Home Distiller

Hi All, I'm New Here.

Started my first batch yesterday, a simple sugar wash very close to Wineo's.

Putting the final touches on my homemade apparatus.

I have been reading, reading, & reading everything I can find here.

Lots to learn, but I'm sure having fun!

Thanks for all the info here.


RazorbackJack

Greetings, RazorbackJack...

When you say "apparatus" does that mean you picked one of the "World Class Distillation Apparatus" designs...???

Good luck and welcome aboard...

Thanks Rad.

I am building an Offset Head Valved Reflux still.
I used a 2" copper column.
I have a bunch of SS scrubbers for packing.

I am finished with all the soldering... I think.

Now I just have to wind the cooling condenser coil.
I filled the 1/4' tubing with water and put it in the freezer.
This should keep the tubing from collapsing during the winding.

I am storing the wash in a small room where my electric hot water heater is located.
The temperature never gets too cool in there.
My sugar wash has been working for 9 days and is still bubbling.
The alcohol content is at 5% now.

I will probably get an immersion heater to speed things up next time.

I am hoping to finish with the clean-up and final assembly of the still this week.

Planning to let the wash settle and clear for a week after conversion stops.

Then the maiden run.

dam man were almost on the same track
i just built the same thing
braize'n the flange and finshing the cooling lines and i think im good
im hope'n it will get done tonite tonite tonite
i should have some pics up soon
if your able you should post some pics also
newguy to newguy this place is great
if runnin this thing is anything like building it it gonna be a good time

That is cool Billy.

I'm having a blast with this too.

I stated in my previous post that it is at 5%.
I think I may be reading my alcohol % incorrectly.
I was using a floating alcohol meter.

I am going to post in a different section for expert help

Now I just have to wind the cooling condenser coil.
I filled the 1/4' tubing with water and put it in the freezer.
This should keep the tubing from collapsing during the winding.

I suspect you are not going to be able to wind frozen water, and the water might also split the tubing as it expands during freezing.

HookLine wrote:

Now I just have to wind the cooling condenser coil.
I filled the 1/4' tubing with water and put it in the freezer.
This should keep the tubing from collapsing during the winding.

I suspect you are not going to be able to wind frozen water, and the water might also split the tubing as it expands during freezing.

Hookline,

You are correct.

I tried winding the tubing around a piece of 1/2" PVC.

It still collapsed.

Will the salt method work?

I always use salt, I find it helps a lot, just make sure you compact it by tapping the pipe. If you are still having trouble try annealing the copper again..

Definitely takes practice..

good luck!

RazorbackJack wrote: Will the salt method work?

Not sure I'd use salt myself, it's a bit soft. I use silver sand.
I've used it to wind coils in 5mm stainless steel tube with a 0.25mm wall - no problem at all.

('cept fer gettin' it out afterwards )

I've never used anything for even my 1/4" copper coils... I've had success both with and without annealing... Both salt and sugar will work, and with sugar you could drop the coil in the hot makings of a new wash where it should dissolve out as long as you've at least cleaned the copper before winding...