I have been reading these forums for hours upon hours (grades not suffering yet... but getting close). I have searched for information on the spiral still on the forums, but didn't find what I was looking for. It seems to me that that this type of design allows a higher purity, and exceedingly low construction cost. I am planning on using that design as the inspiration for something similar. A link to the still: http://distillers.tastylime.net/library ... /index.htm
Proposed Changes:
I would like to use a Stainless steel stock pot for a boiler (instead of plastic
), and keeping all the fittings to either copper or stainless. I am thinking of using an electric burner/hotplate to get everything up to temp- no crazy internal elements. I wanted to add on a vertical column (1" or 1.5") with some scrubber packing in it, and use an ascending/descending spiral of copper above that for further reflux and cooling/condensing - probably 25ft of 1/2" total for the 2 coils. Similar to the image below (sry about gross whitespace around it)
Is this a reasonable compromise, or should I use a cooling jacket instead of an air cooled spiral? Something similar to the cooling solution in the image below perhaps? (I'm referring to the item on the right... copper coil in a pvc jacket w/ water flowing thru)
Or scrap my idea and use something else entirely?!?
I considered some of the reflux still designs, but the price of copper pipe over 1.5" in diameter is seriously prohibitive for me- can't seem to find 2" for less than $30 a foot locally- ow (and even mcmaster isn't much better
). I would just make a pot still, but like the idea of being able to generate a higher purity output in one run and also seperate out head and tails is appealing. I realize that the more expensive stills are going to be a better/faster/bigger output - but I'm trying to find a compromise solution that will not require extensive large diameter copper, yet be an all (approved 
) metal construction of reasonable quality output. I checked into the offset head designs too - but they seem to require 2"+ pipe also. I appreciate all comments and suggestions - and thanks again for everyone who help people get started the right way into this hobby.
~p.su