Here she is. Not sure what to call the design.

[PeoplesSSstill]

Hey everyone. I just finished my still and Im really excited to show everyone. I had it all apart cleaning it today and realized it didnt take many pictures of building it. Got the camera out and snapped away as i put it back together. Looking forward to any comments, questions or suggestions. Thanks.

[PeoplesSSstill]

The pot is a 26 Gallon milk receiver used at a dairy. It Has a 9" opening on top, 3"triclamp fitting on top, (2) 3"triclamp fittings on the side and a 2"triclamp bottom fitting. The only thing i modified was welding the legs on the bottom. That actually was a little challenging because i wasnt sure of the look i wanted, welding them on the sides, square tubing, tripod style, etc. Im really happy with it, kind of looks like a mini silo.

[HolyBear]

Now that's a dandy boiler!!! Tell us a little about that tower. Hard to see from pic. Is there a coil at top? Is that a valve at exit tube?

[Prairiepiss]

That realtime nice boiler.

The still looks to be just a pot still. I see no reflux condenser water connections? It's not a quite large pot still.It being a pot still something really concerns me. The spigot on the takeoff. It needs to go. It's a big safety hazard. Where the still could turn into a pressure bomb. And the is no reason to have a valve on a pot still. There needs to be an open vapor path from the boiler to the takeoff. At all times.

[IlliniDistiller]

That realtime nice boiler.

The still looks to be just a pot still. I see no reflux condenser water connections? It's not a quite large pot still.It being a pot still something really concerns me. The spigot on the takeoff. It needs to go. It's a big safety hazard. Where the still could turn into a pressure bomb. And the is no reason to have a valve on a pot still. There needs to be an open vapor path from the boiler to the takeoff. At all times.

+1. Valve=bomb. Remove immediately if not sooner.

[PeoplesSSstill]

Sorry guys for not clarifying. I gutted the spigot. It's just for looks. It's not a valve. I have a ton more pics of the column and condenser. Will post them as soon as I get home.

[Hawk_]

Nice and shiny! I dig the look!

[Prairiepiss]

Sorry guys for not clarifying. I gutted the spigot. It's just for looks. It's not a valve. I have a ton more pics of the column and condenser. Will post them as soon as I get home.

That's an evil trick. But glad to hear it.

[PeoplesSSstill]

Yeah it took me a little bit to figure out how I wanted it to drip out the still. I thought just having a piece of copper pipe sticking out wouldn't look right plus I was worried about the exposed copper pipe being damaged during storage. Plus I really like the look of the old little brass spigot.

[PeoplesSSstill]

Add a clear window in the top 3" triclamp port and a 5" dial thermometer in the bottom port.

[PeoplesSSstill]

Heating element.

[PeoplesSSstill]

The column. Ok so this is why i gave this post the name "Not sure what to call the design". The column is a MIlk filter used on dairies. Its a 4"dia .065 wall x 3' pipe with a 4" triclamp fitting on top and (2) 2" triclamp fittings - one side and one bottom. It has a SS perforated insert that i welded a bottom onto. The insert is roughly 2" in dia so there is plenty of clearance inside the pipe. One of the reasons i choose this is i had an idea of filling the insert with toasted oak, charcol, or maybe the combination of two and exposing the distilled vapor to oak before ageing it. Also this leaves the door open to possibly using lemon on a neutral, or basically infusing the vapor with whatever you wanted to, etc. Reason number two for choosing the packing in the column on a pot still is giving surface area for the vapor to reflux on. Someone please correct me if im wrong but i havent come across anouther pot still design using oak packing in ther column, possibly a new design? Ok so i posted my theory on oak packing in column to impart oak flavor into distill on the Pot still design area and it was not a welcomed idea. Basically I was told - if it worked large distillerys would be doing it, it would swell and block up column causing it to explode, hot wood tastes gross, ect. Well maybe they are all right so in that case im glad the insert slides out and i just put a 4" cap on the top and we can never talk about it again. But untill that time im still holding out hope that it might just work.

[PeoplesSSstill]

The condenser. So i used the same 4" milk filter as the column and connected them together is a tee so i could install a thermometer in between them. I coiled 3/8 copper tubing down the entire length or the pipe and then soldered the ends into a triclamp gasket that has a solid ss insert. Also installed water ports at top and bottom. Its almost a 4" od ring of copper, 3ft long. Lots of copper. On the end of the condenser is a 2" elbow with a threaded cap. I found a really cool old brass spigot, REMOVED THE VALVE INSIDE IT - I didnt share this earlier and again got the whole bomb talk, and solded a copper reducer and 3/8" 45 elbow into it. I then used some 3/8" clear braided food grade hose to connect the bottom coil to spigot inside the 2" elbow.

[PeoplesSSstill]

Back to the pot again. So i needed a lid on the 9" opening. I was lucky enough to find a plexiglass lid and gasket that fit it. The only problem is these receivers run under vacuum to they dont make clamps to fit them. I happen to find a large t-bolt style clamp and modifed it to work.

[PeoplesSSstill]

Just a couple more pics.

[beelah]

very interesting build you got there...very nice clean work...but a few questions and observations...some of your connections look like they are rubber of some sort...you are sure to get the synthetics police on you for using them, so maybe some other acceptable gasket...on the heating unit that is a slick looking unit, but it might give you some problems with cycling as on close examination, there is a number of what I would think are temperature settings...likely it would heat up to that temperature then cycle on and off to maintain that temp...I might be wrong, but that is what it looks like to me...I have seen similar units for sale on ebay and other have told me they cycle and aren't good for our hobby...also is that a 110 or 220 plug...on a boiler that big it might take a while getting up to temp if you are only running 110...220 would be the way to go, with a 5000 watt element and a good temperature controller like the kind mule kicker builds....that's a nice setup there, so with just a couple of changes you will have one of the nicest I have seen in a while.

[frozenthunderbolt]

Yep you got a nice pot still there, with one of the biggest vapor infusion baskets i've ever seen

Aint gonna get any kinda reflux with it no matter what you use to pack as there is no condenser on top of your column to force reflux.
1+ on the synthetics - I'm thinking that Plexiglas in contact with hot alcohol vapor is a no-no, but i stand to be corrected.

That said; a cool looking pot for sure.

[HolyBear]

Will yer gin basket fit down between the coils on the other side? Folks say that baskets should be after the point of no return to the boiler. Yer oak charcoal/botanicals flavor will falldown intoboiler. The vapor is going to take the path of least resistance so for the most part, with space around the basket, that's where the vapor will be.

Yer really not far from a VM column. Is there a way you can get another small section to be filled with a coil and placed above column on left? Plus a valve where yer Therm port is. Viola VM...

+1 on yer heat source... if it does work, man its gonna take hours just to bring 26gal up to temp, hours... insulating the tank would help some.

Yer very lucky, you already have two ports prime for elements. One where you have the boiler temp gage (love the clunky steampunk look BTW but better placed elsewhere,maybe in that 9" opening? So its in the vapor?) The other element port above the bottom one.

+2 on the synthetics.

Don't get disheartened, yer almost there, that things gonna kick ass when she's done!!!

[beelah]

your on to something there wacabi...I think just taking that right handed column and situate it over the left and you have your reflux going into the column...just pack some scrubbers into that botanical basket...or better yet...make some bubble plates...add a value to the right as you said and build a condenser...maybe a graham and you are good to go.

[Prairiepiss]

Sory hit the plexiglass disturbs me more then anything.

[PeoplesSSstill]

Thanks everyone for the imput. I really appretiate it. So i wanted to clear a couple things up and then i have a couple questions.

some of your connections look like they are rubber of some sort...you are sure to get the synthetics police on you for using them, so maybe some other acceptable gasket

1+ on the synthetics - I'm thinking that Plexiglas in contact with hot alcohol vapor is a no-no, but i stand to be corrected.

Sory hit the plexiglass disturbs me more then anything.

All the rubber connections are Nitrile Triclamp gaskets except for the 9" opening on the top of the pot. Both the triclamp gaskets and plexiglass peices are used in the Food and Beverage industry, specifically at a dairy. All are 3A sanitary approved and are also used on equipment that is CIP - (clean in place), using 180+ F water. I see the concern eveyone has but i feel completly safe using them. If there were something i bought at home depot or something i made, i would understand all the concern. I might be completely wrong and it might taste horrible, or the plexiglass might warp, and in that case i will be the first to say I was wrong.

on the heating unit that is a slick looking unit, but it might give you some problems with cycling as on close examination

I think your right. I have a feeling its like a thermostat and will be cylcing. Might be the next thing to but. Do you have a the link for the Mule Kicker?

Aint gonna get any kinda reflux with it no matter what you use to pack as there is no condenser on top of your column to force reflux.

So the reflux i was refering too, was where the warm vapor comes into contact with cooler material in the infusion basket, cools down to fall back on itself, heats up and moves forward. More of a natual reflux on a small scale till all the material in the infusion basket is at vapor off temp.

Yer very lucky, you already have two ports prime for elements. One where you have the boiler temp gage (love the clunky steampunk look BTW but better placed elsewhere,maybe in that 9" opening? So its in the vapor?) The other element port above the bottom one.

Thanks, i like the look also. I installed it at that location because im going to use the pot to mash in and also to ferment in. Both columns come off with a simple clamp fitting on the top of the pot. I have a thermometer installed between the two columns to monitor vapor temp.

Will yer gin basket fit down between the coils on the other side? Folks say that baskets should be after the point of no return to the boiler. Yer oak charcoal/botanicals flavor will falldown intoboiler. The vapor is going to take the path of least resistance so for the most part, with space around the basket, that's where the vapor will be

So this confused me at first. If i placed the basket down between the coils it would be in water. I then realized that your thinking the vapor goes into the column and water is run through the copper coil to condense it. Actually the vapor path is through the copper coil, and the 4" shell that the copper is in will have water circulating through it. I hand sketched the vapor path and will upload it. Dont laugh at my child like drawing.

your on to something there wacabi...I think just taking that right handed column and situate it over the left and you have your reflux going into the column...just pack some scrubbers into that botanical basket...or better yet...make some bubble plates...add a value to the right as you said and build a condenser...maybe a graham and you are good to go.

I would like to here more about this design. Could you PM me on this or even just post it on here. Thanks.

[PeoplesSSstill]

No laughing at the hand sketch. First on the left top part of the pot is what im calling the Head. The head is made of the 4" dia column and the insert. On the right top part of the pot is the condenser made of the 4"dia shell with water ports and the copper coil. The vapor will travel from the pot into the head, hopefully passing through the insert being infused with oak and having small amount of reflux, travel pass the temp gauge into the copper coil, being condensed into liquid. Now the condenser has a water port at top and bottom that i will circulate water into, so basically the entire copper coil will be submerged in water. The copper coil is silver soldered into the top and bottom water seals in the condenser.

[frozenthunderbolt]

Thanks everyone for the imput. I really appretiate it. So i wanted to clear a couple things up and then i have a couple questions.

All the rubber connections are Nitrile Triclamp gaskets except for the 9" opening on the top of the pot. Both the triclamp gaskets and plexiglass peices are used in the Food and Beverage industry, specifically at a dairy. All are 3A sanitary approved and are also used on equipment that is CIP - (clean in place), using 180+ F water. I see the concern eveyone has but i feel completly safe using them. If there were something i bought at home depot or something i made, i would understand all the concern. I might be completely wrong and it might taste horrible, or the plexiglass might warp, and in that case i will be the first to say I was wrong.

Yep rated for milk and hot water NOT hot high ABV alcohol vapor (to say nothing of the acetone etc that is also produced in a normal ferment).

The ONLY synthetic proven safe with MSDS sheets etc to back it up if PTFE.

Do'nt wait to taste the plasticizers etc that WILL leach out, do it right or dont do it at all.

[HolyBear]

Ok, so... you've got a pot still with a gin basket above the boiler (and not so good), and a Graham with vapor in the coil...

If a pot still is what you want, then you got it.
If reflux is what you want, an additional short piece above the left side with a coil will be needed. And a valve where yer vapor temp gauge is. And you'd still need a temp gauge there also.
I know you want to see what oak charcoal tastes like, so try it, whatever... you would have been better off to putting the basket down the right side, wrapping it with coolant water inside the coil.

Regardless of what you do, yer gonna need heat.
Pm mulekicker.
Get rid of the synthetics, do it right man...

[beelah]

beside mule kicker you could also take a look at the heating unit at Hillbilly Stills....

[rad14701]

As has been noted multiple times here, any synthetics which cannot be proven safe with high temperature high proof alcohol vapor and liquid compositions should be removed from anywhere that it would come into contact... "Food Grade" and "Dairy Grade" mean nothing when it comes to "Home Distillation"... You have gone beyond "intended use" and in doing so a whole new set of safety requirements comes into play... Better to be safe than sorry...

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that the Plexiglass has a very good chance of deteriorating and disintegrating just like synthetic hydrometer test cylinders do when exposed to high proof spirits...

[thecroweater]

look yeah ppl will knock ya for exposing wood to vapour believe me I know . But if you google Naval rum it is all made in wooden stills, always has been and once all the Caribbean dark rums were made like that, would it work for other styled drinks hmm can't say. Yeah wet wood doesn't taste good , so don't eat it

[TheSticky1970]

It sure looks perty!

[johnarms]

Wow... so cool I wanna shop where you do! where did you source the dairy stuff? Not gonna way in on the plexi etc. but these guys absolutely seem to know what they are talking about. Better safe than sorry

[johnarms]

got some dairy stuff myself... some condensers work awesome for keeping my water cool! was given two of them, they are 2' by 4'