Home Distiller

After a few weeks of reading here, there and everywhere I am starting my first build. Since I am shooting for vodka and gin I decided on a 2" gas fired Bokakob. I ordered a Bayou burner and a 44 quart SS stockpot from Amazon and have been haunting the plumbing aisles of the local hardware stores.

If you'd like to follow along on this build and offer any tips along the way I'd welcome that.

The first thing I did was make a parrot. I know, it is about the last thing I need to make but I figured it would be a good way to brush up my soldering skills. It is just a piece of 1' tubing with an end cap on the bottom and a reducer on top. The input cup is a 2" end cap drilled for 1/4" (ID) tubing. The base is a piece of hard maple drilled to accept the bottom cap.


Then I went shopping for 2" pipe. The first thing I learned from the local plumbing supplier was that, "copper has really shot up in price" as he quoted me $165 for a ten foot piece (the shortest they'd sell). So I went to Lowe's big box store and they had it priced at $175. Yikes! Honey Bunny is never going to allow this. Just out of curiosity I checked the Menard's store (another big box hardware) and they had the same type M for $79.95. So I snagged it before they realized their mistake. Felt a little like a thief as I left the store with it.

I'm planning a productive afternoon out in the shop and I'll post my progress later. Wish me luck.

Braz

If you are shooting for great neutral spirits you might also want to consider a VM column design. There is nothing wrong with building a Bok, the VM design really makes great spirits and is super easy to run.

x7

xx7777xx wrote:If you are shooting for great neutral spirits you might also want to consider a VM column design. There is nothing wrong with building a Bok, the VM design really makes great spirits and is super easy to run.

x7

With 10 feet he'll have about enough for both a Bokakob and a VM column... He won't be stopping at a single still... The addiction is already taking hold...

Well, I had decided on a Bok some time ago since the plans were so available and it has a good reputation, especially for novices. I'm thinking some sort of VM will come later down the road after I learn more.

Had a good afternoon in the shop, except I got so involved in sawing 'n soldering I forgot to take as many pictures as I should have. Here's the condenser head with the plates inside, takeoff tube and thermometer port. The postman delivered the thermometer while I was working so I stuck it in the port just 'cause it looks so cool. I'll cut the takeoff tube later when I get the valve and build a small liebig condenser for the outflow.


Then I turned to the task of drilling a hole in my boiler lid. This scared me a little because the SS is pretty hard and I really don't have the right carbide or diamond hole saw. I rummaged around in my hole saw box and found an old one, the right size and gave it a try. Kept is slow with lots of easing the bit in and out of the hole using WD40 in place of cutting oil. The low smoke point on that stuff will tell you when you are getting too hot for sure. Here's the setup.


Then I did the same thing to a 2" copper end cap and drilled a bunch of screw holes around the perimeter of the cap. I cut a gasket from some sheet cork gasket material and screwed the cap to the lid with SS #6 machine screws and nuts.


Then I just had to shine it up a little, take it into the house and show Honey Bunny my handiwork.


That's it for now. Next up will be winding the condenser coil.

Braz

Looks verry nice! Tater

I assume you got the 10' stick of copper?

At the local 'Ace Hardware' store, they sell 2" copper, by the foot. A little more expensive, but, you only buy what you need. -hey-

heynonny wrote:I assume you got the 10' stick of copper?

Yep, I bought the whole thing. I figure it won't spoil and I'll probably find a use for it someday.

Braz

As you probibly figured out after you drilled your lid there is no need for special tools for drilling or holesawing stainless unless its thick or one of the harder grades like Inocol. I work with it everyday and if you keep the rpms low and use a cutting oil then you will be fine, especially with a drill press.

Well, it has been a while. Life keeps getting in the way of fun. Time to try to wind a coil. I made several starts using a spring sleeve and it was hopeless. I'd either wrap and trap the spring around the pipe mandrel or I'd flatten and kink the tube. So I decided to fill the tube with salt. But how to do that?

Honey-Bunny actually suggested the solution, "solder a short piece of tubing into that cap there and make it into a funnel," she said. "Brilliant," I said!


I hung the tubing from the back porch railing so gravity would be on my side.


And poured away.


Then it was on to the winding jig - just a piece of 1/2" black iron pipe that was part of a woodworking pipe clamp. Here we go!


Making the turn and heading back to the top. As I got to a wire tie I cut it off. I didn't use a guide for the gaps between coils, I just eyeballed it as I went.


And here is the almost finished product.


But, I have a problem. I shook as much salt out of it as I could get - which wasn't much - and then threw it into a bucket of water so the salt would dissolve. Three days later it was still plugged up tight. So I boiled it for about four hours, which made no difference at all.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to get this thing unplugged?

Braz

You might try hose clamping a length of hose to one end and letting pressure AND water work on it. Do it outside..

Boil it...

Very nice wind, and tutorial.

Well, I boiled my plugged up coil for about six hours and it just laughed at my efforts. So I started trying to think of a way I could connect it to a faucet in order to put pressure and water on it. I rummaged through all my stuff (I never throw away anything) but couldn't come up with a way to hook to a water source and then reduce the size to fit the coil.

Then I remembered I have an air compressor. I took the tip off my blowgun and could "screw" a piece of 1/4" ID plastic hose into the end of it. I attached the other end to the coil, filled the tube with water and dialed up the pressure to 90 psi. That would push water through the coil at about one drop every 30 seconds. Here's the setup.


Every hour or so I'd have to take the hose off the blowgun and refill it with water. When nightfall came I just left it sit under pressure and went to bed. This morning it was still plugged so I added more water a couple times. Then as I walked into the shop this afternoon I heard the compressor running and heard air hissing out of the open coil port. Success!!

At that point I light up the propane torch and burned away the cardboard spacer between the inner and outer coils and it is now sitting in the dishwasher awaiting final cleanup.

Braz
(Snowed in)

Great work man! That coil winding demo was great. Pictures really are worth 1000 words. Let us know how it the run goes!

First let me mention that winter sucks.

Now that that is out of the way, Wednesday I was snowed in and couldn't get to work so I spent some time in the shop making a little Lebig condenser for my product takeoff tube. I had considered using end caps with holes drilled for the takeoff tube but while I was prowling the plumbing aisle I noticed these things called "bullets." They are sections of copper tube open at one end and closed at the other in a bullet shape. They are used to stub out plumbing lines or for air chambers. I picked up two 8" long ones and a coupling.

I had a long shank drill bit so I ran that in through the open end and it self centered in the point of the bullet so I could drill a pilot hole. Then I used a 3/8" bit to enlarge the hole to the needed size. The long bit made it easy but I could have done the same thing by grinding or filing off the point to get a starting hole.

I then sweated the two bullets together with the coupling. After that I drilled two holes for the water tube fittings, ran the takeoff tube through the outer tube and stuck two short pieces of tube in the water holes. I soldered the takeoff tube and the water tubes in and then attached fittings for the coolant hoses.

I kind of like the way it looks without end caps.


Braz

Nice clean job. I like. I have seen these as well and wondered what I could use them for (aside from their intended purpose). I wonder how many of us wander through the hardware isles going Hmmmmm......

Nice job, Braz...

nice job on it. i got a question im about to coil and make my condenser too, is that 1/4 tubing? also how much room is in the 2" after you put the condenser in ?

jackson98 wrote:nice job on it. i got a question im about to coil and make my condenser too, is that 1/4 tubing? also how much room is in the 2" after you put the condenser in ?

Thanks.

The coil is 1/4" OD tubing. There is about 1/8" clearance all the way around inside the 2" pipe.

Braz

Nice Build Braz.... Nice and shinny....mmmmmmmm

S

vicrider wrote:Nice clean job. I like. I have seen these as well and wondered what I could use them for (aside from their intended purpose). I wonder how many of us wander through the hardware isles going Hmmmmm......

Im sure I have no idea what you mean...

Nice. I really like the bullets. They could be used for cold fingers very easily...hmmmmmm.

SB

How many feet is that? I tried to use 1/4 ID stuff and it failed. NICE JOB. After one attempt I realize how hard this is.

Braz wrote:Well, it has been a while. Life keeps getting in the way of fun. Time to try to wind a coil. I made several starts using a spring sleeve and it was hopeless. I'd either wrap and trap the spring around the pipe mandrel or I'd flatten and kink the tube. So I decided to fill the tube with salt. But how to do that?

Honey-Bunny actually suggested the solution, "solder a short piece of tubing into that cap there and make it into a funnel," she said. "Brilliant," I said!


I hung the tubing from the back porch railing so gravity would be on my side.


And poured away.


Then it was on to the winding jig - just a piece of 1/2" black iron pipe that was part of a woodworking pipe clamp. Here we go!


Making the turn and heading back to the top. As I got to a wire tie I cut it off. I didn't use a guide for the gaps between coils, I just eyeballed it as I went.


And here is the almost finished product.


But, I have a problem. I shook as much salt out of it as I could get - which wasn't much - and then threw it into a bucket of water so the salt would dissolve. Three days later it was still plugged up tight. So I boiled it for about four hours, which made no difference at all.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to get this thing unplugged?

Braz

yamastill wrote:How many feet is that? I tried to use 1/4 ID stuff and it failed. NICE JOB. After one attempt I realize how hard this is.

Quite honestly, I don't remember. It was whatever came in the coiled up package at the hardware store - 25 feet? Maybe?

Did mine last night,, had to do the salt trick,, now to get it out and will work on that today. I ended up using about 12 Ft. for an 8" double helex. Ended up getting a bit tipsy by the time I finished and and ended up making Maple syrup until midnight,,

Braz wrote:

yamastill wrote:How many feet is that? I tried to use 1/4 ID stuff and it failed. NICE JOB. After one attempt I realize how hard this is.

Quite honestly, I don't remember. It was whatever came in the coiled up package at the hardware store - 25 feet? Maybe?

How do I add a picture on here?

yamastill wrote:Did mine last night,, had to do the salt trick,, now to get it out and will work on that today. I ended up using about 12 Ft. for an 8" double helex. Ended up getting a bit tipsy by the time I finished and and ended up making Maple syrup until midnight,,

Braz wrote:

yamastill wrote:How many feet is that? I tried to use 1/4 ID stuff and it failed. NICE JOB. After one attempt I realize how hard this is.

Quite honestly, I don't remember. It was whatever came in the coiled up package at the hardware store - 25 feet? Maybe?

Ok here it is. Fits kind of tight in the 2" pipe though. Does it have to be loose? UGH, tried to post a picture said it has to be under 500 KiB.. WTF

Thank you for the pictures! I've been reading articles all day (snowed in so there isn't much else to do, but mainly because I am a newbie and am going to build my first still shortly) I stumbled across this! I was researching how to wind up the copper coil for my condenser and this is by far the best information (and pictures) that I have come across all day! When I finish mine, ill throw up some photos as well.

Well, I tried to wind one up, and.... FAIL! GAH! No one will ever know how difficult winding a copper coil is until they try it, thats for dam sure.

I believe my failure was due to the fact that I used Sugar in stead of salt. So for any newbie out there who wants to use Sugar, DO NOT USE SUGAR!

Sugar will actually crumble and crush as you begin to wind the copper thus kinking and flattening the tube...no good.

I will be using SALT next time, maybe even SAND! Yea, probably sand...And hopefully the results will be pic posting worthy!

McIndy

McIndy just to remind you sometimes the salt needs to be soaked to get it out so you might want to rethink the sand idea as it doesnt melt in water. i know im pointing to the obvious but every one ive heard that someone put salt in the salt wouldnt just pour out. hate to see you go through all that trouble and then the coil be clogged with sand.

I've been thinking, couldn't you just fill up your tubing with water, plug the ends, and stick it in the freezer? Then when frozen pull it out and wind? If all goes as planned, it should just melt out and you wouldn't have to worry about clogs....


McIndy