Hi there

[Fermentanator]

Hi all, just thought I should introduce myself. And say thanks for the help I've had already. I'm a 26 year old fella from the land down under, Australia.

Its such an exciting thing, learning all this. Can anyone give me any tips....I'm buying a pure distilling reflux still, that supposedly will give me over 90% alcohol. I want a really clean tasteless alcohol to come out so I can flavour it. Any advice for this avenue? I guess carbon filtering would be a necesity?

I've also read that one can re-use the activated carbon? Is this true?

Thanks again guys, and thanks for welcoming me into the exciting world of home distilling!! I hope one day I will be helping out newbies like myself.

Happy stilling.

[HookLine]

Welcome.

Here is my tip. Don't buy any commercial still until you have read and learned a lot here, and asked a few questions.

[kiwistiller]

I'd treat the bought still with a bit of caution... If you can, you'd be better off to make one.

-posting same time as hook

[olddog]

If your in the west, PM me

[Fermentanator]

Hi all. I've already got a still on lay buy.

At the moment I dont think I'm in the position to build one. Is it the price of bought ones? Or are they poor quality?

[kiwistiller]

both I'm afraid.

[HookLine]

The construction quality can be good, but most of the designs are not so good.

One that we can definitely recommend is the PDA-1 from Amphora.

[Fermentanator]

The one I'm getting has a very solid copper still head....a bloke from work has one and gets around 94% from it and when watered down, about 10litres of 40% all up. Its not product hype, tried and tested.

[HookLine]

Fair enough. I look forward to seeing it.

[kiwistiller]

are there any details of it online?

[rad14701]

A proper wash with proper distillation should never need activated carbon at all... If you need it then you need to improve on the part of the process that is causing the need... Best to start out doing things right from the start, before bad habits set in...

Good luck...

[blanikdog]

I think that this is the still that fermentater is talking about. http://www.puredistilling.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

blanik

[HookLine]

Never seen inside that model but I am guessing it is an LM.

Two things I don't like are the ball valve, and the short column.

The valve is not 'bad', as such. Just doesn't give as fine control as a needle valve.

Likewise the short column is not 'bad', but if you added a column extension it would improve the performance a lot. Little surprised that manufacturer does not offer one.

Also can't see a vent hole, but I suspect that the hole where the condensers tails come out of the column doubles as a vent hole.

All up it is probably okay. Let us know how it goes. Particularly interested in the inside workings of it.

Just for the record, I have nothing against commercial hobby stills in principle, it is just that there are some very dodgy & expensive ones out there. Being able to buy good quality hobby stills is a big plus for our hobby.

[Fermentanator]

Gday all.

Thanks for all the tips guys, I appreciate your honesty etc. Yep the one above is mine. Since I almost have her paid off, I'm going to go ahead with it. In the mean time, I will add a column extension, I'm thinking this gives more fractioning?

Once Ive done that I will percevere with carbon filtering whilst making my own still a little at a time. As I said in my other post, time is the issue for me.

I'm happy to start off with this, but being the perfectionist I am, I know I will strive for better. I'm just about to go through some designs here, any reccomendations for the begginer? I have plenty of tools, no welder, and a propane torch.

I will definately keep you all posted as to what yields are like with my "pure distilling" still. Im reading everything I can and I now undertand why you all say that if done properly, no carbon will be needed. Bloody home brew shops, tell ya what. I was wary when I went in, but when he told me he and his associates agree that you mus ALWAYS carbon filter I thought that was a golden rule. Plus a book I read, "moonshine made simple and the still makers manual" that said carbon filtering was mandatory. Bloody armchair experts!

My knowlege is growing daily, and I'm really starting to enjoy my new hobby even more.

[kiwistiller]

if you want a completely new still, the VM design is probably the easiest to run. If you want to modify your own one, a column extension will turn it into a very serviceable LM still, much like the boka inline.

You can probably sell your still for not much less than you paid for it. I did that (home brew shops got me at first) and then had a vm/pot combo made for me (rubbish with tools )

[HookLine]

Bloody armchair experts!

Especially if they have a profit motive.

[Fermentanator]

Thanks Kiwi, thats a good point too, good idea! I'll look into those plans...