Home Distiller

What would be a safe material I could use to seal around the pipe, where the pipe meets the boiler if welding/sodering is not an option. Ive heard aquarium grade silicone..would that be strong enough?
thanks alex

Flour paste is the only safe sealant and is easier to use than some folks make it out to be...

To date, we haven't found any synthetic sealant, aside from some PTFE/Teflon materials, that are safe with high temperature high %ABV alcohol vapor... But we're still looking...

Ok, what are the names/brands of the PTFE/Teflon sealants youve found? This is to attach the pipe to the boiler I am still building it. So I am looking for something that will hold it in place as well.

Some folks use Teflon tape... You need to verify the MSDS of any synthetic... When in doubt, don't use it... People have been making stills without for centuries... I don't use them, I just check or double-check MSDS and find more that don't qualify than those that do...

We don't tend to use a sealers to "hold things in place" (if your looking for something to secure as well as seal), as that leads to temptation to use things like epoxies etc. Have a look through the site, but several *mechanical* methods are used to join pipes together and pipes to lids; flanges of various types, (such as tri-clover, bolted, rjt), threaded fittings such as nipples and sockets, and plain plumbing socket join types, all of which provide mechanical strength but can be safely sealed (and resealed!) with teflon tape or gaskets, or flour plaste. All of these are dismountable, even if semi permanent, but may involve soldering (lead free only), silver soldering or welding in place except for some types of screw fittinngs that use "olives" to grip the tube.

It's worth having a good look around to gather as many ideas as possible, and see what is easily available in your neighbourhood.
Welcome and enjoy the hobby!

Flour paste is safe and easy

blanik

My vote is still flour and water. You could use other things but there doesnt seem to a balance point between high temp/concentrate alcohol and food safety. I can find hose that will transport high temp alcohol, but the taste would be utterly ungodly. As near as I can tell, all distilleries use metal pipes to transport.

There are food grade seals designed to handle heat and pressure. I have seen some in pressure cookers, but they are NOT designed to handle high strength hot alcohol.

If you want to seal it without odd aftertastes, the possibility of it leaching chemicals, and just plain peace of mind....then a flour and water base is the way to go.

I seal mine with wide pasta noodles soaked in water. Works like a charm....but thats because I only have to seal my pot lid...

being lazy helps too..

BUT! If you want to continue the search, by all means do. You might find something that others missed. Just be extra cautious and willing to trash a short run if it leeches.

<drift>
ScottishBoy, have you found the MSDS for those noodles yet...???
I just couldn't help myself...
</drift>

if there isn't, someone should write one!

Go for it, azeo.

blanik

The Barilla Pasta company assures me that it is safe for human consumption and poses no perceptible health risks when exposed to high concentrations of alcohol. They say nearly half of all pasta consumption is accompanied by low level consumption of 3-18% ABV. There are potential miscibility issues if the alcohol content approaches a certain level, but it seems to be rare.

I have been using it for a while and I have not perceived nothing unusual...except for my third leg and my unusual cravings for grappa...

looks like there's good content for noodle msds already blanik, scottishboy seems to have researched well

thought... perhaps flour paste is not quite so safe as it might be accompanied sometimes by higher level consumption of 40-60% abv

keep safe all

ScottishBoy wrote: ... I have been using it for a while and I have not perceived nothing unusual...except for my third leg and my unusual cravings for grappa...

Sounds like our town water, SB. Fortunately we use rain water collected in our - dare I admit it - galvanised tanks.

blanik

There has to be a joke about Vodka Sauce in here somewhere....

What about cutting a gasket out of a sheet of cork?

Yungin wrote:What about cutting a gasket out of a sheet of cork?

I searched in vain for sheet cork that was pure cork. Everything I found was made of cork crumbs held together with some unidentifiable glue. Most of what I found was a cork/rubber mix, definitely a bad idea.

Braz

Sheets of 100% pure cork can be bought from musical instrument repair supply stores.

They are used in repairin' and restorin' valved brass and woodwind instruments.

Thanks braz now that I think of it the cork that I found is the same thing.

Also thanks the holy mackerel I'll try checkin for a store here on town.

I find the flour/water seal to be messy to apply and become brittle. I use paper painters' masking tape to make seals around socket joints that have be taken apart again after each still run. But still looking for something better. Perhaps the pasta seal is an idea. How long do I have to cook the pasta strip?

On another strand, we got into this similar discussion. I have a coupling from MileHi that I use on my keg with a tri-clamp. I have been using the o-ring that comes with it. It was suggested that I use a teflon o-ring. Not sure where to purchase it. Do you think the noodle concept in the groove for the o-ring would work?

Bushman wrote:On another strand, we got into this similar discussion. I have a coupling from MileHi that I use on my keg with a tri-clamp. I have been using the o-ring that comes with it. It was suggested that I use a teflon o-ring. Not sure where to purchase it. Do you think the noodle concept in the groove for the o-ring would work?

I bought a teflon o-ring, from the milking-machine supplies and repair person in town. (He had to order it specially.)
Was I think a four-inch and cost $23 but the girl said she had charged it out at trade price and there was nothing I could do without getting her into trouble so I left the boss a bottle of limoncello.

Which he has yet to thank me for. Grump, grump......

WeeStiller wrote:I find the flour/water seal to be messy to apply and become brittle. I use paper painters' masking tape to make seals around socket joints that have be taken apart again after each still run. But still looking for something better. Perhaps the pasta seal is an idea. How long do I have to cook the pasta strip?

weestiller, please tell me your painters tape is not being used where vapor contact is possible. seeing painters tape i have to ask. cob

The Baker wrote:

Bushman wrote:On another strand, we got into this similar discussion. I have a coupling from MileHi that I use on my keg with a tri-clamp. I have been using the o-ring that comes with it. It was suggested that I use a teflon o-ring. Not sure where to purchase it. Do you think the noodle concept in the groove for the o-ring would work?

I bought a teflon o-ring, from the milking-machine supplies and repair person in town. (He had to order it specially.)
Was I think a four-inch and cost $23 but the girl said she had charged it out at trade price and there was nothing I could do without getting her into trouble so I left the boss a bottle of limoncello.

Which he has yet to thank me for. Grump, grump......

4" teflon sanitery fitting gasket $3.90, 2" is $2.00 from these guys. http://www.hosexpress.com/sanitary/gaskets.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

every teflon o-ring made from these guys. http://www.oringswest.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

cob

Thanks, cob.

sigh.

cob wrote:
weestiller, please tell me your painters tape is not being used where vapor contact is possible. seeing painters tape i have to ask.

cob

No vapor contact as far as I can judge; tape stays bone dry, as far as can see. Tubes are in socks, fitting quite tight, and there is very little pressure in my still and pipes. Perhaps it's a good idea if I wrap some teflon tape around the joint first, then the painters tape to keep the teflon tape in place.

+1 cob

I'm all about this pasta gasket!! I'm going to have to consult my daughter, though, she's not only a pasta expert but an alchol expert as well. She generally uses both at the same time.

Big R

Probably not much of a use to anyone but I have made a small cork washer out of a champagne cork. Most of them are made from little bits stuck together but the bottom section normally has two layers of pure cork. This gave me a decent sized washer 2.8mm diam. and up to 4mm thick.

BanjoTed

This is where I buy my gaskets.

I've tried Teflon Viton and Silicone.

http://www.brewerygaskets.com/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

blanikdog wrote:Fortunately we use rain water collected in our - dare I admit it - galvanised tanks.

There is nothing wrong with galvanized unless it comes to contact with hot, acidic food (or drink, for that matter).

I see an interesting pattern. From various responses I gather that quite a few of you live in rural areas. No wonder you can afford the space for keg stills and gallons of hooch. In my typical English shoebox-size house with a typical English matchbox-size garage, I can hardly find enough room for a pressure cooker.

+1 Taf.

I have no basement, no loft, no garage, no workshop, no shed, and the cupboard under the stairs is already full of bottles of booze.

I have no choice but to drink it to make room for what I am about to brew and distil.