Home Distiller

hi,my home made still set up consists of a 11 gal s/s keg,the copper tube is 10 mm and 8 mm the thumper is 1 litre s/s,the heat is lpg,i have ran it a few times with vinegar and water,it runs with no problems, i will be doing 5 gal batches of sugar wash, the thumper does not over fill, and when you cut the heat siphons back to the boiler,i can run it with or without the thumper so i think it should be ok,as pot stills go,well i think so for now

> the thumper is 1 litre s/s


I'm afraid you'll find that thumper to be quite undersized. As a general rule-of-thumb a thumper should be 1/3 - 1/2 the size of your boiler.

so i have read,however,it runs ok,so i will need to to see what alcohol is like when it comes out

mcG wrote:hi,my home made still set up consists of a 11 gal s/s keg,the copper tube is 10 mm and 8 mm the thumper is 1 litre s/s,the heat is lpg,i have ran it a few times with vinegar and water,it runs with no problems, i will be doing 5 gal batches of sugar wash, the thumper does not over fill, and when you cut the heat siphons back to the boiler,i can run it with or without the thumper so i think it should be ok,as pot stills go,well i think so for now

So you have a 11 gal still and 10mm line? What are you, Canadian mixing measurements like that? LOL!

As said, the thumper is too small but all that will happen is less abv jump than if it was bigger. As far as the liquid syphoning back into the boiler when you cut the heat, you need to be able to "break the seal" immediately when you cut power. I have several connections on my set up to make it easier to break down and clean, the added benefit is that as soon as I cut the power, I crack one of the copper couplings in the 1/2" line just after the hogs head. This allows everything to drain into the parrot instead of syphoning back. If your still was copper sheeting instead of a heavy wall SS keg, you might collapse your still from the vacuum created in it.
Next is the copper tube, 10mm and 8mm? That's what, 7/16's and 1/4" tube? To me that's WAY to small, borderline dangerously small. Lines that small mean you have to go really slow so you don't over pressure your still. I'm running 15Gal and I use 1/2" after a 2" hogshead and I think that really is the minimum you should run on any still. Think of it this way, the larger line means slower vapour speed which means easier cooling/faster running.

just keep in mind, this is only an opinion and everyone is free to do what they want, but I would consider upgrading the tube size if I were you.

thanks for that info,however,i'm just fooling around with designs at the moment,this one seems to work fine,i don't think the siphoning back is a problem,but i may make some tweaks later on,but its fun finding out,PS i can turn the heat down so that the spirit stops running,and break the seal and then cut the heat,also there is very little pressure if any in an open system

greggn wrote:> the thumper is 1 litre s/s


I'm afraid you'll find that thumper to be quite undersized. As a general rule-of-thumb a thumper should be 1/3 - 1/2 the size of your boiler.

i find that the small bore pipe,work with the small thumper,who would think eh

mcG wrote:

greggn wrote:> the thumper is 1 litre s/s


I'm afraid you'll find that thumper to be quite undersized. As a general rule-of-thumb a thumper should be 1/3 - 1/2 the size of your boiler.

i find that the small bore pipe,work with the small thumper,who would think eh

You might find it works, but some people also find that drunk driving works just as well as sober driving. Doesn't mean it's safe.

Your vapor line is pretty small, meaning if a few pieces of grain get into the boiler it could boil over and potentially block the line and then your building pressure in the still = boom.



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i only use sugar wash,and unless someone has a solid case for it not being safe,well i can assume its safe

I read this in your I I intro:

mcG wrote:...hope to get your help,because i will need it

You seem to not want to heed the good advice you're being given.
Good luck with your journey.

sorry but i think i'm getting unknown advice,i have ran water and vinegar and it works,so it should work with wash,but if it blows up i will let you know,if you haven't run with small pipes then you don't know,it just a hunch

i think the main issue here is that we want you to be safe. there a lot of experienced guys here. does your still work, yes. do you need to be careful, most definitely yes. the size lines you have are undersized. for about 5 bucks you can add a pressure relief valve. won't fix the piping size issue, but is another layer of protection.

mcG wrote:but if it blows up i will let you know

You so sure that you'll have the opportunity? What's the consequence of taking advice from the group you sought out vs not? The risk doesn't seem to out weigh the reward.

But, I ain't here to tell you want to do, only tell you what I know. You only get out of it what you put in.

nuntius01 wrote:i think the main issue here is that we want you to be safe. there a lot of experienced guys here. does your still work, yes. do you need to be careful, most definitely yes. the size lines you have are undersized. for about 5 bucks you can add a pressure relief valve. won't fix the piping size issue, but is another layer of protection.

but there's no pressure in there,there's more pressure when boiling water and vinegar than heating a wash

mcG wrote:i only use sugar wash,and unless someone has a solid case for it not being safe,well i can assume its safe

You come on the forums looking for help, and the first bit of help people try to give you, you ignore it. Would you drive your car on the freeway with 4 bald tires and no brakes? Just because you don't die before you get to the first offramp you think your safe to drive across the country...

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mcG wrote:

nuntius01 wrote:i think the main issue here is that we want you to be safe. there a lot of experienced guys here. does your still work, yes. do you need to be careful, most definitely yes. the size lines you have are undersized. for about 5 bucks you can add a pressure relief valve. won't fix the piping size issue, but is another layer of protection.

but there's no pressure in there,there's more pressure when boiling water and vinegar than heating a wash

ok, without getting to technical. doesn't really matter what you're heating up. i could pull out my fluid dynamics text book but bottom line is you are creating a vapor. that vapor passes through your rig. you created "pinch points" that can cause back pressure. especially if they get blocked with fluid or other matter. your thumper has really narrow piping that may not allow for air to act as your relief. again, i would rather err on the side of caution here. use the wealth of knowledge that we have here. no one is going to purposefully try to lead you the wrong way. bottom line everyone here wants to make this as safe as we can for everyone.

heck, i've had still catch me on a couple of things, like my grist mill i'm working on. i'll never admit he was right though . might go to his head.

mcG wrote:sorry but i think i'm getting unknown advice

you are getting rock solid advice, and you are choosing to ignore that advice,

or worse yet choosing to argue with those very knowledgeable people trying to help you.

it is on you to open your eyes and learn something.

If you think you are getting "unknown" advise why even ask. Buddy there is thousands of years of combined experience here, why not take advantage of that.
You are not always going to get the answer you want to hear but the fact is you setup sounds dodgy as all hell. A one litre thumper fed by a 42 litre boiler is bloody ridiculous and an 8 mm line has about 100% chance of causing a pressure build up. Get your affairs in order if you are going to persist with it.
Edit posted same time as the above two.

ok guy's lets rewind a bit,i said in the intro,i could use your help,but not yet as i have not come across a problem yet,but when i do,i will be sure to let you's know,i have ran the still hard with boiling water,there has been no leaks and nothing has popped,so i feel confident that when i run it with wash,it will be fine,ok the first time i run,i wont be using the thumper,i will dump the first pint and a half,that will be the fore shots,some heads and the pipe cleaning,i will run it twice, the rest i will collect in 125ml amounts,i will check these out and keep what i like,the rest can go to the next batch,if i do have a big problem i will say so,so no one try's it in future,thanks

I think at this point it is clear to everyone that you are doing your own thing, and that it is against better judgement. No need to post an update, we have already made it clear that no one should try this in the future, regardless of your results.

We'll be looking for the first problem that you do want our help on. We'll be here for you, no worries. Be safe. Read alot.

thecroweater wrote:If you think you are getting "unknown" advise why even ask. Buddy there is thousands of years of combined experience here, why not take advantage of that.
You are not always going to get the answer you want to hear but the fact is you setup sounds dodgy as all hell. A one litre thumper fed by a 42 litre boiler is bloody ridiculous and an 8 mm line has about 100% chance of causing a pressure build up. Get your affairs in order if you are going to persist with it.
Edit posted same time as the above two.

i hope your not a betting man

ShineonCrazyDiamond wrote:I think at this point it is clear to everyone that you are doing your own thing, and that it is against better judgement. No need to post an update, we have already made it clear that no one should try this in the future, regardless of your results.

We'll be looking for the first problem that you do want our help on. We'll be here for you, no worries. Be safe. Read alot.

Awesome post. You really do deserve that new jacket

i get unfermentables built up in my column and lyne and condensor that bakes on and i have to scrub off SS from time to time. My gear has a much larger ID than 1/4 inch tube.
so who knows... maybe in the small tubes nothing ever bakes on, no stray baked on shit in the boiler ever falls off. never accidentally leave a scrap of paper towel or rag in the boiler. hell,nobody ever does that.

prolly never have a problem, but if you do, really how big could the problem get? Likely not much worse than silver trails.

nuthin to worry about for you. maybe your widow, but you'll be fine.

This thread reminds me of the "Glass Carboy or glass wine jug as pot still?" thread over in the safety forum. I highly recommend reading it.

My condenser line is a bit undersized and the tube is pretty small, too. Haven't measured it lately but it could well be about the same as mcG's. It is on a twenty litre stock pot but was designed for a six or so litre pot, I changed it when I got sick of emptying and re-filling the pot...
Anyway it does work fine, just need to blow through it before use; one time it was a bit slow to start and then a bug came shooting out....

Geoff

P. S. Re-checked, mine is half-inch Outside Diameter, that's 12.7 mm. Dunno if mcG's is inside or outside but mine may be a bit bigger.
But do make sure the tube is clear before you use the condenser; before that bug shot out there was steam coming from under the lid.... G.

The Baker wrote:My condenser line is a bit undersized and the tube is pretty small, too. Haven't measured it lately but it could well be about the same as mcG's. It is on a twenty litre stock pot but was designed for a six or so litre pot, I changed it when I got sick of emptying and re-filling the pot...
Anyway it does work fine, just need to blow through it before use; one time it was a bit slow to start and then a bug came shooting out....

Geoff

at last a man with vision

The Baker wrote:My condenser line is a bit undersized and the tube is pretty small, too. Haven't measured it lately but it could well be about the same as mcG's. It is on a twenty litre stock pot but was designed for a six or so litre pot, I changed it when I got sick of emptying and re-filling the pot...
Anyway it does work fine, just need to blow through it before use; one time it was a bit slow to start and then a bug came shooting out....

Geoff

Yes smaller line are easier to stop up then larger. Its all about moving steam with alcohol in it.Hopefully with none of the mash in it.

I added a postscript to my original post before those replies...

Geoff

I don't mind a small bet every now and then, last bet I had was a game played at the mcG , luckily I didn't bet my life on it

i'm glad i tried it first before posting,or i might have got worried for a second,or two

thecroweater wrote:I don't mind a small bet every now and then, last bet I had was a game played at the mcG , luckily I didn't bet my life on it

You obviously didn't back the Kiwis then........ Although they are doing OK in India.