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I'm trying to form a game plan for my still before buying. There are so many options, and by now my brain is mush. I'm also having a hard time finding information in regards to the benefits of equipment. It seems everyone already knows the benefits, and therefore talking with more advanced knowledge. I'm trying to make my still with equipment that could be used, or bypassed depending on my goals. my first goal is good quality flavor, but at a good ABV%. second goal is fuel.
I'm looking at buying the 10 Gal pot still from Clawhammer to avoid the TTB.

1) I'd like to add a cooling coil in the column for reflux. (will this strip to much flavor?)(figure i could use the cooling coil, or not depending on it's pro and cons)
2) Copper scrubbers with in cooling coil in the column.
3) Kit comes with bug condenser (Brain is mush and can't remember the correct name of condenser)(figure i could use or bypass that condenser)
4) shotgun condenser? my understanding is that it brings up the ABV% without striping flavor. is this correct???

what type of still am i making? (VM, CM, or LM) i'm guessing LM?

Welcome TBT. Slow down a second and read all the required information here. It can all be a little overwhelming but Cranky has very kindly condensed everything into one easy thread for you. I liked his thread so much I put a link to it in my signature. Check it out! All the questions you asked will be answered there. Pay special attention to the letters from the TTB if you live in the states. Much easier and cheaper to build your own rather than buying.

*hint* you're describing a CM style still.

Welcome, TBT! Yes, it can be pretty overwhelming. You seem to be wanting to make a flavorful whiskey or rum, so I would suggest a simple pot still with a Liebig condenser. The learning curve on that is much shallower that for a reflux rig. You can build your own, lots of patterns out there for free. Here is a place where you can order copper sheet: http://www.quickshipmetals.com/copper/copper.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow Definitely read up on the info in the link provided by ThatGuy. Lots of good info in there about types of stills. Take your time, there is a lot you need to know before jumping in this river! Good luck, enjoy.

MichiganCornhusker wrote:Welcome, TBT! Yes, it can be pretty overwhelming. You seem to be wanting to make a flavorful whiskey or rum, so I would suggest a simple pot still with a Liebig condenser. The learning curve on that is much shallower that for a reflux rig. You can build your own, lots of patterns out there for free. Here is a place where you can order copper sheet: http://www.quickshipmetals.com/copper/copper.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow Definitely read up on the info in the link provided by ThatGuy. Lots of good info in there about types of stills. Take your time, there is a lot you need to know before jumping in this river! Good luck, enjoy.

Welcome TBT, Cornhusker speaks wisely. If flavor is your goal, a simple pot still and water cooled copper coil can't be beat. PLUS, It's a great learning tool, simple to build yourself, and relatively easy to produce some very high quality whiskey. If its gin or vodka you are aiming to make, you'll need the more sophisticated tools. But don't rush into anything.

What needs to be understood about this hobby is that you can save a lot of money on buying booze, if you drink a bit, OR you can spend a lot of money spinning your wheels trying to get to the greener grass on the other side of the fence. Take your time, make a few friends on this forum, find people you can trust here, and follow their lead. The essence of success here is work with the time, it's all about patience, practice, and process. Patience is the most misunderstood part of it. Just read a bit, sip a little, and take your time, and you'll have a great experience, and make some good booze.

Thanks for the warm welcome, and advice. I guess you all could see the mass overload I had going on. I could do this this and this......
I was trying to get one question answered. Was I right about how a shotgun condenser works? Does it bring up the abv% without sacrificing flavor?
going with the pot and leibug, what abv% should I expect? Would a second run be necessary? I'm looking at getting about 60% abv.
again thank you all.

The type of condenser has no effect on ABV or on flavor. It simply condenses vapor into liquid. Now get to reading!

Everything you want to know is in the pages right here. Take your time and educate yourself, then come back and ask questions that make it obvious you have.

Lol. Will do.

Welcome aboard and please take the advice about reading seriously, lot's of new stillers get just so far then want to play Q&A with this crowd...the results often aren't pretty LOL. There's a highlighted thread at the bottom of my post, well worth the reading. Have fun, stay safe.

TBT wrote:Lol. Will do.

the force is strong in this one, well done. usually gets folks hackles up.

bellybuster wrote:

TBT wrote:Lol. Will do.

the force is strong in this one, well done. usually gets folks hackles up.

I don't understand why anyone would resist! There is so much great info in the parent site, that's where I first got hooked on the whole idea. Sure, there may be a few outdated ideas, but it is very well organized and has a lot of in-depth info on all aspects of makin' hooch. It is still helpful to go back to later and read it with some experience under your belt. Lots of things that kinda sailed overhead early on made more of an impression on me now that I have a better handle on how it all works together. The Cranky link is a great read for anyone, at any time.

Greetings, TBT...

In all honesty, the reason you are confused is because you haven't studied up "enough"... Rome wasn't built in a day and you can't acquire all of the knowledge required for this hobby in one, or even several, either... You're not ready to be making any decisions or starting a build or a purchase just yet... You wouldn't buy a general aviation airplane or a tractor trailer without learning which model you need and hope to operate it, would you...??? The correct answer is "No"...!!!

Take your time, get your ducks in a row, and then test the waters... You have years of this fine hobby ahead of you...

Good luck, stay safe, and enjoy the journey...

OK, I've done a lot of reading, note taking, and thank you for all the links people have posted up. I've read about all the different coulombs. I tried digging into them to find the theory on how they work ( this one is good for this....and this one is like the other but it does this... this one improves....). not just the mechanical / building difficulty pros and cons.
I've chosen to do a Boka because I can grow into it. I hate being limited and not having options because then i'm spending more to build another thing. If i'm right in my thinking, I could use it as reflux or pot depending on my end goal (flavor or neutral). I'm thinking a single coil + cold finger on top, and Gram on the product tube (little over kill i'm thinking, but should get everything).
I'd like to build a 15 gallon pot to run 10 gallons of wash (30% extra for foaming....see, see, i did my reading). I've found a lot of readings on coulombs, but not on construction of boilers. What gauge copper is to thin, to thick to work with, or just right? should I go thicker for the bottom due to direct contact with heat, or same gauge as everything else.
I didn't see any cylinder dimensions, but if i did my math right. I'd need a 16" diameter x 17" tall for a total 14.8 Gal. Wider base is better is what I think I've read, or I could go 12" diameter x 30" tall for 14.6 Gal.
One last question about hooking up my water. I read that my cold water in (single coil + cold finger) should be at the coil, and warm water out from the cold finger. To me that just sounds backwards. With the two condensers, should I tee off my cold water for each condenser, or daisy chain it starting from the coulomb?

P.S. before posting this I rechecked a few other links to try to reduce any crabby replies. I'm trying boys, I'm trying.

A 12"+ wide column on a keg is absolutely ludicrous... In short, It won't work.

Just build a standard bok like I did and hang out here on the forums. Slews of improvements and modifications will certainly come naturally as you learn more. Here is a hint 2"-4"...

Trick is not to get overwhelmed. There are over a dozen active members who I can list off the top of my head that have been at this for decades. Every one of them is still learning and growing in this hobby.

Its the journey, not the destination... Take your time!

bearriver wrote:A 12"+ wide column on a keg is absolutely ludicrous... In short, It won't work.

I think he was referring to dimensions for a boiler build there...

TBT.. maybe look into finding yourself a keg to use as the boiler, rather than building a boiler. Unless that's your thing, to build it all from scratch, then I say "go for it!"

Building a graham condenser for the product cooling may well be, as you say, " a little overkill," but it would work no doubt. And once again.. if building complex stuff is your thing.. then that's cool. A cheaper and easier option would be to go with a Liebig.

Tap.Out

Greatings TBT..
The very first question you got to ask yourself is "How much spirits do i want to make and what would it be" ?
There is no need to start out with a VM/LM combo still on a full size keg, if the only thing you want is a few bottles of whiskey now and then. Then a small size easy to build potstill would be sufficient.
So..think about what you want to produce, how much of it and...where are you distilling??? You already mixed fuel production into it...take a break.
Now, take the advice given and read some mandatory reading...soon you will come to a better understanding of what you need and how to get there.
Have fun and be safe...
Edit : the link in my signature may be a good starting point

lol, yes, I was referring to the base of the boiler.
The keg is a good point with it already being 15 gallons. The only reason why I didn't consider it at first was due to copper / sulfur benefits.
I'll only be making a few runs a year. I travel for a few weeks, then home for a few weeks in need of a hobby . I figured I should make a decent size run so that i'm not constantly making and running washes.
thanks for all the great advise. Any idea on what gauge copper i should use?

TBT wrote:Any idea on what gauge copper i should use?

I made a 20 gallon boiler from 16 oz copper sheet. Dia is 16". That weight sheet is something like 0.021" thickness.
It is super easy to work with, but consider that weight a bare minimum. A heavier gauge, especially for the bottom, wouldn't hurt a bit.

Thats the same weight that Moosemilk said he used, and he offered the same advise. I think if i was:

a) handcrafting a boiler and
b) heating with flame

i'd get a piece of plate copper for the bottom, like a 1/4". probably cost a small fortune but it would last forever and be great for dissipating heat evenly.

Showed up just wanting to make cheap likker, stayed for the artistry.

tp (sage)

TBT wrote:lol, yes, I was referring to the base of the boiler.
The keg is a good point with it already being 15 gallons. The only reason why I didn't consider it at first was due to copper / sulfur benefits.
I'll only be making a few runs a year. I travel for a few weeks, then home for a few weeks in need of a hobby . I figured I should make a decent size run so that i'm not constantly making and running washes.
thanks for all the great advise. Any idea on what gauge copper i should use?

Missed that Your dimensions should work fine, but I suggest using a keg until you feel the need to upgrade or downgrade to a different size boiler down then road. This forum holds hundreds of lovely keg stills if not many more.

Sounds like the perfect hobby for you. Plenty of time to read when traveling. You can start a ferment when you leave and get to it when you get to it.

A few concerns about running the Boka in pot mode. I assume I should run my primary condenser at first to get rid of the acetone. Then use my secondary Laibug for the rest of the run. Or just use my primary condenser the whole time? If I just use the laibug, Should I be concerned with my vapor outlet being 10" below the top of the column, and vapor trapped up there? Of course I'll have the needle valve open to reduce any reflux.

You'll have to run the reflux condenser the whole time. Otherwise vapor will just blow out the top (the top MUST be open to the atmosphere). Lots of people use a small liebig after the takeoff to cool the distillate but it should already be in liquid form at the take off point. You could reflux for a brief period at first to compress fores and heads and then just open the needle valve all the way and let er rip.