What still to built or buy?

[BarnOwl]

Would this still be good for distilling whisky? Notice something negative with/missing from It?

https://www.alambiccorame.it/product.ph ... 3+lt~.html

It looks like a pot still enough to my uncultured eyes, even if It doesn't explicitly say so.
Aldo I would heat It with the burner I use for brewing

[MooseMan]

Would this still be good for distilling whisky? Notice something negative with/missing from It?

https://www.alambiccorame.it/product.ph ... 3+lt~.html

It looks like a pot still enough to my uncultured eyes, even if It doesn't explicitly say so.
Aldo I would heat It with the burner I use for brewing

For a considerable amount less money BarnOwl, you could get a keg, slap a 2" riser on it, an elbow and a Liebig, and be a very happy and better off whisky maker.

[BarnOwl]

Would this still be good for distilling whisky? Notice something negative with/missing from It?

https://www.alambiccorame.it/product.ph ... 3+lt~.html

It looks like a pot still enough to my uncultured eyes, even if It doesn't explicitly say so.
Aldo I would heat It with the burner I use for brewing

For a considerable amount less money BarnOwl, you could get a keg, slap a 2" riser on it, an elbow and a Liebig, and be a very happy and better off whisky maker.

I expected as much but I don't seem to find risers and elbows. I'll keep looking, but also I have to admit I don't really feel like soldering stuff, I'd be more happy to know that my system has been built by someone with some expertise, unlike me.
But in any case, this one would work, wouldn't It?

[MooseMan]

You would honestly be safer making whisky with what I suggested, than buying a China still.
They absolutely do not have the expertise you think they do!

Ok, so let's assume you are able to get a keg and get the spear out.

All you then need is a 2" SS spool, 2x matching elbows and if you really can't face soldering 2 joints, buy an inefficient stainless Liebig.
All this clamps together with Tri clamps and PTFE gaskets.
It's adult Lego

[BarnOwl]

You would honestly be safer making whisky with what I suggested, than buying a China still.
They absolutely do not have the expertise you think they do!

Ok, so let's assume you are able to get a keg and get the spear out.

All you then need is a 2" SS spool, 2x matching elbows and if you really can't face soldering 2 joints, buy an inefficient stainless Liebig.
All this clamps together with Tri clamps and PTFE gaskets.
It's adult Lego

Never in my Life I thougth Chinese products were expertly crafted, in fact I assumed these were made in Italy. But considering how globalization works, I'll email and ask...

[Tōtōchtin]

Save yourself some grief and buy the parts to make one. You do all the prep work and then pay someone to solder it. My copper in just my condenser weighs more then that whole still. Build yourself something you can pass down rather then something that ends up in the dumpster or worse just sitting there gathering dust.
T.

[Twisted Brick]

BarnOwl,

Kudos for asking about a proposed still before you bought it. Too many members have done this the other way around and have regrettably had to upgrade later based on their newly acquired knowledge level.

All too often new folks ask if a still will produce a given product (ie: whiskey vs neutral) not knowing to ask out production limits. Yes, the alembic you listed will work for whiskey (and rum), but the attached condenser makes it terribly slow and will make for some long run times. The lyne arm will also pose some limits on speed as well as quality.

Are you here in the states? Quite few members have acquired a used keg ($50-100) and assembled a pot still (with 2" riser and still head) like the above posts recommend. A still of this design will function much more effectively and ensure much quicker run times and very high spirit quality.

Here is an example of this kind of pot design that other members have gone with.

TB

[greggn]

Would this still be good for distilling whisky? Notice something negative with/missing from It?

Most people get alembics to supplement a larger still, typically to make gin from neutrals coming from that larger rig. Starting small while trying to make whiskey will only lead to frustration.

[Yummyrum]

If you must buy , in the end it will serve you best to use tri-clamp fittings on all pieces you get .

While I prefer a copperstill head like twisted linked to ,a stainless setup like Kimbodious uses can be a great way to get into tue hobby and can be built upon as needs change .
viewtopic.php?p=7583376#p7583376

[BarnOwl]

BarnOwl,

Kudos for asking about a proposed still before you bought it. Too many members have done this the other way around and have regrettably had to upgrade later based on their newly acquired knowledge level.

All too often new folks ask if a still will produce a given product (ie: whiskey vs neutral) not knowing to ask out production limits. Yes, the alembic you listed will work for whiskey (and rum), but the attached condenser makes it terribly slow and will make for some long run times. The lyne arm will also pose some limits on speed as well as quality.

Are you here in the states? Quite few members have acquired a used keg ($50-100) and assembled a pot still (with 2" riser and still head) like the above posts recommend. A still of this design will function much more effectively and ensure much quicker run times and very high spirit quality.

Here is an example of this kind of pot design that other members have gone with.

TB

Not in the States, here (Italy) I can easily find kegs but the only risers, heads, elbows etc. I found were on AliExpress, at like 100€ each.

[BarnOwl]

P.S., if 23 L Is too small, how much should the keg capacity be? I read that, generale, 20~ish L of 10% abv wash should give about 2,5 L of 40% alcohol (once diluted), that seems fine to me.

[greggn]

here (Italy) I can easily find kegs but the only risers, heads, elbows etc. I found were on AliExpress, at like 100€ each.

Have you tried ...

https://www.stilldragon.eu/en/

[NormandieStill]

I bought all my triclamp parts from two or three sellers on Aliexpress (delivered to France). I'll message you the sellers I've used. If you can build your own condenser then make the rest out of triclamp parts then you get the performance of a copper condenser with the adaptability of the triclamp parts.

[BarnOwl]

P.S., if 23 L Is too small, how much should the keg capacity be? I read that, generale, 20~ish L of 10% abv wash should give about 2,5 L of 40% alcohol (once diluted), that seems fine to me.

Can you clarufy this please? I'm trying ti understand if I really need a big keg.

[Yummyrum]

P.S., if 23 L Is too small, how much should the keg capacity be? I read that, generale, 20~ish L of 10% abv wash should give about 2,5 L of 40% alcohol (once diluted), that seems fine to me.

Can you clarufy this please? I'm trying ti understand if I really need a big keg.

If you don’t drink much then 20litre boiler may just serve you fine .

From personal experience , I started off with a 5 litre boiler . I very quickly got over that and bought a 25litre one. .After a few years , I switched to a 50litre keg with gas under it .
A few more years later and that become an 80litre keg .

Many will tell of a similar tale . Folk here will question your reason to buy a smaller boiler as we have nearly all regretted our original choices .

[Dancing4dan]

If you don’t drink much then 20litre boiler may just serve you fine .

From personal experience , I started off with a 5 litre boiler . I very quickly got over that and bought a 25litre one. .After a few years , I switched to a 50litre keg with gas under it .
A few more years later and that become an 80litre keg .

I am not sure if I drink more because I make more…. Or if I make more because I drink more.

[BarnOwl]

P.S., if 23 L Is too small, how much should the keg capacity be? I read that, generale, 20~ish L of 10% abv wash should give about 2,5 L of 40% alcohol (once diluted), that seems fine to me.

Can you clarufy this please? I'm trying ti understand if I really need a big keg.

If you don’t drink much then 20litre boiler may just serve you fine .

From personal experience , I started off with a 5 litre boiler . I very quickly got over that and bought a 25litre one. .After a few years , I switched to a 50litre keg with gas under it .
A few more years later and that become an 80litre keg .

Many will tell of a similar tale . Folk here will question your reason to buy a smaller boiler as we have nearly all regretted our original choices .

Is It "just" a matter of quantity? Some posts I found while researching talked about bad quality due to difficult cuts, and/or longer runs in small stills

[Yummyrum]

Is It "just" a matter of quantity? Some posts I found while researching talked about bad quality due to difficult cuts, and/or longer runs in small stills

The smaller you go , or for that matter , the larger you go , everything must be scaled ….. except time and number of cuts jars .

If you have read about poor quality and cuts difficulty , it is usually because the user did not scale down the power and the size of their cuts jars .

You hear of collecting spirit so it looks like a thin pencil lead stream . That is typical for say a 10 gal of charge . And it will take around 6 hours to fill about 20 jars .

If you are running a 5 gal charge , you need to turn the power down by half , otherwise you are running that smaller charge too hard and it will smear . It will now be a very thin pencil lead

It will still take around 6 hours to do the run .( because you are running half the charge at half the power) .
You must still collect in about 20 jars , but this time , you only half fill each one . You will still have 20 different samples with which to make your cuts . ( if you fully filled 10jars , you would find cuts hard as nit enough choices )

The thing is you have worked for the same amount of time as if you ran a10gal charge , but you get half as much product .

So sure you can definitely make quality spirit at a small scale , but you will end up with less for the same amount of time . This is usually why folk scale up . More product for the same time .

[BarnOwl]

Is It "just" a matter of quantity? Some posts I found while researching talked about bad quality due to difficult cuts, and/or longer runs in small stills

The smaller you go , or for that matter , the larger you go , everything must be scaled ….. except time and number of cuts jars .

If you have read about poor quality and cuts difficulty , it is usually because the user did not scale down the power and the size of their cuts jars .

You hear of collecting spirit so it looks like a thin pencil lead stream . That is typical for say a 10 gal of charge . And it will take around 6 hours to fill about 20 jars .

If you are running a 5 gal charge , you need to turn the power down by half , otherwise you are running that smaller charge too hard and it will smear . It will now be a very thin pencil lead

It will still take around 6 hours to do the run .( because you are running half the charge at half the power) .
You must still collect in about 20 jars , but this time , you only half fill each one . You will still have 20 different samples with which to make your cuts . ( if you fully filled 10jars , you would find cuts hard as nit enough choices )

The thing is you have worked for the same amount of time as if you ran a10gal charge , but you get half as much product .

So sure you can definitely make quality spirit at a small scale , but you will end up with less for the same amount of time . This is usually why folk scale up . More product for the same time .

Alright, that's what I thought.
I may be reading too much too fast and starting to confuse things.

[samwell]

If you must buy , in the end it will serve you best to use tri-clamp fittings on all pieces you get .

While I prefer a copperstill head like twisted linked to ,a stainless setup like Kimbodious uses can be a great way to get into tue hobby and can be built upon as needs change .
viewtopic.php?p=7583376#p7583376

Hey yummy. How much did your setup set you back? Currently exploring options and whether or not I should build or buy. Cheers.

[MooseMan]

samwell the link in Yummy's post is to a keg based still that Kimbodius built and that a lot of us here use as it is so easy and inexpensive to build.

It's a keg, with 2" Stainless tri-clamp parts added on top. It simply couldn't be easier to build if it came in a box with instructions!

[samwell]

samwell the link in Yummy's post is to a keg based still that Kimbodius built and that a lot of us here use as it is so easy and inexpensive to build.

It's a keg, with 2" Stainless tri-clamp parts added on top. It simply couldn't be easier to build if it came in a box with instructions!

Hey MooseMan, thanks for the reply. It's a setup I'm definitely considering.

Currently trying to workout constraints of distilling in my apartment and weighing my options for a still. I don't want to buy because of how expensive some rigs are and even boilers like the digiboil don't seem to be worth it for how cheap you can get a keg...

I'm pretty interested in a keg still setup with an internal heating element, but I'm not sure If I'll be able to use a strong enough element for a 15 Gallon Keg with the outlets in my apartment. I've been browsing for a while and reading about peoples builds but maybe you'd be able to guide me in a good direction. Is the keg still my best bet? Would a weaker heating element be better suited for a smaller pony keg for example, thus alleviating my concerns about outlets and power? Not gonna lie, I was shocked at how much cheaper kegs are compared to stock pots

[Yummyrum]

If you must buy , in the end it will serve you best to use tri-clamp fittings on all pieces you get .

While I prefer a copperstill head like twisted linked to ,a stainless setup like Kimbodious uses can be a great way to get into tue hobby and can be built upon as needs change .
viewtopic.php?p=7583376#p7583376

Hey yummy. How much did your setup set you back? Currently exploring options and whether or not I should build or buy. Cheers.

samwell
Moose was correct that it was Kimbo’s rig I linked to .
However , I made most of my own gear .It is hard to give a price as most if the Copper pipe was from second hand yards . Fittings I bought new .
I honestly have never kept a tally of what it has cost . I have made several Pot stills , a Thumper setup , a Plated Still and a VM/LM reflux still as well as reconfigured a lot of that to make a Continuous stripping still .

By keeping it as modular as possible , each configuration can use bits from other still setups just like Kimbo’s one I posted .

I would definitely say that building a Pot still was way cheaper than buying any I have seen . So I can be pretty sure that all I have built was cheaper than buying , but it takes time and patience .But it can be very rewarding .

You will also need to have a certain amount if basic tools to do cutting and Soldering .But while the initial cost if buying MAPP gas torches and reel of solder might seem expensive just for one build , the more you make , the cheaper it gets .


I would absolutely endorse the use of a Keg for a boiler .
Yea you can use a smaller keg and element . Gas heating is also a cheap and easy alternative . I’ve used gas for over a decade now . It has it’s drawbacks , but it also means you can get a keg and without any modifications ti it be up and running with just a simple gas burner , where as , if you go electric , you need to modify the keg for an element , build /buy a power controller and as you say , ensure yoy have adiquate power outlets to cope .

[higgins]

...
I'm pretty interested in a keg still setup with an internal heating element, but I'm not sure If I'll be able to use a strong enough element for a 15 Gallon Keg with the outlets in my apartment.
...

If you have a dryer outlet in your apartment that will work for a 240V element. 3500W is adequate, but 5500W heats up quicker.

If not, you could put in two 120V elements as long as you use two separate 120V circuits. Be sure that you don't use a second outlet on the same circuit cuz it will trip the breaker.

One could be on/off using a switch, the other powered by a controller. Use both to get up to temp, then turn off the switched element and use the controlled element for fine adjustment.

[MooseMan]

samwell the link in Yummy's post is to a keg based still that Kimbodius built and that a lot of us here use as it is so easy and inexpensive to build.

It's a keg, with 2" Stainless tri-clamp parts added on top. It simply couldn't be easier to build if it came in a box with instructions!

Hey MooseMan, thanks for the reply. It's a setup I'm definitely considering.

Currently trying to workout constraints of distilling in my apartment and weighing my options for a still. I don't want to buy because of how expensive some rigs are and even boilers like the digiboil don't seem to be worth it for how cheap you can get a keg...

I'm pretty interested in a keg still setup with an internal heating element, but I'm not sure If I'll be able to use a strong enough element for a 15 Gallon Keg with the outlets in my apartment. I've been browsing for a while and reading about peoples builds but maybe you'd be able to guide me in a good direction. Is the keg still my best bet? Would a weaker heating element be better suited for a smaller pony keg for example, thus alleviating my concerns about outlets and power? Not gonna lie, I was shocked at how much cheaper kegs are compared to stock pots

No problem man, we want people here to start out right and not waste money on junk that's not fit for purpose.

If you really are pushed for space, and your apartment can't accommodate a keg sized still, you could buy the biggest stock pot that your hob/stove can accommodate and go that way?
It's pretty easy to modify a stock pot lid or find a bowl that fits on top of it, to take your riser.

If you can fit a keg into your place, don't mess with a smaller pony keg, it takes up the same footprint as a 15gal anyway, and with an element mounted low down in the base, you can run the same amount in a full keg as you would a pony, but when you want to go bigger you can with no extra work.

I'd go with 2x elements if you can, or find a multi loop one like the one I'm planning to use and wire the loops separate.
Run both for heat up and then switch one off when you're up to temp and run that on a controller.
Either of the above means you can get away with 2 elements/loops at lower wattage, that your existing outlets can handle, as has already been mentioned.

Another thing that doesn't seem to get much attention but I think is very important is insulation. Efficient and well applied insulation that keeps in all the heat energy and reflects it back into the boiler will make your keg act like it has a higher powered element.

At the end of the day though, heat up time is relative, if you are sat in a nice comfy apartment with a TV and a soft chair, who cares if it takes longer to heat your boiler up to distilling temps?!
Get up early, get the still heating up, then get the coffee on and the bacon and eggs started...

[Stags]

samwell the link in Yummy's post is to a keg based still that Kimbodius built and that a lot of us here use as it is so easy and inexpensive to build.

It's a keg, with 2" Stainless tri-clamp parts added on top. It simply couldn't be easier to build if it came in a box with instructions!

Hey MooseMan, thanks for the reply. It's a setup I'm definitely considering.

Currently trying to workout constraints of distilling in my apartment and weighing my options for a still. I don't want to buy because of how expensive some rigs are and even boilers like the digiboil don't seem to be worth it for how cheap you can get a keg...

I'm pretty interested in a keg still setup with an internal heating element, but I'm not sure If I'll be able to use a strong enough element for a 15 Gallon Keg with the outlets in my apartment. I've been browsing for a while and reading about peoples builds but maybe you'd be able to guide me in a good direction. Is the keg still my best bet? Would a weaker heating element be better suited for a smaller pony keg for example, thus alleviating my concerns about outlets and power? Not gonna lie, I was shocked at how much cheaper kegs are compared to stock pots

I’ll help you duck another mistake. Just because it says 15 gallons doesn’t mean you can run 15 gallons. 80% of capacity is a good rule of thumb so 15 gallon keg will let you process 12 gallons. If you try and run 15 you’re likely to puke.

I run my 10 gallon all copper setup on 2x 2000w elements on different circuits as described. I think one would be fine for spirit runs, 2 for strip runs makes sense to me. I wish I had gone bigger so I could run ten gallon batches reliably

[samwell]

Thanks for the super helpful information which is definitely helping me get on the right track. I really appreciate it guy! Cheers.