Home Distiller

Like many of you, I am always looking for ideas to help me when distilling. I have just bought a LIQUID LEVEL INDICATOR, the type blind people rest on the rim of their cup, which signifies when their teacup is full. When it reaches the level you set, an alarm sounds. This way you will never miss a cut again. Obviously seasoned distillers won't need it, but us absent-minded old farts can use every bit of help we can get.

If this is an idea that's already been thrown out there, then please accept my apologies and ignore it.

Here is one on Fleabay.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audible-vibr ... 3421719069

will it fit on my underpants ?

howie wrote: ↑Sat Dec 19, 2020 7:52 am will it fit on my underpants ?

I doubt it

srub it, dont work in ethanol.

I modified one of those battery-operated under-counter leak detectors that you can get on Amazon for about $5 each. Get a couple 5" pieces of 12 or 14 gauge copper wire from some old Romex that's laying around. Strip an inch off each end of the wire, and bend one end into a "U" shape. The length of the short end of the "U" determines how close you want the liquid to be to the top of the 500mL collection jar. Hang the two wires over the rim of the jar (short side in), Clamp alligator style clip leads onto the external contacts of the leak alarm, and connect the other ends of the clip leads to the long ends of the two copper wires. When the liquid touches both wire ends, the leak alarm goes off. I made my wires just the right lengths, so when flipped around, the long end is inside the jar for a much smaller volume of fore-shots.

This allows me to be doing other things around the house while the jar fills, and lets me know when it's full. I feel pretty confident in the pot distillation apparatus, as I've done about 40 identical sugar washes now, with the same results. (My blow-outs were in distillations 2 and 4, because I had the hot plate turned up too high. Live and learn!)

Note: Unless you want your neighbors to also know the jar's full, stuff some tissues in the alarm's speaker hole.

gregbrew wrote: ↑Thu Jan 21, 2021 4:45 pm This allows me to be doing other things around the house while the jar fills, and lets me know when it's full. I feel pretty confident in the pot distillation apparatus, as I've done about 40 identical sugar washes now, with the same results. (My blow-outs were in distillations 2 and 4, because I had the hot plate turned up too high. Live and learn!)

Unpredictable stuff happens pretty frequently. I would advise against any prop that might make you lazy about paying attention to the still.

here,s one i made dirt cheap but like previous post said though don't get lazy keep an eye on it but sometimes you get distracted.....

This belongs in the what-not-to-do thread.

Always be engaged and watching the still. 100%.

Don’t hook up electronics with current running through distillate. Never.

Duh!

Johnny’s 1000% correct.

I have NEVER had a jar overflow….’cuz I’m always watching it.

A “crutch” will “make you limp”. So, don’t fall for it!
ss

jonnys_spirit wrote: ↑Fri Aug 27, 2021 12:27 pm This belongs in the what-not-to-do thread.

It already is.
Agree 100% with the above posts, if your too distracted to know when a cuts jar is full , your too distracted and too busy to be running a still.

I consider myself admonished.

Exactly what is attentive in distilling terms? Staring a jars filling for 8 hours takes it out of me. My workbench is 12 feet away from my still so I work on stuff while keeping an eye on the still, I have flooded once or twice and have built a level indicator ...... yet to be commissioned. Both garage doors are open when distilling.

So I need a serious rethink and repositioning on kit and attention.

Andrew_90 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 28, 2021 2:29 am…So I need a serious rethink and repositioning on kit and attention.

Yep. No napping in “the bomb factory”.
ss

Mancid

Metal case transistors , surely not the ubiquitous 2N2222 … couldn’t resist zooming in . Man , you must had them in your junk box for a while .50 year old technology still going strong MOD EDIT : not endorsing the device , just admiring the build .

jonnys_spirit wrote: ↑Fri Aug 27, 2021 12:27 pm This belongs in the what-not-to-do thread.

Always be engaged and watching the still. 100%.

Don’t hook up electronics with current running through distillate. Never.

Duh!

+1