Building Pot Still Need Help

Rotgut · Post by **Rotgut** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 4:14 pm

Im thinking of building a pot still out of a keg. The keg already is cut for a salad bowl (which im not sure is a good or bad thing) I want to make a large elbow type thing and attach it to the bowl somehow. I was thinking maybe 3 1/2" or 4" I want to run a thumper or a slobber box. If i ran both would i get a higher output or abv? I was plannin on welding the salad bowl to the keg so it would not leak around there. The only thing about that is im not sure of a way to attach the condenser so that it will be unattachable but yet air tight. Maybe a threaded elbow? For the coil i want to make it big enough so i do not have to cool it with water. I want to add something incase of to pressure buildup. Any ideas? I think i covered all my ideas/questions. If you have any criticism or ways to improve my thoughts please tell me

maze48 · Post by **maze48** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 4:50 pm

I take it that you a going to lay the keg on it's side. Thats why you need an elbow?
Doh!! now i see said the blind man. A 90 off the TOP of the keg.

Rotgut · Post by **Rotgut** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 4:56 pm

no i was planning to sit it vertical im not sure what its called but i was talking about the thing that comes out of the boiler and leads to the worm some kind of look like a funnel i think some people use like a copper or brass elbow
also what would be a good thing to make a thumper out of maybe a mason jar?

TCNZ · Post by **TCNZ** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 10:20 pm

<For>

Can you share your idea/desing of above with us?

TCNZ · Post by **TCNZ** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 10:24 pm

Sorry I missed something in my last message. What I meant was can you share your idead/design of "the coil I want to make it big enough so I do not have to cool it with water".

Very interested to know how cooling without water can work>

Rotgut · Post by **Rotgut** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 7:58 am

TCNZ wrote:Sorry I missed something in my last message. What I meant was can you share your idead/design of "the coil I want to make it big enough so I do not have to cool it with water".

Very interested to know how cooling without water can work>

I read that if your coil is about 1-1 1/2 times the volume of the boiler it will cool by the temperature by the difference in the atmosphere(I think i read it on here) Im gonna try and draw up something so people can get an idea of this

jmc91199 · Post by **jmc91199** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 11:02 am

If I understand your waterless condenser idea correctly you will need a hell of a lot of copper. If your boiler is 5 gal then the air volume of the condenser would need to be about 7.5 gallons. Forgive my math but wouldn’t that be about a hundred miles of copper coil or a 7.5 gallon copper barrel? Its not that it can’t be done but it doesn’t seem real efficient from either a cost or operational perspective.

If you do get a big copper barrel you may consider putting it in the ground. Since the ground is generally cooler then the air temp it might improve the operational efficiency. Just a thought.

Rotgut · Post by **Rotgut** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 11:56 am

I found probably 100 foot of copper at my grandmas house (grandpa was a plumber) so i think im going to make those rolls into a coil and solder them together and run my coil through a 5 gallon bucket of water

LONEEAGLE155 · Post by **LONEEAGLE155** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 5:01 pm

If I understand you you do not want your salad bowl to come off and you do not want your copper to come off either you will have a heck of a time filling it with mash if your column does come off of the bowl even with 4" copper have fun reaching inside for cleaning if you do a search here on thumpers you will find most people do not feel they are worth the hassle and that it needs too be the same size as your boiler
but then again I am a newbie and could be wrong wouldn't be the first time

Post by **Grayson_Stewart** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 5:32 pm

I never heard of a thumper as big as your boiler.

Rotgut · Post by **Rotgut** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 6:39 pm

i found a threaded copper fitting about an inch in size and have both sides to em i think im going to braze that to the bowl so my coil can be detached but im not sure how im going to have it so i can clean it is there a way to secure the salad bowl so it will not leak without being welded to it i tried bolting it down and having a cork gasket under it but i think the whole cut is to big because it would still leak
has anybody heard of using a mason jar for a thumper?

LONEEAGLE155 · Post by **LONEEAGLE155** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 7:38 pm

grayson if I am wrong I am sorry I was going by what Tatar said in thumper questions"build thumper 1/2 to same size as still"

Rotgut · Post by **Rotgut** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 4:24 pm

for my condenser im thinking 11/16'' tubing (because it should fit nice into my 3/4" fitting) how long should i make it or is it to big?
i was thinking that or i got probably 100 foot of 1/4'' at my house is that to small to use?
i also have this wied idea i wana add some kind of valve so that when the vapors start to build up they will be held until a certain amount of pressure is built up i didnt know how safe that would be

TRANSPLANTED HILLBILLY · Wed Aug 30, 2006 6:35 pm

DO NOT MAKE A PRESSURE RELIEF. These things should be open to atmosphere at all times, PERIOD!!!!!!!!! You can possibly create an explosion that will wake up 1/2 your county, and that usually will bring the law. That is if you are even able to worry about the law.

You also may want to brush up on your tubing fitting size match ups, 3/4" ID fittings work on 3/4" OD tubing.

Tubing is measured on the outside, pipe is usually a nominal size and measured on the inside.

BE SAFE! Read the home site of this forum! http://homedistiller.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow AGAIN, BE SAFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rotgut · Post by **Rotgut** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:12 pm

what i meant by the 3/4'' to 11/16'' is that i would solder the 11/16 into the 3/4'' tubing sorry for the miscomunication there
is it possible to use the 1/4'' i have or is that to small?

Rotgut · Post by **Rotgut** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 1:59 pm

would having a spigot(spelling?) near the bottom of the keg help when sourmashing?

hornedrhodent · Post by **hornedrhodent** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 2:49 pm

="Rotgut"] is it possible to use the 1/4'' i have or is that to small?

It's too small to use to carry the vapour unless you run a whole lot of tubes in parallel. Nine tubes of 1/4" has the same area as a 3/4" (ignoring wall thickness) but will offer more resistance to vapour flow so go for a round dozen.

Alternatively you could use the 1/4" to wind a coil to carry water but then you'd need a bit of large diameter pipe to carry the vapour around it and a supply of flowing water.

Post by **Tater** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:23 pm

Grayson_Stewart wrote:I never heard of a thumper as big as your boiler.

I have