Not really new here but back after about 6 or 7 years

[Ramble]

I was here a while ago, excited about the hobby like everybody else just starting out. I put together a 2 inch boka column on a milk can from ebay and have been using that almost the while time. It kept me in whiskey and rum unless my boys visited and cleaned out my stash. Anyway, I made some new beer making friends and they are interested in starting with distilling.
They asked me to suggest a complete system they could buy to get started and I got busy reading and boning up on what was avalable. It didn't take long to realize what a POS I was working with. My beer can rocked on the crawfish burner and had to be propped up to make the column vertical.
My friends decided to order a pot still from the Hillbilly people, ( not sure if I should say who on here) and I upgraded my equipment with a 3 inch dual column with a 13 gallon boiler from another place. I tried to get off cheap and went with the chinese, stainless version. It looked good and works well but the Dephlag is just a 3 inch pipe with a water jacket around it.
It still works if i don't push it too hard but I was disappointed. It does put out faster than my 2 inch unit and my wife seems okay with my hobby now which is a big change.
She went so far as to dump two cases of UJSM and a half dozen bottles of spiced rum down the sink one day after I told her I would get my still out of the garage and didn't do it.
Anyway, it's good to be back. I'm already looking to upgrade my equipment again with a more efficient unit. It's just money, I spend almost that much taking the family out to eat.

[Bushman]

Welcome back, if you know your old handle let us know as we only allow one user log on per member. If you can't remember your handle but had an old email address PM me and I can look it up for you. Thanks.

PS: If you want to post pictures of your set up in the column build section members may have suggestions on how you can make your still more efficient.

[Ramble]

Thanks Bushman. I think my old user name was shelbyclay and the email might have been shelbyclay@gmail but I had no luck trying to log on with everything I could think of. I will repost like you suggested. Seems I have issues with the gaskets.