Brand new distiller looking for practice still. Ideas?

[João Grilo]

Hi folks!

Ideally, what I would like to buy for my training still is one of Iberian Copper’s distilling appliance stills — preferably the 2,5 liter version with thermometer and electric plate. You can see it here: https://www.copper-alembic.com/en/disti ... tric-plate" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow (currently out of stock, but I am talking “ideal”, here.)

However, my questions...

1) Will a 2.5 liter pot give me enough product to practice making cuts on? My other hobby is small scale miniatures wargaming, so I don’t mind “fiddly”, but there is a limit to everything.

2) These appliance stills use a silicone gasket to seal the lid. Does this violate the “no plastics” rule?

The other options I am looking at from Iberian Copper are this 6L appliance still (https://www.copper-alembic.com/en/disti ... tric-plate" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow) and this 2.5 liter small distilling unit (https://www.copper-alembic.com/en/small ... tric-plate" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow) with no gasket.

I have decided that the still needs three qualifications:

1) I need to be able to easily use it to flavor cachaça, so it needs space atop to stack organics and what not;

2) It needs to be heated by an electric plate. We only have gas stoves in Brazil and I have read too many horror stories to want to home distill anywhere near an open flame;

3) It needs to be small and cheap. This is a hobby thing only. At most, making booze for people for Xmas. I don’t need nor want large batches and I don’t want the still taking up a lot of room when it is not in use.

So what still should I buy? Remember that it will be difficult for me to buy anything in the U.S., so...

Thanks in advance!

[fizzix]

I'm not a still expert by any means, but didn't want to leave you hanging.
Here's what I know: You're correct, silicone gaskets are not approved because you just can't guarantee their safety and leach factor.
A small still (~6 liters or so) can make cuts very difficult. And a gin basket for your "organics" on a small still may be tough to find.

C'mon still guys, help João Grilo out.

By the way, João, stop by the Welcome Center and introduce yourself please.

[Pikey]

I'm not a still expert by any means, but didn't want to leave you hanging.
Here's what I know: You're correct, silicone gaskets are not approved because you just can't guarantee their safety and leach factor.
A small still (~6 liters or so) can make cuts very difficult. And a gin basket for your "organics" on a small still may be tough to find.

C'mon still guys, help João Grilo out.

By the way, João, stop by the Welcome Center and introduce yourself please.

looked at this post prior, but I can't really comment because to me 20 -25 litres is the minimum size to play with.

Doing a cupful at a time - just doesn't sit within my knowledge or interest - sorry !

[fizzix]

João, Pikey pretty much expressed why you're not getting answers to your question.
You say it's "just a hobby," well that's where 99% of us are and we're using larger stills.
You'll get a better product, and a larger still doesn't take up THAT much more room.
Good luck to you.

[João Grilo]

João, Pikey pretty much expressed why you're not getting answers to your question.
You say it's "just a hobby," well that's where 99% of us are and we're using larger stills.
You'll get a better product, and a larger still doesn't take up THAT much more room.
Good luck to you.

I am wondering how many of you guys are urban apartment dwellers.

Six liters looks, to me, about as high as I can go right now. And remmeber: I need a seperate heating source for this. No way am I going to try distilling on my open flame stove!

[still_stirrin]

Six liters looks, to me, about as high as I can go right now.

So, 6 liters of wash at an average of 10%ABV will produce (at best) 0.10 x 6 liters = 600 ml of (theoretically pure) alcohol, which you cannot get. And coming from a potstill, you'll be lucky to average 50% purity, which will result in approximately 600/50% = 1.2 liters. But of that, you'll discard roughly 1/2 as foreshots, heads and tails, leaving you with only 500-600 ml for a your keep.

But the real challenge for you will be to discern where (when?) to cut between heads, hearts, and tails. If you collect the distillate in jars (I recommend at least 12, preferably 18-20 jars), those will each only hold from 60 ml (if 20 jars are used) to 100 ml (if you collect into a dozen only). Remember, it is better to use more jars so you can better differentiate where (when?) to make the cut lines.

Now, if you do a 6 liter stripping run, followed by 2 more strip runs similarly sized as 6 liters, collecting the low wines at an average of 35%ABV, you'll have approximately 5.1 liters of low wines to run for the spirit run. Then, collecting into 20 jars will give you roughly 180 ml per jar with which to make your cuts. A little easier I'd suppose.

But, not much product for the effort and making good cuts is the most difficult for a novice distiller.

Now, you'd originally asked about a 2.5 liter (tabletop) still, which would exacerbate the challenge significantly more...nearly impossible to make good cuts off of that small of a still.

This is why the experience here recommends a larger boiler...not because we live in larger apartments. You've got to do what you've got to do. And possibly, home distilling may not be the best hobby for you.
ss

[bitter]

Rad apartment setup was about 5g If memory serves me correctly...

You could it you have 2 different circuits make a setup using 120v elements on 2 different circuits. This would allow you to get things to a boil. You would want on/off switch for the one and a still dragon or clone controller for the other.

If you used 5500 Watt 220v element it will give you about 1375 watts at an amazing low watt density (I would be surprised if you could scorch with this at all). 1375W X2 should get 5g to boil in a reasonable amount to time.

As mentioned above cuts will be way easier on a larger boiler. I'd go 8g and fill to 5g for runs.

Say 5g or 19l of 10% for easy math, strip that and get about 4.75l at 40%.. so do 4 striping runs then a spirit run and you will get a decent amount of whiskey .. about 6.5l of 62.5% to age. You will be able to make decent cuts on that also if you do 250ml increments for the start and end of the run.


B

[João Grilo]

Hmmm. Well, I figure on using 5l jugs of cheap wine to practice on, doing striping runs to get it up to 40%. Two of those will get me about 2.4l in four stripping runs, which would be one pot full on a bog standard heating plate. That should get me about 700-800ml of product:a bottle’s worth. Cuts would be fiddly at around 60ml per.

Another option would be to get a 10l still with a parrot. However, that would cost quite a bit and it would be very big for apartment use.

[Oldvine Zin]

Hmmm. Well, I figure on using 5l jugs of cheap wine to practice on, doing striping runs to get it up to 40%. Two of those will get me about 2.4l in four stripping runs, which would be one pot full on a bog standard heating plate. That should get me about 700-800ml of product:a bottle’s worth. Cuts would be fiddly at around 60ml per.

Another option would be to get a 10l still with a parrot. However, that would cost quite a bit and it would be very big for apartment use.

Trying not to sound like a total Ass but.... please spend a little more time reading here - crankys spoon feeding maybe

OVZ

[Copperhead road]

Read read read till ya eyes bleed!

[Pikey]

I am wondering how many of you guys are urban apartment dwellers.

Look at it this way, - If you were a fitness freak, what size of running machine would you buy ?

My first still was a 25 litre tea urn (electric) with some adaptions. I used it indoors for many runs, either in the kitchen or the bathroom.

With a vertical column and a Dimroth condenser, it's footpring was small, and it could be put away in a broom cupboard. The fermenters took up more space, as does "Storage of ageing product."

I hate to mention it, but there is a tiny little pot-still called an "Air still" which you could use, but I'd not use it as per the instructions which it comes with. I have tasted "Product" from one of these and I know the owner is pleased with it, but the best I can really do is to be "Polite" to his face !

However, it is cheap and it is small.

[6 Row Joe]

Welcome. I see your are from Brazil and may not want to deal with a International order but I have a Mighty Mini from Mile High. It is a 3 gallon stainless pot/column still that works well. I pack the column with a roll of copper mesh (included with the kit) and it has a 2000 watt/110volt electric element. I originally controlled the element with a homemade pid controller but since then I tried a 1400 watt hot water heater element and a variable controller for power woodworking tools. I will say it works well. Out of a 3 gallon run I get at least a quart of 150 proof hearts. That dilutes to a half gallon of some smooth 75 proof drink. I have not used the refux condenser in the column yet but have just used it as a pot still. I am happy with the 3 gallon capacity as it works well with the 5 gallon mash pails I use for fermenting. You can also bag your organics and lower them into the column with a string as needed. I have some Juniper berries and would like to try some Gin one of these days. Hey, ave fun and let us know what you decide.

Here's a link to the Mini: https://milehidistilling.com/product/3- ... ose-tower/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[underdog]

Hi!

You're in Brasil! Perhaps things are different where you live, but in Volta Redonda, there are a half-dozen fabrication places within a few km of our place. One of them specializes in SS work. Compared to the US, it's much, much less expensive to have something made. Labor rates are much lower in Brasil, and the way the economy is right now, it's likely that no one's turning away small jobs.

Instead of buying something from here and paying duty and international shipping, why don't you see if you can have what you want fabricated locally? You might have to order the electronics, heater element, tri-clamps and flanges, but everything else should be available. You can design something modular that you could break down and store easily. We live in a townhouse, not an apartment, but we don't have room to store anything, either. Our home in Brasil was built without closets... WTF? Fortunately, we spend most of our time in our US home, and that's where we do our stilling.

20 liters is about the minimum boiler size that I would consider to make something drinkable. Keep in mind that no one ever thought that their boiler was too large.

That being said, there's a 10 liter stovetop one on Mercado Livre right now for R$1499 https://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/MLB ... ilados-_JM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow That's just a little over $400 US. It doesn't look like it would take up too much space, and it's pretty....

In any event, boa sorte. Ate lago.

[Antler24]

Like everyone else said go as big ass possible. I'd go minimum 5g. Don't be afraid of using your gas fired stove, it'll be much much easier to control than a hot plate. Most people here are using propane.