Building my first copper still

[estkjt1119]

Hello Everyone.....

I currently have a 5gal SS pot, but as my interest for this hobbie and skill have somewhat increased I am looking to build my first sizable copper still. I have a couple of questions to cover here. First, what type of copper do I need to be looking for? There are obviously TONS of options out there and I have no clue where to begin. Second, what percentage in size does my thumper need to be in comparison to my pot? Any help here would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to criticize because obviously I don't have the answer lol. Thanks in advance!

[S-Cackalacky]

I don't know. If I wanted to build a copper still, I think first thing I would do is some research. This forum is almost 10 years old with 25,000 registered members and hundreds of thousands of posts. I'm sure there must be something in here somewhere about building a still using copper.

[ShineRunnah]

I made my own 23gallon copper pot still and twin 7 gallon thumpers.

First, you need some 20 ounce sheet copper. You can get by with 16oz, but its thin for my liking. My pot is 24oz, but its bigger than most and I wanted something that will outlast me, and I go overboard with most everything I build.

Second, you need a really good torch, I like the Bernzomatic BZ8250HT, as it has a hose connecting it to the bottle so its easier to maneuver. I also have a few others, but one good torch will work. MAPP is good, but propane will do if its all ya got.

Third, good water soluble flux and lead-free solder. I'll look in my shop tomorrow to see what I used, but you can probably find suitable supplies at most home centers.

Fourth, you need a design. I've been a fabricator for years, so I figured out how big I wanted it and kinda went at it. I've seen templates and such for sale, may be worth looking into. If not, some math and geometry will get ya there.

Fifth, good tin snips, pliers, clamps, etc, etc. You don't wanna be fighting with dull snips of wishing you had more clamps, or.... Be prepared!

Lastly, think about what would make it better BEFORE you cut a damn thing! This isn't something you want to look back on and say "I wish I woulda done it this way". Look at lots of pictures, take notes, and make sure you're good with what you decide on before you just go at it. Copper is expensive and you do not want to do it twice!

I wish I made my thumpers bigger. At least half the boiler size. They work well enough, but I'd personally like em just a bit bigger. You don't need two either. I just had extra copper and went for it.

I'll help ya any way I can, just ask. One thing I wont do, is take pics of it. Sorry, but I have my reasons. But anything else, I'm happy to help all I can!

[moosemilk]

Made mine from 16oz and it's solid. It's only 12 gallons but does me just fine. I ferment 15 gallons at a time and split into two runs.

If I was to do it again, I'd go a bit heavier for the bottom of the boiler even though had no problems. And as SR mentioned, a little thicker if going bigger would probably be wise. Take a look at pintoshines templates for an idea or to use.

Edit*
Just to add a few pointers. A good set of aviation snips for cutting straight, right, and left really make it easier. And also, do a mock up with stiff construction paper first. Better off spending five bucks and screwing up than a $200 plus sheet of copper. Plus the construction paper is your template after. Just arrange on your sheet, tape it down well, and off ya go from there

[superdaveva]

clawhamer sells pre cut kits, just a thought

[corene1]

The larger the boiler the heavier the material needs to be. Like shinerunnah, I like to over build for longevity. Mine is 24 ounce wall with 20 ounce top and 48 ounce bottom . I use propane to run it. Making a thumper at least 1/2 the size of the pot or bigger adds versatility to the set up. I use Harris Staybrite 8 solder and harris liquid flux it makes a very strong joint. I always use some other type of connection to increase strength in the soldered connections, either copper rivets or a flatlock seam. Sheet copper here is right at $8.00 dollars a pound to make sure everything is how you want it before you cut anything !

[Halfbaked]

Absolutely Beautiful Cronene. I wish you had done all the documentation with pics all along. That would make an inspriational build thread in itself.

[Bushman]

Agree with halfbaked the info in the one paragraph should be helpful to others that want to follow your design. A tutorial documenting the process from design drawings/layout, to prototype, to finished product would be fantastic in our construction section.

[estkjt1119]

Thank you to everyone for the advice. I think this is more than enough to get me cooking. And to corene1, that is an absolutely beautiful pot! I agree with the others on the idea that you should have done a tutorial of something that gorgeous! Any ideas on a new mash I should try? I have my sweet mash and sour mash corn recipes pretty down pat. Now I'm looking for something that will be a nice smooth drink but a little more of a challenge.

[moosemilk]

Damn, Corene! Gurl got skillz! I think i just fell in love (with your boiler, no worries lol).

[corene1]

Absolutely Beautiful Cronene. I wish you had done all the documentation with pics all along. That would make an inspriational build thread in itself.

I did. It was a boiler I built for a friend of mine a few months ago.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 16&t=46393

[estkjt1119]

Corene how do you solder your seams for the bottom and top of your pot? Slip fit? I would assume everything else is folded with a flat seam lock.

[corene1]

On that particular still the top and bottom are slip fit with 1/2 inch of material inside the shell. The shell is formed and TIG welded at the seam although a flat lock seam would work well. In the building post I mentioned that I will use some sort of mechanical fasteners on the top and bottom seam next time just for strength. The material was supplied by the person I was building it for. It was 16 ounce copper although adequate for the job it is quite delicate to work with and when heated to soldering temperatures wants to move around a bit. If I were to build that boiler again I would fab the shell then slip fit the top and rivet it. On the bottom I would also slip fit it but would turn the bottom so the flange was facing down so I could put rivets in it then solder the whole unit. That would also make a downward turned lip that would help control the heat from the burner from running up the side of the boiler.

[estkjt1119]

So maybe turn a 1/2in flange down on the bottom but put it say 3/4 to 1in inside the shell or just place it flush? Also what type of rivets would you recommend or does it matter?

[corene1]

Personally , I would just keep it flush and use pure copper rivets. Then flow the solder through the seam and around the rivets. That should be strong and give a good seal.

[estkjt1119]

Thank you so much again. I'm gonna have to get past Christmas before I can start my build but I think I'm gonna mock one out of poster board or something first to get my angles right then use those as templates on my copper. I will post pictures as I go when I start though

[myles]

I am a fan of riveted then soldered copper seams.

One thing to mention is if you are going to jacket or insulate your boiler. Both can substantially increase the rigidity of the boiler so the inner section could possibly be a bit lighter.

If you are prepared to add in some extra seams these can also make it much stronger. And off course your intended heat source might mean that you need a thicker base for heat distrbution to avoid hot spots.

[Cav Scout]

Clawhammer Supply has some how to videos posted on their web page. They start off with safety topics, tools needed, then take you through the process of putting together one of their pre-made kits. Gives you a good idea of how to do a copper still.

[Cav Scout]

Corene's is better than Clawhammer's, you can tell as soon as you open the thread she listed. But the videos they share online should be helpful.

[corene1]

Clawhammer Supply has some how to videos posted on their web page. They start off with safety topics, tools needed, then take you through the process of putting together one of their pre-made kits. Gives you a good idea of how to do a copper still.

Those videos are a great help, I think it is one of the first ones I watched when I decided to build my still. I had worked with a lot of different types of metals but not very much copper . I learned a bunch from them.