Home Distiller

Seeing a lot of new younger member's building some awesome stuff. Got my build bug active! I'm sure us old timers could build something worthy? Any takers? I'm starting a vm thingy.

Come on then googe lets see the shiny!

I’m keen googe .
Well not for a pissing comp , but to get the 4” out again .
Last time I used it was at the old place with gas and outdoors . The cooling tank was too small to get a run done unless it has a week or so to cool down after the stripping runs . The bastard was heavy and awkward to set up and dismantle on my own and I had to strap it to the roof for stability and use a ladder to adjust .

And I did wrap it in blankets Now got electric and indoors . Plus a 3000l coolant tank .
And a 4” outlet on my 80l keg .

So worth revisiting .Need to make a better RC . Was just using a combo of RC and PC off the plater . Although it worked it was a dodgy setup :

As far as pissing goes , I got similar to you googe at a smidge over 3l/h .
Not sure how SMF is getting 6l/h , but heck , if thats doable , I’m keen .

Love shinny moose I'm not talking about out put rates, everyone has there own opinions. I'm talking builds, like whiskey worrior is doing, next level.

googe wrote: ↑Fri Oct 11, 2024 10:56 pm Love shinny moose I'm not talking about out put rates, everyone has there own opinions. I'm talking builds, like whiskey worrior is doing, next level.

I think we all do here googe! Haha

I'd really love to see someone do an in depth build thread on a continuous stripper, a really well thought out and efficient one.
I've got a pretty strong feeling that I will build one myself when I retire and have lots of time to play

I hear ya moose, time is Limited. I'm verging into retirement and focusing on hobbies.

MooseMan wrote: ↑Fri Oct 11, 2024 11:02 pm I'd really love to see someone do an in depth build thread on a continuous stripper, a really well thought out and efficient one.

I've got something in the works that I think is going to knock your guys socks off... the project was delayed due to my cross country move.

Bolverk wrote: ↑Sat Oct 12, 2024 2:25 am

MooseMan wrote: ↑Fri Oct 11, 2024 11:02 pm I'd really love to see someone do an in depth build thread on a continuous stripper, a really well thought out and efficient one.

I've got something in the works that I think is going to knock your guys socks off... the project was delayed due to my cross country move.

I will be waiting in great anticipation!

MooseMan wrote: ↑Sat Oct 12, 2024 3:13 am

Bolverk wrote: ↑Sat Oct 12, 2024 2:25 am

MooseMan wrote: ↑Fri Oct 11, 2024 11:02 pm I'd really love to see someone do an in depth build thread on a continuous stripper, a really well thought out and efficient one.

I've got something in the works that I think is going to knock your guys socks off... the project was delayed due to my cross country move.

I will be waiting in great anticipation!

Heck
I’m excited

Your Steam stripper was a blast …… can’t wait

MooseMan wrote: ↑Fri Oct 11, 2024 11:02 pm I'd really love to see someone do an in depth build thread on a continuous stripper, a really well thought out and efficient one.

Check out laboratory water distillers such as these https://adelab.com.au/index.php?contro ... chment=851. They use the feed as the coolant. So all you need is a reservoir and pump for the feed and a seperate collection chamber.

kimbodious wrote: ↑Sat Oct 12, 2024 12:00 pm

MooseMan wrote: ↑Fri Oct 11, 2024 11:02 pm I'd really love to see someone do an in depth build thread on a continuous stripper, a really well thought out and efficient one.

Check out laboratory water distillers such as these https://adelab.com.au/index.php?contro ... chment=851. They use the feed as the coolant. So all you need is a reservoir and pump for the feed and a seperate collection chamber.

I used to use an almost identical unit ( same glassware , different case) at my old work . Alas , more water ( maybe five to ten times) went down the drain as was distilled .
I guess the glass condenser wasn’t the most efficient . May have worked better with a copper condenser . I guess another difference is that a water distiller is basically just distilling 99.9% water .
Whereas we are trying to seperate 10% alc from 90% of water so there needs to be plates or packing to allow separation of the two .

The water still maintains a set level of feed in the boiler sending excess to “drain”. So the feed enters via the condenser and then goes in to the boiler with excess going to the drain or in our case return to the reservoir and pump. You can reduce the flow of the feed a fair bit but that tends to increase the temp of the feed going to the drain.

googe wrote: ↑Wed Oct 09, 2024 10:37 pm Seeing a lot of new younger member's building some awesome stuff. Got my build bug active! I'm sure us old timers could build something worthy? Any takers? I'm starting a vm thingy.

I'm getting too lazy, I'd rather encourage someone else to do the building.
Maybe there should be a section on the forum for old farts to suggest build ideas or experiments.
It would be an excellent place for newbies to get ideas for earning bragging rights.

If I ever get around to it, a wood fired copper still commonly used for brandy is high on my build plans.
Old school, simple and practical.

shadylane wrote: ↑Sat Oct 12, 2024 8:56 pm

googe wrote: ↑Wed Oct 09, 2024 10:37 pm Seeing a lot of new younger member's building some awesome stuff. Got my build bug active! I'm sure us old timers could build something worthy? Any takers? I'm starting a vm thingy.

I'm getting too lazy, I'd rather encourage someone else to do the building.
Maybe there should be a section on the forum for old farts to suggest build ideas or experiments.
It would be an excellent place for newbies to get ideas for earning bragging rights.

If I ever get around to it, a wood fired copper still commonly used for brandy is high on my build plans.
Old school, simple and practical.

Used to be " Let's get Shady to build it, he'll build anything"...

Googe definitely was another one that did a bunch of RnD too.

shadylane wrote: ↑Sat Oct 12, 2024 8:56 pm I'm getting too lazy, I'd rather encourage someone else to do the building.
Maybe there should be a section on the forum for old farts to suggest build ideas or experiments.
It would be an excellent place for newbies to get ideas for earning bragging rights.

Man, I'll jump on that low hanging fruit!

I literally have two runs on my new set up and I'm itching to build something else. I'm thinking about a column and shotgun next to work with my boiler, but I need to do a lot more research before I start. I'm also about to step of into the stainless MIG world. I put my hands on another 15.5 keg that's not as nice as my original keg as a guinea pig.

Y'all know my original set up, most of you helped me put it together. I'd love suggestions for a modular column, and shotgun set up that would just mean swapping out some parts from the original set up.

Rusty

Rusty Ole Bucket wrote: ↑Sun Oct 13, 2024 4:51 pm

shadylane wrote: ↑Sat Oct 12, 2024 8:56 pm I'm getting too lazy, I'd rather encourage someone else to do the building.
Maybe there should be a section on the forum for old farts to suggest build ideas or experiments.
It would be an excellent place for newbies to get ideas for earning bragging rights.

Man, I'll jump on that low hanging fruit!

I literally have two runs on my new set up and I'm itching to build something else. I'm thinking about a column and shotgun next to work with my boiler, but I need to do a lot more research before I start. I'm also about to step of into the stainless MIG world. I put my hands on another 15.5 keg that's not as nice as my original keg as a guinea pig.

Y'all know my original set up, most of you helped me put it together. I'd love suggestions for a modular column, and shotgun set up that would just mean swapping out some parts from the original set up.

Rusty

When you say, "modular column", do you mean a packed column or a cap/plate column? I recently completed a 4" VM and it turned out to work exactly as I had hoped. In that topic it lists links to stainless pipe for a VERY reasonable price. You just need to cut it square and weld Tri-Clamp ferrules to it. Here's another recent topic showing some keg modifications, but no welding. Welding would work too though.

No one on the forum has the first bragging rights for having built one of these copper pots.


viewtopic.php?t=76359

Salt Must Flow wrote: ↑Sun Oct 13, 2024 4:59 pm When you say, "modular column", do you mean a packed column or a cap/plate column? I recently completed a 4" VM and it turned out to work exactly as I had hoped. In that topic it lists links to stainless pipe for a VERY reasonable price. You just need to cut it square and weld Tri-Clamp ferrules to it. Here's another recent topic showing some keg modifications, but no welding. Welding would work too though.

By modular, I just mean will work with my current 2" ferrule/tri clamp configuration. I'm not sure which I'd like two try first, but maybe end up figuring out how to do both eventually. I have a lot more reading to do before I decide, but i thought Shady's comment was interesting. The old guard challenging the noobies to "name that tune ".

I've been following your VM build, very nice indeed.

Rusty

If you want that kind of thing Rusty, it's pretty easy, click the link in the bottom of Kimbo's posts.
My own modular heads are based on that, as are many others.

And yeah, SMF's thread on his 4" build can be translated to any sized reflux head really .

"Modular builds" just by the description it's easy to see the basis idea. Components are clamped together with tri-clamps. Not much room for thinking outside the box, mostly just perfecting what already works, with the two-dimensional parts we have at hand.

Nothing wrong with that, but I want to see someone annealing, smashing and forming copper into 3-dimensional shapes. To me that's winning bragging rights in a builders pissing contest.
If Ya'll don't quit talking about "modular"
I'm a fixen to drag out the plasma cutter, tig welder and spend lots of money on copper

shadylane wrote: ↑Tue Oct 15, 2024 11:52 pm "Modular builds" just by the description it's easy to see the basis idea. Components are clamped together with tri-clamps. Not much room for thinking outside the box, mostly just perfecting what already works, with the two-dimensional parts we have at hand.

Nothing wrong with that, but I want to see someone annealing, smashing and forming copper into 3-dimensional shapes. To me that's winning bragging rights in a builders pissing contest.
If Ya'll don't quit talking about "modular"
I'm a fixen to drag out the plasma cutter, tig welder and spend lots of money on copper

Hee hee ……modular
The fight’n words needed to get the old guard back in the shed .

I figure 18 gauge aka 36 ounce copper would be enough for the bottom and sides of a small copper pot.
24 gauge - 16 ounce would be stiff enough for the water seal and cap.

24" x 24" of 36 ounce copper for the bottom and two 24" x 24" of 16 ounce for the sides and cap.
Damn buying gold will be almost cheaper.
Almost seems a shame to spend that much money and then spend hours smacking it with a hammer.
The hell of it is, I don't even need a copper pot of this style.

shadylane wrote: ↑Wed Oct 16, 2024 1:16 am 24" x 24" of 36 ounce copper for the bottom and two 24" x 24" of 16 ounce for the sides and cap.
Damn buying gold will be almost cheaper.
Almost seems a shame to spend that much money and then spend hours smacking it with a hammer.
The hell of it is, I don't even need a copper pot of this style.

Could you use a stainless disk for the base, and Stainless cone of some kind for the top/cap?
That would minimise the spend on copper a fair bit shady as you'd only have to buy copper for wrapping?

Not so much fun to solder though, unless you have learned to tig Copper to Stainless...

Everybody already knows my opinion on off the shelf stainless bits and pieces.
Nothing beats home built copper.
99% of the cheap staino stuff out there has been copied from ideas that builders here and on other forums have thought up and built.
Without home builders, the hobby and the stills we use would not have progressed to the point that they have.
My two bobs worth so I'll just right now

Saltbush Bill wrote: ↑Wed Oct 16, 2024 2:11 am Everybody already knows my opinion on off the shelf stainless bits and pieces.
Nothing beats home built copper.
99% of the cheap staino stuff out there has been copied from ideas that builders here and on other forums have thought up and built.
Without home builders, the hobby and the stills we use would not have progressed to the point that they have.
My two bobs worth so I'll just right now

No need to keep your trap shut Salty . I whole heartedly agree .
The Stainless steel clone machine most definitely gets it’s ideas from the hard yakka that folk on this and other forums have done .

I’m still trying to get get my head around who was the first person that took the spear out of a Sanke keg and figured …… hell …. Thats about the same size as a 2” triclamp …… and OMG ….. it fits





And so it began


But the real work was done by the copper workers

They come up with the real stuff

Saltbush Bill wrote: ↑Wed Oct 16, 2024 2:11 am Everybody already knows my opinion on off the shelf stainless bits and pieces.
Nothing beats home built copper.
99% of the cheap staino stuff out there has been copied from ideas that builders here and on other forums have thought up and built.
Without home builders, the hobby and the stills we use would not have progressed to the point that they have.
My two bobs worth so I'll just right now

I share the same opinion of the "Off the shelf" stills as a whole Bill, but I was suggesting swapping out some of the bits for Stainless plate, in order to save money on Copper which is at crazy prices right now.
A Stainless disk as a base on a still for example, would be unseen but would add a great deal of rigidity while being a fair bit cheaper than a disk cut from copper sheet.

Don't ever stay silent, your input is always respected.

These would make good bottoms for a kettle.
Toledo Metal Spinning - Flat Lids
$83 for a 21.5" diameter lid.

A friend and I bought 2 hoppers (funnels) and lids from them about 20-25 yrs ago to make 13 gallon conical fermenters. Very good quality, and I recall paying about $80 for each hopper & lid.

Then some of the homebrew equipment makers started complaining to TMS about users buying direct for much less, so they raised their prices 2-3x for direct sales.

Unfortunately I sold the conical I made about 10 years ago when my brewing tapered off (obviously before I discovered this hobby).

OOOHHHH, I get it, y'all don't want me clamping and screwing stuff together, I need to be beating on stuff! Well....

I like the idea of a section to show ideas shady. Its already covered though I guess with the forum boards. Glad ive got you thinking of building though haha