Deciding on still

[Sparrow]

Gday all,

So after a couple of months of being stuffed around by the the bloke who was meant to be building our pot still my mate and I have decided to just buy a setup.

I've been doing a lot of reading and can't decide whether to go with a pot still, plated bubbler, or a glass bubbler (not sure if there's any real difference in the last two).

I thought the best thing to do would be to see what would best suit our needs. My mate is interested in old fashioned style moonshine (I'm taking that as close to pure corn whisky which he wants to add honey and fruity flavours to), for myself it'd be single malt/irish style whiskies and rums more than anything.

For these flavoured spirits what do you guys think would give us the best product?

We're not wanting to rush in but would rather get into it sooner rather than later with the goal to have a reasonable product for a boys weekend we have in September.

Appreciate any advice,

[PeterC]

I think you just bought the 4 inch FSD pot still from Wobblyboot? Excellent start. Good low cost choice for flavoured spirits. Easily expandable to a bubbler one day. This is where I am at currently. Suggest getting some washes on and get some experience. Not sure how clean a neutral you get with double pot stilling but I think it is OK just a lower abv than a reflux still but I think you would need a power controller to slow it down a little. Others on this forum would know better than I.

[Zak Griffin]

A pot still is a good start!

A plated column, or 'bubbler' as they're known here, is the ultimate in hobby Distilling. Either copper, stainless or glass, they can give you full flavoured whiskeys etc, and if you add a packed section you'll get neutral as well.

[Sparrow]

Nah I missed out on that Pete.

So are pot stills easier to run than your bubbler?

[Minpac]

Pot stills are pretty easy to run with a power controller.

Generally, the operation is strip run first, then follow up with a slow spirit run.

Bubblers are great, but you're looking at big bucks to get into one.

[maddogpearse]

Pot stills are great, and piece of piss to operate!
I'd recommend a pot still with parts that can be used to build a bubbler one day if you feel the need.

[Sam.]

If it's just initial cost as the difference it's not as big an issue. you guys can tell me if I'm crazy buy what we were looking at was this. It's a stretch financially but we figured if we did it once it's done.

REMOVED UNWANTED SELLER

I'm definitely not decided on anything though, pot stills just seem to be harder to find.

[Sam.]

I removed the link in your post as that brand is not welcome to any form of advertising here.

As said above I would start with a pot and make or buy the parts that will let you upgrade to a bubbler once you get sick of running everything twice :handgestures-thumbupleft:

If you are buying then a Five Star Distilling 4 inch modular pot like the one wobbly was selling would be my pick :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Sparrow]

No offence intended mate, and none taken.

That one you're talling about of 5sd was one of the main ones we've been considering.

[Wobblyboot]

If u have the basic skills, then a simple 2" pot still easy to make and cheap while u save for a decent bubbler :handgestures-thumbupleft: put straight on a 50l keg with a $79 3 ring gas burner and away u go :-B that's what I did. But if u can afford it, just buy the 4" pot from fsd and add to it later to make a bubbler.

[CyBaThUg]

Started with a little pot then two inch pot now building a bubbler wish I just saved my money and time and just put it all into the bubbler

[TasSpirits]

Go the FSD bubbler, you wont be disappointed, with 2 people chipping in you will be able to make the purchase price worth of booze in no time. Best of all you will have a rig you wont out grow and it will last you a life time. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[nuddy]

I made a 2" boka and ran it a dozen times before it ended up gathering dust for a few years whilst I built a power controller for it.

Got back into the hobby and fired the boka up for a few stripping runs whilst I finished the controller. At the same time I started building a bubbler, since the bubblers been built I haven't looked back. Hope my old boka doesn't hate me too much.

Definitely give a bubbler a good thinking over, quality gear that makes quality product. Go for a modular design and then you can reconfigure it to all situations you require.

[Professor Green]

Hi Sparrow,

You can't go wrong with a 4" pot still and either 50l or 100l milk can from FSD as a starting point. Built like a tank and a good base on which to upgrade to a bubbler when you eventually decide to do so as all the parts can be re-used.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

[Sparrow]

I know it's something to ask the guys at 5sd, but if anyone knows roughly whats it likely to cost shipping a boiler and still from Qld to Vic?