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Ceramic or Pottery Still

Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2008 7:40 pm
by pintoshine
A person posted in the classified about trading ceramic or pottery items for a still.
It seems to me a talented person could whip one of these up if they were practicing that trade.
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This type of traditional Korean still is a lovely piece of workmanship. I think there is cold water in the top bowl maybe with a straw evaporator mat.

Re: Ceramic or Pottery Still

Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:32 pm
by big worm
wow man thats cool

Re: Ceramic or Pottery Still

Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:34 pm
by Thirsty Bob
Very cool! Thanks, Pint

Re: Ceramic or Pottery Still

Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2008 8:33 pm
by usagolden
That is nice. I am going to try it.

Re: Ceramic or Pottery Still

Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 8:53 am
by big worm
please post some pics when you do..also of the jugs, i would like one.

Re: Ceramic or Pottery Still

Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 10:20 am
by usagolden
what would a straw mat do, and where would it be placed?

It will take me a week or two to have the still done

jug pictures in a few days

Re: Ceramic or Pottery Still

Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 10:51 am
by Mantix
Me and my room mate have recently made the leap from brewing to distilling. lucky for me he is a ceramics major, after christmas we are going to build a 6 gallon stovetop ceramic boiler. i'll post pics when it's done.

Re: Ceramic or Pottery Still

Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 12:57 pm
by Husker
If you are going to make this, in a 6 gallon version, just keep in mind the weight of the BOILING mash, that will be contained.

If you have a flaw, and have a cato incident, then 6 gallons of boiling mash will spill or shoot out all over. I certainly would NOT want to be close to that. Just be VERY VERY careful, in both the building, and also the testing. Keep in mind, that a crack may for on a run later than the first run, so even though you get a good run (or 2 or 10), it still can cato fail at any time.

I agree that a pottery still IS a very interesting concept. I believe the Egyptians were making a fortified wine WAY back with them. However, nostalgia and exploration of history are one thing. Safety (personal safety) is CERTAINLY another thing to keep in mind.

You might want to start out with a 6 liter concept still, prior to scaling up to 6 gallons. A 6L spill will be less dangerous (and less messy), than a 6 gallon, if there are any problems.

H.

Re: Ceramic or Pottery Still

Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 6:27 pm
by big worm
wow i seen that and safety never even occored to me...thanks husker thats real good advice.

Re: Ceramic or Pottery Still

Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 6:56 pm
by violentblue
Husker wrote:If you are going to make this, in a 6 gallon version, just keep in mind the weight of the BOILING mash, that will be contained.

If you have a flaw, and have a cato incident, then 6 gallons of boiling mash will spill or shoot out all over. I certainly would NOT want to be close to that. Just be VERY VERY careful, in both the building, and also the testing. Keep in mind, that a crack may for on a run later than the first run, so even though you get a good run (or 2 or 10), it still can cato fail at any time.

I agree that a pottery still IS a very interesting concept. I believe the Egyptians were making a fortified wine WAY back with them. However, nostalgia and exploration of history are one thing. Safety (personal safety) is CERTAINLY another thing to keep in mind.

You might want to start out with a 6 liter concept still, prior to scaling up to 6 gallons. A 6L spill will be less dangerous (and less messy), than a 6 gallon, if there are any problems.

H.
I think this is something to attempt outside.

Re: Ceramic or Pottery Still

Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 7:13 pm
by Husker
VB,

even if done outside, if that still breaks, it WILL spew boiling wash all over. You get your pants soaked with that (or worse yet, fill up your boots with it), and let me tell you, it will be months before you are healed. Liquid burns are VERY bad things to get. I was burnt when 16 or so, in a resaruant when a cook spilled a 2 gallon square of hot AhJoo (spelling) sauce on me (from prime rib night). Literally melted my pants to my leg. Burnt the flesh right off. That was about 200 degree stuff (quite a bit below boiling temps). Took almost 9 months to heal.

If you bust a boiler when it is boiling and you are close, expect at best to be hurt for a couple of weeks. At worse, would be much worse.

H.

Re: Ceramic or Pottery Still

Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 7:45 pm
by violentblue
hmmm, good point but I always figured if I had the chance of being burned I'd keep a little distance.

Re: Ceramic or Pottery Still

Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 10:58 pm
by Hack
It might help to have a simple overpressure relief setup. A hole in the top of the still with a wad of flour dough stuck over it would probably work.

Re: Ceramic or Pottery Still

Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 12:15 am
by Ayay
Stand the whole caboodle in a 10 gallon dug-out, or wok?

Re: Ceramic or Pottery Still

Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 6:48 am
by Dnderhead
I thank it would work good but you whould want a slow heat up (soft heat) so the pot has a chance to heat up even

Re: Ceramic or Pottery Still

Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 8:34 am
by Husker
Again,

as I had mentioned, as an experiment in "really really old school", this would be an interesting concept. However, using this set to do any "real" work, might be a mistake.

I also think it would be "neat" to have a couple bottles that were built using true old world setup, but for day to day use, this still is probably not what someone with safety on his mind would use too regularly.

H.