Home Distiller

So after a season of running my 15 gal pot still with a copper goose neck. Worked great for the UJSSM. I was getting 110-115 proof with no feints.

This year with the help of a buddy we redesigned the still head, added a thumper and was getting 130 on the UJSSM. I'm very pleased with the set up now and wanted to update all who have helped me get started.
Old set up
New set up.

Let me know what you all think.

Looks like my pictures are backwards, dang technology

Yea I think you got the pics backwards. I like it.

Nice job, that's my winter project

Nice job...i've never run a thumper but i've done just a pot still

With the worm in the barrel is there enuff water in the barrel to keep condensing the hole run? Or do you have to add ice or a flow of water ? Build my second still now with a 50 liter keg and wondering if I go this way do I have to be making or buyin ice

I want a thumper. Can't hardly wait to add one in. Boka first though.

Looks good ...Definitely functional ..Try feints, or wash!
Let us know the difference .

dan_buddy wrote:With the worm in the barrel is there enuff water in the barrel to keep condensing the hole run? Or do you have to add ice or a flow of water ? Build my second still now with a 50 liter keg and wondering if I go this way do I have to be making or buyin ice

Never add ice directly into the flake stand (worm bucket) because it can cause "shock cooling" (research it here in the forums)... If the flake stand holds more cooling water than the boiler does you shouldn't need to swap water or anything... Even if there is steam coming off the top the bottom should still be plenty cool enough to knock down all of the distillate vapor...

rad14701 wrote:

dan_buddy wrote:With the worm in the barrel is there enuff water in the barrel to keep condensing the hole run? Or do you have to add ice or a flow of water ? Build my second still now with a 50 liter keg and wondering if I go this way do I have to be making or buyin ice

Never add ice directly into the flake stand (worm bucket) because it can cause "shock cooling" (research it here in the forums)... If the flake stand holds more cooling water than the boiler does you shouldn't need to swap water or anything... Even if there is steam coming off the top the bottom should still be plenty cool enough to knock down all of the distillate vapor...

thank you .
it seems i have been " shock cooling " the hole time
i have only done 15 runs and only started a few months ago

dan_buddy wrote: thank you .
it seems i have been " shock cooling " the hole time
i have only done 15 runs and only started a few months ago

Yeah I did the same when I started. Eventually I realized it didn't take much to knock down the vapor at all, especially with a worm. A decent way I've found to keep cool water in there as well without needing to change the water is to put the worm bucket in an ice bath. I usually only do that in the winter when there's natural ice around for the taking though. A wet towel wrapped around the bucket with a fan pointed at it will work wonders too.

If I went with the 45 gallon drum from a 50 liter leg still is there any need of ice at all ? Even on a hot day it should still knock done all the vaper am I right my shed is 1000 get from my house so I hope to fill once and forget about it and I'm just rinse the worm with 3 or for gallons of clean water when I go to use to ? Does this sound alright ?

And in the winter I could plug the bottom and fill with some heads so the line dosent freeze

You shouldn't use any ice at all. Stuffs up the temp gradient. You want the water hot on top and cold at the bottom. Ice floats cooling down the top water and causing the vapour to collapse and cause huffing. 45 gallon drum should be good enough for a 50L still

Tokoroa_Shiner wrote:You shouldn't use any ice at all. Stuffs up the temp gradient. You want the water hot on top and cold at the bottom. Ice floats cooling down the top water and causing the vapour to collapse and cause huffing. 45 gallon drum should be good enough for a 50L still

Yeah, what I'm saying is put ice around the bucket, which helps to keep the water cooler. But you're right, ice IN the bucket is bad.

And dan, it's mostly experience. You kind of have to do a run and just see if it's enough. There's too many variables going on, like power input, water temp, ambient temp, abv of distillate, column size, system efficiency, etc. What you describe sounds like you should be fine as long as you start with moderately cool water though.

is"vapour colapse " bad for stripping runs >???
whats the definition of huffing ?

dan_buddy wrote:is"vapour colapse " bad for stripping runs >???
whats the definition of huffing ?

"whats the definition of huffing ?"

Vapor collapse. It's bad anytime.

tp

What would you guys recommend for how much copper is under water ? Does 15 feet of 1/2 inch sound good ?

dan_buddy wrote:What would you guys recommend for how much copper is under water ? Does 15 feet of 1/2 inch sound good ?

That depends on how much water the flake stand holds... If it holds more water than the boiler, yes... If not, you may need to circulate cold water in the bottom and hot out the top...

rad14701 wrote:

dan_buddy wrote:What would you guys recommend for how much copper is under water ? Does 15 feet of 1/2 inch sound good ?

That depends on how much water the flake stand holds... If it holds more water than the boiler, yes... If not, you may need to circulate cold water in the bottom and hot out the top...

preety sure ima go with 45 gallon drum

If id be addin skirt round your burner

So I'm tole

do you think 3/8 inch coil is big enuff ?for a 50 liter boiler

Didn't I answer that in another thread?

tp (deja vu all over again)

dan_buddy wrote:do you think 3/8 inch coil is big enuff ?for a 50 liter boiler

Minimum 1/2" ID. And if it was me, I'd probably go a little bigger... 5/8" - 3/4".

Bys is any lead free solder good to use ? And I can't find a water soluble flux

dan_buddy wrote:Bys is any lead free solder good to use ?

Yep.

And I can't find a water soluble flux

Go online if you have to. If you don't, you'll wish you did when you start the cleaning process.

tp

T-Pee wrote:

And I can't find a water soluble flux

Go online if you have to. If you don't, you'll wish you did when you start the cleaning process.

tp

+100

dan_buddy wrote:And in the winter I could plug the bottom and fill with some heads so the line dosent freeze

Referring to the worm? I don't think I would do that. I like to rinse it out after a run, blow the water out and store it dry. I wouldn't even let the heads go through my condenser during the run if I had a way to avoid it.