standing in front of it! Period.....

Buy a Distilling chair

On a commercial level some distillery owns can view and change how the Still is running from the office, but there are still Distillers and employees in the room with the still and spirit safe.

[The Baker]

Copperhead Road said, 'Buy a Distilling chair'.

And don't make it too comfortable.

Operators making explosives used to sit on a single legged chair, so if they dozed (not that you or I would do that) they fell on the floor.

Geoff

[Yummyrum]

......Process of distillation (rectification) can take ~24 hours

Seriously ...
I thought even the big boys doing spirit runs on 20,000 liters in a scotish distillery manage to get it done in 8 or so hours .
You should be good to go with that size boiler and elements in a timely manor

But Iff’n you are planning to sit around for 24 hours you might need one of the Bakers 1 legged stools

You have some nice skills there . Awesome boiler build. ... I’m gelous

BTW ... Copperheadroad ... I agree 100% with you about Wifi reliability. .....
Personally I’d rather jump up off my 1 legged chair and hit the big red E-stop button

[steelmb]

......Process of distillation (rectification) can take ~24 hours

Seriously ...
I thought even the big boys doing spirit runs on 20,000 liters in a scotish distillery manage to get it done in 8 or so hours .
You should be good to go with that size boiler and elements in a timely manor

But Iff’n you are planning to sit around for 24 hours you might need one of the Bakers 1 legged stools

You have some nice skills there . Awesome boiler build. ... I’m gelous

BTW ... Copperheadroad ... I agree 100% with you about Wifi reliability. .....
Personally I’d rather jump up off my 1 legged chair and hit the big red E-stop button

Ok, off the start here I am going to apologize to the OP for derailing his thread and I probably should start a thread of my own. It is an interesting build. I have heard over and over the mantra, "never leave your still unattended". I do not necessarily disagree with it but for those of you who don't have a still hand and do not have the constitution to last through a 3, 6, 8, 10 or even 12 plus hour run without needing to go for a crap, what the hell do you do? Now I have seen some talk of stillin in the washroom so they will have it covered. What do the rest of you do? Do you have a porta potty or a 5 gal bucket that you use so as that you do not leave the still unattended or do you shut it down when nature calls?

[RimaNTSS]

@steelmb, I see no problem discuss any question here as it all can affect continuation of my project. I used 40L still for ~2 years and after some time I was pretty comfortable using it..... I knew how much time it will take till the first drop, how much time it takes to collect heads/body/tails. And, actually, I was often leaving still on for couple of hours when I knew that it is still ~4 hours before I should take some action. I also know several people who go to bed and their stills run overnight. But, that is again..... when you are comfortable with your still.
In my built I will have minimum liquid level relay- when level is too low, still stops, that will also save the heating element. In case cooling water stops running, the heat relay will stop still. When temperature in the boiler reaches certain level (adjustable) - all processes stop. I will probably also install IP camera pointed to the control panel, to be able anytime see what is cooking on the screen of my PC or mobile phone.
OK, back on topic: As I've mentioned before, I wish to have pump under the boiler and use this pump to empty the boiler after distillation. Second task of the motor will be steering the mash during the destination. And third thing the pump could do filling the boiler with fresh mash. There are 3 x 3/4 holes in the bottom part. The red one will be used to empty the boiler via usual valve. Yellow one is to empty boiler via pump, and green one to stream mash in the boiler for agitation. That is the plan, however I do now yet how to make all connections right. Appreciate if somebody share thoughts on this issue.

[HDNB]

well, if you use tri clamp, it will be easier to modify and change.

you won't be able to pump grain slurry through 3/4. BTDT. the manual drain will be nice if the drain pump fails, otherwise it's fairly redundant.

mixing mash while distilling is very beneficial imho. i use a paddle type mixer. pumping seems exotic, but whatever floats yer goat.

i've had a still fire too. remote distilling is a bad idea.

[RimaNTSS]

I plan to have 51mm tri clamp for heating element, another 51mm tri clamp for the column and 154mm tri clamp for maintenance.
I understand that before pouring mash into the boiler it should be carefully filtered. For emptying the boiler there will be 2 options: manually trough 3/4 valve and via the pump. I also think that mash steering during destination is good idea, it may help to save heating element.
Having cruise-control in the car does not mean I have to always use it or use it at all. Same with WiFi switch
BTW, this WiFi switch has very friendly android application with timer option. For example, it can stop still running lets say after 3 hours. But, again, it is just an option which CAN (not must) be used.