New guy wants feedback please

[TJStillers]

Hi Guys
I built this pot still head today. It is going to be used on the 50L keg that i have for my reflux.
It is all 316 S.S. The coloum is 18" tall 2" then 90deg bend to tapered section down to 1" X 15"long then 1" 90deg bend into a liebig 30" long made with 1/2" tube center and 1" outer case.
Do you think it will work as is?
Any feedback would be great.
Cheers

[absinthe]

nice smooth lines shes very pretty..

you should get a good product but it would be better with some copper in the system (maybe add some copper mesh, or a copper condenser?) and i would change or add to the water inlet and outlet some snap lock hose fittings (i just changed mine and i cant believe i didn't early SOOOOO much better)

part from that i love the shape

[southpaw]

reminds me of a harley davidson

[Hack]

Looks very nice and should work fine. I also agree that you might want to consider putting some copper in the vapor path. It will help pull any sulphur out of the vapor and makes for smoother tasting hooch. Maybe try a copper scrubber or two stuffed in the column. Try it with and without to see what the difference is.

[TJStillers]

Hi Guys
Thanks for the feedback.
I use stainless only because that is what i have easy access to and am used to working with it.
I made a copper coil today and fitted it into the colum, it is only there to add copper into the vapour path not for cooling so hope it works.
I am not sure when it's first run will be but am thinking of trying some apple cider base wine to make a brandy. I work at a cidery so getting some should not be a problem and i think it is about 12%.
I will try the snap lock conections for the cooling line, sounds like a great idea
After years of welding all sorts of metals i only discovered today that you can T.I.G weld stainless to copper so i think i will try to build another still head using
a combanation of the two.
Cheers TJ

[goose eye]

12 % x .56 is 6.72 pa

so im tole

[TJStillers]

hi Guys
I distilled some water through it today and seemed to work ok. It was doing around 2-3 drops per second (total 1 litre) and the cooling must be working as the water coming out was only just warm and that was with very little cooling water running.
So do you think it is ready for it's first proper run

[olddog]

Do cleaning runs before running keepable spirits

[Hack]

Do cleaning runs before running keepable spirits

As long as you've got no leaks, make a cheap sugar wash and run it through as a cleaning run. Make sure you toss it after you run it though.

[hamish]

nice,im also newbie looking at building with ss,had no idei u could tig copper to stainless,might have to give it a go because brazing copper to ss sucks

[The Baker]

If you had a lightweight sheet of copper you should be able to cut it so that you can form it into a cylinder (no need to join the edges, they can overlap a bit) and slip it inside the first part of your 'pipework'. It'll give you the contact with copper you want, and when you finish a run you can just slide it out for cleaning.
Job looks nice.