2 questions

shookmonster · Post by **shookmonster** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 8:40 am

i have 30L turkey pot im using, im gonna jb weld the lid on for better sealing. its good up to 600 degrees, this should work really good right?

also, after my mash is done working, what would it do it i syphoned it to a clean bucket for a few days as if i was second fermenting it like you do beer? just curious.

arkansas · Post by **arkansas** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 1:22 pm

shookmonster, I am by no means an expert, but lots of reading under my belt. Two problems I see with the turkey cooker, one is that is most likely alum., not a grand problem, but one to think on for sure. Alum. will pit and make these pretty little crystals that are hell to clean off. Second, JB Weld being one of the greatest things since they put pockets on shirts, is not, from what I have seen, proven not to give off the nasties we try so hard to avoid.
The alum. is a workable deal, IMO, just use a cork or flour gasket with some of those big industrial size paper clips, the ones that are black spring steel and the pretty little silver handles, or spring clips. It will be alittle more trouble to get a good seal each time, but then again, will be food safe and you can get in there and wash those pretty little crystals away.
Again, only my thoughts, there are much wiser ones here, just a holiday and all.

Rocky_Creek · Post by **Rocky_Creek** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 2:43 pm

No need to clear the mash. If you do I would use glass carbouys.

Aidas · Post by **Aidas** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 12:07 pm

I'd steer clear of aluminum.

Aidas

junkyard dawg · Post by **junkyard dawg** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 1:14 pm

I sure as hell wouldn't use jb weld. or aluminum.

Stillhead · Post by **Stillhead** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 7:41 pm

I think the rate of oxidation of the aluminium is such that you will get a few good years out of it. It is thinner than a pressure cooker aluminum, however.

The jb weld is defiinetely a good seal and is good at higher temp, but I, and I am sure everyone else would agree that it is in general, not a good idea.

Hot alcohol vapour is definetely a decent aggressive solvent, and who knows about the inertness of such a resin.

The materials I would use are:

SS, copper, glass, teflon, brass, and lead free solder.

I noticed many people trying to clip one of these lids on. It may be more wise to purchase two stainless stell pots, invert one over the other and get someone to weld them around the seam.

You will have a boiler of double the size than the one pot, with a nice flat top and bottom.

Just a thought.

Rudi · Post by **Rudi** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 8:51 pm

hey monster if you do a search for jb weld and your smart you wouldnt put it anywhere near you still

hornedrhodent · Post by **hornedrhodent** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 4:00 am

="Stillhead"
The materials I would use are:

SS, copper, glass, teflon, brass, and lead free solder.

None of which are soft enough to make a gasket to seal a lid on a pot with paper clips. Try flour and water dough.

shookmonster · Post by **shookmonster** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 2:31 pm

i went ahead and ran this batch, didnt use jb weld found a window sealer that worked great.

i made a batch a couple weeks ago and it came out crystal clear and 100 proof, this was the same recipe and i got a cloudy alcohol that is only like 53 proof.

same recipe but this is milky and not as good as a run.

any reasoning?

goose eye · Post by **goose eye** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 3:26 pm

what kind of solvent was in that windowseal . could be sugar could puked could be leak in condencer could be a hole lotta thangs.

you no if you kill someone they will come huntin you

dutch@home · Post by **dutch@home** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 5:32 am

hey shookmonster:
window sealer is mostley silicon or butylene based.
for a sealant for our purposes"use something eatable,if you can eat it its mostlikely safe"
stuf like flourpaste - cork - unprinted paper and water.these are proved to be oke'
(dont know if monsters can be poisond or not

)

junkyard dawg · Post by **junkyard dawg** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 7:31 am

For those that like to argue materials: This is why I will only advocate using stainless, copper, glass, flour paste, as safe materials for use in a still. It makes me cringe to read a post about random window sealers, JB weld, and cloudy distillates...There can easily be deadly consequences from putting the wrong material in your still and drinking the poison that results.

Throw that junk out shook... quit foolin with that aluminum pot and get a keg. figure out a gasketless design or use a safe gasket like flour and water paste. Read a lot more... goose eye is right, they'll come huntin you if you kill someone

Post by **Tater** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 7:50 am

Shookmonster .What goose and junk said.And if ya dont wanna listen .Please only you drink your hootch.Its called thinning of the herd

shookmonster · Post by **shookmonster** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 8:25 am

first off the window sealer is a hard almost latex thing, it wasnt a glue.

it dosent break down to anything.

thats why i ask questions so i know what not to do

masonjar · Post by **masonjar** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 9:27 am

The window sealer is made to seal windows from water. Hot alcohol is an excellent solvent and will dissolve a lot of things that water won't. Don't be too sure that it won't eat it away.

We can debate until we're blue in the face about what is safe and isn't, but so far I haven't seen any proof that it is or isn't. If you can find proof, there would be a lot of people interested here. If you can't, then you're advised to stick with something on the good list or keep the risk to yourself.

I used a food grade silicone which was recommended in "The Compleat Distiller", but I'm not SURE about that either after reading this forum. I'm running an experiment right now to see if I can prove it's bad. I bought some everclear and I put a good sized hunk of food-grade silicone to soak in there for a while. Eventually I'll heat it up to distilling temperatures for a few hours and let it cool again. If I can smell the slightest hint of difference between that and the original everclear, then it's bad. If there is no difference, then it's inconclusive. I'm trying to prove that it's bad since that might be easier than proving it's good.

shookmonster · Post by **shookmonster** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:12 am

how do i make a flour gasket?

junkyard dawg · Post by **junkyard dawg** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:25 am

Masonjar, I think you may need a gas chromatograph to really be able to quantify things.... but this isn't the point. (I cheer your effort tho...)

When people on this forum say its ok to use something like caulk on a still it opens up a whole range of things that are not ok to use. I learned to make some damn fine drinks from what I learned here and I enjoy sharing what I've learned. I enjoy being an active participant in sharing the endangered art and science behind this hobby. I do not like to hear of someone doing something stupid and dangerous based on what they read here. Latex window caulk on a still is stupid and dangerous. No one here can say that the cloudy distillate is not cloudy because it has that caulk in it. There is a proper and right way to make your own home distilled drinks and then there are a thousand ways to do it wrong... why perpetuate the mistakes of others???

I want to talk about the best practices that we can use to make the best products we can. This isn't about the cheapest way to get fu@%ed up. Leave that to some other forum....

shookmonster · Post by **shookmonster** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 11:22 am

i always get answers like that, never answering my question.

always beating around the bush, if everyone is so into helping others why dont someone accually give me some helpful information.

its a lack of experience, not a lack of wanting to do it the right way.

if everyone would give me some pointers rather than put there 2 cents opinions in it i would accually get somewhere with my questions.

junkyard dawg · Post by **junkyard dawg** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 1:19 pm

shook, that questions been answered so many times. Do you really feel like we're beating around the bush??? You're asking questions that are talked all the time here. You need to try a little harder with the search feature on this forum. Read back and you've been told by several posters to do some more reading, do some studying of whats already out here. If you wanna do it the right way then start studying and quit crying for the teet... You really think you got no good advice?

You want to understand how to make whiskey?

step one. Go back and read about grain mashes and potstills and well, everything else on homedistiller.org

Next, repeat step one while practicing running your still and reading other resources.

If that advice still don't suit ya, then I don't know what else to say.... make sure you pass algebra before you dig into the calculus... if you follow me...

hans · Post by **hans** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 2:50 pm

tater wrote:Shookmonster .What goose and junk said.And if ya dont wanna listen .Please only you drink your hootch.Its called thinning of the herd

Tater, I like the way you think.

goose eye · Post by **goose eye** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 4:35 pm

shookmonster. get you a sack of self risein flour. the self risein is important. practice makein biscuts

masonjar · Post by **masonjar** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 7:20 pm

To make a flour gasket, get some flour and water mixed to a thick paste or even a dough rolled out to a little snake, then smash the lid down on top of it.

Don't get razzed. If you have a question, it will get answered here. But if you ask a lot of questions about the very basics, you will get pointed to the parent site. It's nothing personal.

Stillhead · Post by **Stillhead** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 5:23 am

Masonjar: I'm running an experiment right now to see if I can prove it's bad

There is not much scientific basis to this, it is purely speculation. You cannot even call it qualitative analysis because there are sooo many chemicals that have no colour or scent or the scent will be masked by a more abundant solvent such as ethanol.

If you have worked in any type of organic chemistry type field, you will find that the ONLY polymer that can ever be used directly in an organic synthesis reaction/purification (by extraction or more importantly, by distillation for example) is PTFE.

Teflon is the only one becuase it is chemically inert somewhere up to around 300deg.

But I don't eat or drink the products of my chemical reactions, so I certainly won't suggest that anyone use it.

I will use it on a needle valve to replace the rubber o-ring if it will come into contact with hot or cool solvent

(and nobody should ever make the mistake and think that just because we drink it that it aint organic solvent.)

Hell, I am not even sure about using lead free solder when I am making intricate still components.

masonjar · Post by **masonjar** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 6:36 pm

Stillhead, I said if I smell something then I've proven it to be bad and if I don't smell something then it's inconclusive.

Stillhead · Post by **Stillhead** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 7:10 pm

I understand, and I do not mean to sound condescending. Just trying to join the discussion and share what knowledge that may be of use.

pintoshine · Post by **pintoshine** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 7:34 pm

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... c&start=19
This link is to the thread I open my mouth about silicone.
I started a hugh debate and this is fallout for it.

To stillhead: You just came in the middle.

junkyard dawg · Post by **junkyard dawg** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 11:33 pm

naw pinto, you didn't start that debate... been going a long time. You were just the latest to wade in...

Stillhead · Post by **Stillhead** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 5:52 pm

If we made our stills out of kryptonite then we might just be UNSTOPPABLE!

Home Distiller

2 questions

2 questions

f

Re: f

polymers

I started it...it's all my fault.