Moving from beer to distilling

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Moving from beer to distilling

Postby Thewolf » Fri Oct 13, 2017 7:24 am

Gidday all

I've been brewing beer BIAB for a while and thought I might try my hand at distilling.
I've picked up a 2nd hand bokakob for $70 which seems to work so I'll be trawling though here to see if I can set up a keg boiler and pick up some tips.
Good times ahead hopefully

Cheers
Thewolf
 
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2017 8:04 pm
equipment: Just starting with a bokakob

Re: Moving from beer to distilling

Postby j0sh2008 » Fri Oct 13, 2017 7:35 am

:greetings-waveyellow: welcome mate,

Sounds like you already have your foot in the door.

What do you drink?
j0sh2008
 
Posts: 231
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Location: Brisbane
equipment: 4" 5star still - 4 plates + 500mm packed section
100L milk can boiler - 2400W & 3600W FSD elements.
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Re: Moving from beer to distilling

Postby EziTasting » Fri Oct 13, 2017 7:51 am

Welcome, enjoy!

The journey will be fun and frustrating and rewarding, but then, with your beer brewing, you're already streets ahead of most when it comes to AG brews. Unless you prefer Rum or bourbon :D they is different again.

Plenty of build threads to help you out, but make sure that you read the Newbie section (repeatedly ...) I still refer to it frequently coz the answers are there!
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Re: Moving from beer to distilling

Postby Professor Green » Fri Oct 13, 2017 10:17 am

Welcome mate.

Sounds like you're set to start your distilling journey off on the right foot.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.
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equipment: FSD 100 litre milk can with 2 x 2400W elements
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12 litre double boiler with 2400W element

Re: Moving from beer to distilling

Postby Sparrow » Fri Oct 13, 2017 2:24 pm

If you're build skills are there you should be right to make one. Otherwise here or gumtree have keg boilers pop up from time to time.

I'm going the other way, just getting into AG beer now!
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equipment: 4 plate bubbler on a 50l keg boiler.

Re: Moving from beer to distilling

Postby Thewolf » Fri Oct 13, 2017 6:31 pm

Thanks all.
My building skills are probably best described as aspirational rather than competent so it could be a painful journey.

So far the current 10l pot lid the previous still owner used has jammed on the still and I can't get it off so it may need to be cut which isn't a great start. It's wonky and pretty rickety and as a process engineer I know a tilted distillation column in industry leads to channelling and poor phase transfer.

It's nice to maybe put some of that ancient university education to a practical use for a change
Thewolf
 
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2017 8:04 pm
equipment: Just starting with a bokakob

Re: Moving from beer to distilling

Postby bluc » Fri Oct 13, 2017 7:23 pm

It is possible to build a keg with zero welding.. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
bluc
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equipment: 2" pot with 2" shotty 400mm long 5x 1/2" on a t500 boiler.
50l keg boiler 4" still mount 4" sight glass 1" drain..
4 plate 4" bubbler, 600mm packed section

Re: Moving from beer to distilling

Postby Sugardaddy » Fri Oct 13, 2017 8:17 pm

Keg boiler is the cheapest way to get off the ground and running. If your not handy with a welder it is pretty cheap to get fill port and drain welded in at Enginnering shop. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Moving from beer to distilling

Postby Thewolf » Fri Oct 13, 2017 9:35 pm

bluc wrote:It is possible to build a keg with zero welding.. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

That's what I'm hoping. I need to trawl through the site to get the info.

No weld boiler fitting and 34mm hole and clamp to the nozzle on the top of the keg. I'm okay with the first, I need to figure the flange from the still
Thewolf
 
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2017 8:04 pm
equipment: Just starting with a bokakob

Re: Moving from beer to distilling

Postby bluc » Fri Oct 13, 2017 9:42 pm

Check out ezi ezi flange in tips from workbenchhttp://aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=76
bluc
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Posts: 8967
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2015 5:47 pm
Location: sunshine coast
equipment: 2" pot with 2" shotty 400mm long 5x 1/2" on a t500 boiler.
50l keg boiler 4" still mount 4" sight glass 1" drain..
4 plate 4" bubbler, 600mm packed section


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