5 gallon pot still build

towercrane · Post by **towercrane** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 2:00 pm

I decided to build a pot still yesterday as I am finding it very hard to track down a keg for my 2" boka i built a couple months back. Apparently in my state they are illegal, or unavailable or something. The point is they are unobtainable and therefor very few people have them to sell. I've been itching to get stillin again and i decided a small scale pot still would be great to have. Something i can run on my range and don't have to pull out a propane burner for. The whole still took a day to collect and build. I ended up with a rather good looking still. I still need to install a thermometer port, but I'm unsure where to put it, or how to make it airtight. Any suggestions would be very appreciated. I got 5 gallons of UJSSM in the fermenter, I've very excited to run it!

Post by **Usge** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 2:29 pm

Hate to say this about such a good looking example of a stove top still...but...you got to watch every place you worked on that enamel based pot. The consensus is It will rust in short order. So, I don't imagine that pot is going to last that long.

You can sometimes find used kegs online. Also check many brewsupply places forums. Sometimes somebody will by a pallet load and be selling them cheap. You can also by "new" kegs (even with 4" ferrule openings) but they are often expensive (up to 300 bucks shipped).

towercrane · Post by **towercrane** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 3:22 pm

I'll look into those places for a keg, thanks. I figured the steel under the porcilin where it's exposed from the holes i drilled will rust. Thought about it after i drilled it. It was the first thing i saw and i was thinking about the still head more than the pot and bought impulsively. I will look for a new SS stock pot in the near future. The way i built the column i can get a new pot and spend only $20 to buy and construct a new mounting adaptor for the still head. It's just a 1" cap and female adapter.

Post by **rad14701** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 7:27 am

Definitely replace that speckleware pot with a safer boiler... They are not on the HD approved materials list for good reason... Most are very cheaply constructed, hence the low price, and do not stand up to high temperature high proof alcohol vapor or liquid... They, along with aluminum pots, are safe for cooking up a wash/mash but not for distilling... Better to be safe than sorry...

towercrane · Post by **towercrane** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 4:01 pm

I just ran some UJSSM, I jumped the gun a little and didn't let the wash finish fermentation, so I only collected about a pint of hearts from 5 gal. The still head worked wonderful! The pot is already rusting. I went a bought a much better SS pot. It's not as big, 4 gallon vs 5 gallon, but it'll be much more durrible. I should have inquired about this pot before I started, but live and learn.

Post by **NcMoonLight** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 4:27 pm

So now that you have the SS pot, have you changed your overall design any? Or just keeping the same design just a different pot with it?

towercrane · Post by **towercrane** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 5:45 pm

In keeping the same setup but with the SS pot. The condenser head worked great with no leaks, so I'm very happy with it, minus the cheap pot I used. I still need to put a thermometer on it somehow.

Post by **Usge** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 7:56 pm

You don't need a thermometer on a potstill. You can't control the vapor/boil temp on a potstill. The abv of the still charge predetermines what temp/proof it's going to start coming off at. From there, the temp rises/proof falls as the alc is depleted from the pot and the solution left there becomes increasingly water.

cornyray · Post by **cornyray** » Fri Dec 20, 2013 7:13 am

Does the water pipe on this till just run thru the inside of the lie bug?

cornyray · Post by **cornyray** » Fri Dec 20, 2013 9:20 am

Still^

Also, is that a 1" pipe coming from boiler? Then to half inch and then to a 3/4 inch Liebug. Just wondering. I'm trying to scale down samohons pot still but I already built his lie bug just don't wanna use the big 2" pipe

outlawokee · Post by **outlawokee** » Sat Dec 21, 2013 11:27 am

stainless or copper brother I got lucky and found a 25 gallon stainless barrel at a scrap yard gave them 10 bucks for it with a top even I still have a risk of a contaminated barrel but I got lucky and it was clean I have been boiling it with white vinager havent decided to use it for a boiler or a worm set up you might have some luck at a scrap yard or buy some beer and keep a pony keg

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5 gallon pot still build

5 gallon pot still build

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Re: 5 gallon pot still build