Hello HD'ers

[383trike]

Hello from Mississippi.................not really, I'm just here working for now. I'm from Danville Virginia originally and just over the hill form the moonshine capital of the world, Franklin County. I've had my fair share of the lightning in my past, it was all around me as I grew up, but I've never tried to make it my self until now.

I have been working on my 10.5 gal pot still now for two years, alittle here and there, and its almost complete..........I think. I have done my home work and would like for some one to look at it and tell me what else I may need to do before I start running it. I would like any help, good or bad.

[bentstick]

Welcome 383! Show us pics when ya get a chance, just started to read a book based in that area sure you know it,Spirits of Just Men by Charles Thompson Jr it is very good!
Be safe and enjoy this hobby!

[Prairiepiss]

Welcome aboard.

Yes give us some pics. And we will pick your still apart.

I don't know how you could take 2 years to build it. I would have gone crazy in that time. But it sounds like you have the patients this hobby takes.

Good luck be safe take your time.

[383trike]

Ok here it goes

[Prairiepiss]

Holy crap.

Nice still porn.

Is that a thumper at the base? What's in the column? Packing? Plates? Nothing?
Let us know what we are looking at here?

Looks good so far.

Edited to add. What's the thing where the takeoff should be?

[383trike]

Now for the discription. It is 7'-4+" tall with a 10.5 gal pot. It is heated by a 2500 watt element with mercury temp controler (will update that later). The column is 4" copper with sanitary ferrels welded on each end. The condenser has 21 half inch tubes and only the first two inches gets warm with a water inlet flow tahts just above a drip in volume.
The bubble cap in the colunm is placed on top of the lid to help re-heat the liquid that falls from the valved reflux worm. I also have some PAL rings made of stainless that I can use to pack the column when needed. I also installed a 5 psi pressure relief valve on the lid (the fitting with nothing in it) just in case things get bad.
Everything seems to work fine the few times I tested it. Now I'm at the point of putting it to use and want some pointers.

[383trike]

The trike is another project I've been spending my money on. I'm trying to figure out how to combine the two.

[383trike]

Holy crap.

Nice still porn.

Is that a thumper at the base? What's in the column? Packing? Plates? Nothing?
Let us know what we are looking at here?

Looks good so far.

Edited to add. What's the thing where the takeoff should be?

That is a bubble cap at the base and inside the column, no packing (yet) and no plates. Im not sure what you are refering to about the take off, but if its the other copper thing you'er asking about, its a cup I made from the same copper pipe to catch the liquid from the condenser. Its a 1/2" tube I installed so that later I can try to vacuum distill. I wanted to cover as much with the build that I could to make several kinds of spirits.

[501outlaw]

Hello hello. Trust me guys this guy is a amazing welder and a mechanical genious Mr383 make a good wash or mash and your good to go. Se you soon

[383trike]

Thanks outlaw, I'll get the fermenting buckets on the way and see what it will do.

[501outlaw]

Thanks outlaw, I'll get the fermenting buckets on the way and see what it will do.

Look in the tried and true section at the Gerber I'm gonna do oat , wheat and barley in a 20 gallon wash that way when I siphon off I'll get 10 gallon of clean wash and keep 3 to 4 gallon for a spirit run

[Prairiepiss]

Takeoff is where you take the product off the still. Or where the good stuff comes out.

Can you get a close-up of the takeoff cup thingy? I'm intrigued.

Mercury controller? That doesn't sound as if it is what you want? Can't control by temps. Need a steady adjustable heat input.

[501outlaw]

Pp if you lead 383 in the right direction he will make a touchdown!!!! Everything I've seen him build is amazing . We had some speciality welders on the job and he made them look like a beginner .. Lol

[Prairiepiss]

Oh the still and boiler look damn fine. I really like the integrated thumper.

The temp controller thing is the only thing I se a problem with so far.

[383trike]

I'll get some pics of the cup for you guys, The controler is out dated I know. Its a mercury type controler from an oven 50 - 350 degrees C. It works, but its not very fine on the temps. I plan to get a digital controler for it with thermo couples.

I orange peeled the pipe to make the cap and tig welded it back together. This was before I bought my foot controler to the welding machine I have. The problem with welding copper is that it transfers heat quickly and the metal close to the weld becomes hot fast, so if you do not have a controler to cut the heat back, all you can do is speed up. After the first two welds, this cup was smokin hot and I really was not set up for this at the time. Now I have my machine right and a garage to work in. This was done in my living room about a year ago

[Prairiepiss]

On the controller. You can't use temp control. It can't ne worked off of temps. Or it will be chasing itself and not work. You need a controller that you can adjust how much heat you put into the boiler. Or how many watts/amps you put into it. It also needs to be a steady input.

Much like your welders. You dial in a heat output. Amps. And it puts out a constant setting. It doesn't go by temps.

You need to maintain a steady low boil. The boiling point of the liquid in the still will be changing as alcohol is removed.

There are a few good threads in the new distiller reading lounge. That explains it much better. Why you can't control a still with boiler temp. Is a good one.

[eviljesus]

Still looks excellent. I'm sure you'll have no problems getting some good juice of that still.

Enjoy!

[Samohon]

Welcome to HD 383trike...

I love the copper dome... Great looking still, thanks for sharing...

[383trike]

On the controller. You can't use temp control. It can't ne worked off of temps. Or it will be chasing itself and not work. You need a controller that you can adjust how much heat you put into the boiler. Or how many watts/amps you put into it. It also needs to be a steady input.

Much like your welders. You dial in a heat output. Amps. And it puts out a constant setting. It doesn't go by temps.

You need to maintain a steady low boil. The boiling point of the liquid in the still will be changing as alcohol is removed.

There are a few good threads in the new distiller reading lounge. That explains it much better. Why you can't control a still with boiler temp. Is a good one.

Yea, I thought so. What I really need is a plane and simple reostat for 240 volts with no temp control then, like you mentioned on the welding machine. I'll get to looking for one. Thanks for the sharp eyes.

[Prairiepiss]

Sounds like you are getting it now.

You will need something better then a restate. Check out some of the heat controller threads around here. There are a few different designs. One of the best being the phase angle controllers. But look around they aren't that hard to build.

[rescuedawg]

Glad to know a few more Mississippians (even transplants are distilling). I'm in Jackson. I hope we are treating you well.

[OBX Phantom]

Hello 383 trike, nice looking still. You should contact Mulekicker about the phase angle controller for your heating element that he builds. He can direct you to the link that explains it, and how to build it, and also has the links to buy the parts for it. It is relatively inexpensive, easy to build and works great. I built the one with the PSR 25,( wich is prob. the easier one to build). I am using a 5000 watt 220V element, with a 13 gallon boiler, and I can heat it up in about 40 min. at 3/4 power. then I cut it back to a lil more than half power for the run.

It works great....Thanx again Mulekicker

[383trike]

This is going to be great I think, you guys have already been so helpful. I will also get with Mulekicker about the controller. I'm going to work on the rest of my cooling supply lines this weekend. Look forward to putting some liquid through it soon. But I may sell it once its finished. The house I moved in to here has a state trooper across the street and I just dont need the hassle. I tried to design this to be an indoor still and for all the hook ups to be run in the launry room because of the power outlet and my water supply and discharge. Or I could make a lamp out of it

[383trike]

I have one other question, has anyone thought about building a spinning cone column???? Its a stripping column that will remove the alcohol super quick once its up to temp. Should strip the alcohol from 10 gals of mash in 15 mins!!! Found out about it while researching to build this one.

[Prairiepiss]

Never heard of a spinning cone still? Got a link or something? Will have to look that one up.

[501outlaw]

383 would it effect the still if you cut 6" out of the column ??