sealing copper joints w/o soldering

[ozone39]

Well, I'm new at the distillation world but I've been a plumber and pipe fitter for 20 years. Needless to say I have really enjoyed building my still. I have used teflon tape for years to seal up flush valve gaskets (only when I'm in a bind). You can take teflon tape and apply 4 to 5 wraps around the pipe and put a little bees wax on the end to keep it from unraveling. Then slowly push the pipe into the fitting and you now have a seal tight joint you can easily disassemble for cleaning or what ever other purposes. If the joint still leaks you can take the teflon tape and rub it between your hands to make teflon sting. This can be pushed into the joint with the back side of a box knife. It is best to go around the whole joint rather than just the area were it is seeping.

[Hawke]

Yep, I use the same method for a couple of my connections.
Any full views of your setup?
Have you ever used any of the teflon rope?

[ozone39]

I have used teflon rope for slip joints for P-traps that do not align properly with the tail piece or trap arm (usually in plumbing re-models or service work). Stuff is amazing how it conforms and seals...As per you're request I took some photos..You caught her on a good night, she's running a batch through her as we speak....

[heynonny]

Could you give us a (drawing) diagram of your setup?? Did I count 4 themometers?? -hey-

[rad14701]

Now there's a Frankenstill... Very interesting... I think we'd all find a description of how everything works together interesting...

[ozone39]

I'll put a schematic together and post it. But it is pretty much built similar to a cherry bomb muffler that you would strap onto a 426 hemi with an extra baffle. I had started with the two digital gauges at first but didn't like them. So I went to dial gauges. The dial gauges measure the temperature difference between that baffle I mentioned. As long as there is a 10 to 15 deg F delta between the two (usually 190 on the lower 180 on the upper) the still purrs like a cat. I use one of the digital gauges to measure the temperature of the alcohol going into the parrot beaker (my alcohometer is calibrated at 60 F) I have a condenser that I can add or subtract cooling to maintain this temperature. The other I just use for room temperature and humidity reading for my batch book. I might just post some pictures of the guts, that might be easier..

[beelah]

I have an observation and a question.

First off, I really like your work, that is a very pretty unit you have there.

My question and kind of a comment in that I notice you are using I think what looks like like a coffee urn as your boiler.

I have notice that others have used coffee urns as boilers and I just am wonderging how they work.

How do you control the temperature? Did you have to do any modification on the heating unit? How effecient are they?

I like the idea, but I am wondering how effective they are, as I have one just like the one in your picture, so if you could tell me how you like it, or any one else who has some experience with a coffee urn, I would apprieciate your views.

If you all have had good experiences with them then I wouldn't mind giving it a try myself.

[ozone39]

The coffee urn works great. Only after some modifications. I first started with using the stock 750 element. It fried out after the 3rd batch. Then I welded a S.S coupling into the bottom of it so I could insert a 1450 watt (120 V) hot water heater element, it lasted about 3 batches. I finally welded a 3/16" thick S.S plate on the bottom (this help disperse the heat more evenly) and plugged the threaded coupling and now I use an inverted Mr. heater (propane with regulator). One bad ass deal with these coffee urns is they come with the coffee peculator (were the coffee grounds went originally) that fits the opening perfect. Last week I ordered some juniper berries and bitter orange peel and tried a batch of Gin. It came out great..That peculator allows you to steam the flavor out of them. The urn I have holds about 2 1/2 gallons and is made of some good thick gauged stainless (I was able to TIG weld s.s fittings to the shell easily). I feed my wash into the bottom (continuous) and use a sight glass tube off of a steam boiler low water cut off switch to monitor the level. The funnel you see on the side of it I can rotate and spill into a bucket, this is how I regulate the level I want (or add to the wash if I want). I think these old coffee pots are great, but I diverted from electric to gas, which I think is easier to maintain heat. I will get some photos posted of the guts here soon, been pretty busy..

[ozone39]

Beelah, forgot to thank you for the compliment, thank you. Well I finally had a moment to snap some pictures. If you guys have any questions feel free to ask.

[Centimeter]

Good gravy man- that is one hell of a circuitous set up you got there. I sure hope it puts out. Nice work, although in my opinion it's a bit over engineered. I definitely appreciate the advice on the teflon. I've been trying to do this, however I always get a small pinhole leak. I'll give your string method a shot next time around.

[ozone39]

I had some drips at first to, I just added a couple more wraps. I also noticed that my bell reducer wasn't exactly round (that goes for the pipe as well) . I use the 1" wide tape, then with with what was left over (exposed after sliding together) I pushed into the joint with the back side of my box knife in the area that was giving me some problems. Yea, she may be over engineered but you can boil water in her all day and not get a single vapor or drop out of it. That baffle beats down the water vapor pretty efficiently and I get 50 to 60% with wash runs, and 70-85 % on the second run consistently.. I tried to build the thing with parts left over from jobs we have done. I did have to buy that 4 x 2 coupling reducer, that was the most expensive part. But over all I am into it for less than $120.00.

[astrangebrew]

Hey Ozone,

You have put a lot of good work into that rig. Those pipe clamps (pipe to rail) are rather cool - haven't seen those before.

In the second photo there appears to be a short length of pvc tubing connecting to the incoming line of your parrot. If so, that is a bad idea to have that material in contact with high ABV alcohol (even the chemical tolerant stuff).

SB

[Coyote]

Ozone,
That brass long sweep ell might not be the best plan either.
Looks like it should put out like a high school prom queen

[ozone39]

It's suppose to be chemical resistant, but you're right. I have a length of 1/2" OD glass tube that I am working on replacing those connections with (just haven't had time). Was wondering about the brass, we use brass in domestic water systems all the time (the faucet body at you're kitchen sink is most likely brass) I do know it has a little bit of lead in it but I've always thought it was not enough to worry about. Should I change that fitting out with a copper wye combo???

[ozone39]

This post is in response to the pipe clamps. They are called strut clamps. Any plumbing wholesaler or plumbing shop will have these. Here is the link for uni strut, they have a million different things that you can do with the stuff. http://www.unistrut.com/site_map.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[LWTCS]

Ditto on the brass and hose.

Sure do like the organization and stability that unistrut offers.

nice work.

Ever use those copper split ring clamps with the copper base plates? Or the copper clevis hangers for anything over head? Tough to find copper threaded rod though. Makes for some nice work when everything is plumb level and square.

Anywho, nice work.
L.T.

[Coyote]

Ozone,
You are correct Sir,
Lots of brass in plumbing
But you never approach the temps
we see in this hobby

[ozone39]

I got rid of the brass and put a new stainless condenser on top..Things are happening now..

[Pikluk]

do you seal the lid of your boiler with teflon tape?
i got one of those cheap ss stock pot with a slide in lid "on the edge of the lid theres a lip that slide inside the pot"
and wondered for awhile now is i could seal it with teflon tape.
since i made that still iv been using past its works great but it need to soak in water for like 12hour for me to be able to remove the stuff...
unless i could find a way to solder the lid on, witch is very thin less then 1/16'.

... freaking kegs a like pope shit around here

anyway back on topic the lip of the lid is in a bit of a angle, the space between the lip and the pot is form less then 1/16" at the bottom to almost 1/8 at the top of the lip, the lip is about 1/2" tall.
was thinking if i get like 6 or 8 500' teflon tape i could maybe make a decent seal.

[ozone39]

The lid on this still is friction fit, no Teflon needed. On what I call my work horse I do use Teflon to seal the lid to the pot. It is a s.s turkey fryer with what sounds like a similar type joint. (I put about 5 layers around the pot and the lid) I works well, and I get a fair amount of use (4 batches) out of one set of seals before having to replace.

[The Baker]

snip

... freaking kegs are like pope shit around here

snip

Just supposing yours is a dairy-farming area (like mine)....

The fellow who installs and maintains milking machines has quite a few stainless cylinders which are easily modified for a still (taken off old milking systems) that he would probably sell for the scrap price.

I am using one for my new pot still. I got my son to weld a plate on the open end, which will be the bottom, and I have modified the existing pipes out (from near the top and near the bottom) by putting valves on them, so that that I can empty and re-fill the still without moving it off the gas ring.

I think there was a pipe leading out from the top but anyway I had the top modified to take an old copper fire extinguisher body and that joins to the two inch copper pipe and bend at the start of the lyne arm.

I plan eventually to run the lyne arm through a raised wash reservoir to preheat the next batch.
Don't know what the boiler holds but probably more than 50 litres; I'll check that before I use the still, fill it from a twenty litre bucket.

[ozone39]

I would just make sure that fire extinguisher is clean, hate to see any harm full chemicals carry over into you're product...

[rad14701]

I would just make sure that fire extinguisher is clean, hate to see any harm full chemicals carry over into you're product...

Or lead solder which is what most of them were sealed with...

[manu de hanoi]

I saw some self fusing pure silicon tape on sale at amphora society that seems like and interesting product. They say there is no plasticizers.

[The Baker]

I would just make sure that fire extinguisher is clean, hate to see any harm full chemicals carry over into you're product...

Or lead solder which is what most of them were sealed with...

Thanks for the reminder, I knew about the dangers of old lead/tin solder and never thought of it for the fire extinguisher.

Today I took it to a coppersmith for checking, and he said it's okay. Silver solder.