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The still is a 5 gallon stock pot column still with a 30" 1.25" column, with packing. At the top of the still the alcohol vapor goes outside the column into a copper coil about 4" in diameter about 13' long of tubing (1/4" tubing). Over the coil is a cotton sock that has the top and bottom ends resting in short (1 1/2" tall) plastic containers of water. In this case, the bottom one is the bottom of a 2 liter bottle, and the top one is a paint spray can cap. This allows the sock to wick the water enough to keep the sock wet. The whole coil is about 6" tall. I have a small desk fan to cool the coil using the evaporative property of water to advantage. Above the top water container is a simple water bottle with the lid off; full of water upside down so that when the water gets low in the paint spray cap, more water from the bottle goes into the cap. The bottom container is filled from the top container with a little spillage on the sock (once every hour or so). The alcohol from the coil goes into a fractionating chamber where I have the option to determine the % of the finished product, and either back to the column or into the finish jug. There is also a pressure relief attached to the top of the fractionating chamber as a safety devise. That is where I loosely put the thermometer.

After an 8 hour run, the still used 25 oz of water, less that a liter to cool the entire run. No hoses, and very little setup. I have a 1000 watt electric heater that heats the still, and I can run it anywhere I want to. I am not tied (location wise) to a source of running water. Also this method will have advantage as the water companies will begin to monitor your water usage more closely now due to the alleged water shortage. They will never pick up an extra 25 ounces.

Stripping runs are coming out at 65-68%. I'm still new at running this...

The bottom half of the coil is cool to the touch.

Rate is 28 cubic inches per hour in the middle of the run, about 1/8 gallon per hour

Can you give us some pics? Of the whole setup would be nice. What kind of takeoff rate are you getting? I checked the other day how much water I use in a 12 reflux run. I only use a bathtub full. So if they are gona come after me for taking a bath WTFlip.

My flute uses a substantial amount of cooling water to do a 10-12 gallon run. Enough that I am considering cannibalizing an old refrigerator and building a 110 volt refrigerant system. Particularly after I get around to installing my element and hooking up my MK controller that I have had for a few months. It would make me all electric. Not sure about the dephlag system though.

Yes pics would be nice also wonder over to the Welcome center since this is your first post you probably need to give us a proper introduction!

Sounds like an overgrown air still with some evaporative enhancement... Nice... Can't wait to see pictures...

Well, it is not pretty, but proof of concept. Another one in the making...this time for a bigger column, same pot and heat source.

I will be using a 5/8", 6' long corrugated SS pipe (gas line for your dryer) as it has much more surface area per length of pipe, and the cloth wrapping will be around the entire circumference of the cross section of the tube, again for the surface area.

I will be using a 2.5" column which in theory is about four times the capacity of the 1.25". It should shorten my distillation time quite a bit.

When in operation, I will also identify the temperature on each wrap of coil, so we all will know how long does it really need to be...back to the shop.

I'm not really getting how this still works? What are you using for a boiler and how does it connect?

54woody3, please tell us that that piece of shiny tube isn't plated brass sink drain pipe... Something about the size and color of that piece has me concerned...

One of you smart fellers figure out how to apply this concept to the condenser in a BOKA you will win the prize of being MY NEW BEST FRIEND. Doesn't seem to difficult and you wouldn't have to worry about much since it will be water running through it not Tasty Goodness.

banter_king wrote:One of you smart fellers figure out how to apply this concept to the condenser in a BOKA you will win the prize of being MY NEW BEST FRIEND. Doesn't seem to difficult and you wouldn't have to worry about much since it will be water running through it not Tasty Goodness.

Do you realize how big it would have to be? And how slow it would be?

That's true that's what i get for drinking and posting. hmmm

Hopefully in order...

The boiler is a 5 gal stock pot. upon which is a flat piece of 14 gauge copper for the lid. attached to the lid is a (including the condenser) 32" of brass/chrome drain pipe with packing.

Rad, please share your concerns on the brass. I get that bad feeling that I screwed up here...

I only have about 49" of 2.5" copper for the new column, I also have a 1.5" column available (about 6'). My desire, besides testing the newer version of the condenser is to reduce the time it takes to still. please comment on which pipe would be better. I would like to make bourbon and vodka with this still.

Thanks for all your comments, they all help.

Woody

the only way that I know of to "take off faster" is to go bigger. this includes everything.
in general,the height of column=purity,,,the diameter= speed of take off..then most likely
you will need a bigger pot to keep up.then more heat.
you can run a pot still faster than a column still.one will work for the other but not well.
I think its best to have one of each. strip and use pot still for flavored.run in column for vodka.
I dont beleve that "cooling" arrangement is going to work .you going to need 30-50 gallons of water.

Thanks,

I have about 250 watts that I am not using on my heat source, I'm at 750 on a 1000 watt source.

54woody3 wrote:Rad, please share your concerns on the brass. I get that bad feeling that I screwed up here...

Sink drain brass isn't even rated as suitable for potable water let alone for high temperature high proof alcohol vapor or liquid... How much lead, or whatever else there may be in that cheap brass, do you like in your distilled spirits...??? There is a reason why you haven't seen stills using sink drain pipe...

Makes perfect sense. It's that lead taste that I like....not.

RAD,

Sink drain brass isn't even rated as suitable for potable water let alone for high temperature high proof alcohol vapor or liquid... How much lead, or whatever else there may be in that cheap brass, do you like in your distilled spirits...??? There is a reason why you haven't seen stills using sink drain pipe...

Attached is the Nibco Chem guide Brass and bronze are showing OK. Possible the drain pipe isn't pure brass, could have zinc. Using copper anyway. (Page 13)
But I think that bronze or brass fittings will be ok.

@ 54woody3,

Perhaps you should closely review the ChemGuide.PDF document that you referenced. Specifically refer to page #30 and look at Whiskey and Wine. You will see that under Whiskey and Wine only Metals Copper and Stainless Steel are listed as listed as “A” - Recommended, resistant under normal conditions or “B” - conditional, consult factory. The other Metals are listed as “C” - not recommended or “Blank” - No data available.

So from the data provided in the ChemGuide.PDF document it would be difficult to Assume that “bronze or brass fittings will be ok”.

Regards,
Coaster

I didn't see any convincing information in that PDF at all... A true MSDS on for specific part number "might" sway me, but probably not... Copper is copper and stainless is stainless... Anything else can be suspect due to the alloy components...

Not to mention it was chrome plated too. The drain pipe anyway.

Thanks guys... I should have read the whole book and seen what you did. My bad.

I have a brass ball valve with a stainless ball to select the amount of reflux. I will disassemble the valve and "plate" the contact portion of the valve body with silver solder as a safeguard. Any concerns?

Thanks again, I appreciate all the comments.

54woody3 wrote:Thanks guys... I should have read the whole book and seen what you did. My bad.

I have a brass ball valve with a stainless ball to select the amount of reflux. I will disassemble the valve and "plate" the contact portion of the valve body with silver solder as a safeguard. Any concerns?

Thanks again, I appreciate all the comments.

"Pickling" brass valves and fittings is a more common approach than "plating", for numerous reasons... But as far as brass drain pipe is concerned, scrap it altogether... There is good reason why you don't see stills made using brass drain pipe components instead of more expensive copper or stainless steel... Sure, some locales require that new construction not include components containing lead but unless you know the exact composition of any component you have consider it as suspect and don't use it... We stress safety here and unless we are all willing to prove that we lean more towards safety than legal commercial distilleries it will be a tough row to hoe as far as decriminalizing our hobby...

What you do out of the public eye is up to you, but as soon as you post in a public forum you are at the scrutiny of the masses... But most here feel that safety goes far beyond what the public eye may see which is why safety is stressed so adamantly... We, or some other unsuspecting person, may well be one of the people poisoned by your indiscretions...

Rad replied;

"...scrap it altogether... There is good reason why you don't see stills made using brass drain pipe components instead of more expensive copper or stainless steel... Sure, some locales require that new construction not include components containing lead but unless you know the exact composition of any component you have consider it as suspect and don't use it... We stress safety here and unless we are all willing to prove that we lean more towards safety than legal commercial distilleries it will be a tough row to hoe as far as decriminalizing our hobby..."

I wholeheartedly agree. Safety first. The brass column is scrapped. If I would not serve it to family or friend, It doesn't need to be made.

I am not a chemist, would re-distilling the alcohol make it safer, or should it be regarded as lighter fluid?

Now that I have researched this a little; As far as pickling vs plating goes, I lean on the plating side as I believe it is more safe. Some information states that pickling also removes substances that help the prevention of lead leaching, thereby making the brass even worse for our hobby in the long run. However, you know much more than I do about this, any comments?

Again, thanks for your comments!

54woody3 wrote:I wholeheartedly agree. Safety first. The brass column is scrapped. If I would not serve it to family or friend, It doesn't need to be made.

I am not a chemist, would re-distilling the alcohol make it safer, or should it be regarded as lighter fluid?

Now that I have researched this a little; As far as pickling vs plating goes, I lean on the plating side as I believe it is more safe. Some information states that pickling also removes substances that help the prevention of lead leaching, thereby making the brass even worse for our hobby in the long run. However, you know much more than I do about this, any comments?

Again, thanks for your comments!

I wouldn't attempt saving those spirits, but that's just me... Would it hurt someone or would redistilling clean it up is speculative at best... I'd spend my time making more...

As for plating versus pickling, if you can plate then do so but some components won't plate as well as others... Most either pickle or pay the big bucks for stainless...

the price of brass is verv close to the price of 304 stainless for fittings eg. at mcmaster carr a 1" street el is $21 in 304, and $19 in brass.
with a difference of less than 10% i buy stainless over brass every time when health is a factor. most places that carry brass also carry stainless. cob

Early test results for the new condenser;
The coil is only 5 feet long, not six as earlier stated as only the 5 footer was in stock. This coil is a 5/8" corrugated stainless steel gas line with a cotton terry cloth tube (wrapped like a condom) with air space in between the tubes of the coil.
Pictures will be added tomorrow...
New still column is as follows; 2.5" dia., 48" tall (copper this time... ); however, for stripping runs I have the coil attached at 20". I don't feel that the 1000 watt element was really enough to test the coil, as the rate of production did not increase as much as I thought that it would.
5 gallon stainless steel stock pot boiler, same as before.
The top of coil (measurement) is approx 2" from the column.

The ambiguities in the second column of temperatures may be because of wind eddies from the fan.?

The high and low temps are from the cycling of the 1000 watt heat element thermostat. I won't have that next time.

Production was 1/8 of a gallon in 45 minutes.

I had some alcohol reach the top of the column, and it measures 90% abv.

I had to wrap with towels the stock pot, and lower portion of the column to make it work.

Any comments? Especially on what wattage element I should install?

54woody3, can you elaborate on the data in your table above please...

Rad,

Sure,

The temperatures recorded are at different lengths along the length of the coil, for example at 1' the temp is located 1' ( ' = foot, or 12 inches) from where it attaches to the column, likewise at 3', the temp stated is at a distance of three feet from the column, and so on. That said, there are four temperatures recorded for each location, two with the fan on, and two with the fan off, an upper, and lower temps are recorded for each of these categories, due to the surging of temperature due to the cycling on/off of the thermostat.

I hope that this addresses your issues.

Thanks for all your comments, I appreciate your time.

Here are the pic's;

What still... That stealthy rig just looks like a pile of rags...