Slightly modifed mini-still design, any pointers?

PseudoX · Post by **PseudoX** » Sat May 06, 2006 7:07 am

Hey everyone, I have been spending the last month or so, reading up on everything on homdistiller.org, and these forums,
and am FINALLY making my own still! (Im completely new to all of this, by the way

)

I have decided on the Mini-Still design by Bokakob, with a few changes.

Firstly, im using a 1m column, of 50mm copper pipe (as its the length I bought it in

).

Now, as I have changed the length of the column, im not too sure as to what size the condenser etc should be.

I have made the length of the condenser 185mm, which is a good 60mm longer than the original plans.

I have moved the thermometer up into the vapour path, instead of in the packing.

The Plan:

Anything wrong with the design, or any improvements?

Thanks in advance ,
PseudoX

Thorin · Post by **Thorin** » Sat May 06, 2006 7:19 am

looks really good!

i wish u good luck in building your still!

PseudoX · Post by **PseudoX** » Wed May 10, 2006 5:13 am

53 views and no other replies?

If it looks good, and should work well, please tell me

Thanks for the encouragment Thorin, im looking forward to starting on it the coming week.

Any other suggestions/feedback?

Bujapat · Post by **Bujapat** » Wed May 10, 2006 5:28 am

You want replies... I post a reply

I'm not a mini still specialist, never build, seen, used... such a still... But I read anything on this forum and your project seems to be OK...

Maybe you'd wait for answers from Stoker, Tec, Decoy and/or others who know a lot about mini still...

fahdoul · Post by **fahdoul** » Wed May 10, 2006 6:28 am

I wonder if the thermometer reading isn't going to be thrown off by the proximaty to the cooler condensor coils, and condenseate dripping on it.

The placement in the original isn't perfect, in theory, but seems to work. Even if they are someone skewed, at least they give a reference point, which can be used in comparing notes with other MS owners.

(Easy enough to change it later, or put in multiple thermometer ports if you really want to get to the bottom of it).

stoker · Post by **stoker** » Wed May 10, 2006 6:30 am

looks good
it's not that much modified

condenser is ok
thermometer is ok
spirit output is ok (but also read this )
the column is not as long as the original one, but I think it should do, (but I'm not sure)

my modified ministill, but it's not perfect yet.

here you got your relpy

TEC · Post by **TEC** » Wed May 10, 2006 12:11 pm

Seems to be a problem with your measurements. Should read in inches

PseudoX · Post by **PseudoX** » Wed May 10, 2006 1:53 pm

the column is not as long as the original one, but I think it should do, (but I'm not sure)

Actually, the original plans call of a 24" column, my comes in at just under 40" (damn stupid imperial measurements, get with the times !!

)

I wonder if the thermometer reading isn't going to be thrown off by the proximaty to the cooler condensor coils, and condenseate dripping on it.

I didn't really think about that, I would think that the thermometer is far enough (as no cooled vapours would pass the thermometer?), although, the distilliate dripping onto it my be a problem.
I dont really want to have the thermometer in the scrubbers, mabye reduce the amount of packing slightly, and locate it about the scrubbers?

Thanks for the replies btw

TEC · Post by **TEC** » Wed May 10, 2006 3:38 pm

If the condensate drips on the thermometer it will throw the readings off and not be of much use. You might be able to get away with not pushing the thermometer more than half way into the column.

I can't really say if 750mm is enough packing height as I have 1220mm. I have been meaning to add 3 thermometers down the length of the packing just to see if I could reduce the height of mine or if I would be better off with more. I just have been being too lazy as it seems to be working fine.

How do you plan on heating the boiler?

pothead · Post by **pothead** » Wed May 10, 2006 5:03 pm

Maybe adding a bit more space in between your 2 plates would help(so you could space the thermometer a bit further away from the top plate) , and make the top plate a bit longer and "v" shaped so that the condensed spirit drips REAL close to the column wall on to the bottom plate.

PseudoX · Post by **PseudoX** » Wed May 10, 2006 7:14 pm

That might be a good idea, extending the top plate in a V shape, so it drips close to the other side.

Also, I might keep the thermometer only just far enough in so that it is in the vapours, but no further.

As for how im heating it, I plan on using gas, as I have a great wok burner ring, which has 2 rings, both adjustable.
So i can open both up to heat up, and shut down the outer one (bigger) and adjust the center ring as needed.

The takeoff is alot longer in life (about 1m), to take the distilliate away from the flame.

I probally should have mention that before, not sure if it makes any difference to design/placings.

As for the packing length, the orginal plans only have ~450mm.

I could increase the packing, but would have to reduce the condenser size as I only have 1m of 50mm pipe.

Thats the other question I had, does the condenser need to be bigger/smaller etc? I want to avoid a double helix, as im I bit worried about the difficulty of doing this.
The original design has a 125mm condenser, so I may have made it a bit big.

Thanks again

P.S, anyone from Tasmania here?

Thorin · Post by **Thorin** » Fri May 12, 2006 7:44 am

better to go too large than too small, if u know what i mean

Bujapat · Post by **Bujapat** » Fri May 12, 2006 7:49 am

Don't know what you mean...
Wouldn't you talkin' about s.....x?

duds2u · Post by **duds2u** » Fri May 12, 2006 12:20 pm

I'm currently building one of Bokabobs modified mini stills using 2 inch copper pipe for the column. The main difference is instead of soldering the collection plate to the condenser, I have a a horizontal plate in the column diverting the flow to the the collection dam. This gives a protected area in the vapour path for the thermometer and diverts all the condensate to the collection dam.

jbrew9999 · Post by **jbrew9999** » Fri May 12, 2006 12:59 pm

Nice choice. I really like the design of the EL head.

The condenser size should be matched mostly to the heating input (although the column width also effects vapor velocity). 15ft of 1/4" ID copper tubing wound into a double coil works great with a 1500W element driving a 2" column.
You shouldn't need a coil any bigger than the one in the plan.

hornedrhodent · Post by **hornedrhodent** » Fri May 12, 2006 2:44 pm

Yours looks very similar to the one I made. Mine has the head removable for cleaning - I flared the end of the column so the head slips inside it about 2" - I used a dough seal.
My cooling coil is a double helix in 1/4" joined to a 1/2" pipe up the centre. I fed the water down the coils and up the centre pipe.
I've only done one distilling session with it using firewood with a water jacket.
I had one major mishap when too much heating caused the column to flood. In my attempt to quickly get another bottle under the output I dislodge the head and broke the dough seal. I had liquid and vapour pissing out of the top of the column. It was quickly fixed by wrapping another strip of dough around and squeezing.
In spite of the over heating causing liquid to condense so fast it couldn't run down the column quick enough to avoid filling the top 2" of the column, the condenser handled it without any sign or smell of vapour coming out the top.

PseudoX · Post by **PseudoX** » Mon May 22, 2006 4:01 am

Ok a bit of an update...

I have got all the supplies, and I rolled the coil tonight...

Some Pics

Here are all my parts:

And here is the coil that was done tonight..

I did the coil by wrapping 1/4" copper pipe around a piece of 1" dowel, that had a routed groove, for the inlet to sit in (instead of trying to poke it back up the coil?)

The costs so far: (rough prices, cant remember some of them)
$20 20L new paint tin (ring clamp lid)
$30 1m 2" copper pipe
$20 2" chrome plated brass? sink drain
$10 2" coupling for the column to the drain
$30 1/4" needle valve + adaptor and 2 couplings.
$20 4m 1/4" copper pipe
$7 1 stick silver solder (hot damn!!!)

$137 (actually about $150, not sure where it went...)

I'll keep a bit of a log in this thread, so an admin or mod might want to move it.

Ill keep updating, so watch this space!!

PseudoX

Swag · Post by **Swag** » Mon May 22, 2006 7:29 am

Nice job so far.
Your boiler may be a bit of a problem for you down the road. If that's a stainless steel bucket you have no worries. However, steel will rust- even if it's galvanized.
Washes tend to be on the acidic side, especially sour mash. When they get boiled they become fairly corrosive. A steel paint can is not designed to deal with these conditions and will quickly start to deteriorate.
I would recommend a stainless beer keg as an excellent alternative. It has much more capacity (which you will appreciate as you do larger batches) and it won't give you any trouble. Kegs are ideal hooch boilers.
The slotted dowel was a nice touch for your coil. I applaud your ability to rout a groove in it. Dowels can get pretty squirrelly while working with power tools.

Enlikil · Post by **Enlikil** » Mon May 22, 2006 12:09 pm

I tried filling mine with water and found it didn't have any density to keep it from bending.
So then i tried sand. (waste)
I finaly ddid the pipe trick, but used PVC and Ran the pipe through the middle and just wrapped it around by hand around a 1.5 inch pvc pipe.
Worked pretty good.
Someone on here also gave me a template to build something that would do it,and When i was finished with my way realized that his way was far better, i will look for that email and post it if i find it.

PseudoX · Post by **PseudoX** » Mon May 22, 2006 2:05 pm

Im pretty sure its stainless steel, but not 100%. (Could be an alloy of tin + steel or somthing)

I can always get a new boiler later on down the road.

I would have liked to get a SS keg before, but sourcing one would be difficult (im in Tasmania), that and the price, as I was aiming for a nice, cheap still.

I might be able to accuire one, by calling enough people.

If anyone has a source, please do tell

PseudoX

Swag · Post by **Swag** » Mon May 22, 2006 3:24 pm

Im pretty sure its stainless steel, but not 100%. (Could be an alloy of tin + steel or somthing)

I can always get a new boiler later on down the road.

I would have liked to get a SS keg before, but sourcing one would be difficult (im in Tasmania), that and the price, as I was aiming for a nice, cheap still.

I might be able to accuire one, by calling enough people.

If anyone has a source, please do tell

PseudoX

Your can is not painted on the inside is it? If it is, chuck it. I guarantee you the paint will come off in your wash.
The easiest way to get a keg is to rent one full of beer and then don't return it. You will essentially buy it by forfeiting your deposit.
If you have a scrap yard near you a keg is usually easy to pick up for fairly cheap. People are always stealing kegs from behind taverns and selling them for scrap so most yards have plenty of kegs.

pothead · Post by **pothead** » Mon May 22, 2006 4:18 pm

I would be nervous about your pain bucket.
If you arent sure what it is made out of, you might end up poisoning yourself. And if it is painted on the inside.......I can't begin to try to explain how bad that situation could end up.

Don't take chances...Get yourself a stainless stockpot or a keg. Many beer distributors will sell them to you empty for the same price as the deposit(maybe a few bucks more)...But it IS worth it.

PseudoX · Post by **PseudoX** » Tue May 23, 2006 9:53 pm

I have found out a bit more info on the boiler.

Its tin-plated steel, and its not painted on the inside. Its a brand new tin, never used.

I dont see what would be wrong with it, (other than maybe wearing out faster than say a keg).

I will be upgrading it later on, just not atm, as this is my first distilling adventure, and I dont want to spend heaps on a keg.

Comments?

PseudoX

P.S (column is now soldered!!!, will post pics when i get home)

PseudoX · Post by **PseudoX** » Thu May 25, 2006 3:56 am

Ok, so it is a bit later than "after i get home"

Here is the lid:

And here is the column attached to the lid:

Im pretty excited, as im cutting and soldering the plates and thermometor port tomorrow.

YAY!

PseudoX

Post by **Tater** » Thu May 25, 2006 4:29 am

was that a rubber seal?

PseudoX · Post by **PseudoX** » Thu May 25, 2006 4:37 am

*looks around guiltily*

nooooo.....

going to be a MAJOR problem?

Would it be safe to use for the inital water runs and maybe a few ethanol runs?

I just want to get it running to some extent by this weekend, as im not doing anything! (for once!)

If i could run a sugar mash or 2 that would be excellent.

Thu May 25, 2006 4:51 am

Whats that black ring inside? I wouldn't drink anything from that still. Get a stainless stock pot or beer keg. Get a stainless steel sink drain. Replace the rubber with cork. Just my opinion.

PseudoX · Post by **PseudoX** » Thu May 25, 2006 4:54 am

As above, its a rubber seal to attach the sink drain to the lid. Is that the ring you are refering too?

"Get a stainless steel sink drain"

I cant get them here where I live, that sink drain is brass (chromed), instead of SS.

The boiler i will upgrade at a later stage.

Thu May 25, 2006 4:57 am

I had tried the crome plated brass drains and discovered that when you put a torch to them they melt. They are mostly crome plated plastic with a small amount of brass, or at least the ones they sell around here are that way.
Stainless sink drains are only a couple of dollars more. Can you order on line? Check out my still link in my signature. I replaced the rubber gasket with two layers of cork gaskets cut from a cork sheet.

Big J · Post by **Big J** » Thu May 25, 2006 5:02 am

PseudoX wrote:Would it be safe to use for the inital water runs and maybe a few ethanol runs?

You can certainly do what you want with your own booze/body, but just be aware that you will be consuming some chemicals that leach out of the plastic. It wouldn't matter for the water runs, but replacing it is easy so you might as well.

You can get sheets of cork from auto parts stores. They are used to make automotive gaskets and you can cut your own gasket to replace the rubber one. Cheap and simple.

Cheers,
J