Second Hand Equipment

[Natjac]

Okay,

So I have almost hatched a basic plane to get started. 2 x 25 litre fermenters and a boka still (If I understand it correctly this would give me a bit of flexibility in the running of the still depending on how long the column is and if it were 'packed' or not).

Before I went down the road of buying new I thought I would look into the the second hand market a bit.

Is there anything in particular I should be looking for or questioning when looking at a second hand still or boiler?

Cheers,

Natjac.

[scythe]

That it works and is big enough for you.


5l is useless, takes too many runs to get enough to drink if you are a bottle per month drinker.
25/30L (T500) suits a lot of people starting out but they tend to outgrow it as they progress.
50L seems to be the norm around here for the last 5yrs I've been around, mainly cause thats how big a keg is.
75/100L is a big boiler, only look at that if you plan on big runs and sitting in front of your still for a day or so (depending on your column size).

25-30L good for 2-3" still.
50L good for 3-4" still
75-100L good for 4-6" stills
500-1000L+ ok for commercial enterprise

1× element is good, 2× elements is better (redundancy and faster heat up)

Still mount and fill port size will be important, and linked to your future plans (buy once, cry once, as they say)

SERIOUSLY CONSIDER getting a milk-can boiler from 5star. It works out about cost price of getting one made for you unless you have connections/skills with a welder.
Most people will not sell a boiler for under $400 as this is what it usually cost them to get in the first place, they dont depreciate like cars.

[The Stig]

Check for lead in the construction of the still if copper

[The Stig]

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=11879
Could be a starting point

[Plumby]

No brass in the vapour path, even " lead free brass " may still contain a little lead. You don't want that.

[Natjac]

Is there an easy way to test for lead or is it all about looking, looking, looking and recognising it by sight?

[Sam.]

Is there an easy way to test for lead or is it all about looking, looking, looking and recognising it by sight?

You can buy lead test kits off ebay :handgestures-thumbupleft: