Never leave a still unattended

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Re: Never leave a still unattended

Postby Darwin award » Fri Aug 28, 2015 9:16 pm

tipsy wrote:
rumdidlydum wrote:Mate i think its time to park that rig up.


:text-+1: You can pay a high price for cheap alcohol.

I have the exact same one as you...it was my starter still gawds...14 years ago.... It's now a home for spiders and dust collection...a 50 ltd boiler and I'm never going back!
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Re: Never leave a still unattended

Postby Doubleuj » Sat Nov 14, 2015 4:54 pm

never leave a still unattended !! Even when your not using it!!!!
Did a strip run yesterday on the new pot still, left the hoses attached.
Kids went to play under the sprinkler today and pulled on the hose.
Down comes the still :angry-banghead: she fucked, boiler is all dinged up, lid is dented, fittings torn off, stinking farking NGW Dunder everywhere. Fark fark fark!! :angry-banghead: :angry-banghead:
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Re: Never leave a still unattended

Postby rumdidlydum » Sat Nov 14, 2015 6:14 pm

:laughing-rolling: that sucks mate :handgestures-thumbdown:
So whats your plan try and straighten or build a pot :think:
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Re: Never leave a still unattended

Postby Doubleuj » Sat Nov 14, 2015 7:43 pm

It was the new pot, looks like I can salvage the boiler with a bit of panel beating and the pot held up ok on second inspection, is a bit crooked and one fittimg came off the Liebig but I can solder that back on.
The lids ratshit though, have to buy a new one on Monday . But now have to finish my bubbler asap me thinks.
And dyna bolt it to the floor
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Re: Never leave a still unattended

Postby Sam. » Sat Nov 14, 2015 8:07 pm

That sucks mate, my kids know not to go near my still for that very reason :violence-stickwhack:
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Re: Never leave a still unattended

Postby Doubleuj » Sat Nov 14, 2015 8:42 pm

Yeah, problem is they weren't anywhere near it, the hose was on a 25m auto reel thingy, they just wanted the sprinkler on, plus they're 4 and 1.
That's why I didn't put them up on ebay, yet :laughing-rolling:
But my fault for leaving it hooked up, I had a zip tie holding the hose back for the very reason, but the other day it was annoying me while cleaning so I cut it off, which left the hose loose....
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Re: Never leave a still unattended

Postby Sam. » Sat Nov 14, 2015 9:41 pm

I know your pain mate, young kids have a habit of fucking everything up they go near. I try to minimize my distilling space and keep em out but that's easier said than done sometimes
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Re: Never leave a still unattended

Postby Dig Brinker » Tue Feb 16, 2016 6:58 pm

Ok, my turn...

Got everything ready yesterday afternoon, all nice and clean. Noticed that the keg boiler had been sitting on the socket that comes from the element. Checked it over, no damage, dry, all good. Fill up boiler, screw still on top, plug in power, switch on and pop! Sparks visible through the blanket that insulates the keg, smoke coming out. :sad: Off with the power, cord out. Put out small flame. Check the cord and it's actually broken where it joins the element. :angry-banghead: To make things worse, the missus pops her head out the door and says the TV has gone off. Check fuses, they're ok but when I turn a certain one back on the TV is out again. So I have a sparky coming around tomorrow to get my kitchen power points working again and see if he can reattach the cable to the element. I imagine it won't be cheap, but could've been a LOT more expensive if I'd electrocuted myself :scared-eek:
I will be compiling a Pre Start Checklist before I am running next, and EVERYTHING will be checked over. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Never leave a still unattended

Postby rumdidlydum » Tue Feb 16, 2016 7:13 pm

You are one lucky fella, it could have been much worse :o
Fire extinguisher might be handy in your stilling area :think:
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Re: Never leave a still unattended

Postby TheMechwarrior » Tue Feb 16, 2016 7:25 pm

rumdidlydum wrote:You are one lucky fella, it could have been much worse :o
Fire extinguisher might be handy in your stilling area :think:


:text-+1: Fire extinguisher and a fire blanket mate. Cheap peace of mind.

Glad you're still with us.
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Re: Never leave a still unattended

Postby xcvator » Tue Feb 16, 2016 7:31 pm

I do my stillin in the garage, if I'm busting for a leak I ring the missus on the mobile and she comes out and sits beside the gas bottle with her hand on the shut off valve till I get back
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Re: Never leave a still unattended

Postby Sam. » Tue Feb 16, 2016 8:18 pm

Dig Brinker wrote:I will be compiling a Pre Start Checklist before I am running next, and EVERYTHING will be checked over. :handgestures-thumbupleft:


You mean something like this?
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Re: Never leave a still unattended

Postby Dig Brinker » Tue Feb 16, 2016 8:49 pm

I had the extinguisher with me, didn't use it as only had a match sized flame on the blanket. Of bigger concern is the fact that I'm pretty sure the element is one of those HBS specials that I've heard so much about. Looks like Mac will be getting some email in the next day or so. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Glad I'm still here to still :-D
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Re: Never leave a still unattended

Postby Dig Brinker » Tue Feb 16, 2016 9:01 pm

Exactly like that, Sam. Thanks. I have seen that post before, I suppose it went out the other ear when I learnt the next thing.
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Re: Never leave a still unattended

Postby Meatheadinc » Thu Mar 24, 2016 7:41 pm

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Re: Never leave a still unattended

Postby rumdidlydum » Thu Mar 24, 2016 8:02 pm

Meatheadinc wrote:http://thewhiskeywash.com/2015/07/27/silver-trail-distillery-explosion-investigation-findings-released/

official findings ~x(

Thanks for putting that up meat.
150psi x_x I hope that the distillary gets back on its feet and regains its license after all they have been through. As for the supplier I would hate to be him.
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Re: Never leave a still unattended

Postby bluc » Fri Mar 25, 2016 8:16 pm

Good for silver trail sux for the employee that lost his life $45 sale for a human life. Remember people this hobby can cost your life don't cut corners. :angry-banghead:
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Re: Never leave a still unattended

Postby wynnum1 » Sat Mar 26, 2016 7:17 am

bluc wrote:Good for silver trail sux for the employee that lost his life $45 sale for a human life. Remember people this hobby can cost your life don't cut corners. :angry-banghead:

The previous government we had in Queensland made a big thing about getting rid of red tape when they set up this equipment what red tape did they have to follow a lot of red tape is developed over a long period because of events like this explosion .
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Re: Never leave a still unattended

Postby Bundaboy » Mon Apr 23, 2018 7:49 pm

It's, at least for me, next to impossible to not leave the still over an 18 hour or so spirit run, at least for short periods, toilet breaks, gotta eat, etc. In some ways being active, in some way, is a good thing, as my greatest fear is falling asleep.

When I do leave the vicinity it is never far (one room rule) and never long, and I set an egg timer with an air raid siren alert to ensure that.

Everything entails a risk, all we can do is manage those risks to the best of our ability.

I mean some people jump out of aeroplanes FGS.
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Re: Never leave a still unattended

Postby Tin chucker » Mon Oct 29, 2018 12:41 am

If someone could please explain how a still can expload. I understand that one could catch fire ,but am not understanding how it can expload .
1: if you were to run a stripping run with chunks of fruit or product and possibly it foams up and plugs the still ,it may possible rupture and eject steam. Not expload

2: your burner catches stuff on fire and your tank ruptures or explodes. Should be a no brainer as we all use a bbq successfully

3:your collection jar over flows and catches fire ,causing your propane tank to rupture or exploads

I had an incident a few years ago where I started to heat up my still and my son asked for a ride to friends a few min away.
I went out back to turn it off and it was started( lost track of time) . I was so surprised that I told my son to walk and I manned the still
This (what I had thought was a close call ) made me look into the dangers of home brewing and my response to the danger was to get rid of the fuel tank and run off natural gas from the house, and have my collection jars more than 3 feet away from flame with a metal heat shield between .also I put a tray under the jar that would divert an over flowing jar away from the flame. Some may think things like this are over board but think of it this way..... your running your still while the wife and kids are visiting the grand parents for the weekend. Your attending your still like a good hill billy and you drop dead from what ever .... your still will run safer longer in hopes that your family may have a home to return to .
Next year we are upgrading our home electrical and I will be switching to electric boilers
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