WARNING! AMAZING STILL CAN KILL.

[Bagasso]

I know that the original Amazing Still uses this fish tank heater (cord and all) inside the bucket but couldn't you just slip the heater through the cap to just below the top of the heater so that the only heater part inside the bucket would be the glass.

Or you could use a copper tube with a cap soldered on to act as a well. Filled with water and going through the lid and into the wash with the heater inside the tube.

[rad14701]

Bagasso, you obviously haven't done much research here or you'd know why the "Amazing Still" shouldn't be considered a still at all - at least not for potable spirits...

[Dnderhead]

agreed its sort of like using a rusty can to cook your dinner in

[Bagasso]

No I have read the parent site more than a few times (even downloaded the entire site) and I have read just about everything on the forum. Even the stuff Uncle Jesse pulled from the old server.

I know that there are some things that are not advised on the forum. The Amazing Still is one of them. You don't have to tell me that ethanol vapor attacks just about anything, or that cuts on a bucket still are difficult to make, at best.

The thing is that there may be something to the low temp approach in regards to ester creation in the boiler.

Oh yeah, there are two recent posts before mine that didn't get the "You Haven't Read" answer.

[rad14701]

Oh yeah, there are two recent posts before mine that didn't get the "You Haven't Read" answer.

Don't take it personally... Based on your initial and somewhat vague post, our answers appear to be appropriate and are meant for others to take notice of, not just you...

There really is no effective way to make this method of distillation safe...

[Bagasso]

I know that it it isn't personal.

I was just going along with the dozen or so posts before mine where they were talking about packing the heater into a tube and soldering it shut. I was thinking along the same line as most heating elements placed in a still but through the lid instead of in the bottom.

I don't agree that this type of stillin can´t be safe. Of course when you're done making it safe you'll have something very different from the original "Amazing Still".

I mean if you have a typical electric still with temp control the only thing keeping you from powering down to keep the wash at 50ºC and letting it run day and night is the idea that a still should never be left alone. Now this is good advice and should be listened to. The thing is that there are stills which use lots of power, creating large amounts of flammable vapor, which could build up pressure if the flow is restricted, and needing attention so that condensors are knocking down these vapors and then there is evaporation.

[rad14701]

Along with your valid points, Bagasso, we have to remember (read re-iterate), that it takes a given amount of heat to properly achieve distillation... It can't be done below 78C/178F, nor can it be done effectively by holding the temperature of the wash at that temperature... It does take the high temperatures, volatile vapors, and condensation, to achieve proper distillation of potable spirits... There are no shortcuts...

Oh, yippie, The History Channel is re-broadcasting an episode about distillation as I type this... It starts out covering Jack Daniels...

[hstuurman]

I also build an Amazing still, but replaced the heating element for a copper spiral. The spiral is connected to a bucket with hot water, heated with a 2400 W heating element and controlled! the water is pumped by a fish tank pump throug the spiral!

It works, but I'm still troubled by the plastic, so I'll build a bigger copper still, and use the plastic tank as a mash-bin

Henk

[ozone39]

Now look what you guys have done, now I have to check this thing out an see what it all about (for entertainment value only)..

[evilempire]

Any time electricity and liquid is mixed you should be using a GFCI circuit. Safety first

[Soggy Bottom Boy]

.

Cletus: "Mmmmmm! Wow, this whiskey that you made in your Amazing Plastic Still has some great flavor!"

Jethro: "Yeah, This is the best batch I've made so far, I"m really proud of it."

Cletus: "It has an awesome up-front jolt of petroleum byproducts, then a hint of natural rubber as it rolls past my tongue, with a nice finish of polypropylene! Oooo, wait, .....do I detect a faint note of epoxy potting resins from an aquarium heater?!"

What an excellent way to make booze! ....NOT!

[wfw52]

BAD DAY on the still front !!! Hate to report this but if it can help anyone else from a close call I will be glad

Well Ive done a lot of runs in the last six months since I started distilling (30 ish) never any problems . But today I was a liitle lax and this turn out really scarry !! I just modified my old refux into a bok/VM combo , did 2 cleaning runs to test it out so this is all new to me running this thing. Seemed to work ok but did notice The cold finger would not knock all the vapor down if I ran to hot on my propane. wasnt realy worried about that figured I could control it with water flow and heat contol.
SO today the real thing only I insulted the colum for this first spirit run. Using a 30 % abv second run rice wine. Got it up temp holding steady at 172 to let it reflux for a hour. Every thing was going ok , then my mother knock on the door. In that breif time It took to pour her a cup of coffe and get a word in edge wise to tell her I needed to get back to the garage (she knows I distill) was to long to be away. soon as I step into the garage I could smell strong strong alcohol even with back door open and the roll up door 3 " up . I could see distillent running down the colum from the top of the coldfinger It was not able to keep everything down and I was not there to make the ajustments to correct the problem . I made straight to shut off the propane, the second I did the whole colum burst into flames
My hose was handy so I quikly put out the fire , but it didnt die easy ! Still cant figure out how the fire egnited from the top down very lucky no damage to life and property one minute later I fear to think what could have happened.

I also know like many of you know , you shouldnt walk away from your still leaving it un-attended !! DAM !

[Joel07]

Thanks for sharing this helpful information.

[Swedish Pride]

I too was pondering building the amazing still before I found this forum, mainly because I did not know anything about stilling at all and it seemed a easy option.
I'm so glad I've found this forum and learned so much but that is still a drop in the ocean compared to the wealth of info that's here.

If it wasn't for this forum and all the knowledgeable individuals here I would be drinking plastic infused spirits by now.

[hoochlover]

I've had 240V flow directly through me when as a kid I was holding one wire in each hand of something plugged into a socket when a friend turned it on prematurely. It gave me quite the kick. Provided you can break contact with the circuit and don't have a heart problem you won't die with that amount of current from a socket. But the issue is when you can't break contact, like water flooding over you or something like that which is possible in a situation with a boiler full of water.

I'm worried about my 2KW turbo boiler (the same used in most T500 setups) doing the same after enough time because of the way the heating element base is welded onto the sides of the tube. I would have thought you would simply weld a fully enclosed tube to the enclosed boiler part, but in this setup they have the tube around the boiler part welded onto the sides. A bad weld, or wear and tear could see it leaking I feel but I haven't taken the base off to see exactly what is going on under there, maybe it's designed to be safe regardless. Just doesn't look good from the inside.

[thecroweater]

yeah, I mean a kettle can do the same and I knew a young kid that was killed with a leaky fridge. running a boiler of an earth leakage devise is always a good idea

[rad14701]

I've had 240V flow directly through me when as a kid I was holding one wire in each hand of something plugged into a socket when a friend turned it on prematurely. It gave me quite the kick. Provided you can break contact with the circuit and don't have a heart problem you won't die with that amount of current from a socket. But the issue is when you can't break contact, like water flooding over you or something like that which is possible in a situation with a boiler full of water.

I'm worried about my 2KW turbo boiler (the same used in most T500 setups) doing the same after enough time because of the way the heating element base is welded onto the sides of the tube. I would have thought you would simply weld a fully enclosed tube to the enclosed boiler part, but in this setup they have the tube around the boiler part welded onto the sides. A bad weld, or wear and tear could see it leaking I feel but I haven't taken the base off to see exactly what is going on under there, maybe it's designed to be safe regardless. Just doesn't look good from the inside.

240V in Australia may not kill you but I can assure you that very few people have survived a 240V shock here in the US... You get bit by 240V US and you're most likely gonna be hospitalized at the very least... Heck, I don't even like getting bit good by 120V... Let's not downplay the potentially deadly dangers of electricity in an international forum...

[bitter]

Electricity can hurt you! I got hit by 660V and I blew me backwards... about 10 feet... and I don't remember a thing other than waking up on the concrete floor .. I was apparently as alright as I was before... (Some say I'm a bit warped so maybe it was the zap)

B

[hoochlover]

240V in Australia may not kill you but I can assure you that very few people have survived a 240V shock here in the US... You get bit by 240V US and you're most likely gonna be hospitalized at the very least... Heck, I don't even like getting bit good by 120V... Let's not downplay the potentially deadly dangers of electricity in an international forum...

Yeah seems it's quite variable depending upon numerous things, but mainly your bodies resistance. Which can be lowered/highered by things like clothing, water, etc. Guess I was lucky.

http://electronics.stackexchange.com/qu ... -dangerous" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

End result is if a wash runs over you and there is 120v or 240v connected to it you may die very quickly! Ouch.

[exon]

Tnx to all who have posted their own pitfalls... Saves me from that possibility. maybe.

[DirtDirt]

Switch to stream heat of your worried about having a flame or electricity around ur still at worst if it leaked inside the still it just drops ur proof all the big companies Jim beam jack Daniels ect use steam

[Jes2xu]

Wow, lucky we can learn from each others problems / mistakes I guess. Scary though!

[Still Life]

Wow, lucky we can learn from each others problems / mistakes I guess. Scary though!

This is the very post that brought me to HD.
I cringe when I think of how I used to still.

[Jes2xu]

Wow, lucky we can learn from each others problems / mistakes I guess. Scary though!

This is the very post that brought me to HD.
I cringe when I think of how I used to still.

Nice! Yeah dude, its pretty cool to have a big ass resource like this around. . . . . Imagine the other resources we would have if it gets legalised in the US!

[Sunshineer]

I've had 240V flow directly through me when as a kid I was holding one wire in each hand of something plugged into a socket when a friend turned it on prematurely. It gave me quite the kick. Provided you can break contact with the circuit and don't have a heart problem you won't die with that amount of current from a socket. But the issue is when you can't break contact, like water flooding over you or something like that which is possible in a situation with a boiler full of water.

I'm worried about my 2KW turbo boiler (the same used in most T500 setups) doing the same after enough time because of the way the heating element base is welded onto the sides of the tube. I would have thought you would simply weld a fully enclosed tube to the enclosed boiler part, but in this setup they have the tube around the boiler part welded onto the sides. A bad weld, or wear and tear could see it leaking I feel but I haven't taken the base off to see exactly what is going on under there, maybe it's designed to be safe regardless. Just doesn't look good from the inside.

240V in Australia may not kill you but I can assure you that very few people have survived a 240V shock here in the US... You get bit by 240V US and you're most likely gonna be hospitalized at the very least... Heck, I don't even like getting bit good by 120V... Let's not downplay the potentially deadly dangers of electricity in an international forum...

I've been hit with 480 here in the states and walked away it's amps that kill you not volts.

[Sunshineer]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: use copper or stainless for your still.

PREACH IT MY BROTHER PREACH IT COPPER IS BEST STAINLESS STEEL WILL WORK

[The Baker]

I don't understand the theory but;
it is the amperage that kills you, not the voltage.

Geoff

[stevea]

I don't understand the theory but;
it is the amperage that kills you, not the voltage.

Geoff

It only takes only a milli-amp to kill, BUT the path has to be right (and that is unlikely). Yes 240vac can be lethal (far more likely than the US 120vac residential) but its still unlikely. No, 240vac (=~340v peak) isn't any more lethal in N.America than in Europe & Asia (however our kitchen&household appliance have lousy power). I was working on an HV circuit once and suddenly my right arm jerked out of the way. I remember thinking "WTF, I didn't do that" before I started to get that tingly adrenaline-like, 'you got zapped' feeling.

I had discharged an ~1800vdc capacitor across my hand. No real harm aside from a tiny burn mark going in & out. With wet electrodes across my chest that would have been a different story.

Given the sorts of electric heater circuits ppl are using on this forum, GFCIs & proper grounding are not optional.
Similar for pressure & vacuum relief on any closed steam systems.