My first still!

[Derpypirate]

This is it, it was made using an old wolfgang puck 5 quart pressure cooker, 3ft of ½” copper pipe 3ft ⅝”copper pipe, 2 ⅝” x ½” x ½” joints, 1 ½” x ½” bend, 1 ⅝” x ½” adapter, 1 ½” cap, 2ft of 1 ½” abs plastic tube, 2 1 ½” abs caps, several lengths of vinyl tubing, lead free solder and water soluble flux, also lots of hot glue for temporary mostly waterproof seals.


It works pretty well, haven't packed the column yet though so i still need to do that. I have 9 stainless steel wool brushes but i'm having trouble getting them in the tube (could i cut them up?)


I was having fun designing it and testing things so the design is not at all perfect but it works!


Ps i know the thermometer is in the wrong place, i like having one there to know how hot the wash is before i take the lid off





This has a bit of a strange design, where the first reducer/ intersection is a ½” pipe goes up and passes through the other t junction, it gets cooled slightly by the water running through the top tube and adds a little bit of reflux and takes some design from the bokaga (forgot the exact name)


water enters in the top and exits the side where it goes into the main cooler





This is a little cross section i tried to do on my phone its a little bad but hopefully it gets the idea across. Some of the vapour will condense and fall back down the sides of the main tube







This is a super ghetto attachment to attach the slightly larger aluminum piece that came with the cooker to the ⅝” copper tube. It works surprisingly well however and is water tight





Close up


Any questions would be great, criticism is greatly appreciated as well

[rad14701]

The aluminum has to go... The synthetic seals have to go... You need to guarantee that the reflux condenser and product condenser are plumbed so they never have air space and run contra-flow to the vapor... The column is too small to be trying to add packing... I'd strongly suggest starting over and building a proper still the right way... There are too many things wrong with what you've got there... Perhaps not what you want to hear, but what you need to hear...

[StillerBoy]

Derpypriate.. the best advise to you right now would be to build yourself a new still.. instead of fooling around with you have.. it was good to get to where you are now.. your have copper abilities, now go to the next step..

A very good place to start building a new (small) still, will somewhat bigger than what you have now, would be Rad's small apartment still threat under is signature.. that what got me start.. and never looked back..

Mars

[Derpypirate]

Derpypriate.. the best advise to you right now would be to build yourself a new still.. instead of fooling around with you have.. it was good to get to where you are now.. your have copper abilities, now go to the next step..

A very good place to start building a new (small) still, will somewhat bigger than what you have now, would be Rad's small apartment still threat under is signature.. that what got me start.. and never looked back..

Mars

Well i guess this isnt really the best news, im going to put this away then, ill build a new one in the new year at some point. I had already replaced the synthetic seals with flour/water mix and the only remaining aluminum is on the attachment between the boiler and the copper. Thanks for the help though, alls not lost, i learned a great deal while building this one

[ericrichards420]

plus one to what they said, basically you have a really good example of how not to build a still.
The boiler is aluminum and not a safe material to use with high proof alcohol. The gasket in that pressure cooker rubber, again not what you want to have in contact with high proof alcohol.
Not to mention a boiler that small is just a waste of time. The column to small to be use full as a reflux still. I sure hope that hot glue isn't in contact with the high proof alcohol either.
I'm not knocking your still just trying to help. Do the proper research and reading and you will see what we are talking about.

[Derpypirate]

plus one to what they said, basically you have a really good example of how not to build a still.
The boiler is aluminum and not a safe material to use with high proof alcohol. The gasket in that pressure cooker rubber, again not what you want to have in contact with high proof alcohol.
Not to mention a boiler that small is just a waste of time. The column to small to be use full as a reflux still. I sure hope that hot glue isn't in contact with the high proof alcohol either.
I'm not knocking your still just trying to help. Do the proper research and reading and you will see what we are talking about.

The boiler is stainless steel, the gasket i replaced. no hot glue will be in contact with the alcohol, the only materials that will be are stainless steel, solder, copper and glass. Plus a tiny bit of aluminum in the connector between the boiler and the column

I understand the technical faults with this design, I'm going to remake it as soon as i can with a different design

[StillerBoy]

Ya.. agree that the air has been taken out of the balloon with the posted advise. in the moment, it's not what you wanted to hear, but look at it in the long run.. you are now hooked on distillation.. like you said, put something together in the new year that will make you some good likker.. in a safe way all around..

Mars

[Derpypirate]

Im sorry if i sounded pissed off or annoyed, i really do appreciate the help though, im going to do alot of reading over the holidays and will try to make my next attempt as good as i can.

[ericrichards420]

Sorry, but if you look at the time stamp between your post and mine it wasn't posted while I was typing my input.
Was just trying to give good advice.

[Derpypirate]

Sorry, but if you look at the time stamp between your post and mine it wasn't posted while I was typing my input.
Was just trying to give good advice.

Oh yeah I see that, I understand. I really do want all the help available and feedback, I'm sorry that it seems like i don't. Thank you for your help though, ill learn a little bit with every post no matter how repetitive it seems

[ericrichards420]

Yeah, That's what this site is all about. Safety is a big deal around here and when we see something not right we try and help out.
I have some of my own threads where people have told me things I didn't want to hear. You just have to learn as you go and not take it personal.
Other than that, Welcome to the club!

[Derpypirate]

Yeah, That's what this site is all about. Safety is a big deal around here and when we see something not right we try and help out.
I have some of my own threads where people have told me things I didn't want to hear. You just have to learn as you go and not take it personal.
Other than that, Welcome to the club!

Thanks! I hope to be able to start soon! Im going to retire this still to distilling other things not meant to be drank i think, whatever i do, ill find a way to keep it alive

[markieb]

Im a newbie relatively compared to these guys but may have acfew suggestions to adapt what you have to make it use able.
Other guys please jump in if im wrong.

1 scrap that aluminium connection get a 2" copper tank connector aluminium deteriorates with high alcohol. Try a scrap yard/recycle centre theyre cheap enough.could possibly use a 2"-1.5" reducer and solder to the lid base side.lead free solder only or silver solder.

2 go get some 2" pipe and use that instead for your column uhhh 12-1 ratio I think so about 24" would be ideal length.

3 use the old column as your liebig

4 work out a cooling system to condense for reflux or use as a pot still your choice.
this may work but like I said im a newbie I dont wanna fuck noone up with bad advice or do I mwahahahahaaaaa nah safety is a big thing its in the rules we live by

[shadylane]

That still head, looks like a VM without the big valve
Or am I missing something

[markieb]

I think because theres no vent then its dodgy . flammable gasses with no escape and not enough side gapage to cool sufficiently could be potential explosion.