Home Distiller

Hey guys so in the middle of this build i wanted to know if i was to just put a 1500 watt heating element on my keg would that be ok... Was thinking of using propane to get it up to temp and the heating element to keep it about 173.. i should have pic of the half built still by the weekend..

be careful heating it up that you dont melt wires etc....

many years ago i used to do this and on the last GAS & ELECTRIC run i did the still caught fire and i had liquid fire coming from my still....

ever since i am electric only.....

stay safe

If you're talkin about a 15.5 gallon keg, I'd say 1500 watts is rather small, but that might sustain the boil after you get it up to temp with propane.

and as Maheel said, you might have heating problems with the electrical components .

yiw1z4rdcom wrote: to keep it about 173..

You really can't "keep" a temperature. You can't raise temp above a boil and the boil temp will vary depending on how much alcohol is in the wash. You probably meant "to keep a boil".

Corection, my boka stayed at 171F with a gas burner under it. you can sustain an exact temp if you try maby with minor adjustments. The whole run adjusting it maby 3 times I stayed whithin a degree if 171.

Billy wrote:Corection, my boka stayed at 171F with a gas burner under it. you can sustain an exact temp if you try maby with minor adjustments. The whole run adjusting it maby 3 times I stayed whithin a degree if 171.

Don't cloud the waters... A reflux column is different than a pot still... And you can't control the temperature of the wash or the distillate produced...

I run two 220v 5500w elements on 110v. So that puts them at 1375w each. When running my still in pot still mode I have to turn one off and use the controller to turn the other one down. To I'm guessing 900 to 1000w to get a good takeoff rate. If your going to use an electric element to run a pot still. You need a controller with a steady output and fine control over the heat you put into the boiler.

You can check my setup out closer in my controller thread in the new distiller reading lounge.

As far as the temps. You don't need a thermometer in a pot still. It won't be any good for nothing but a reference for when its about to start. And when your about to be finished. It will more then likely cornfuse you more then anything.There are some good threads in the must read new distiller reading lounge that will explain this. And while you are there read the cuts thread and all the rest of them.

Just to say it again. You want control the temp. The ABV of the boiler charge dictates the temps.

DoH! sorry RAD I was a little inthrawled with my boka. I shall butt out now........

I run a 220V 4500 watt AND a 120 V 2400

As a general rule I run both to heat up my POT STILL
and once it starts dripping I unplug the 220 volt and
finish the run on 120 volt.

No controllers works for me

Coyote

2400 w 120v element? Never seen a 120v that big. That's what 20 amps. That would be pushing most home circuits. And that's a lot of heat for a pot still. How big is your still?

Fat fingers in a hurry 1400 watt

15 gal keg

However I could run anything I wanted
400 amps of 480 volt power to the shop

Coyote

Coyote wrote:Fat fingers in a hurry 1400 watt

15 gal keg

However I could run anything I wanted
400 amps of 480 volt power to the shop

Coyote

I thought 2400W was a little wonky.