Just started running

[smartypants]

Hi everyone. I have been reading about distillation for a couple years and just got to actually trying it. I am a bit obsessed with knowing how all things food and drink are made, as well as learning to make them myself. Its just so satisfying. I have used things from around the house to save money and learn the concept, but will need to rebuild with safer materials for a drinkable product. I will not get into details here because people will probably just yell at me I was just in a hurry to experiment. I did a ferment with a small batch of birdwatchers (two five gallon buckets with a few inches of head space) and it went very well. I stripped the wash in a few batches using a small basic pot still, then combined the results and ran again and have about a gallon of 150 proof that actually smells decent and is crystal clear. Pretty pleased so far and excited to keep learning and improving.

[srs787]

Welcome smartypants. Good to have you aboard. You understand about safety that is foremost. Most newbies are in a hurry to get a drink, so take it slow keep reading, alot of good info on this site. Good luck.

[InglisHill]

Gidday samrty, welcome to the site

[HDNB]

CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ARE NOT GIVING US ANY DETAILS!!!!!



welcome, hope you have some fun!

[smartypants]

OK ok.... Lol. Thanks guys. All I have so far is an old canner with a copper tube attached to the top. I used an ice maker supply line kit with a lead free brass valve and just tapped a hole in the lid that it would thread into ( wrapped a little Teflon tape), and plugged all the other holes with SS screws. The same tube is run over to the side and coiled into a 5 gallon bucket full of water with a hole near the bottom. The tube comes out for collection through a rubber grommet. Extremely simple, but I need a new pot because I think the canner is aluminum and I need to get some water flow in the condenser bucket since it warms up to fast. I have not tried to incorporate any thermometer yet. Just ran the wash into numbered pints and tried to pay attention to smell and ABV to get a feel for it. I was really surprised how well it ran for a first try.

[T-Pee]

Cripes. You were doing well until you ratted yourself out.

tp

[Red Rim]

Oh hell, that is exactly the way I started. Now it is time to move forward and get a beer keg so you don't make poisoned alcohol. Btw , don't worry about the thermometer, you don't need it on a pot still, I found that out the hard way too.

[InglisHill]

Or, you could smash the face of it with a hammer and leave it on. It would be just as useful.

Some guys like them, more power to them I say

[superdaveva]

Run a bolt through the hole in your canner and use it for just that. Do some reading, aluminum no no, rubber seal no no. If you want a thermo put one on your new pot. 5 gal. To start with. Use what you made to start your charcoal. Good luck

[HDNB]

Cripes. You were doing well until you ratted yourself out.

tp

a run or two in aluminum probably won't kill you, but make sure you don't leave that valve closed, cause the explosion might. you don't need a valve on a pot anymore than you need a thermometer...even less.

you know what you gotta do...go do it! now that you know you can do it, sip that 150 slow til you get your build done! then make some good stuff.

[rad14701]

Rubber grommet...??? Synthetic pressure cooker seal...??? Aluminum boiler...??? You're joking, right...???

Time to do what we consider mandatory research here in these forums and the parent site... We want you to be both safe and successful... You're not there yet... You can, and should, do better...

Good luck, stay safe, and enjoy the journey...

[IdahoStiller]

Sheesh......give the guy a break. He built a small pot still with what he had to get a feel for things. He already knows aluminum is not the way to go. And the rubber grommet is on the bottom of his cooling bucket so the water doesn't end up all over the kitchen floor not in the vapor path. Yes the pressure cooker seal is not good unless it is wrapped in teflon tape, he never said either way, and neither is the refrigerator line IF its 1/4 inch tubing. If the guy wants to have a shot or two of his first drop that is his business. Now if he said he had a big party with all his friends and they all got shit faced it would be time for some schoolin'. Otherwise it is clear he is using his head and ready to move forward with a much nicer, and safer still.
Welcome to the forum and keep us updated on your new build.

[rad14701]

Sheesh......give the guy a break. He built a small pot still with what he had to get a feel for things. He already knows aluminum is not the way to go. And the rubber grommet is on the bottom of his cooling bucket so the water doesn't end up all over the kitchen floor not in the vapor path. Yes the pressure cooker seal is not good unless it is wrapped in teflon tape, he never said either way, and neither is the refrigerator line IF its 1/4 inch tubing. If the guy wants to have a shot or two of his first drop that is his business. Now if he said he had a big party with all his friends and they all got shit faced it would be time for some schoolin'. Otherwise it is clear he is using his head and ready to move forward with a much nicer, and safer still.
Welcome to the forum and keep us updated on your new build.

Since when do the rules specify that it's alright to potentially poison yourself if you're just starting out and not sure what you're doing...??? They don't and you shouldn't be suggesting to anyone that it is alright... Have you done enough research yourself to be making such an assumption, or merely voicing your personal opinion...??? Perhaps we should just let people do whatever the hell they damned well please and give the government even more reason to keep this hobby illegal...!!!

[Od1tspyd3r]

Hi everyone. I have been reading about distillation for a couple years and just got to actually trying it. I am a bit obsessed with knowing how all things food and drink are made, as well as learning to make them myself. Its just so satisfying. I have used things from around the house to save money and learn the concept, but will need to rebuild with safer materials for a drinkable product. I will not get into details here because people will probably just yell at me I was just in a hurry to experiment. I did a ferment with a small batch of birdwatchers (two five gallon buckets with a few inches of head space) and it went very well. I stripped the wash in a few batches using a small basic pot still, then combined the results and ran again and have about a gallon of 150 proof that actually smells decent and is crystal clear. Pretty pleased so far and excited to keep learning and improving.

I think everyone one is missing his OP he didnt want to tell anyone because of this and then he was aked for it, and now everyone is doing what he thought.
I say staysafe and dont drink your expirment. Rebuild using correct materials and prove your theory. OH yea welcome aboard.;!

[IdahoStiller]

The tube comes out for collection through a rubber grommet.

Rubber grommet...???

Yea. WTF is wrong with that?????

Synthetic pressure cooker seal...???

The OP never said what the seal was made of did he? Sounds like you are making "assumptions" ......bro

Since when do the rules specify that it's alright to potentially poison yourself if you're just starting out and not sure what you're doing...??? They don't and you shouldn't be suggesting to anyone that it is alright...

OK Rad. Attack my knowledge. Typical response from a person that spouts off half cocked and gets called out for it. Change the subject.

Now if he said he had a big party with all his friends and they all got shit faced it would be time for some schoolin'.

I never suggested it was. And ethanol is a poison Einstein. We make poison and if you drink enough of it, it will kill you. Synthetic rubber in your drop is poison too and the same rules apply. Drink enough of it and it can harm you. How many PPM of that is in a shot or two? You have no idea do you? Maybe none. Maybe, just maybe, you should ask about the gasket before YOU make assumptions?

I am "voicing my opinion" based on the information in the OP and applying common sense. You should try it.

Perhaps we should just let people do whatever the hell they damned well please and give the government even more reason to keep this hobby illegal...!!!

Where the hell did that come from? Who suggested that?

he didnt want to tell anyone because of this and then he was aked for it, and now everyone is doing what he thought.

BINGO! And why would he think that? Because he has seen it a hundred times while doing his "research" on this site. And more often that not who is doing the flaming? You guessed it, Rad. In fact he seems to be the biggest "flamer" on the whole forum.

Rad , I have seen you mention before that you are on several forums. You spend alot of time here so I "assume" that several forums must take up most of your time. You should get out more often, have your ass kicked a few times when you mouth off to someone's face, rather than doing it from your mommy's basement. Maybe then you will learn the meaning of the word "tact".

And since you are soooooooooo into the rules around here why dont' you try following this one. It is from this site.

2. Be polite and courteous. Remember that nobody is perfect and nobody knows everything. We've all got our strengths and limitations which is why we share information with each other in the first place. Remember that we're all different and nothing is going to change that fact.

Time for a beer. This should be good.

[rad14701]

I see that your time here will be short with an attitude like yours, IdahoStiller... Perhaps "you" should learn when to keep quiet... I am far more qualified to have an opinion around here than you are... If you've done as much research as you'd like people to think, you'd know that... You should refrain from giving advise until you are fully capable... And, trust me, I know the rules...

[IdahoStiller]

I will be the first to admit that you know more about this craft than I. Now will you admit that you are an ass most of the time?
And i notice that you don't refute anything in my previous post, just make more assumptions and accusations. Typical for the "intelligently cahllenged".
I should keep quiet? OOOOOOOOOOO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Are you gonna get me?
You constantly read through posts too fast, miss half the info, and then say something stupid. You have pulled that crap on me before here http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 7#p7211517
Did the pretty picture make you forget what your read? And when I point it out to you, you say my words were "ambiguous". Funny BearRiver didn't an attitude like that. He was what is referred to in rule #2 as "polite and courteous".

[rad14701]

I smell a troll...

[IdahoStiller]

More name calling and no fact based argument against my comments.
Not a troll. Just sick and tired of you being an ass all the time. You chase off 10% of the new members (at least) around here because you can't control yourself. Which should be obvious to you based upon the OP reluctance to describe his rig! We are supposed to be helping them be safe and make a good drop by sharing experiences, ideas, facts, and opinions but that is damn hard to do when they leave here and go to youtube because no one is giving them shit over there. Just because you are an experienced distiller doesn't give you the right to be an arrogant prick. Try acting like just another member instead of the HD ruler and you would actually be sharing your knowledge with more people. That is what you want to do right? Or is being a big boy on this forum your whole life?

[rad14701]

Or is being a big boy on this forum your whole life?

No, but keeping people safe is very important to me... You, on the other hand, are just trolling...

[T-Pee]

Typical for the "intelligently cahllenged".

QFTR. I love it when this happens.

tp

[InglisHill]

So have we decided if coffee filters and felt are safe yet? Considering safety is the most important thing.

I would like your opinion on this Rad, as you are the most qualified to answer it.

[HDNB]

geez, why do i feel like i need to say sorry?

oh ya, i forgot! I am Canadian!

ok everyone back to their corners. and when the bell rings...

the whisky you were nuke aging is done!

[rad14701]

So have we decided if coffee filters and felt are safe yet? Considering safety is the most important thing.

I would like your opinion on this Rad, as you are the most qualified to answer it.

Room temperature spirits should be fine with coffee filters... I don't use them because the spirits flow through too slowly for my liking... Well, I do sometimes use them to cover my jars during airing...

Real felt is safe because it's just animal hair... Fake felt is often made from synthetics which makes it inappropriate for our use...

[InglisHill]

Hey thanks for that Rad.

Do you have proof that these materials are safe?

[Od1tspyd3r]

HIJACK can we get back to the OP, or gonna keep bitching about everyones attitude, forums are take it or leave it.

[HDNB]

i was laughing so hard my ass fell off. i was recapping this for the wife...when she finished laffing her ass off she said:

and i quote:

"so it's not just women"

moose, your wife will love this!

[InglisHill]

Yes sorry for the hijack OP.

Could you answer the question here http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 89&t=49875 please Rad

[T-Pee]

Coffey filters are fine, I'm not sure what you mean by felt?

Coffee Filter thread: http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 89&t=49875

tp

[IdahoStiller]

Rockchucker,

Post by rockchucker22 » Sun Jul 13, 2014 3:34 pm

Rules we live by!!!!
IdahoStiller-

2. Be polite and courteous. Remember that nobody is perfect and nobody knows everything. We've all got our strengths and limitations which is why we share information with each other in the first place. Remember that we're all different and nothing is going to change that fact.


8. These forums take a very strong negative view on the usage of plastics and synthetics in distilling. It simply is not safe to use in any area of hobby distilling (however HPDE buckets are acceptable for fermentation.) There simply are too many types of plastics and lack of reliable information about plastics, for us to reliably advocate their use anywhere in the distillation apparatus. Also, from past posting history, this topic seems to quickly boil down into an almost religious flame war. Thus we simply will not put up with it, and posts about any form of plastic use will be edited, deleted or locked. There is a forum for proven info for or against any material (material/safety.)


Where did the OP say that he is using synthetic materials? The rubber grommet seals the worm to the bucket, no worries there, and we still don't know what the pressure cooker gasket is made from. Is it rubber? Probably. Did he wrap it with teflon tape? Maybe it is cork? Or cardboard? Probably not but we don't KNOW. Did he say he was going to make a new rig so his product would be safe? Yes.

And then there is this:
by HDNB » Sun Jul 13, 2014 5:57 am

T-Pee wrote:
Cripes. You were doing well until you ratted yourself out.

tp



a run or two in aluminum probably won't kill you, but make sure you don't leave that valve closed, cause the explosion might. you don't need a valve on a pot anymore than you need a thermometer...even less.

A run or two in aluminum??? OMG! Lets flame HDNB and ask him how dare he suggest this guy poison himself with aluminum. Maybe someone should question his knowledge of this craft and whether he should be giving anyone advice as I was.
Just so I get this right a little aluminum is ok but a little rubber and it is time to rip someone an new one.

Ridiculous.