Is this a good idea - 35 Litre boiler to get going!

[Sam.]

Ok, So hi everyone, I'm new to this forum and have just joined up. I'm a long time home beer maker, 40 years i guess and one of my sons asked me a few months ago could i build a still for him. I knew absolutely nothing about making alcohol and my son only knew only a little more, only what he had researched. So he had seen on You tube, pressure cooker and a few small stills working. I set about finding a 6 Litre Pressure cooker and made a copper Still similar to a guy named Allan Manning on You tube. After the first run and a lot of researching about the craft, we soon realised the pressure cooker was fairly useless as the capacity was too small to make cuts but was OK to get a feel of the craft. After the first run , I bought a 19 litre Stock Pot from Big W, about AU$20 dollars, I couldn't see any way I could get the glass lid(with Stainless rim) to seal without using a flour and water mix, which seemed slow and messy. (you cant make a hole in the lid anyway, its toughened glass, it will explode).
The seal out of the old pressure cooker, although way too small, gave me an idea, as it was a U shape, it could fit around the rim of the 19 Litre Stock Pot, the V internal shape could sit on the rim. I bought a 30cm pressure cooker seal on Ebay about $3.00 and now I needed something very flat to sit on top as a lid, thus eliminating the need for a flour/water paste. Glass sounded like a good idea but getting thick float glass cut seemed impossible to get cut and probably expensive so i went to Bunnings Hardware and found a pack of three high gloss floor tiles 600mm square for $20.00. Invert the high gloss tile to face the seal (tile upside down), and now i have the perfect seal. I drilled two holes, 8mm diameter, made two hooks out of stainless threaded rod, these lock under the handles of the Stock pot, just a very light finger tighten to stop the still and the tile (lid) from falling or being bumped off.
It all worked perfectly although with a little heat the silicone pressure cooker seal got a bit soft so i purchased a slightly smaller Pressure cooker seal on ebay, a 28cm size, total success this time.
So yes, you would have to split a 25 litre wash with this 20 litre Stock Pot setup but with the biggest Pressure cooker seal being 32cm, you can buy a 35 Litre Stock pot on Ebay, 35cm diameter and 35 cm high. This 32cm seal would fit perfectly on the 35cm diameter Pot (35 litre capacity). and you could run a 2" column if you wish. You may need a modified brass sink drain to attach the still column, an adapter of sorts, to the High gloss tile and have the capability to drill a couple of holes for the 6 mm hooks to hold the tile to the Stock Pot and you can buy diamond hole saws, whatever size you need for under $10 dollars on Ebay for the centre column hole. This system allows you to use the Stock Pot to boil your mash and then use it as part of your Still when you need it. If you are worried about brass in your system. you can make a copper electroplating setup to plate any brass with copper for only a few dollars. You Tube should have some inexpensive ideas for that. I hope this helps and maybe give you other ideas to get your distilling into action. Pics Attached.. Michael

[woodduck]

Ummm huge points for creativity and using what you have but mate I'm not loving this idea much. Now please take note here, I'm not trying to bag your idea's or personally attacking you so please don't take it like that. I'm not beating you with a big stick. I am just huge on safety and this rig has me edgy...

I wouldn't trust a tile. You don't want that thing breaking. Will putting it on and off all the time make it brittle over time?

Brass is a big no no (I know you mentioned the copper plating but still don't love it)

Is the silicon seal good quality silicon? It may not be any good for high % spirit. Vapor leaks are bad news especially if your running this thing on gas. Those heavy alcohol vapors are gonna head straight down to those flames.

Flour paste is never good under any circumstance.

Mate I just can't help but think a keg would be so much easier...

[Plumby]

:text-+1:
Woodduck as Meatloaf would say " You took the words right outa my mouth."
Plus what is the glaze on the tile made out of ? I can almost guarantee it won't be heat tolerant let alone high % alcohol vapour tolerant.

[Stilit]

Hi there, tiles are fired at 1000 deg C and then glazed at around 900 deg C, the glaze is glass so impervious to alcohol, I have ran this a few times and I have total faith in it. These floor tiles are hard as and about 10 mm thick. Michael

[bluc]

This is not gunna end well... :handgestures-thumbdown:

[Stilit]

The tile could be replaced by a sheet of thick stainless steel if that makes you feel better! The tile idea was a quick and cheap alternative, the rest of the project is very sound. Michael.

[Plumby]

Look mate we don't mean to sound negative but most of the long term guys on here have seen some pretty below average builds that have not ended well.
I know from doing my trade that tiles are fired in a kiln and the glaze is a glass product but its the additives that they use in making the tile and glazing it that are not necessarily alcohol safe.
Plus the silicone seal is probably not alcohol safe if its getting soft under normal still running conditions.
At the end of the day we all want the best product we can make and im happy to spend a few dollars more so I know that the product I and my friends/family drink is the best it can be.

[Doubleuj]

Hi Michael, A+ for enthusiasm mate, I do love the ingenuity but unfortunately there’s many risks with your design that newbies might not pick up. Primarily the tile, the seal not seating properly and the clamps.
For what you’ve spent you could have bought a 50L keg which comes with a 2” ferrule and your boiler is done.

[Sam.]

How about a pic of your set up?

[username]

Not saying it would be a way i would build a still this way, but even a second $20 pot upsidedown mating to your pot as the lid/chamber would be a hell of an improvement over a tile, though i still wouldn't want anyone i knew standing next to it on a naked flame.
Put as many fixings in it as you want, and may be easier to fix your column to it.
At least it gets rid of a brittle porous material on the pot that you are cycle heating, may work once, but will only deteriorate over time.

Maybe admin should rename this thread....

[Sam.]

What do you want it renamed to?

Can probably move it as well...

[username]

How not to build a 35 litre boiler?

[Sam.]

How’s that?

Also I agree with all the comments so far, this sounds dangerous in many ways :handgestures-thumbdown:

[Professor Green]

This has disaster written all over it. I seriously doubt the sealing capability of the tile and tie down arrangement based on the description.

I know it might seem like everyone's ganging up on you mate but we're real big on safety here and even professionally built stills are dangerous pieces of equipment. Cobbling things together McGyver style is even more dangerous. By having a boiler that does not seal properly you're opening yourself up to all manner of calamity from nasty vapour burns at the very least to explosion and potentially even death.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

[hillzabilly]

I like ta think this forum is about lifting the hobby distillers out of the dark ages ,for safety quality and a little profesionilism,this approach will not make this happen,yes I have plans that turn a 500wt soldering iron into a still came from a bloke in the big house,but I would not make one ta save a few bucks,and we all know ya get what ya paid for.A good still will last a lifetime and could produce many thousand dollars worth of alcohol so saveing $20 bucks sounds like false economy ta me,as always I respect others choice ta do their thing but I will not stand by and listen to them trying ta convince others of this false unrealistic approach.cheers hillzabilly :handgestures-thumbdown: