My first complete still

[intrigue]

Build using Still Tutorial: A Guide to Building a Column Reflux Still but modified. I removed the coiled reflux assist and replaced it with a water jacket. I also removed the "T" piece that holds the thermometer and moved the thermometer port inline with the condenser inlet. Hope you like the still, comments welcome.

[NcHooch]

Damn that's some clean work there Intrigue ...nothin like a shiny copper still .

Have you tested it yet?

[midnightmaraude]

That can't be soldered up yet? Can it? if so that is amazing work.

[fatman]

Pretty enough to sleep with, but will she make hooch?

[Soggy Bottom Boy]

Be interesting to see if you can get 100% vapor knockdown on that jacketed column, it's pretty short.

Don't know for sure, but it seems like you will have to have very precise power control over heating the boiler, and coolant flow & temp, to get that column to stack fractions. Can't wait to hear how it works out.

Sure is purdy and shiny!! Nice joint work.

[intrigue]

That can't be soldered up yet? Can it? if so that is amazing work.

All soldered up and ready to go! I have run 2 batches through her, but not since I changed the length and the reflux assist. Will let you know how she runs.

[intrigue]

Damn that's some clean work there Intrigue ...nothin like a shiny copper still .

Have you tested it yet?

Run 2 batches through her, one mango wash and one peach. Going to run lychee wash through her tomorrow. First test with new reflux assist

[Slowninja]

That's some amazing soldering skills. Looks GREAT

[COOKINSUMTIN]

BEAUTIFUL!!!!

[intrigue]

Ran a 13% lychee wash through today. Packed the column with 5 copper scrubbers and filled the top with marbles. Took about 1 hour to heat up. Took off 50ml of foreshots and 150ml of heads, middle run was 2.8l with about 300ml of tails, can't tell you what proof because I still need an alchometer. Heat during the run stayed between 76º c and 78º c. What really surprised me was that when I was running the tails I wanted to crank the heat up but the highest temp I could get with the gas wide open was 83º c. I think it has something to do with the jacket on the reflux column. The only problem that I had was cooling the condenser water, I will have to find a way around that because I live on a farm and water is precious.

[Richard7]

Did you run out of copper? That plastic tube on the product take off has to go! Great looking job on the still though. I would move the collection point further away from the gas heat in case of an overfill or spill too.

[Slowninja]

Agreed on both points Richard made

[NY Chris]

Nice work Intrigue, you got some skills
I know it's asking a lot, but if you get a chance could you post a sketch, nothing fancy, of the internals of your still.
I'm just wondering how it works.
Or maby you have some pics of the parts before it was fully assembled.
Thanks for sharing the pics and good luck with it.
Keep safe
Chris

[Soggy Bottom Boy]

.....I know it's asking a lot, but if you get a chance could you post a sketch, nothing fancy, of the internals of your still.....Chris

>>>CLICK HERE<<< for the instructions and "plans".

Then, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the "So what are you waiting for? Let's get started! >>" link to advance to the next page, repeat to step through the pages of the tutorial.

.

[Lucent]

I hope mines as pretty as that hahaha I'm putting my collection point further away though and building fans and a shower head to help cool the condenser water. Got the shower head idea from Bok on my welcome thread . You might consider it

[Richard7]

I like the way intrigue swapped out the coils from the tutorial with a mini liebig. Although in the tutorial there are a lot of things that I have seen others here at HD do much safer. Mostly sealing parts with gasket and plastic tube.

[intrigue]

I like the way intrigue swapped out the coils from the tutorial with a mini liebig. Although in the tutorial there are a lot of things that I have seen others here at HD do much safer. Mostly sealing parts with gasket and plastic tube.

The whole still is soldered together, there are no detachable parts, the only part not soldered is the column cap sothat the column can be cleaned. The still to the boiler has a gasket between. Any sugestions on how to get the outlet further from the heat source? I thought to maybe make a parrot. I might change the routing of the water to the column condensor and add vavles to have better control. After my run yesterday I couldn't get the column past 83deg c even although the gas was wide open. Thanks for your comments, support and knowledge.

[Richard7]

The whole still is soldered together, there are no detachable parts, the only part not soldered is the column cap sothat the column can be cleaned.


The still to the boiler has a gasket between.
check this out http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... E#p6929617

Any sugestions on how to get the outlet further from the heat source? I thought to maybe make a parrot.
Just a down hill copper tube is all I use to get to my parrot. I like the parrot but it is optional.


I might change the routing of the water to the column condensor and add vavles to have better control.


After my run yesterday I couldn't get the column past 83deg c even although the gas was wide open.
Its not going to get any hotter than the mix of alcohol and water will let it. Putting in more heat will only speed it up. If the temp does not sound right to ya (sorry I dont do metric) check your batteries, or get a good analog thermometer

Thanks for your comments, support and knowledge.

Good luck!!!

[Soggy Bottom Boy]

.....Any sugestions on how to get the outlet further from the heat source? .....

You could replace the 90 degree fitting at the top of the liebig with a copper union and 45 degree fitting so you could swivel the liebig to any angle you like, but then you would also have to replace the copper coolant piping with flexible hose to accommodate that adjustable movement.

On edit:

Actually, if you kept the 90 degree with an added union, you could make the liebig from straight vertical to any angle, which would move the takeoff point away from the pot.

.

[NY Chris]

Thanks for the link Soggy.
Chris

[maheel]

are you fermenting mango wash or just "flavoring" the wash ?

mango season here and i am thinking about some mango vodka etc....

thats some beautiful polishing !!!

[Richard7]

Thanks for the link Soggy.
Chris

+1

[intrigue]

are you fermenting mango wash or just "flavoring" the wash ?

mango season here and i am thinking about some mango vodka etc....

thats some beautiful polishing !!!

I used about a 3/4, 20l bucket of mangos, I have 2 mango orchards so I have plenty of mangos. I skinned the mangos and pitted them, I then added water and heated. Let it all cool down then sqashed through mutton cloth. The mango peel has a lot of oil in so I don't use them. I used 5kg of brown sugar, put 2.5kg with 5l of water with 1/4 tsp of tartic acid and brought to the boil and simmered for 10 minutes to invert sugar. After boiling I add 1Tblsp of Marmite(vegomite) as nutrient for yeast. I then do the same for the other 2.5kg of sugar. I then add ice to cool the wash down and topup with water to 20l. Reading on hydrometer should be about 1.090 - 1.100. I then take about 1lt of wash and start the yeast in that. I used plain brewers yeast that you buy from the supermarket for making ginger beer. We get it in 20g packs, I used 4 packs. When the wash is cool enough I pitch the hydrated yeast into the wash and seal the lid. I use a thick mix of flour and water to seal the lid and then add water to my airlock. Wash will ferment out to about 12 -13% alcohol in 6 - 8 days, reading on hydrometer will be 0.990. Calulation for % alcohol, first calculate drop in specific gravity 1.100 - 0.990 = 0.11, to get % 0.11 X 129 = 14.19. My wash fermented out to about 13%.
Hope that can be some help to you. I'm still a novice so there might be some good advice on improving the wash I used, it's difficult to get proper nutrient and yeast where I live so I do the best I can with what I have.

Thanks for the compliment.

To everyone else that I haven't thanked yet, for looking and commenting it is truely appreciated, THANKS.

[maheel]

thanks for the mango info

might have to go raid the tree down the road

i think they are "stringy" mangos not the nice eating ones but should go ok in a wash

[intrigue]

thanks for the mango info

might have to go raid the tree down the road

i think they are "stringy" mangos not the nice eating ones but should go ok in a wash

Most of my mangos are the stringy type, got a few parafin and fish mango trees. I used the stringy type because they are very sweet but not nice to eat.