Vevor clone: The Improvening

Simple pot still distillation and construction with or without a thumper.

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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by Yummyrum »

Top job Steve .
Those joints have a nice fillet and will be as strong as a Ox .
You’ll buckle the lid before the ferrules tear off .

Is that a buckle in your top coolant hose ? I’d sort that.
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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by Steve Broady »

Some thoughts:

Is this the best still out there? No.
Is this what I would build if I were doing it again now? Probably not.
Will it work to make decent spirits? I sure hope and expect so.
Am I proud of the work I’ve done? Yes. Justifiably, I think.

So why do all this? In part, I am learning. I’m trying to improve my skills and see where the future takes me. Every step I take, I try to move in the right direction. Even if it’s not the very best thing I can do, it’s an improvement. I’m not in a race to be the best and fastest at anything. I’m just on a path to improve myself at my own pace.

Why post all this? I know I’m not going to teach the old guys anything. Of course, a few kind words and approval from people with more experience is always a nice thing to have. But mainly, I figure that someone will come along after me with a still like mine and wonder if he can make it better. I hope that this thread serves as one example of what can be done. It’s not the very best way, perhaps, but I hope that it is seen as a reasonably good way. And if I’ve done something terrible, hopefully he’ll find this thread and learn what not to do by reading all the abuse and correction I am about to endure. Either way, hopefully I will leave something behind for the next guy to learn from.
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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by Steve Broady »

Yummyrum wrote: Wed Nov 09, 2022 11:52 am Top job Steve .
Those joints have a nice fillet and will be as strong as a Ox .
You’ll buckle the lid before the ferrules tear off .

Is that a buckle in your top coolant hose ? I’d sort that.
Thank you! I appreciate the kind words. And yes, that’s a bit of a buckle in the hose. However, it’s on the outlet side, and the water is coming in at full house pressure. I’ve found that the cheap hose I used softens nicely once it heats up, and I still get way more flow through the condenser than I need. For a spirit run, I literally cannot turn the water down low enough to get the outlet noticeably warm. For a stripping run, I can get it warm, but I’ve never needed even a fraction of the flow I have available.

Even so, at some point in the future I’ll probably replace all the hoses with something better. Just because I like making it prettier!
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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by shadylane »

squigglefunk wrote: Tue Nov 08, 2022 6:05 am
I think you're doing fine. a keg still is not for everyone, and whatever gets you into the craft and keeping at it is good.
Plus, fucking one. :lol:
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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by Bradster68 »

I started with a pressure canner a worm and a plastic pail to hold water. Still got it all and will soon be making a small gin still out-of it . Will upgrade to a liebig or dimroth. Still researching. "U Make,u modify, u learn".
That's the fun of it.🍻
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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by bcook608 »

Steve Broady wrote: Wed Nov 09, 2022 12:03 pm
Yummyrum wrote: Wed Nov 09, 2022 11:52 am Top job Steve .
Those joints have a nice fillet and will be as strong as a Ox .
You’ll buckle the lid before the ferrules tear off .

Is that a buckle in your top coolant hose ? I’d sort that.
Thank you! I appreciate the kind words. And yes, that’s a bit of a buckle in the hose. However, it’s on the outlet side, and the water is coming in at full house pressure. I’ve found that the cheap hose I used softens nicely once it heats up, and I still get way more flow through the condenser than I need. For a spirit run, I literally cannot turn the water down low enough to get the outlet noticeably warm. For a stripping run, I can get it warm, but I’ve never needed even a fraction of the flow I have available.

Even so, at some point in the future I’ll probably replace all the hoses with something better. Just because I like making it prettier!
I really like my braided stainless water supply lines. they never buckle and the heat doesn't seem to bother them at all. Couple them with some pressure washer quick connects and you're in business!
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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by Saltbush Bill »

Soldering has come along nicely. :thumbup: You can build anything now.
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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by Chauncey »

Looking good Steve. A little patience and practice and you did nice clean work.

Time to make some sauce my man!

Keep it up and pass on and pay forward the knowledge brother.
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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by Steve Broady »

Chauncey wrote: Wed Nov 09, 2022 9:33 pm Time to make some sauce my man!
Thank you, Chauncey! And yes, I've already got some apple cider waiting to go through the still. Part of why I was trying to patiently rush this job along. My problem is that I have too much time to think, and not enough time to do all the things I think about doing!
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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by Chauncey »

Say less, I have exactly that same dilemma. :D
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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by Knife_man »

I think you've done a grand job there.

I ran a similar set up with a brass 😮 fitting butt jointed to a SS lid for years with no issue.
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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by Steve Broady »

I finally got around to adding cam lock fittings and a stainless hose to the condenser. Lesson learned. Cheap stainless wrapped garden hose is a pain to work with, but it does work.

One of the things I wanted to be able to do was to easily rotate the condenser and put the still into full reflux. Whether this is useful or not may be debatable, but I wanted to be able to try it. Now, I can.
0E549546-1A39-4613-AA8E-8A5C4AD8CA41.jpeg
Plus, I just wanted to show off a picture that I’m finally proud of. It’s taken a while to get this far.
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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by Archee72 »

What did you replace the rubber seals on the camlok fittings with on the hot temperature hoses?
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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by Steve Broady »

ThomasBrewer wrote: Tue Nov 08, 2022 8:41 am
Steve Broady wrote: Thu Nov 03, 2022 3:15 pm
Image

I just grabbed the first bolt and scrap of metal that were big enough to do the job.
This joint is almost guaranteed to fail.
You were right. :oops: :cry:
The combination of the weight of the condenser and the vibrations from the heavy boil cracked the solder joint. Thankfully, since I had two ferrules, I just pulled the pot off the heat, quickly swapped everything over, and smeared the broken joint in flour paste. It’s ugly as sin, but it is letting me finish the stripping run. I’ll do a proper repair with the proper tools once everything has cooled off. Myself included.
A759927B-D6E0-4054-8F32-43DBDB2B0A42.jpeg
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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by Steve Broady »

Archee72 wrote: Mon Nov 21, 2022 1:20 pm What did you replace the rubber seals on the camlok fittings with on the hot temperature hoses?
I didn’t. They’re water cooled! 8)

I figure they can only get as hot as the cooling water, and with my setup I’m able to keep that Luke warm or cooler at all times. If I do something in the future that leads to a situation where that’s not the case, I figure I’ll cross that bridge then.

Have others had issues with the seals on these? I’ve heard good things about cam lock fittings on stills.
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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by howie »

Steve Broady wrote: Mon Nov 21, 2022 1:25 pm
Archee72 wrote: Mon Nov 21, 2022 1:20 pm What did you replace the rubber seals on the camlok fittings with on the hot temperature hoses?
I didn’t. They’re water cooled! 8)

I figure they can only get as hot as the cooling water, and with my setup I’m able to keep that Luke warm or cooler at all times. If I do something in the future that leads to a situation where that’s not the case, I figure I’ll cross that bridge then.

Have others had issues with the seals on these? I’ve heard good things about cam lock fittings on stills.
all my water hoses, condensors, recirc arm & wort coolers have camlocks, never leaked.
all have silicone gaskets as there is no contact with high abv liquid or vapour.
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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by shadylane »

Steve Broady wrote: Mon Nov 21, 2022 12:00 pm
One of the things I wanted to be able to do was to easily rotate the condenser and put the still into full reflux. Whether this is useful or not may be debatable, but I wanted to be able to try it. Now, I can.
Do it at least once.
I'd like to see a comparison of the condensers knock down power.
Straight up as a reflux condenser and at different angles as a product condenser.
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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by Steve Broady »

shadylane wrote: Tue Nov 22, 2022 12:37 am
Steve Broady wrote: Mon Nov 21, 2022 12:00 pm
One of the things I wanted to be able to do was to easily rotate the condenser and put the still into full reflux. Whether this is useful or not may be debatable, but I wanted to be able to try it. Now, I can.
Do it at least once.
I'd like to see a comparison of the condensers knock down power.
Straight up as a reflux condenser and at different angles as a product condenser.
I did it. It didn’t work as I had hoped. While I’m confident that I can knock down way more vapor than my boiler can make, the problem is that the small internal tubes filled with liquid, which then bubbles out the end. I ended up aiming it down pretty quickly. Maybe having it at a 45 degree angle might have worked, but I opted to just move into stripping.
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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by Archee72 »

Steve Broady wrote: Mon Nov 21, 2022 1:25 pm
Archee72 wrote: Mon Nov 21, 2022 1:20 pm What did you replace the rubber seals on the camlok fittings with on the hot temperature hoses?
I didn’t. They’re water cooled! 8)

I figure they can only get as hot as the cooling water, and with my setup I’m able to keep that Luke warm or cooler at all times. If I do something in the future that leads to a situation where that’s not the case, I figure I’ll cross that bridge then.

Have others had issues with the seals on these? I’ve heard good things about cam lock fittings on stills.
Never used them but have access to plenty at work and have wondered if they would work, cheers for that
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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by ThomasBrewer »

Steve Broady wrote: Mon Nov 21, 2022 1:23 pm
You were right. :oops: :cry:
The combination of the weight of the condenser and the vibrations from the heavy boil cracked the solder joint. Thankfully, since I had two ferrules, I just pulled the pot off the heat, quickly swapped everything over, and smeared the broken joint in flour paste. It’s ugly as sin, but it is letting me finish the stripping run. I’ll do a proper repair with the proper tools once everything has cooled off. Myself included.
A759927B-D6E0-4054-8F32-43DBDB2B0A42.jpeg
No worries my friend; just one of those "been there, done that" experiences. Check out the technique from the Brew Hardware video that I linked earlier. Pull the fitting through a little bit to "dimple" the sheet metal. It gives a ton more surface area for the solder to bond and the ferrule is friction-fit to the hole as well. Cheers!
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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by Steve Broady »

ThomasBrewer wrote: Sun Nov 27, 2022 11:39 am Check out the technique from the Brew Hardware video that I linked earlier.
I took your advice and bought that tool. I’ve used it for my cooler shaker condenser build, but so far the only time I’ve tried to fit a ferrule into the side of a pot resulted in tearing the metal. That’s why I used a scrap pot that I didn’t mind practicing on. I’ll dial in my technique and then attack things that I care about.
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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by Steve Broady »

Since this seems to have become an ongoing record of the updates and changes I make to this beast, it’s time for another page of the saga.
A1353049-2816-46D4-9FF9-268F40261666.jpeg
I’ve added a drain at the bottom, which is quite handy both for emptying it after a run and as a stamp when using the boiler to heat water for mashing grain. I have a crazy idea about using it as a steam inlet as well, but that will be another project.

I’ve also insulated the sides and lid with two layers of self adhesive duct insulation.it certainly seems to heat up faster now, though I did not time it before or after. While it may make no difference during distilling, I might use this as a mash tun as well. And if I do try steam stripping, I figure a little insulation can’t hurt anything.

And yes, I added a thermometer probe. It’s in a tri clamp plate, which makes it easily removable. I’ve run the still without it, and I don’t use it to make cuts. But it is a handy quick visual reference to see roughly where I am in the run, especially as it’s first heating up. I figure it’s never a bad thing to have more information, as long as you use it appropriately.

I feel like I’ve now got this thing to the point that it’s reliable, stable, and easy to run. I don’t think I would call it the best way to get here, as I’m sure I could have saved both time and money by building something from scratch. But I’ve learned a lot, and had a lot of fun, which I think counts for something in a hobby. While I would definitely not recommend the original product as purchased, it’s been an enjoyable adventure getting to this point, and I’m not afraid to show the still off here.
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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by FiveoClock »

Is the pot still in use, any leaks?
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Re: Vevor clone: The Improvening

Post by Steve Broady »

The pot is, yes. I’ve used it for boiling a whole ham recently, and for heating water for mashing. I don’t use if as a boiler any more, partly because the seal around the lid got old and needed replacing, but mostly because I’ve moved up to a half keg instead. But that said, I could certainly still use it right now if I needed to. I'd just use a little flour paste and carry on.
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