Page 1 of 1

Whiskey Dome

PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2019 2:53 pm
by Westshine
Does anyone have any specific experience using a whiskey dome? If so, what observations can you provide or comment on? I'm looking to buy one to convert my bubbler into a pot still for running Gin and Bourbon.

Re: Whiskey Dome

PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2019 3:21 pm
by bluc
wouldnt bother on small still will make stuff all difference. Pot stills that use helmets onions or inclined lyne arms are huge and in this case size matters. All these things are to add passive reflux and increase abv. on a bubbler rc does the reflux control..

Re: Whiskey Dome

PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2019 6:05 pm
by Andrew
They look sweet :music-deathmetal:

Re: Whiskey Dome

PostPosted: Fri Mar 01, 2019 6:04 am
by Aussiedownunder01
Good for wank value :-D

Re: Whiskey Dome

PostPosted: Mon Mar 04, 2019 11:17 pm
by Westshine
Aussiedownunder01 wrote:Good for wank value :-D


I just ran 70L at 40% (been stockpiling TPW and FFV for a gin run) through my new plated column. I removed the plates and didn't run the RC, effectively just running as a pot still. I had a bag of gin botanics floating in the boiler as well.

At the end I produced 3 litres @ ~82% (oily product), 27L @ ~75% (yummy gin), 6L @ ~30% (tails). I cut production when it got to 20%. All up I put 28L @ 100% in and got 24.5L @ 100% out, or 87.5% efficiency.

I really can't see any performance reason to invest in a whiskey dome, except for wank value.

So I bought one just for that reason alone, arrives in 7 days. :cool:

Re: Whiskey Dome

PostPosted: Tue Mar 05, 2019 8:09 am
by southern45
Westshine wrote:I really can't see any performance reason to invest in a whiskey dome, except for wank value.

So I bought one just for that reason alone, arrives in 7 days. :cool:


Brilliant. Wank value is not to be sneered at. If it looks good and you get joy out of looking at it and using it, it was worthwhile. Be sure to post a photo of your ace new setup for us to check out once you get it built! Those copper whisky helmets to look sexy.

Re: Whiskey Dome

PostPosted: Wed Mar 20, 2019 7:47 pm
by Westshine
S45, it took a bit longer to get here but no less wank appeal.

Re: Whiskey Dome

PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2019 1:50 pm
by Lowie
Sweet mate. $45? Where did you get it from?

Re: Whiskey Dome

PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2019 3:22 pm
by The Stig
Lowie wrote:Sweet mate. $45? Where did you get it from?

Wrong
its S45 = southern45

Re: Whiskey Dome

PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2019 6:40 pm
by Westshine
Lowie wrote:Sweet mate. $45? Where did you get it from?


I think we would all have one at that price! I'm pretty sure it was about $238USD, the copper mesh and stainless spool where extra.

Re: Whiskey Dome

PostPosted: Sun Mar 31, 2019 9:14 pm
by Westshine
Ok so an update on the whiskey dome thing.
After all the comments saying I had to buy a whiskey done I finally did, and have now nearly finished a full 100ltr bourbon AG run. I installed a 4" roll of copper in the upper section of the column about 2/3 the way up and as you can see on the photo it's a pretty simple pot still setup.
My previous experience was with a 2" 1.2m column no packing, I would rip through a stripping run and stock pile until I had enough for a spirit run. So I expected much the same here.
Not to be the case, I started getting product off at 85% from a 10% wash! Most of the run averaged 65% and cut tails off around 35%, continued to collect to 20%.

There is no need for a spirit run, the "stripping run" produced well above expectation. Is this because of the whiskey dome? Who knows, but no need for a second run is fantastic.

Re: Whiskey Dome

PostPosted: Sun Mar 31, 2019 10:22 pm
by hillzabilly
Nice ta get a positive result after an investment,more surface area will give more passive reflux especially with copper,wich may be why you got the stronger ABV,would be interesting to run it without the SS 4inch sections,you may get a lower ABV but more flavour.cheers hillzabilly :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Re: Whiskey Dome

PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2019 7:51 am
by RC Al
Nice, Your possibly going to loose a bit of product to cuts vs a double run, but that's not an issue with the time savings. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

How much power and time, volumes?

Re: Whiskey Dome

PostPosted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 9:56 pm
by Westshine
I'm yet to blend the entire batch as that requires a bit of taste testing and I try to save my drinking to the weekend. I collected:
3 litres at 75%
3 litres at 65%
2 litres at 63%
3 litres at 58%
6 litres in 500g jars from 50% - 20%.
I should have done cuts on the first 3 litres but was thinking I was in for a stripping run, so will re-run it in the next batch.

It took about ~8 hrs to pull it all out, I'd also suggest there might have been another 500ml or so of product that got consumed along the way.