My first still, first run

[willbilly]

I have worked with copper for many years and had built a couple stills for some guys in the past. Never did any stilling myself until I spent about 6 months reading and studying on this forum. Then decided to build one for myself and give it a try.
Here's a photo. My first still, first run.
The whiskey was great. Have done a couple more runs since and its only getting better. Gonna try a 100% rye malt next week with a more experienced (than me) mash man. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks guys for all the help.

[WalkingWolf]

Good work willbilly. I've been admiring your work since you first posted yesterday and I like your version of a still. I'm relatively new to "coppersmithing" and have pretty much stuck with the commercially available shapes and sizes of pipes and fittings. I enjoy seeing work of those that have the ability to step out and custom fabricate. Glad to hear you're learning to run the still as well. Before you know it you're stillin' skills will rival your building skils.

ww

[Samohon]

Thats a real nice piece of copper-smithin willbilly. As I said to you earlier I'd love to have those skills.
I've never done an all grain mash wb, but i'm sure the experts will be along anytime.
Nice to see a still that has been moulded by hand. Whats the height of the column before the turn to the lyne arm, if you dont mind me askin..?

Nice work...

[willbilly]

It's about 40" from the top of the pot to the center of the lyne arm at the turn.

[LWTCS]

Been some bad experiences had by members buying stills from "master builders" or some such shit.

Easy to spot a tight build with the use of kegs and tubing. Therefore, a bit more easy to compliment a brand new member for not putting together a jailhouse rig.

Tough to recommend a new/unknown member for selling their wares,,,,but I gotta say,,, from where I'm sitting, the pictures of your stills look top notch.

Perhaps somemore pics of your joints and send a couple of loaner outfits to me and will be happy to evaluate and post a review of my findings

Do you also spin?

[WalkingWolf]

L-Dubya,
You're a shameless hound.

But hey, how are we supposed to know, right??

Keep us posted L-Dubya, sure want to know if it runs as good as it looks

[HookLine]

Beautiful work.

How did you make the bends at the top of the column? (Seems to be two different ones, a smooth one, and a kinda pleated one.)

[rubber duck]

I fine it hard to believe this is your first run. That still is to nice and a perfect example of a goose neck rig for you to be a novice. If this is really your first run you had some help with this design because this is more then a still, this is a piece of art.

I don't think you need any advice on the construction side of things, you have that handled. I should be asking advice from you. Nice work.

RD

[Mud Mechanik]

Copper porn at it's finest, good work. MM

[kiwistiller]

Wow - that still is awesome! the lyne arm is upwards sloping, right, it isn't just the pic? I'd be interested to hear how thick that beast is.
Beautiful work.

[willbilly]

Thanks for the compliments!

I built this from a photo found on the internet of a scotch whisky still. The 12 gallon is 1/5 scale.
The 12 gallon with the blue backdrop was made as a display and has a 1/16" brass bottom. It has been pickled but never used for distiling.
Any future stills of this size will be built with 1/16" copper bottoms.
The column is detachable from the pot for easy cleaning.
The lyne arm can be built to slope at any angle desired. I use the 12 gallon as my wash still and the 6 gallon as my spirit still.
I have packed the column of the 6 gallon with copper scrubbers. Relux could also be added.
The solder used is "silverflo" from Canfield Technologies and is free of lead, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, nickel and antimony.
The brass fittings have all been pickled.

What do you guys think about the brass in the bottom? Should I replace it with copper before distilling?

Also, I am doing a %100 rye malt next weekend and I hear it can be tricky. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

[rubber duck]

Converting 100% malt rye is a little tricky. The best way I have found to do rye is to start your mash with a beta glucanase rest at a temp of 105f give or take 5 deg for 30 minutes. The reason for a beta rest is because if you don't do this with rye you may end up with a bucket of snot. It seriously has the consistency of snot. After the beta rest raise the temp to 148f or so and hold the temp until you have complete starch conversion. I can walk you through the mashing process if you want help with it.

I can't really say if a brass bottom is safe. I would replace it, you have the skills to do it so why not error on the side of caution.

[willbilly]

Rubber Duck,

I will replace the brass with copper before selling or distilling.
Please do walk me through the rye mash. I hate to wind up with a mess.

[Titus-a-fishus]

Niiiiiiiiiice


Why even your pooch likes your hooch
He seems to be waiting for the next batch

[squidd]

Willbilly,

Suspicions confirmed.
You shamelessly copied from the big boys.

What a beauty !
Thank you for sharing.

squidd

[willbilly]

Thanks again for the compliment guys!

The elbow at the top is riveted and soldered. The column is attached to the pot with what's called a van stone flange. This joint can be disassembled. I seal this flange with rye flour dough. I went through 6 different types of gasket material before I took youralls advice and used rye flour dough. It seals beautifully. Thanks.
The seams in the pot are pittsburgh seams. The longitudinal seams are groove seams. These are all seams commonly used for ductwork and they are all soldered (except the van stone flange).
The different parts are made of varying thicknesses of copper from 1/16" on the bottom to 16 oz at the lyne arm.
It cost me a small fortune to build, but well worth it.

I did a lot of studying on this website as well as a couple books before attempting any of this. The time spent reading and learning was incredibly beneficial as most of the guys on here will tell you.

So far I have distilled some red wine for practice. It came out surprisingly good.
My first corn and barley was a little grainy tasting but the next time I slowed things down quite a bit on the spirit run and it improved significantly. I also made some apple jack, we pressed the apples ourselves (lot of work). I wasn't real crazy about it so I threw it back in the still with the feints and reran it, again at a slower pace. Now I have it setting on some oak and it is aging very nice.
My mashing and distilling skills are improving rapidly, thanks to you guys, this website and Smiley.

Cheers to all!



Here is a few close up photos. It's been used recently and I didn't have time to shine it up.

[LWTCS]

The longitudinal seams are groove seams. These are all seams commonly used for ductwork and they are all soldered (except the van stone flange).

Kind of a snap lock type seem yes?

Do you own your own sheetmetal company?

[willbilly]

A groove seam is two small hems (about 5/16"). These hems are hooked together and hammered with a grooving tool made by pexto.
I am self employed and have a small shop in my barn.

[GreyGambler]

that is one hell of a rig. awesome job

[LWTCS]

Just a dandy peice of work.

How many man hours(one wonders)?

If you were on a roll,,, and had say,,,,,a modular amount of material to build a modular amount of pot stills,, what would one expect to pay for a 15 or 20 gallon rig?

[willbilly]

I'll check the price of copper tomorrow and get back with you.

[blanikdog]

Beautiful craftmanship willy.

blanik

[willbilly]

20 gallon with liebig condenser and no packing.........$1300.00

The pot size would be 23" diameter and 12" up the sides.

[goinbroke2]

Awesome work! The cost to do that shows that it takes a dedicated "hobbiest". People don't do it to make money or flaunt authority (there's cheaper ways to do that) it is like the race car or bass boat, cost a shitload but the excuse is, "it's my hobby, I could be out chasing women dear..."

[LWTCS]

Might be spendy for some.

But if you think about it, it's really a fair price.

I'm my area, you gotta make a thousand bucks a week just to get by what with property taxes and wind insurance costs and so forth.

Recon that looks like a weeks worth of man hours to me.

Shit, I got more than that into mine.

[willbilly]

Your close on the hours LW. But only after building 5 of them was I able to get the man hours down (25 years experience with sheet metal didn't hurt either).
They truly are handmade and yes that is a fair price.

I do appreciate the compliments guys.
Thanks.

[rednose]

I'd go with a worm rather than a liebig.

Beautiful work, maybe one day I'll like one of those as an exibition for my bar, depends how things are going after the alc sell prohibits here in EC.

Congrats willy

[Fester]

jees us jumpt up cryst. that is one purty still. slobber running down my chin. gawd i wish i could do that.

[LWTCS]

But only after building 5 of them was I able to get the man hours down (25 years experience with sheet metal didn't hurt either).
They truly are handmade and yes that is a fair price.

Thats what I'm sayin. Can't expect a man to not pull some kind of profit.
Got a right have a degree succses that your skill has earned.

I friggin hate when people try to beat my number down and want a better product than the guy that is more expensive. Best way to piss me off.

No matter. They look well worth your effort. A bargain.

[Mud Mechanik]

Willbilly, your time/effort/and skill has paid off, now concentrate that effort on a good wash and slow stillin, and you should have a drink that is second to none. Very nice job on the build and I hope your happy, you have made many computer keyboards wet with drool, including mine.