Home Distiller

ive been brewing beer for the last 5 years using my aluminum turkey fryer pot with excellent results. ive noticed a bunch of post saying its bad. is brewing in these type of pots different from distilling in them? i would think boiling wort in one would be more dangerous than distilling being that its such a difference in temp. This will be my first attempt distilling and was just curious being that ive already made the still (lid).

yes i think it has to do with the acid in the wash

ally is frowned upon for a number of reasons

best (and easy) way is to get a 50L SS keg if you can and put that on the burner

These threads always seam to get out of hand. And a quick search would have reviled that.

Now health wise nothing has shown it to be bad.

Structure wise is a different story. From pitting from acidic still charges to galvanic corrosion. Aluminum and copper don't mix well when a acidic liquid is involved. The corrosion that causes the pitting and comes from the copper contact can cause premature failure of the boiler. Not a big problem when your boiling a wort. It can be a big problem when running a still. A crack or hole releasing alcohol vapors right above an open flame is not good.

Here is a thread that started showing what happened to my aluminum pot. And one of the reasons not to use it.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... m#p6987140

I would recommend finding a stainless pot. It would last you for ever. And you wouldn't have to worry about it. Kegs are a great option. A pony keg is close to the smallest size most of us would recommend. They will hold a still charge fermented in a 5 gallon bucket. 15.5 gallon is better in my opinion. But they both have a great connection point already on them. With a simple triclamp and a flange on your still. It's easy.

Ive used aluminum pots to cook corn for mashing without problems. It is when you try to ferment or distill in aluminum that you run into a problem. I tried to ferment a barley wash in my aluminum pot and it turned a chalky black that you could wipe off with a rag. I threw out that ferment and now use stoneware canners for cooking my mashes and ferment in plastic beer fermenters or redwing crocks.
Copper and stainless for distilling is the only way to go, and not always in that order.

at the moment i have a 5 gallon wash to distill on saturday and ive already made my dome lid fitted with a thermometer and copper tubing for my aluminum pot. i currently have a 60quart ss pot that i use for brewing beer however the lid isnt done. i see now that ss is the best way to go, BUT my question now is do you think i can get away with doing my distilling from this pot just this once until i get my SS pot lid complete or will it ruin the batch? i understand that continued use of aluminum will mess the pot up, but what if i used it just this time?

I personaly don't see a reason you couldn't.

question about lid..........instead of clamps to hold the lid on can i just duct tape it closed until i find a more secure way of sealing it? The lip of the pot and edges of the dome lid sit almost flush, just wasn't sure of the amount of pressure in the still and if duct tape would work. Trying to do this with as little damage to the wallet as possible. If you cant duct it, f#ck it!

Stayshine wrote:question about lid..........instead of clamps to hold the lid on can i just duct tape it closed until i find a more secure way of sealing it?

maybe just build a boiler out of duct tape put some aluminum foil inside to make it strong ?


I'm not listening to you anymore

Completely free of sarcasm here.

Alcohol vapors dissolve the adhesive in duct tape. This means two things for you. 1. Your product tastes bad and the glue is not something you want to drink. 2. More importantly, your seal will leak and you will lose product.

#3 you should do more reading before you continue
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =35&t=5090
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=46

maheel wrote:

Stayshine wrote:question about lid..........instead of clamps to hold the lid on can i just duct tape it closed until i find a more secure way of sealing it?

maybe just build a boiler out of duct tape put some aluminum foil inside to make it strong ?


I'm not listening to you anymore

awesome. appreciate the sarcasim, i guess you were born with all the answers already, smart ass.

awesome. appreciate the sarcasim, i guess you were born with all the answers already, smart ass.

No, I think maheel just did more research than you! We all ask stupid questions, including myself, but these questions? Jeez!!!
By the way maheel, that's an awesome pic.

All the answers are here. You just need to take the time to look

Come on Stayshine. None of us are born with the answers. Maheel is trying to help you out using a little sarcasm. You have to chuckle a little when you see the pict. that was posted with it. All in all I would with a pot that would hold up to the long run. Stainless steel is a good choice.

sorry stayshine it did come over a bit smart arse

but think about the safety factor using duct tape

if you tape it on and the glue lifts and lets ALC vapour out
your turkey fryer sets it alight...
maybe then the weight of the column etc pulls the pot over off the fryer

you got boiling liquid / vapour / flames going every direction
your better off waiting and doing it right rather than make a mess off it with risk... the wash will keep and be clearer

pretty funny pic but hey

Just because you can put wings on a 57' chevy don't mean it's gonna fly ! ! ! !

Stayshine

I used flour paste and dollar store spring clamps

Tape would be bad for the reasons states as well as it will release with the heat

i do appreciate the input, just sometimes the language is hard to understand. the only reason i asked about the duct tape was because i witnessed a guy doing it and thought that cant be a good solution and just needed confirmation from this forum. since the last few post i have purchased some cheap clamps that work great! i was a little hesitant about em because i was looking for the wrong type. The type i was looking at were vice grips that retail for $15 a pop, way to much to spend for this guy. I have been and will continue researching as much as possible and will most likely ask another dumb question or three, just bear with us newbies.

the only dumb question is the one you dont ask

keep your eye out for a beer keg... best boiler ever ...

Binder Clips and flour paste... You don't need Vise-Grip pliers or C-clamps...

I'd also suggest finding an alternative to the aluminum turkey fryer as a boiler...

Enough with the duct tape bullshit...!!! Get serious about the hobby or give it up...!!!