New, from New England

[RedRum]

Hey everyone,

I'm new to this hobby. I plan to start with what sounds simple, Rum. I have no still, yet. I was planning to do the cooking/distilling on a wood stove, but decided against it with the help of some more informed than I from this site. So a turkey fryer it will be! A friend of mine might be able to supply a good size s/s pot. (Im hoping for 20-30 gal) The after the pot arrives we'll configure the the top/lid. But I figure itll be some sort of copper column, around 2' tall, then I'm not sure about a inclined, flat or declined slope away from the pot into a slobber box, thumper, then condenser coil. I think I'll be using 3/8" copper coil. The slobber box is because I'm a beginner. I would like some input, in laymans terms as I'm not to familiar with a lot of the jargon that goes with the trade, on the angle of the coil as it leaves the pot. Like, how it affects the flavor and/or ABV%. Thats all for now, I got a screaming 2 year old to contend with.....

[King Of Hearts]

Hello Redrum. the easiest way to get started is to get a half barrel beer keg, and buy a pot still head. Brewhaus or hillbillystills could help you out there. Read everything you can two or three times and ask questions if you still don't get it, better safe than sorry. Happy stillin.

[acfixer69]

20 30 gal boiler 3/8" worm = weekend with 3rd shift
AC

[Bayou-Ruler]

welcome to the forum!

[WalkingWolf]

Welcome to HD -- Buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Slobberbox rarely (if ever) used by folks on here. You don't want to be running so hard as to need a slobber box. Most straight forward way to learn the craft is with a simple potstill run with a liebig (or {insert your brand of condensor}). Not so sure rum is the best teacher for cuts but you will learn how if you dedicate yourself. There are several rum enthusiasts around that'll steer ya right.

best of luck

[rad14701]

Greetings, RedRum...

You're pushing what we consider hobby scale home distillation with a 20 - 30 gallon boiler... And, beyond that, you wouldn't have much success using a 3/8" work on such a large boiler... A 3/8" worm works well up to perhaps 25 liters (5 gallons), if that, and beyond that you need to go up to at least 1/2"... It really doesn't do much good to have a decent boiler charge and plenty of heat to throw at it if the vapor speed it excessive due to worm sizing...

Take some to time do some serious research before finalizing any decisions regarding your still build... It sounds like you're close, but you're not there yet... There are more discrete details that need to be taken into consideration than just tossing parts together... As you get deeper into what we consider mandatory research you'll start to understand the why behind my message...

Good luck, stay safe, take your time, and enjoy the journey...

[OlympicMtDoo]

Welcome RedRum, you've come to the right place to get the help and advice you need, it's all here and it's free.

[RedRum]

Wow! Thanks for all the feedback guys!!!
To all who read my replies, please dont be offended by what you might read! I dont mean to sound ungratefull to your advice. It's not the easiest task to get your point across the right way in type...

Rad14701, The size of the pot I want to use, 25-30 gal., is because it seems eaisier to handle, as far as adding ingredients and cooking. As I was] a cook by trade, but hated the hours. Now I'm in food manufacturing, Liquor batchmaking at the moment. Thanks for the info on the size of coil! that'll help alot! This is part of my research, I want to hear form people who are currently distilling so I get the right info, not just from random quotes on the net...

WalkingWolf, I won't use a slobber box then. It just seemed logical. What would be a better teacher than Rum? I chose rum, 'cause it seemed to have less ingredients (to forget to add). And to keep costs down, I plan to construct my on own. Which is why I wanted info on the slope, or lack there of, in the copper coming off the column.

Once again, Thank you for all the input!!!

[WalkingWolf]

What would be a better teacher than Rum? I chose rum, 'cause it seemed to have less ingredients

For learning cuts the less "dimensional" flavor profiles would be preferred. Molasses washes can have some pretty harsh tasting distillate depending on the molasses type you use. Something along the lines of Rad's Gerber or All-Bran recipe. Has just a bit of flavor but at the same time does not get in the way of recognizing the changes that occur over the course of a run. Birdwatcher's Sugar Wash and/or Deathwish Wheat Germ would also be in this category.