M*A*S*H still.....

[sedstar]

"M*A*S*H still" ----

other than shows like the dukes of hazzard, I mainly remember a "still" in the doctor's tent on the TV show mash...

I looked on Ebay, and noticed there is the occasional 2000ml or even 4000 ml erlenmeyer flask on bid, pyrex of course.

I wondered if this might not be a bad idea, plus look kinda "cool"... using lab glassware to make a "small" pot still, very basic, yet completely functional.

2 hole stopper in the main boiler flask... one for thermometer, and one for steam line out... to the condenser line.

is this at all practical? I have a buddy who's a chemist... i can likely get some of the glassware, stoppers, and conectors free/reasonable.

wonderd if, given MASH's long running popularity... hadn't anyone tried this before?

[riff42]

"M*A*S*H still" ----

other than shows like the dukes of hazzard, I mainly remember a "still" in the doctor's tent on the TV show mash...

I looked on Ebay, and noticed there is the occasional 2000ml or even 4000 ml erlenmeyer flask on bid, pyrex of course.

I wondered if this might not be a bad idea, plus look kinda "cool"... using lab glassware to make a "small" pot still, very basic, yet completely functional.

2 hole stopper in the main boiler flask... one for thermometer, and one for steam line out... to the condenser line.

is this at all practical? I have a buddy who's a chemist... i can likely get some of the glassware, stoppers, and conectors free/reasonable.

wonderd if, given MASH's long running popularity... hadn't anyone tried
this before?

for SMALL batches. you will only get avg 10% of what you put in it.
However, for a second run it would work....how much are those flasks running for?

[pintoshine]

The mash still has been a fun topic for a long time. I researched this subject back in 1980. I discovered that there was ample amounts of "Pharmaceutical" grade pure grain alcohol available to the medical staff. It was a common disenfectant.
So I wondered, "Why the still?" The still is a Gin still. The stuff in the doctors still is representative of herbs, especially juniper berries. It was a way to make the industrially manufactured grain alcohol tolerable to drink.
I have want to build one of those for so long but those condensers are so expensive. I believe there is a picture of a lab still in the pictures section of main page.

[level Joe]

They had a copper still (about 3-5 gal with copper coil) in one of the first episodes (sp?) but Burns smashed it.

[speedfreaksteve]

They are using a still in the new show "Jericho" since the bar ran out of booze. Unfortunately they have yet to show a still and just talk about it.
I really wish they would show some guy working the still to make it realistic.

They did show a still in a recent eposide of "The Unit". Some retired guy was making moonshine in an abandoned hangar. The pot still they showed looked pretty real.

[TRANSPLANTED HILLBILLY]

The still they showed at the end of the Dukes of Hazard movie looks like the georgia ridge still that the is sold on copper moonshine stills.

just watched that early episode where Frank dropped the copper still.

[malt_gt_milton]

Hi stillers,

Old thread, but was looking around the Internet for M*A*S*H still stuff, found some interesting bits likely posted since this HD thread was created, and thought I'd add them. Pics and links below.

Like some of you probably, my intro to the concept of distilling as I youngin' was watching M*A*S*H, seeing the doctors relaxing in the 'swamp' after 12 hours of meatball surgery with martinis made on their own 'gin mill'. After the show ended in 1983, some set items including the final iteration of their still even went on display at the Smithsonian Museum.

Realistically, the stills on the show were props, plenty of problematic design and materials choices to say the least. But its still fun to watch those guys struggle to make something drinkable in a war zone. I read somewhere (can't remember where) someone's best guess on its actual use was to just use medical grade ethanol and make gin with whatever botanicals they could scrounge. What do you all think?

Short Bon Appetit article about the M*A*S*H still:
https://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining ... ian-museum

M*A*S*H fansite article, which discusses every episode featuring the doctor's still during the 11 years of the show:
https://www.mash4077tv.com/props/still/

ExplainLikeImFive sub reddit reminisces and pokes holes:

mgtm