What still to built or buy?

[darren66]

Au$1700 on eBay, located in bayswater Vic, postage might be a killer if you can't pick it up.

[Saltbush Bill]

I can run it for neutral spirit and also take out a bubble plate or two and run it as a pot for rum etc. anyone had any experience with this still or brand etc

A whole heap of people lately seem to be getting the idea that Plated Columns are good for neutral.......this is far from the truth , they are made to carry flavour , not remove it.
Where is this myth coming from ?, one of those crappy Youtube channels? or from some of the completely misinformed facebook groups ?
This sort of thing is why we keep getting people buying the completely wrong still for the wrong job.
Letting this BS go on just makes more work for the experienced members who have to then answer the " why wont it work " questions.

[PoolGuy]

Looks like ~US$1200 (eBay).

+1 on the packed column for neutral spirits. You my want/need a good long column extension (also packed) for good neutral. Put it between the two bottom and two top window sections. Leave a little gap in packing top and bottom to observe reflux through the top and bottom window. I learned the hard way too!

I will bet the 65L "volume" is measured with the kettle and head space FULL. Actual charge might be more like 55-60L. Just guessing.

I purchased a 2" 30L Chinese still similar to yours last fall. Build quality was, in general, good. After LOTS of mods, learning, practice and fussing, it is making great neutral (novice speaking here). Also easy to turn into a pot still for stripping, flavored spirits, etc. Very flexible.

[darren66]

Thanks for your clarification, bear with me as this is all new to me and this will be my first still, my only other experience is with a mates t500.

I haven't bought it yet but I'm going to go check out the build quality tomorrow as the eBay seller actually has a physical home brew shop.

50l in the boiler will be enough as I use 25l beer fermenters.

I saw a few YouTube videos ( one was from someone on the forums blacklist before I found this forum ) talking about running this type of still.

They talked about about bubble plates stripping flavour if you have enough of them or in the case of only 4 or so if you run enough water through the top condenser to create more reflux which will slow the output but strip more flavour, is this correct?

So my understanding is this will be good for rum/scotch etc at a higher output rate and if I slow it down enough with more reflux and maybe pack the column I should get a reasonable neutral spirit.

Worst case scenario if it's to hard to do a good neutral spirit is to keep using the t500

Anyway thanks Saltbush Bill and Poolguy, you have helped me out a lot.

I will update you on the build quality tomorrow.

Cheers

[PoolGuy]

Just bite the bullet and pick up a 24" or 36" column extension (and clamp) (and packing) if you decide to buy this still. Also get a 10mm (I think) flowmeter/valve to accurately set and MEASURE your RC rate. Use it in series (after) the supplied needle valve. Haggy has a great calculator for all the various settings that will help get you off the runway quickly. I am sure he would be happy to share.

My main focus has been perfecting neutral. Comments above are geared towards that end.

[Tummydoc]

Four plates will be useful for whiskey, but pool guy is right that you won’t get a neutral with plates, more reflux will change the fluid bed height on the plates, even flood them but won’t improve separation. Get a couple of 2ft stainless tri clamp pipes from AliExpress, pack them with copper scrubbers and you can replace the plates with a packed column for neutral. Going to add another $100-150 to your cost, but then you’ll have all the arrows in your quiver!!

[MooseMan]

Au$1700 on eBay, located in bayswater Vic, postage might be a killer if you can't pick it up.

Oh, I'm not interested in buying one of those!

The reason I asked is to get a benchmark.
You could build a still on top of a keg, or a milk can, or even just a ready made boiler if you have to, for less than a quarter of that.

All you need to do right now is, take your foot off the pedal and slow down man, spend some time here reading and learning about what still equipment you need to make what product.

All the time you're doing that, find a keg, then get a welder to put an appropriate fitting into the side of it to take an element.

By the time that's done you'll probably have a better understanding of what a pot still looks like, and what a reflux still looks like.
Then it's time to spend some money wisely.

[Twisted Brick]

I can run it for neutral spirit and also take out a bubble plate or two and run it as a pot for rum etc. anyone had any experience with this still or brand etc

A whole heap of people lately seem to be getting the idea that Plated Columns are good for neutral.......this is far from the truth , they are made to carry flavour , not remove it.
Where is this myth coming from ?, one of those crappy Youtube channels? or from some of the completely misinformed facebook groups ?
This sort of thing is why we keep getting people buying the completely wrong still for the wrong job.
Letting this BS go on just makes more work for the experienced members who have to then answer the " why wont it work " questions.

+1

This ‘seller's myth’ has been persistent over the years and like Moose advises, it is the unknowing buyer who really needs to do his homework first.

One can put together a 3" modular pot/packed reflux kit for significantly less than the cost of retail (EBay AU $1799).

[darren66]

Hi guys, thanks for your input.

As I gain skill rum will be the priority and maybe a bit of gin for the other half.

Another dumb question - the boiler is 3.5kw and this is a 4" still, is that enough power? It's also available in 3" with the same boiler.

Also a bit more backgroud, I gave up smoking after 40 years 4 months ago and according to my app it's $5k I haven't spent on cigarettes ( Australia, land of the taxed !! ) so saving a few hundred on the still isn't a priority as long as I get the right thing.

[acfixer69]

$5K in 4 months that's $5000/120 days = $41.67 per day. Best you did quit. 3.5kw will run a 4" with a longer heat up time.

[OtisT]

Hi guys, thanks for your input.
Another dumb question - the boiler is 3.5kw and this is a 4" still, is that enough power? It's also available in 3" with the same boiler.

Is this a plated or packed column? I don’t think 3.5kw would be enough power for a 4” packed column. Best to go with 3” if you are planning to run a packed column.

[Yummyrum]

Hi guys, thanks for your input.
Another dumb question - the boiler is 3.5kw and this is a 4" still, is that enough power? It's also available in 3" with the same boiler.

Is this a plated or packed column? I don’t think 3.5kw would be enough power for a 4” packed column. Best to go with 3” if you are planning to run a packed column.

I’d agree with Otis . 3.5kw is not enough to run a 4” packed and even if you removed the plates and packed it, it’s nowhere tall enough .

3.5kw will be more than enough to run a 4” with plates though .

3.5kw would also be just enough to run a dedicated 3” packed column for neutral. But iff’n your mrs doesn’t drink much , the odd run on a 2”packed reflux still will probably be sufficient .

Keep plates for Rum . I never git anything even close to Nuetral from a plated still . Use a dedicated reflux still fir nuetrals

[Salt Must Flow]

I agree, 3500W is enough to operate a 3" packed column, but 3500W would be relatively slow for stripping runs.

[Saltbush Bill]

3.5kw will be more than enough to run a 4” with plates though .

100% correct ...piss it in !

[darren66]

Thanks people,

I bit the bullet and bought it, the build quality is very good, the welds are nice, polished well and it's all heavier than I thought it would be.

I also bought an extra 500mm column extension, screen and clamp which I'll pack with copper pipe bits I have laying around and give it a go, it cost the equivalent of 2 packs of cigarettes here so it's worth a punt.

It's main function will be rum so no worries with the neutral then, if it doesn't work I'll keep using the t500.

When I get it up and running I'll post a pic in the relevant section.

It will be a few weeks though as me and the still are currently at the son's place in Melbourne which is 3000km from home in North Queensland.

Thanks again for all of your help and input.

Cheers