Home Distiller

This is my first still. I wanted to try it out first without investing a lot of money in the project and was fortunate to have some pieces of copper laying around. I can hardly believe how much some of the fittings etc cost...

I had some 1" pipe so I used that for the riser, then reduced down to 1/2" in the arm for the rest of the unit. I put in a threaded brass union between that and the leibig. The union is definitely worth it, not hard to put in and very convenient when assembling/dissembling. The leibig is an 18" length (what I had) of 3/4" pipe around 1/2" pipe. I wound a spiral of 12 gauge wire around the 1/2" pipe and soldered it at the ends, with about 3/4" between turns. I have 1/2" clear plastic pipe for the water feed for the leibig, coming from the kitchen sink. The attachment to the sink took a bit of doing, had to buy an adapter for a hose thread that went on in place of the aerator and then a 1/2" hose barb to connect to that. Easy, once you figure it out, but confusing as hell in the store.

I am using a 12 quart SS pan initially, and plan to upgrade to something that can handle about 5 gallons at a time. I had the guys at work cut out a piece of stainless for the top on the water-jet, with a 1" hole in the center. I tested a piece of scrap SS and a piece of copper to see if I could solder it and it worked pretty well. I had a zinc based flux on hand already, so I used that. Heating with standard butane torch.

I couldn't find a 1" piece of copper with a flange on it, and the prices were exorbitant anyway, so I made my own flanged fitting from a straight copper fitting flared out a bit with a hammer and the end of the vice anvil and then turned it over and pounded the flange down flat. Worked quite well, all freehand work. A little filing and sanding and I ended up with a good flanged fitting.

When I tried to solder the flange to the SS lid it was a complete disaster. The lid bowed up like a bowl and I couldn't get a good flow of solder between the two pieces. When it cooled down there was a loud twang as the lid flattened back down and broke the solder connection between the two pieces. At this point I was somewhat discouraged. I decided to try tinning each piece separately and then just heat them to fuse the solder together. After cleaning and sanding I coaxed the SS to tin with a brush full of flux scrubbing the surface and moving the solder over to cover the whole area. I held the copper fitting with a pliers and heated it up till the solder melted, flicked off the extra solder (it was well tinned) and decided to have a go at finishing the connection. I fluxed both sides well and since the SS was still pretty hot I just set the copper on top and directed the flame only on the copper, flame parallel to the surface of the lid. This heated the fitting and transferred enough heat to the lid to complete the joint. With a lot of filing and sanding it actually looks pretty good.

Bartender's Friend is the ticket for cleaning copper. Really works quick and easy.

I connected the riser to the pot/flange fitting by wrapping several turns of teflon tape around the riser end. Worked well, no leaks. The lid is held down with four clamps (again, what I had on hand) and I used a little bit of flour paste to make sure I had a seal. I didn't notice any leaks anywhere.

I ran first with vinegar and water. Everything worked and the leibig managed to cool the vapor. The limiting thing is probably the capacity of my gas stove's burner. I noticed that I was getting some chugging and huffing like I was operating a steam engine. This concerned me for a bit trying to figure out why, and exactly where it was coming from. When I put my finger over the end of the leibig mostly closing it off the chugging went away. I remembered reading about putting some packing in the end of the leibig but I didn't have any scrubbies or anything like that. I also remembered reading that someone had put a strip of copper down the tube after first twisting it about 180 degrees and that apparently created enough restriction to stop the chugging. I had some copper pipe hangers which were just under 1/2" wide, shaped like an omega sign, so I flattened two out and soldered the ends together so I had a 6 or 7" strip. I cleaned it up, twisted it, and stuck it into the end of the leibig and haven't heard any chugging since.

I ran a sacrificial alcohol run and got a nice clear product, definitely high proof alcohols, but I don't have anything at this point to test it other than my 5 or 6 senses. I have made a lot of wine in the past, mostly fruit based table wines, so I have a certain quantity of wines that didn't turn out well enough to want to drink but are still sitting in the basement. I used about 1/2 gallon of oxidized elderberry wine and 1/2 gallon of crab apple wine which had a peculiar taste and smell that prevented me from drinking it. I noticed some of this smell came through into the distillate. Although I realize that this is a sacrificial run, I experimented with the collection to see if I could distinguish the cuts. There was a variation in the smells and sharpness of the different jars(didn't drink any, just smelled and/or dipped a finger in and tasted, rinsed mouth with water) and I left it all overnight covered with a paper towel. Surprisingly, a lot of the objectionable smell was gone and it seemed that it might be pretty good if it was aged at all. This is all basically good and clear wine with a few flaws, so I am not even sure if there is much of a necessity to do much with the cuts aside from throwing out the fores. Maybe someone can comment on that if they get this far...

bhangchai wrote:

Pot Still Flange and Lid-1.jpg

Having looked at this pic, I have read all about your efforts to get it right. I don't think you have though. Did you really tin the stainless? It looks like I could get my finger nail in the gap. This joint is critical. I might risk it covered in flour paste using electric as a heat source, but not an open flame.

Why not use a tank connector? Good solid flange them and a compression fitting not ptfe and flour. It is £5

No, there is no gap. There is no vapor using a mirror. I just got out my X5 power magnifying headband and checked out the joint under good light, and there is no gap. I have some experiencing inspecting electronic solder connections, so let me assure you that there is no visual indication of a bad joint. I couldn't send a high resolution photo to the site so I think you're misinterpreting what you are seeing because of the picture resolution.

Seems like the only place you can get them is in the UK.

friendly1uk wrote:

bhangchai wrote:

Pot Still Flange and Lid-1.jpg

Having looked at this pic, I have read all about your efforts to get it right. I don't think you have though. Did you really tin the stainless? It looks like I could get my finger nail in the gap. This joint is critical. I might risk it covered in flour paste using electric as a heat source, but not an open flame.

Why not use a tank connector? Good solid flange them and a compression fitting not ptfe and flour. It is £5

I'm sory but why are you so critical on everyone's solder joints? It's not like we are working with any real pressures here. If the solder makes contact all the way around. And it doesn't leak who cares what it looks like?

I have to agree with Mr. P. The joint is good, and frankly, I don't think it looks that bad, considering. I've seen a lot worse on site...

Looks good to me. The only thing that would concern me is. The pot size. But looks like you already plan to upgrade that.

If you plan to use 5 gallon buckets or carboys as fermenters. You won't necessarily be running 5 gal batches. Usually less after racking and leaving grains and or trub behind. So generally a 5 gal pot will work good with a 5 gallon fermenter.

Oh I do apolagise. I have sat ages trying to figure this out. My eyesight is going, and this is the point where I need to start wearing glasses all the time, or mistakes are going to happen. This is my first.. oh bloody life changer. Sorry.

It's so ducked up. I thought the flange was the other side out of view, and the flange I viewed as a solder ring somehow catching the light to look coppery. My eye drew to the bit that was solder coloured to find prospective and saw a gap that is actually the edge of the flange. The actual soldered bit I didn't even see.

Bugger. Won't happen again


Edit: PP, since when is two people everyone? Me critical? One persons I have commented on, and only my professional standing on the matter. Not been back since, it was all getting a bit silly. Let it go.

No need to apologize for eyesight, we are probably all going there eventually. What with bifocals and trifocals I can't find anything I am not looking directly at through the correct part of a lens.

I agree about the pot size. I wanted to see if I could get the still working before buying something bigger, that is my wife's cook pot. Most of my wine making stuff is set up for 5 gallon batches so I thought that maybe a 6 gallon stock pot or something like that would work well. A stock pot type lip might make it easier to attach a flat lid to and would accommodate one of those cardboard/teflon tape gaskets which would be a lot better than cleaning up dried flour paste. I'm already tired of that... Sounds like it is a lot easier brewing a mash or wash than wine or beer, just have to get the 'stillin' part right. Thanks for all the great info on this site. Pretty much everything I know about distilling I learned here.

By all means if you have a 6 gal use it. I just read get something I do 5 gallons in.