Reflux Still build

[Toyotawarrior]

Hi everyone, ive decided to get into home distilling after realiseing how much money i am pissing away on alcohol a month. after alot of reading and research i decided a reflux still would be ideal for me (taste isnt really a big deal as i can just mix flavorless alcohol with anything anyway). i started collecting all the materials to build the "world class still" in one of the write ups on this site but then started reading how it wasnt very good. so i get how the cooling tube going through the mid section of the main tower isnt a good idea, what kind of mods can i do to this design to make it work good? also, is it just me or does it seem like the writer forgot to include some 1 3/4" tube to solder the elbow and Tee together aswell as form the condensor jacket? will it still be ok if i shorten the condensor jacket/core a few inches to make small tube sections to join the elbow and tee?

[rubber duck]

Welcome aboard.

If you have most of the parts for that still just turn it into a VM still, In addition to the parts you have you will need some 1/4 in refrigeration tubing and a ball or gate valve, then you have a top of the line rig.

Also if you think your going to save money good luck with that, you won't save much but you get to have some really cool toys.

[Toyotawarrior]

im not sure if the "boiler" im useing could handle any major pressure buildup if i installed a valve before the condensor because its just a big pot. i saw something on one of the posts that looked alot more easy to adapt to the pieces i have called a cooling management still, the only thing i am wondering is where the thermometer would go, before or after the first set of cooling pipes? and i thought the idea of a valve would be to control the water flow to maintain 78.4 degrees?