second still in progress....

[Antaean]

Hi,
I am in the design stage of my second still, which will be a pot still with a 2” column. I have a 15.5 gallon S.S. keg and will be using a propane heat source. I originally wanted to cut a hole in the top and use a S.S. bowl as the lid so I will be able to have easy access to the inside of the keg for cleaning. As I have read on this forum, it is recommended not to do this. Do I understand this to be correct? So I have been looking for a flange that will attach to a 2” column and attach to the keg flange using a tri-clamp. Can someone recommend a place I can find a tri-clamp and flange to get started?

Thank you for your time,

[Dave73]

Hillbillystills.com

[bellybuster]

fleaBay

[bm744]

Go to the reading lounge and see how to make the flange and the gasket and save some cash. If you have an industrial supplier close by you might be able to pick up a tri clamp there. Brewhaus sells clamps too.

[Usge]

brewhaus.com or mile hi distilling also sell ferrules (what you are looking for) and tri-clamps. You've got a few options. There are ferrules you solder. There's also a ferrule that screws into a copper NPT female fitting. There's also the option of making your own "ez flange" on the end of the pipe (several methods to use: nstructions in new distillers reading lounge) http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 62&t=27056

[Antaean]

Thank you for the replys, I am going to attempt to make it like Rumbull did and use #4 copper........we will see how it works out. I first have to find 2" copper pipe, around me they only sale it in 50' sections....a tad long for me

[flyingdutchman]

Dont know if this helps but around here the supply houses carry 2" DWV copper pipe alot cheaper than type L and it comes in 10' lengths. Maybe even cheapo depo if I remember right.

[NcMoonLight]

If it helps any, I posted in the resources section a ebay wholesale store thatll sell to us in 1 feet increments (meaning you have to buy 1 foot or 2 foot or 3 foot..etc you cant buy 2.5 feet) and prices are pretty good. Just figured to mention it if itll help, I know like around my area no where sold 2-3inch pipe so I found a new way of getting it.

[Antaean]

Thank you all for your posts.. around me Home Depot and Lowes do not carry anything larger then 1"... I may have found someone that can get me some scrape left over. I just need to deside on a design.....I want to keep flavor so a pot still is the way to go, as I understand it......but would like the option to use the same still and get vodka.......so as I understand it I need a column I can add "packing" to in order to make it a reflux, is this correct? Any feed back on a design that has good production yet simple to run....using a 15.5 keg as a boiler?

[Uncle Jemima]

I ended up finding a 2" OD to 1" ID reducer at a local plumbing store. Think it was about $30. Probably can find cheaper online. I then used a method from the easy flange thread that was already linked.

For me, the copper ground wire wrapped tight around the end and held in place with a hose clamp to solder was the easiest method.

I then bought a tri-clamp from milehidisteller.com. Don't waste your money on a gasket. Flour paste is easy, safe and cheap.

[Uncle Jemima]

As to the packing. I used it in the column of my first still but after reading a thread on here about it not being very efficient for dissipating heat from the column, I left it out of my second build.

The fun thing with a keg set up is that you can always design and build a reflux column later for doing your vodka with.

Or you can use some of the neutral recipes from the tried and true recipe section and make vodka with your pot still set up running multiple times to clean it up.