First Pot Still build

[Ferguson]

Well, I've never tried any kind of metal work before, so this is pretty basic. But with the help from this forum i was able to make this pot still, and I'm pretty happy about it!
It's just the basic design, i think it's called "Samohans pot still"? With a 5 gal boiler and a 24" Liebig.
I don't like the idea of any horizontal piping, and may change that in the future.
Also i got it hanging from a wire now for support, but next week I'll build a stand for it.
I paid too much for a copper flange from moonshinestillpro dot com to connect the column to the pot lid, but it's a nice piece, and i was able to get a sturdy connection with six ss screws and a cardboard/ptfe tape gasket i made.

So to start I'm running a jug of Carlo Rossi wine.
Got a steady trickle of cool distil, and no leaks, except for a little drip in my flour paste joint near the condenser
I let it gas out first for an ethanol cleanse, then turned on the liebig and collected 100ml of cloudy slightly colored distil. Smelled aweful and like solvent.
Measured at 50%. Next 100ml was clear. Smelled nice, at 43% abv.
Tasted the next 100ml fraction, 38%. Liked it enough to make myself a little cocktail with some campari and honey.
So i guess I can save it all as feints, except for the cloudy one.

I think this pot still will serve me well!
Got some molasses on deck for fermentation after i finish reading the rum thread.

[Truckinbutch]

Friend , you got it going your way on a downhill slide right up to the point of doing your cleaning runs . PLEASE STOP and do not sample another drop . Go back and reread the required reading section . Especially about safety and cleaning runs . There's probably much more you missed the first time round .
You are likely to get flamed clear off this site if you don't .

[Ferguson]

OK, I'll do that.
However i should also add that first i tested it with water to see if it was air tight.
Then i did a vinegar run. Then water again. Was gonna do the ethanol clean next, but
I wasn't sure it was really truly clean, so i disassembled it and boiled each part in a dilute vinegar water solution for an hour.
Then I rinsed off each piece, assembled it, put in the wine, sealed it up and started running it.

[Truckinbutch]

OK, I'll do that.
However i should also add that first i tested it with water to see if it was air tight.
Then i did a vinegar run. Then water again. Was gonna do the ethanol clean next, but
I wasn't sure it was really truly clean, so i disassembled it and boiled each part in a dilute vinegar water solution for an hour.
Then I rinsed off each piece, assembled it, put in the wine, sealed it up and started running it.

Close , but no cigar . Close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades . Here you are gambling your own health and the health of those who sample your product . There in no margin for error .

[Richard7]

Ferguson, I think TB is getting on to you about sampling your cleaning runs. the first alcohol that comes off should be discarded, if the still still isn't clean run it through again. But get it clean before you sample anything.

[Ferguson]

Hmmm. Thank you.
How long should the ethanol cleaning run be?
I just figured it had been running clean for long enough, and it had smelled and looked clean.
So i let it run a bit more after that and then tasted some.
Now I'm worried that i ingested something dangerous.

[googe]

Well.done.mate, good to see you've done some reading and built something decent instead of the regular pot with a tube and some sort of half assed attempt!. Your post is a lesson for other newbies, notice he didn't ask a million questions why it's not working?, because he built something tried and tested for the first still!. Ok rant over . Only thing I'd say is, you don't want even the littlest leak, lots of flammable stuff where your running it there, it's not worth loosing your house or life over some grog . Is there a reason your using flour paste?.good luck with the next run.

[Ferguson]

Thanks Googe. Flour paste is for the three seams i left un-soldered, so that i could take it apart and store it in a drawer. Now I'm thinking i should solder two of those joints and forget the drawer.

[The KYChemist]

Depending on how big the loose joints are, unions may be a good way to go.

[BIGBIRD123]

You need to make a complete "Sacrificial" ethanol run and discard the WHOLE amount of distillate from that run. In the Required Novice Reading it explains all this. Please take the time to do the necessary reading so that you will understand what we are talking about when you ask for help. Glad you chose a "Proven" still design...

BB

[Truckinbutch]

Ferguson, I think TB is getting on to you about sampling your cleaning runs. the first alcohol that comes off should be discarded, if the still still isn't clean run it through again. But get it clean before you sample anything.

Exactly my point . You did enough research to do a fine job of building a fine looking functional rig . And then you dropped your candy in the dirt by not doing your cleaning runs correctly .
I doubt you are at serious risk from one sample late in that run . I just wonder what else you failed to grasp when you missed that initial part of being safe .
No one is bashing you . You simply made a mistake and there is not a lot of margin for error in this hobby when it comes to safety .
Bigbird posted at the same time I did .

[BIGBIRD123]

I learned real quick...but brilliant minds think alike...lmao I'm only telling you this by experience because I did the same thing...

BB

[googe]

+1 on the unions, easy to solder and work great.

[yellowdog]

I like it looks like your on the right track I started with something similar and leaned from there... have fun listen to the advice and be safe...I think overall your doing good stuff

[Ferguson]

Well, for any other noobies reading this, I might as well tell ya another really embarrasingly dumb thing i did that first run.
I didnt get the condenser going right away, and for a minute there was hot ethanol vapor coming out of the final end of the still. It was just dumb luck that i didn't blow myself up.

[Chroi]

another total noob here, but you might wanna lengthen your lyne arm a bit and get the collection vessel a little further from the open flame burner. looks like youre a little cramped for space but I'm sure you could work something out.