"Your still is too small!"

NGICA · Post by **NGICA** » Fri Oct 01, 2010 12:39 pm

Hey everyone, I've seen a lot of posts where people suggest not going lower than like, 5 gallons for a still. I was wondering why this is?

Post by **rubber duck** » Fri Oct 01, 2010 12:45 pm

It makes it easier to discern the cuts, especially for a novice. Also if a guy wants to make more then a pint of drinkable spirit he would have to do multiple striping runs.

Post by **LWTCS** » Fri Oct 01, 2010 2:13 pm

One would spend an inordinate amount of time sitting the still with much smaller.

And forget about gifting any away to friends or family. You'd barely make enough good likker to keep up with your personal consumption rate.

Post by **Dnderhead** » Fri Oct 01, 2010 2:32 pm

Do you realize that you git about 1/10 back of what you put in a still?

Post by **Samohon** » Fri Oct 01, 2010 4:10 pm

5 Gal minimum boiler... 2 or 3 runs will give you enough for yerself and enough to show off to yer family...
Vanity, another one of my fine traits...

Kentucky shinner · Post by **Kentucky shinner** » Fri Oct 01, 2010 4:14 pm

Samohon wrote:5 Gal minimum boiler... 2 or 3 runs will give you enough for yerself and enough to show off to yer family...
Vanity, another one of my fine traits...

+1 Sam---I started with a 3 gallon and relized really fast I had screwed up..

I have the same problem Sam....

Post by **myles** » Fri Oct 01, 2010 6:31 pm

Got to agree that anything less than 5 gallons is just not worth it. Oh you can do it, but it is really hard work. There is only 1 exception that I can think of.

Vapour infusion still loaded with 40% good neutral (produced on a different still) and a botanical basket. You can go smaller but it's not worth collecting less than a bottle worth of good gin.

Post by **Usge** » Sat Oct 02, 2010 1:15 pm

I went from 1 gal to 5 gal for the same reason. If you ask me...5 gal is too small. But, it's about max limit what I can deal with inside. Can't fit a keg on my stove

still crazy · Post by **still crazy** » Sat Oct 02, 2010 7:33 pm

Wouldn't you really want to drive a Buick ???

Post by **Usge** » Sat Oct 02, 2010 10:18 pm

If it will fit on my stove

hoochinoo · Post by **hoochinoo** » Sun Oct 03, 2010 1:37 pm

i have a 5 gallon boiler and after using it a while am finding it small for the effort. On the other hand, i think for a novice that i was when i started it may have been too much bite to take at one time. At the beginning, i thought about going with a 15 gallon setup, propane and the works and thought it to be too much.
But i hear you, 5 gallon boiler, well you cannot fill it to the top, so lose a gallon from the top for safety and then, there you go... what are you left with...

Post by **LWTCS** » Sun Oct 03, 2010 6:02 pm

Yep
Not sure why it's so hard to communicate that the keg boiler is one the best (if not the best) possible Hobby solutions.

Home Distiller

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