Home Distiller

I love working in Industrial Construction.
So, I found some stainless....
I've got full access to almost any kind of cutting, burning & welding equipment and/or personnel for fabrication but, here's the problems.
1) with so many things to accentuate your home brewing equipment arsenal, I'm at a loss for (feasible) ideas.
2) After about 3 to 4" most everything jumps to about 1/2" thick....
So I thought what better place than here to ask for insight. Remember, we still have to keep it feasible, they may raise an eyebrow if I start hauling out a prefabricated micro-distillery...
…..We can't use/have the crane.

If I didn't already have a preheater, I'd build one. Use the same volume as your primary pot still. Plumb everything for quick and safe dumping and recharging. There is at least one thread about them.

NZChris wrote: ↑Thu Mar 26, 2020 11:42 am If I didn't already have a preheater, I'd build one. Use the same volume as your primary pot still. Plumb everything for quick and safe dumping and recharging. There is at least one thread about them.

Found it.
It's from last year about this time from SaltyStaves. That's an excellent idea. I guess if it is a 1/2" thick it wouldn't matter....
Thanks for the new research Sir!

New??? I built mine thirty years ago using ancient drawings.

Hieroglyphics huh?....
I did just take another loop around the yard and came across a 12' piece of about 14" round Super Duplex stainless which is maybe 3/16" thick & 2-5' sticks of the same stuff in 3" round. I'll have to come up with some kind of a design pretty soon because that stuff won't sit out there long.

Mine is made out of whatever I could find at the time. Cost me bugger all.

I would collect as much of the most useful diameter pieces and pile them up in my back yard somewhere then go from there.

Stainless fermenters rock. Conical even more so.

Not sure if my math still works, but 48” of that 14” round might make a nice 30 gallon boiler....24” would make same as a keg, 15 gal.

I'm surprised nobody has suggested building the DILDOZER from idiocracy

NineInchNails wrote: ↑Thu Mar 26, 2020 4:05 pm I would collect as much of the most useful diameter pieces and pile them up in my back yard somewhere then go from there.

That's what I was thinking
Grab as much as possible and pile it in my back yard with the other stuff

shadylane wrote: ↑Thu Mar 26, 2020 5:23 pm

NineInchNails wrote: ↑Thu Mar 26, 2020 4:05 pm I would collect as much of the most useful diameter pieces and pile them up in my back yard somewhere then go from there.

That's what I was thinking
Grab as much as possible and pile it in my back yard with the other stuff

Absolutely .

Ever wondered why my avatar is a Rat on a Junk pile .

I have shelves full of stuff that might be useful for a build one day. A small percentage of it has been useful and I'm always very happy when I'm able to grab something off the shelf rather than having to go hunting scrapyards or buying new.

That's some heavy stuff out there bud. Out here in the oilfields, we have some projects going on that run 18" schedule 10 316. It's pretty thin, usually dented on the ends when it gets delivered and handled with a gradall. With what you're able to get, a stainless fermenter with a couple O-lets for thermocouples/thermometers, a fill port, a couple drains on the side at different levels, a bigger drain on bottom for the junk, maybe a spot for an agitator or for a heater. Possibilities are endless bud. Free is the best

NZChris wrote: ↑Thu Mar 26, 2020 11:28 pm I have shelves full of stuff that might be useful for a build one day. A small percentage of it has been useful and I'm always very happy when I'm able to grab something off the shelf rather than having to go hunting scrapyards or buying new.

That is what I like about my collection of wood, iron and copper: whenever I want to make something I walk around looking at my collection and ponder about what I want to make and what I can use to make it.
Works most of the times, which makes me very happy every time.

Solid advice on "grab what you can and store it". I'm working those details out now.

NZ, you grabbed my attention with the preheater idea. I'm putting together another parts list for upgrading my 15gal keg w/6" manway on the top and dual elements @ the bottom. A preheater would be a nice addition. We're starting to slow down here just enough I can start working on it during the weekends.

MCH, Thanks for the math!
I would love to have a 30gal boiler! Man, there's just so much material, so many ideas & projects and just no where near the time & money!

I would make a commercial size apple chopper and press

cranky wrote: ↑Mon Apr 06, 2020 3:39 pm I would make a commercial size apple chopper and press

See what I mean...., Too many Ideas and things I want to add to my arsenal.
That's an excellent idea!

I see lots of boilers and fermenters in that pic.

Also looks like a good start to something like fart vaders mashimizer.

Shwing!
OMG, so many possibilities.
... but I want the crane.

Fart Vader wrote: ↑Tue Apr 07, 2020 5:58 pm Shwing!
OMG, so many possibilities.
... but I want the crane.

…...No Sir.
The Crane is not part of the deal....(I've already asked)
I forgot about that build from Vader. From what I remember it was a really good read. Steam Jacketed?... I'll look it back up.
I'm finalizing the procurement now but, I think their going to make me wait until this job's completed and it's certain there's no use for it on this project.
I'm leaning heavy on a new 30gal boiler & preheater set up.