VM Column Build

[NZPete]

There are PTFE Envelope gaskets. PTFE on the exterior and soft EPDM on the interior. This would be far superior to PTFE wrapping the largest gasket on your still and worrying about it every time you fire up your still. Wrapping with tape is not a good long term solution for a joint you intend to be removable.

Envelope Gasket 01.jpg

This looks great, reckon I'll order one!

[CopperFiend]

I've wrapped all my silicone gaskets with PTFE tape and they've been working absolutely fine for the last 2 years with no necessity to re-wrap ever and I disassemble every one of the 6 modular parts every time I distill. I think how tight you wrap it matters, I wrapped really tight and went round twice, overlapping where I started by at least an inch when I finished. I'd definitely give it a try.

[Bushman]

I've wrapped all my silicone gaskets with PTFE tape and they've been working absolutely fine for the last 2 years with no necessity to re-wrap ever and I disassemble every one of the 6 modular parts every time I distill. I think how tight you wrap it matters, I wrapped really tight and went round twice, overlapping where I started by at least an inch when I finished. I'd definitely give it a try.

They should my smaller pots for essential oil and gin have an 8” opening at the top of the stainless steel milk can. I built a Everlasting PTFE gasket.

[jward]

You might also find some PTFE gaskets suck because they are malformed and another one works well.

[NZPete]

Got my controller finished today. Just the single thermometer gland at the vm head and I'm good to run my first wash out!

It's a still dragon kitset with a fan, a switch and a larger junction box. Nothing flash but I think it will do the job nicely

[OtisT]

+1 to the steel tipped darts. Good way to pass time in the shed when stilling.

[NZPete]

+1 to the steel tipped darts. Good way to pass time in the shed when stilling.

You're not wrong!!


I just did my sacrificial run. 9L of cask red wine and 3L of my wash, diluted in water.

I think it went really well - temperature quickly stabilized at 77.4 and slowly climbed to 78.2. I ran a few hundred mL at that temp and then closed it down. Didn't have my alcometer to test ABV as I was at work but I'll test it at home. Starting abv was about 3% though so I'm not expecting azeo.

Finally 100% ready to run some actual spirits!!! I think it's been 8 months since I started ordering bits so it's been a heck of a journey to get to this point!

I'd love to chuck a video up but file type isn't allowed - what's the protocol there?

[BrewinBrian44]

+1 to the steel tipped darts. Good way to pass time in the shed when stilling.

You're not wrong!!


I just did my sacrificial run. 9L of cask red wine and 3L of my wash, diluted in water.

I think it went really well - temperature quickly stabilized at 77.4 and slowly climbed to 78.2. I ran a few hundred mL at that temp and then closed it down. Didn't have my alcometer to test ABV as I was at work but I'll test it at home. Starting abv was about 3% though so I'm not expecting azeo.

Finally 100% ready to run some actual spirits!!! I think it's been 8 months since I started ordering bits so it's been a heck of a journey to get to this point!

I'd love to chuck a video up but file type isn't allowed - what's the protocol there?

Congrats on the successful sac run!

For videos, YouTube links seem to be the way, if you’re brave.

[kimbodious]

Got to love a modular build! Looks great and very well thought out. You should be able to reconfig for a pot still using the same components.

[NZPete]

Got to love a modular build! Looks great and very well thought out. You should be able to reconfig for a pot still using the same components.

Thanks! Yup, plan is once I actually have enough wash to strip 4x50L washes and do one spirit run.

Brought my alcometer to work, and it looks like I ended up 95% which I'm pretty happy with for a 3% starting ABV and dialling in the still!

[Salt Must Flow]

Oh no plastic Get you one of these.

I have a hard time believing that you can't get to 96%. I would try different power levels with very high reflux ratios and see if you can squeeze out 96% and see where your threshold is. I paid $29.96 for two bags of this lava rock and it's difficult for me to not get 96%. Paying that much for SPP and not getting the desired results would bother me.

[Stonecutter]

Looking good NZP! You can see the obsession is real. I missed the “bring your alcometer to work” day

[NZPete]

Oh no plastic Get you one of these.

I have a hard time believing that you can't get to 96%. I would try different power levels with very high reflux ratios and see if you can squeeze out 96% and see where your threshold is. I paid $29.96 for two bags of this lava rock and it's difficult for me to not get 96%. Paying that much for SPP and not getting the desired results would bother me.

To be fair the plastic makes it so hard to see its difficult to know exactly what it reads - definitely north of 95 though. I'm going to treat my first spirit run as a stripping run and put it all back through so hopefully I can really dial it during that!

[NZPete]

Looking good NZP! You can see the obsession is real. I missed the “bring your alcometer to work” day

Perks of being the boss

I've got the whole damn rig down at work - I figure I can do a bit of 'multi-tasking' and if I run my likker at work... the wife stays off my case i feel a few late nights at the office coming up...

[NZPete]

Just got my boiler back from the fabricator. I had a lower element port added and a couple of additoonal ferrules to the top. I didnt really 'need' these but thought while it was there i may as spend a 30 or 40 bucks more and get a couple of extras added

Got 150l to run so will start stripping that tomorrow!

Got the meter for the controller too, so that's now installed and good to[attachment=0]20220508_173529.jpg[/attachment] run

[OtisT]

Awesome boiler. It even has a little chubby.

[NZPete]

Awesome boiler. It even has a little chubby.

Yes its ended up looking somewhat different to how I envisaged it