Are small stills worth the effort?

[Deplorable]

There is no substitute for power and size. I started with a 5 gallon stockpot using Rad's apartment LM design on a 1.8 kw hot plate.

It's been 3 years since I've run that rig. I opted to move outside with a 100 kBtu/Hr propane burner next to the swimming pool.

Now with a 15 gallon keg boiler and a 23 gallon milk can thumper, I can strip 28 gallons in 2 hours after set up, with clear in the keg and slop in the thumper.

I've thought about using an oak wine barrel for a thumper / fermenter. It is possible to install manways and tri clamp fittings on oak barrels.

oakbarrel.jpg

I've been thinking of doing a left-over barrel fermenter as well!

I dont see the point in spending the money on a manway and all that for an oak barrel fermenter. Just put a sheet over it.
I think a wooden barrel would be a great open air rum fermenter.

[Yummyrum]

There is no substitute for power and size. I started with a 5 gallon stockpot using Rad's apartment LM design on a 1.8 kw hot plate.

It's been 3 years since I've run that rig. I opted to move outside with a 100 kBtu/Hr propane burner next to the swimming pool.

Now with a 15 gallon keg boiler and a 23 gallon milk can thumper, I can strip 28 gallons in 2 hours after set up, with clear in the keg and slop in the thumper.

I've thought about using an oak wine barrel for a thumper / fermenter. It is possible to install manways and tri clamp fittings on oak barrels.

oakbarrel.jpg

I've been thinking of doing a left-over barrel fermenter as well!

I dont see the point in spending the money on a manway and all that for an oak barrel fermenter. Just put a sheet over it.
I think a wooden barrel would be a great open air rum fermenter.

You’re probably right Deplorable . But I think the notion was to ferment and steam strip in the wooden barrel

Mind you , you’ve got me thinking about the Rum fermenter idea though , heck even the Scots use wooden vats for fermenters .

[Deplorable]

You're right, Yummyrum he did want to steam in it.
I'd love to ferment in one, but I'm not sure how mashing corn in one would work.
I wish molasses was as cheap and readily available here in the PNW as it is down under.

[Broken Jug]

I too started with a small boiler/still. Now I have several, four to be exact. I have copper 2.5-gallon alembic still, 3-gallon stainless boiler, a 13-gallon boiler, and a 26-gallon boiler.

I started with the copper 2.5-gallon alembic, then upgraded to the 13-gallon with a 3-gallon thumper. After a few years of using the 13-gallon, I upgraded to a 26-gallon boiler. I am so happy I did. I still use the 13-gallon boiler for some spirt runs and sometimes as a thumper for the 26. As for the 2.5-gallon, I have not used it for many years. The 3-gallon, I use maybe once a year at best when I want to make some gin.

I love the 26-gallon. With the 26-gallon, I make 45 to 50 gallon ferments (55-gallon food grade barrels), and sometimes up to 90 to 100 gallon ferments (two 55-gallon food grade barrels). With the 26-gallon boiler, I can and have stripped all 90 to 100 gallons of ferment in a long day. It generally takes me a little over two hours per strip, which is approx. the same amount of time it would take me when using the 13-gallon boiler.

So, if you have the space and the ability to go big, I say do it.

[shadylane]

Are small stills worth the effort?
Absolutely, you can learn more from multiple small runs than you can from a single big one.
1 to 3 gallon pot would be usable, easy to hide and small enough a prosecuting attorney wouldn't dare bring before a judge.
From a practical perspective a 3 to 5 gallon stove top still would be good.
I prefer something that's in the 10 to 20 gallon range to keep ahead of my kinfolks consumption.

[NZChris]

I'm fortunate enough to have a range of sizes. A strip from the largest can be spirit run in the mid-sized one. A strip from the middle one can be spirit run in the smallest. Very handy when you are offered a smallish quantity of an uncommon or expensive fruit.

Because it has a preheater, the largest can punch well above its weight and processing one large ferment on a weekend can easily produce ample bulk spirit for use in the smaller stills for a year or so.

[Stump Lake]

Because it has a preheater, the largest can punch well above its weight

What is a preheater?

How does that wouk?

[NZChris]

Because it has a preheater, the largest can punch well above its weight

What is a preheater?

How does that wouk?

viewtopic.php?t=66230

[Stump Lake]

Thanks I'm, going to read that now.

Edit:
Interesting, i can see a use for that. It's a little over my head right now. I'll have to file that under "Future Projects" along with "Steam Stripping"

Thanks

[NZChris]

BTW, I built mine when I was a newbie.

[Turbo6ta]

Are small stills worth the effort ?

I have a 5 gal pot still ... Yup, it's small but most of my friends don't drink hard liquor. The ones that do drink, it's usually just beer ... so what I make is pretty much just for me.

So, a 5 gal capacity pot certainly fills my needs.

[Stags]

I started on a 13 gallon vevor and then got a 10 gallon copper beauty. 10 gallon is a bottleneck in my operation so I’m upgrading. Live and learn, but there’s no replacement for displacement imo.

[Tammuz]

I've thought about using an oak wine barrel for a thumper / fermenter. It is possible to install manways and tri clamp fittings on oak barrels.

oakbarrel.jpg

Dude, do you have a link this?

Problem with wooden thumpers is they need to be dedicated to one spirit. They hold on to flavor. But then that too could be a good thing.

[The Booze Pipe]

There is no substitute for power and size. I started with a 5 gallon stockpot using Rad's apartment LM design on a 1.8 kw hot plate.

It's been 3 years since I've run that rig. I opted to move outside with a 100 kBtu/Hr propane burner next to the swimming pool.

Now with a 15 gallon keg boiler and a 23 gallon milk can thumper, I can strip 28 gallons in 2 hours after set up, with clear in the keg and slop in the thumper.

I've thought about using an oak wine barrel for a thumper / fermenter. It is possible to install manways and tri clamp fittings on oak barrels.

oakbarrel.jpg

I've been thinking of doing a left-over barrel fermenter as well!

I dont see the point in spending the money on a manway and all that for an oak barrel fermenter. Just put a sheet over it.
I think a wooden barrel would be a great open air rum fermenter.

What had in mind was an open top fermenter, outfitted with a large drain to accommodate bourbon mashes. no manway

[The Booze Pipe]

I'm fortunate enough to have a range of sizes. A strip from the largest can be spirit run in the mid-sized one. A strip from the middle one can be spirit run in the smallest. Very handy when you are offered a smallish quantity of an uncommon or expensive fruit.

Because it has a preheater, the largest can punch well above its weight and processing one large ferment on a weekend can easily produce ample bulk spirit for use in the smaller stills for a year or so.

Excellent point on a small boiler size! I was gifted about 8 gallons leftover wine from a bottling. If I had a similar sized still I could of had more options for it. ended up running through a column.