New Member

[Damo83]

Hello all and happy new year.

I'm new to distilling and purchased a T500 like many new to the hobby. I have ditched the turbo rubbish and have been having good results running low temps with TPW and FFV which I much prefer. I have been researching some DIY pot still options and am planning to build a 2" modular. I am planning to purchase a voltage regulator to dial down the temps when running a pot and am also considering getting a temp controller for all grain mashing. There are some great products out there but I'm sure with a bit of modification and perseverance I can make the T500 work for me. All in all it was paid for three washes in and I'm making some interesting gear but my real passion is whisky and other dark spirits so hence the pot build.

I decided to join as there is some really helpful info to be found on this site and I look forward to discussing the finer points of distillation in the future.

[hillzabilly]

G-day mate welcome aboard,sounds like ya moveing in the right direction to make some top quality hooch.cheers hillzabilly :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[woodduck]

G'day mate and welcome aboard.

Sounds like a good plan, your on the right track :handgestures-thumbupleft:

The T500 will be ok for your neutral stuff and they sound like their ok just a bit slow that's all.

[Sam.]

Welcome here mate :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Lowie]

G'day Damo. Sounds like you're on the right right track. Ditching the turbo was a good idea :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[bluess57]

Welcome Damo83,
no need for voltage regulator when running a pot.
A 2" modular bubbler ? go 4"

[bluc]

Welcome Damo83,
no need for voltage regulator when running a pot.

? I and many others have a different opinion on this :roll:

[Professor Green]

Welcom Damo.

The T500 does the job but many of us outgrew it fairly quickly. A 2” pot coupled with the T500 is good cheap starting point as you can use it to strip a couple of washes and combine them and ran again with the column for better results on your neutral as well as using it for good flavoured spirits. You’ll definitely want a controller for the latter in order to get the best results.

Going modular on the 2” pot is not such a bad idea as you’ll be able to re-use some of the components such as the product condenser on a larger build later if you so desire.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

[db1979]

Welcome Damo83,
no need for voltage regulator when running a pot.

? I and many others have a different opinion on this :roll:

:text-+1: I thought a voltage controller was essential for pot stills running electricity for spirit runs. No need for stripping runs.

[bluess57]

Welcome Damo83,
no need for voltage regulator when running a pot.

? I and many others have a different opinion on this :roll:

:text-+1: I thought a voltage controller was essential for pot stills running electricity for spirit runs. No need for stripping runs.

Lets take the discussion over here:-
http://aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=11559

[Damo83]

Hay guys thanks for the warm welcome.

I'm planning a 2" for now and going modular because I might want to run a bubbler, sight glass, or even convert it to a reflux or boka down the line. I don't want to build something that I can't evolve in the future and one day perhaps even go for a keg boiler or the like that I can run larger volumes through. I am planning on a controller just in case I need to dial it down if I need to.

I was planning on the following and would love to hear your thoughts:
300-400mm 2" copper from the boiler head to a truck clamp fitting this it can be extended or sight glass/bubbler added
Another 300-400mm 2" copper length to a stainless T with top cap and thermometer
From the t I bacicly want to ramp down to a Liebig condenser (would love a shotgun)
And that's basically it, I mainly want it to strip but want the flexibility to be able to upgrade it as I go
I have read they bubblers work better on bigger stills and column packing is the way to go for anything under 3-4"
There is just something about bubblers which I'm fascinated about but will see how I go I have also heard that running a few plates can mellow out and age a little quicker.

That's the current plan anyway

[Dyno]

Welcome Damo83,
no need for voltage regulator when running a pot.
A 2" modular bubbler ? go 4"

Bollocks. It’s as essential as having wash in yr boiler

[hillzabilly]

Hay guys thanks for the warm welcome.

I'm planning a 2" for now and going modular because I might want to run a bubbler, sight glass, or even convert it to a reflux or boka down the line. I don't want to build something that I can't evolve in the future and one day perhaps even go for a keg boiler or the like that I can run larger volumes through. I am planning on a controller just in case I need to dial it down if I need to.

I was planning on the following and would love to hear your thoughts:
300-400mm 2" copper from the boiler head to a truck clamp fitting this it can be extended or sight glass/bubbler added
Another 300-400mm 2" copper length to a stainless T with top cap and thermometer
From the t I bacicly want to ramp down to a Liebig condenser (would love a shotgun)
And that's basically it, I mainly want it to strip but want the flexibility to be able to upgrade it as I go
I have read they bubblers work better on bigger stills and column packing is the way to go for anything under 3-4"
There is just something about bubblers which I'm fascinated about but will see how I go I have also heard that running a few plates can mellow out and age a little quicker.

That's the current plan anyway

Firstly I would go for tri clamp ferrules(not truck clamps ?)for all connections,and replace the lieburg for a shotgun ,for stripping or running hard they are far supirior in my opinion and will handle any upgrade later,yes extra work and harder but worth it as its a one of build that will reward ya every time you fire up the still.cheers hillzabilly ;-)

[db1979]

2" shotguns really aren't that hard to make. Maybe make a parrot first though to learn soldering.

[hillzabilly]

Ifn ya all thumbs ,just buy the 2inch pot still from FSD and a t500 adaptor for ya boiler lid connection,at $365 may sound pricey but after gathering materials ,tools and solder etc etc you may end up pretty close and ifn there are leaks in the PC (shotgun)then they can be a pain to fix if you have little or no experience with soldering.cheers hillzabilly ;-)

[db1979]

Ifn ya all thumbs ,just buy the 2inch pot still from FSD and a t500 adaptor for ya boiler lid connection,at $365 may sound pricey but after gathering materials ,tools and solder etc etc you may end up pretty close and ifn there are leaks in the PC (shotgun)then they can be a pain to fix if you have little or no experience with soldering.cheers hillzabilly ;-)

:text-+1: that's some good advice

[Damo83]

Gotta love auto correct, meant to say tri clamp not tuck.
Thanks I will look into The store bought 2" pot still.

I do love making things and tinkering so will just have to weigh it all up?

Anyone here use a keg king keg boiler and their stainless reflux still? I found one for a good price!!

[Professor Green]

Hi Damo,

I thought you were after a pot still for your T500 boiler so you make brown spirits?

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

[Damo83]

I'm after a pot still to firstly run on my T500 but eventually want to build a keg boiler. I can do this with a simple tri clamp converter.

Quick question and I don't want to open a can of worms, does anyone run a shotgun from a water tank? If so how many liter tank do you run? To give some context I'm planning on builing a 2" shotgun (500mm long) to run off a pot stil. Need it for both stripping and spirit runs and don't want it to over heat but at the same time I don't have heaps of space and don't like wasting tap water.

I read somewhere 200L but this seems way too little. Maybe a better question is at what temp will the condenser stop condensing?

Sorry if this has already been discussed.

Thanks

[bluc]

I run a 200l tank 2 inch shotty 2" pot still With 3600w one keg strip run flat out is all I do in a day..