My 7 gallon copper pot

[mtnshiner85]

Heres my 7 gallon copper pot getting heated up on my new furnace. It started off as one of those walnut creek stills i found used i buit a more traditinal cap and fixed the thumper it was messed up and would puke the rod was to high and curved horizontal toward the bottom? Its fixed now with 3/4 and runs good.

[beelah]

Looks nice...how do you find running with wood? Have you tried anything else , like propane?

[mtnshiner85]

I use propane when its nasty out, i heat my shop with wood so i got plenty, wood is defently harder to regulate you gotta stay at it and know when to add or scoot some back. Not many people can say theyve had rye or corn likker made over wood nowadays, i mostly do it just because i like doing stuff the old way.

[620rossco]

Thats a nice looking pot there sir.
I would love to try running with wood like that.
G'day fron the East Coast Australia.

[Soggy Bottom Boy]

.....wood is defently harder to regulate you gotta stay at it and know when to add or scoot some back.....

Being computer savvy definitely helps with maintaining the proper amount of heat when distilling with a wood fired rig, as you will be more experienced at logging on and logging off!!!

[condo33]

That's a beautiful set up. I would be proud.

[Barney Fife]

Sweeeeet!

[HolyBear]

Very nice!!! Could you please explain that shroud half barrel over yer burn box? Is it just ambient heat from the burn box that heats the boiler? Or do direct flames come in contact with the boiler? Cain't see under there from the pic...

[Pyewacket]

Being computer savvy definitely helps with maintaining the proper amount of heat when distilling with a wood fired rig, as you will be more experienced at logging on and logging off!!!

More corn in this than UJSSM...and yet it made me laugh LOL

Wicked set-up. Love it!

[mtnshiner85]

The fire is just in the 5 gallon bucket, my boiler is sitting on a concrete block in that half barrel, about half my boiler u cant see. it pulls the flame back real good, and is just heating the sides of the boiler. I gotta make that bucket longer though i had my fire pulled way back last nite after i got a coal pile. u want to keep a good fire and flame so it draws but scoot it back to adjust your speed

[mtnshiner85]

I hear ya pyewacket when im the woods and see a good dead dried out locust tree standing i think thats some good still'n wood and drag it out with my ole tractor.

[watermelon]

nice setup, what length/diameter is you condensor? do you have a constant flow of cool water?

have you ever had any of you washes burn or stick?

how does the head attach to your boiler, it looks very clean!

[mtnshiner85]

15 ft 3/8 i.d. cooled by mtn spring water gravity fed
People over worry about scorching with wood just feel and listen how your still heats up and learn it. I ferment on grain, and siphon my mash i dont let em clear i just strain with cheesecloth and heat slow, they dont stick or burn.
The cap fits down in the lower collar i seal it with flour paste as well as all slip joint connections.
Thanks

[Jason-v]

Thats a nice looking setup!

[Hirsh]

I am trying to build something similar to this. Nice design . Did you make thumper

[greasydog26]

Very clean looking still! I like that you do things the traditional way. Can you tell a difference in taste from the wood (I heard there was some, but kind of sceptical)? Also, what size copper pipe is going into and out of your thumper?

[NcHooch]

Oh Man, that's some kinda purdy MS.
I love it!

[southern traditions]

Nice looking Pot you got there Mtn, reminds me of a couple I saw on the other side of the ridge from you when I lived in Tn.Nothing like doing things the old way..


Martin

[TheSticky1970]

A thing of beauty. I love to see traditional methods being used. Its kind of a lost art that you guys are helping keep alive. I would love to have a copper still laying around. I live in town though and it may raise a few eyebrows. Although....i'm sure that my neighbor the police officer would be over for pint.

[heartcut]

Very nice setup.

[mtnshiner85]

Its 3/4 running into the thumper and now has 3/4 coming out seems to run better and smoother i think. Im not really experienced enough in makeing a consistent product to call the wood vs gas thing, but i prefer the wood to make a run on wood u gotta tend to your still and really pay attention to how your running no set it and forget it.

[buckwild1]

try using just the coals from a fire rather than the flame from the wood. Should be more consistent heating. It will still need to be raked forward and back to get the heat you need.

[Uncle Jemima]

try using just the coals from a fire rather than the flame from the wood. Should be more consistent heating. It will still need to be raked forward and back to get the heat you need.

That's how a lot of people maintain consistent temps with their stick burner barbecue pits. I tend to add sticks and adjust my air intake and chimney but having a separate fire and shoveling in coals helps prevent spikes in temp.

[mtnshiner85]

Ive never tried with just coals before, i think it might be better suited for heating from the bottom though, i notice with the draw through furnace it takes some flame to pull the heat back toward the stack. Once you get a good coal bed though it takes very little fire to keep it goin and your fire is pulled way way back from the boiler.

[rad14701]

Having the fire away from the boiler and then moving banked coals closer to, under, or away from the boiler allows for much more precise temperature control... I used to run my larger boilers (cough - larger than hobby scale and no longer in existence) over a trench with the boiler close to one end, banked coals in the middle, and open flame fire at the other end... Sometimes the open fire was above ground rather then in the trench and coals were moved to the bank as needed...

[HolyBear]

Rad! Not you! Of all people, not you
... well, I guess we've all done things we're not so proud of. I guess the important thing is to learn from our mistakes and try to do right.

[Stainless]

Hi HolyBear, maybe 'STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS' expired.
Cheers all
Stainless

[moered]

I know you've already answered this one, but I'm still not totally clear, does the still come in direct contact form the fire in the furnace?