Buy or build?

[srk330]

Hi all. I'm brand new to the distilling business, and am considering making my own pot still. I've been looking around for the various parts through a variety of sites and stores, and then I saw some new stills on ebay for less than it would cost to build my own, especially considering I would need to buy a soldering gun, and everything else to fit the pieces. Any advice as to whether it would be a good decision or not would be appreciated. Thanks! The listing is below.



4 Gallon Copper Moonshine Still Ethanol - NEW COMPLETE












New 4 Gallon OTS Extractor


Pot Still

The most complete and best priced system on eBay and online. Everything you need to get started.

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed





Great for:

Water Distillation
Spirits, Vodka, Gin, Rum, Brandy and Schnapps
Fuel Ethanol or E85
Steam Herbal Essential Oil Extraction
For production of flavored extracts to flavor spirits and food.
Make Your Own Perfume
Complete with:

New 4 Gallon Boiler
New Copper Still Column
New Submersible Cooling Water Pump
New Easy Read Thermometer
New Clear Vinyl Tubing For Cooling Water

New Lid Clips: For A Tight Seal Around Lid

New Hose Clamps
New Cork For Sealing In Thermometer

Free Extras:

Packet of yeast for your first mash fermentation
eBooks and Instructions on CD Rom
Full instructions showing you how to ferment and distill your own mash for making Vodka, Whiskey, Rum and Brandy
Unit works on a stove top or outdoor propane burner and is easy to clean and compact for storage. Unit is made with all lead free solder and is 100% copper and stainless steel.

[Hawke]

I vote for build it yourself. Most of the stills on E-bay are not good.
A $20 stockpot from Wal-Mart and a few feet of copper pipe will make a very good potstill.

[eternalfrost]

the costs of building your own deffinatly can add up, especially if you dont already have any tools.

but that said i would deffinatly build your own if at all possible. in virtually all cases you will easily be able to make a better one then the commercialy produced models. also you can fine-tune it to exactly what you need. a small very basic pot still really isnt that much money to make. especially if you buy the parts on something like ebay.

and best of all you will be so proud when you are sipping some spirits that are way better then anything in the store that came from something you built with your own hands. i know it might sound cheesy but it is entirely true. just ask anyone on this site

BTW around how much is that ebay still priced? i would say you could make a 4 gallon pot still for less then $100 easily, even including buying the soldering equipment etc.

[srk330]

I agree with your assessment that the satisfaction of making my own (or more importantly, the guilty shame I'd feel using a purchased still), is very important. Thanks for the input!

[smokerscully1]

I bought a still off e-bay--bluegrass or whatever--I just thought it would be easier. I didn't feel one bit guilty--and I'm a pretty handy guy. I've built (every single nail), wired and plumbed the last 4 houses I have lived in. By the time I got my e-bay still I had built 3 different versions of my present pot still. I have not had many good experiences buying anything on-line. Maybe because I live so isolated that shipping is always a problem. Plus nothing in real life looks like it does on my 'puter monitor. Now I'm a rank beginner at this distilling art but I do take great satisfaction in producing something that my friends enjoy. I started out with Birdwatchers Sugar wash and just kept re-running it till it made a nice neutral vodka. That got boring after a while so I tried Pugi's rum and then UJSM. Everybody seems to like the white dog and now I'm fooling around with ageing some on oak. The still I'm presently building is going to be a thumper barrel design--I have almost as much fun scrounging the materials and building them as I do running them.

[BillHoo]

Tools! TOOLS!!!

You don't need no stinking tools!

That's why there's Rent-A-Center!

Or take a shop class at the local adult school or community college. You'll have access to all the tools you need!

Soldering skills!? Don't need that neither.

Seal everything up with flour and water paste. Weight the lid down with sandbags, or clips. This is especially good if you're only interested in stillin to see if you even LIKE the hobby.

If you're just in it for the booze, you can buy some cheap vodka for less money and hassle.

Scrounge and scavenge the parts, then just put it together with some water and flour paste. Try it once or twice and if you really like doing this, get some mook to help you solder it together for a more permanent solution.

[trthskr4]

Vapor leaks and safety shortcuts/violations will have their revenge in the end, remember Murphy's law. The last thing you need with this hobby is the cops or fire department at your house with an ambulance on the way.

[blanikdog]

What thtr said. From bitter experience.

[junkyard dawg]

Having done both, I can't really agree that a cobbled together troublesome to seal still is a good intro to this hobby. I say if you can't find the time to build it right then how will you find the time to build it twice? I also say screw walmart and their chinese made crap. (sorry Hawke) If you think you really want to try this hobby then jump in with both feet and make a good proper safe still the first time and give it a go. If you wanna buy, thats ok, but I'd buy a bigger boiler than 4 gallons. my 2 cents...

[HookLine]

Yeah, I am in the 'do it right fist time' school. It ain't that expensive, or that difficult, and there is plenty of knowledge and help via this site (and others).

However, building one is not for everybody, we do not all have the skills or time, and we should not look down on those who choose to buy, just help them make a good choice.

[Hack]

I wish I could offer unbiased advice on this one, but I am the type of person who is compelled to build it for myself, even if it costs more than buying. I'd also bet that most of the people on this site, to one degree or another are the same way. So of course I recommend building one yourself. I enjoyed it therefore you should too. I do strongly recommend, if you do choose to build your own, that you spend a considerable amount of time studying up before you begin buying parts. I'd also recommend starting with something simple.

[Hawke]

I spent way more money on materials than I needed to. But then, I ended up with 3 different stills out of the extra material. In my opinion, if you can't run a minimum of 5 gallons of wash at a time, it's just a toy. Of the stills I've found on-line, Mile-Hi has the best for reflux stills. Would love to have one of Copper Alembic's pots.

[bronzdragon]

Well, as a person that has very limited mechanical skills, I chose to buy my first one. I know that I spent more on buying a PS2 setup from Brewhaus...but what I got was a quality piece of equipment. It was exactly how it looked on the website and performed exactly as was explained in the instructions. I have made a few alterations in the past year, after learning various things on these forums (such as eliminating any plastic or rubber pieces.)

But it enabled me to jump in and make some quality products. It may not be the flashy copper that the Colonel makes (which I drool over regularly), but hey, for a guy with limited space in the city ... that can't run gas outside, it works great.

I do agree with the above statement though, that I wouldn't go any smaller then a 5 gal boiler.

I can see the other side of the coin though, if you're a garage type guy, and handy with metalwork ... then you'd save a few pennies making it yourself.

I will point out though, that you should do your homework on the reputable dealers. It will save you from a few months of headache, and possibly having to go strangle someone.

~bd~

[Tatt2d]

I can easily see going either way, buying or building.
I decided to build my first one (which I'm still in the parts aquiring process) because i thought it could be done with sweat and change. So far i'm in $140 . $50 dollars was for a Mapp gas/torch kit to solder the copper. Im getting the copper for my column dirt cheap (couple af beers to a buddy), And i aready had a heat source(propane turkey fryer). Still need to get some fittings, temperature probe, and cooling water pump, and whatever else I am forgetting.
It didnt take long for me quickly readjust my numbers after my initial 10 gallon SS kettle. I still dont regrett it. Its a heck of a learning experience. I'm not in a hurry so I'm taking my time.

On the other hand - i wish i had a still already for me to start making some runs and performing some taste tests.

Either way... You'll learn ...

[tracker0945]

Don't sweat Tatt, the wait is worth it - and think how much extra knowledge you are gaining during the wait.


Cheers.

[Socrates]

Believe me, in no way do I have the experience of the very qualified posters above, but as a newbie I have gone through the same considerations as you. In my case I came to the conclusion that building a Bokakob Mini (1-1/2 or 2 inch), just as shown was within my rudimentary skills and would produce a reliable and practical first still, at a minimum of cost.

One that garners respect and is easy to get advice on, both in building and operating. To me a great first still, and for many, last...

[rad14701]

It's probably worth noting here that there are several revisions of the Bokakob Mini column... I think the most efficient is the 2006 dual slant plate revision... There are several good threads detailing individual member builds that ware well worth reading before starting construction...

[stuartashers]

don't do dodgy do it right I did dodgy 5L leeks not good with flame. Experiment worked did not leave it for 6 hours 100mls burnt heaps. no explosions. pain in ass wast of time. waste of good booze sorry guyes beginner. Respect it well I,do. If you build it youll have more respect for it. Got to love this site. may the spirits be with us. every one of theme!

[spiritsofcatemaco]

I hit on the same nail: do it your self... and go big enough!

I'v got a 13 gal boiler and after a year of distilling I feel its just big enough for a nice spirit run. I would like to have a 20 gal boiler for striping runs. What you can buy is toy stuff, it may be good to understand the principles and play around but if you want to go serious and even like to once in a wile bring a bottle of your home mad to party you need something around 15 gal... unless you can spend 3 days a week distilling... I distill once ore twice a month, it takes every time at least 4 to 6 hours. I realized that less sugar in more water gives better taste as going to the limit of the yeast alcohol tolerance, so you will have bigger washes for the same amount of alcohol. I do now 10 gal washes but would like to do 15 gal washes...

EDIT: about still typ: I though first to build a column, it looked fancier to me.. but did then a pot still, much easier to build and much less material and you can make vodak with two ore tree runs also in a pot still. I never did regret it. if you like flavor go with a pot still, if you dot like flavor maybe a column is right for you, but remember, with a pot still you can do both! Also if you go for a pot still us big tubes, 2" ore such, you will understand why once you have to make booze fort all your friends!

[stuartashers]

In process of Keg reflux still b-expensive in Oz parts that is. going to look at non reflux as well would like to produce schnapps of the apricot variety got 20l port barrel to age. still trying to aquire 50l keg no pubs leave theme laying around any more. sorry all dam metric wish it was imperial i think it's around 15 Gal. no more small runs.

[tracker0945]

Scrap dealers in Oz will have kegs, you will have to pay for them but that will be your only cost so learn to live with it, you won't regret it this time next year.
As my 'olds' used to say, "quality is remembered long after price is forgotten".

Lay out the money for the keg, buy the correct connectors to accept different still heads.
Make a simple pot still head with a coil in a bucket (to fit the 2" connector you purchased) which will not cost the earth. It will make what you want, just needs a few extra runs. Then when you save some more money and if you feel the need, set about constructing the reflux head, fancy condenser coils, Liebig condensers etc.


Best advice I can give for anyone entering this field.


Cheers.

[stuartashers]

Thanks tracker0945 Best advice greatly recived Keepin me peepers on them scrap yards heard roomer from Brewers site place in tassy selling 60L s/s kegs no reply as yet may have to give theme a call. If I get off work early

[blanikdog]

And bloody good advice too, tracker.

blanik

[Rudi]

Thanks tracker0945 Best advice greatly recived Keepin me peepers on them scrap yards

If you ask point blank for a keg most will just say no.You gotta rock up regularly get to know the scrappie amazing what these blokes can get if they want to.I started turning up once a week first couple a times he said he never gets kegs ,I got four from him now.Anything I want I let him know usually takes about 2 weeks and its sitting in the corner waiting when I turn up.All about how you ask.

[CoopsOz]

stuartashers, where are you at? Maybe I can help out.......it's very dodgy but I can hook them up! I'll probably regret this post when I sober up.

[stuartashers]

thanks CoopsOz got 8 80l or 60l. Gal jacketed s/s heavy son's b#### been workin on wast oil heater with water jacket boiler thing went well first trial 20 liters in boiler 40l in keg 3hours 80 deg c would have been quicker if missus didn't call me in to do dishes and let it burn down for 3/4 of an hour next run will be a spirit run

[Freedave]

if you are the least bit handy, biuld one yourself. i did it in an apartment with a small vice, torch, hack saw and drill.

[Aces High]

I bought one of those 4L handy stills (or whatever it was called) I didn't get too much good out of it except an interest in this hobby which now seems to have turned into obsession. Now ive built an LM, then a pot still and now im turning the LM into a VM.

Half the enjoyment is the building, and I dont consider myself to be too handy (not by the standards of some of the guys on here) but i've leant to solder & braise, and I keep improving my build and hopefully my booze is getting better too.

I highly recommend building

[myles]

Build your own can work out to be expensive depending on the materials you use. Solder ring couplings for example will double or treble your costs compared to end feed. It might be a good idea to compromise. Buy a comercially made boiler and build the rest yourself. It is one option.

[kiwistiller]

+1 for build. I went the buy route as an easy 'I wanna make booze NOW' option, and have regretted it ever since, I could have put the same amount of cash towards a MUCH better piece of copper porn . I guess I'll be able to get a fair bit back when I sell it though.