Hello from Vietnam

vhuy · Post by **vhuy** » Fri Jun 03, 2011 2:08 am

Hello!

I'm new to this forum, and still quite new with distilling. Have some experience with wine, but that's all. I am about to buy a pot still and looking forward to make some good stuff. I have a quite big garden with a lot of corn growing, so hopefully I will be able to use it to make some corn whiskey. I will probably spend most of my time on the pot still forum as I am planning on buying a pot still. Thanks for reading!

(Attached is a picture of my garden. You can see the corn plants at the end of the picture)

Post by **blanikdog** » Fri Jun 03, 2011 2:13 am

Welcome Vhuy. You might consider building a pot still. There are quite a lot of pot still pics in here and will be a lot less expensive than a bought one. Don't forget to have a lot at the "Reading Lounge".

Stay Safe

Kentucky shinner · Post by **Kentucky shinner** » Fri Jun 03, 2011 2:36 am

Welcome to the forum vhuy. You will find all the information that you need to be successful in your new hobby.
Do as blanik has suggested and cruise over to the reading lounge.
KS

Post by **Samohon** » Fri Jun 03, 2011 4:38 am

Welcome to HD vhuy... Glad you made it...

+3. As the guys have said, study the boards and when you get a little lost, give us a holler.

Good luck to you man...

johnhopper1957 · Post by **johnhopper1957** » Fri Jun 03, 2011 2:18 pm

Yes I would recommend the reading lounge as well, very good reference point, lots of good info in there.

Post by **blind drunk** » Fri Jun 03, 2011 2:53 pm

Nice garden, nice shed. Welcome to HD. It's alot of fun making your own likker!

Post by **LWTCS** » Fri Jun 03, 2011 3:02 pm

Are you growing any Lemon Grass?

mfradman · Post by **mfradman** » Fri Jun 03, 2011 3:13 pm

Welcome Vhuy, like the other guys said, go to the lounge and do some reading. I wish I had done more of that when I started. I wonder what area you live in and what the laws are like in Vietnam. I served in Vietnam back in 1966, always thought the people got the shaft in that crappy war. I drove a heavy truck out of Tay Nien most of the time I was in country. Always wanted to go back but I never seem to have that kind of cash for a trip like that. What are copper prices like? I have worked with copper nearly all my life and now it seems to be out of reach for most folks. With all that corn a guy could go nuts and build a still to match the supply.

Regards, mfradman

vhuy · Post by **vhuy** » Fri Jun 03, 2011 7:44 pm

Hey,

Yes, I have lemon grass in my garden as well. I do also have tiny tiny lime plant in my garden (but it's probably too small to be used to anything anyway). I'm not sure about the copper prices, but I saw a 80L pot still sold for ~90$. Everything except the boiler (stainless steel) is in copper and the only thing missing you have to buy is the whatever cooling unit I choose around the condenser.

Home distilling is legal where I live (at least in this province, not sure about the whole country) and because I have a registered "household business" (my wife has a tiny tiny supermarket in front of our house) I can sell the things I make if I want as well, (because of the liberal laws on alcohol here there are A LOT of small distilleries here, and the prices are pushed extremely low, so even if my products turn out fine, I will probably not sell it, because of the ridiculous low prices on alcohol here), but I see it as a hobby.

mfradman: I live in the north, close to the chinese border, so I doubt your truck have ever been driving outside my house

And thanks everybody, I will be reading a lot (and have read quite a lot already) in the forum and the reading lounge.

vhuy · Post by **vhuy** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 3:11 am

Ended up buying the 80L pot still. What do you guys think? Still have to make some kind of a system for cooling this thing though

Post by **rad14701** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 5:36 am

Interesting design, vhuy... All you need is a water bucket to submerge the product condenser in with the product output sticking out through the side of the bottom... Use whatever method that works best for sealing the take off to the bucket...

vhuy · Post by **vhuy** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 5:59 am

Thanks! I have to find some method to keep it cold and stable. I will use wood as heating, so I guess the heat will easily spread, and I need something to ensure it won't be too hot. Will try to make a water run tomorrow to test it. Will look at the temperature then. I read that people often underestimate what it takes to cool the thing of.

Post by **rad14701** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 6:47 am

vhuy, if heating with wood it is easier to use a bed of coals than open flames licking up at the bottom and sides of your boiler... When I used to heat with wood I had a separate area where I burned the wood down to coals and then shoveled coals in and out from under the boiler as needed... I also used ash to reduce any unwanted flames from igniting off the coal bed... Food for thought...

Home Distiller

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