Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Bit stalled at the moment, tried to silver solder on the T pieces last weekend, I was using a mates LPG oxy setup, and it was in an open shed, very windy/rainy so I couldn't get enough heat into the 4". I have since got one of those fibreglass looking fire blankets. The plan is to wrap it around each piece then try again, of course it is windy and rainy again this weekend but I reckon a little wind/heat insulation will go a long way.

How long do you reckon you heated it before giving up?

Too long, also the torch kept flaming out, then the copper would cool super fast, going to have another crack tomorrow, hope I have better luck.

Stick it on the bbq, take the plates off for bigger bits

Thats sure to freak the missus out...again...just another day really haha.

Good idea though, might be more efficient using my portable oxy set that way, nice preheat on the BBQ well before I start solver soldering.

Try soft solder instead for your sight glass tees. No need for silver solder. Just make sure you use aquasafe.

Yeah that is plan b, though I would preferred to keep it all silver solder, I guess it won't make a scrap of difference really.

So here is a quick look at the pieces so far shoved together, still a bit left to do.

Nah, no difference so long as you don't expect too much from it. I used soft solder on all of mine. I made a butt joint for the reducer at the bottom of the plated section and just reinforced it with some extra scrap copper in behind the join. I flared the blockhead joint on both pieces by about 10 mm so both sides had extra surface area. Plenty strong.

Looking good!

Cheers db.

I started to look at what to do after the PC, and my budget for this build is about $10 bucks haha so I am thinking of using what I have lying around as much as possible. So here is what I came up with, I have a 3" to 2" reducer donated by a mate, and also a 2" end cap, donated by the same mate. I will silver solder them together, it will be a butt join but its really only gotta hold the parrot's weight. Then I will drill a hole in the end of the cap to reduce further to 1/2" or 5/8 pipe, whatever the parrot ends up being made from. I have a bit of straight 1/2" left over so I am leaning that way.

I will easy flange the reducer/parrot assembly to keep things modular, as you can see by the unfinished 1/4 rings.

Actually I suppose the smaller the pipe to the parrot the less volume contained inside, going to look at what everybody else does, is 3/8" too small? Then 1" for the body part.

I am thinking of a valve at the bottom to purge the initial fores and drain for cleaning after all said and done.

3/8" is perfect. 1/4" is too small. You're right, you want to keep the volume as small as you can. 1" for the parrot body is good but will depend on the size of the alcometer. Just make sure it's got plenty of room otherwise rising product can push the alcometer up giving a false low reading.

Instead of using the end cap, have you considered making a cone out of copper plate scrap? I made one for the top of my parrot but my parrot isn't attached to the PC. It's free standing. Make sure your add breather holes otherwise your parrot will surge.

He's a photo of my parrot with the cone. I'm going to change the 1/4" outlet (beak) as it's too narrow. Probably go with 3/8".

I didn't bother with a drain for mine, I just stick a jar straight under the PC and when I'm happy I've collected enough fores I swap it over for the parrot and start collecting off the parrot. The parrot takes a bit of time to start filling so it's an easy process.

You could also cut and reshape the ends of the 3" to 2" reducer so it reduces down to the 1/2" or 3/8" instead. Be a bit fiddly though.

I had originally thought of doing exactly what you said and slot the existing reducer to form a smaller cone but since then I have looked at tri clamps and the smaller ones are pretty cheap, I had also ordered an extra 2" for an existing reflux column I have on loan from a mate. I was going to get that going first but I will just concentrate on this plated one instead. My plan is to tri clamp the reducer on both ends, with an easy flange on the 2" cap, that way the only extra thing I need is a 2" seal.

3/8 sounds like the go, I'll acquire some of that, I have AC pipe but if I find some hard drawn plumbing stuff at least it will be nice and straight.

I had planned to fix the parrot to the PC and the drain would be handy for that, though I do like the process you are using, even simpler, I like keeping things nice and simple. Might have to ponder it for a while. The great thing about using tri clamps everywhere is I can change things around easily. The 4" ones start getting expensive but 3" and smaller are not too bad.

I only decided to easy flange the 2" cap to the reducer tonight as I remembered I have an extra tri clamp on its way. Soldering them together would have worked as well, but I might as well use the clamp. I am thinking if I was a little cunning I could use the 2" tri clamp to hold a bracket the would brace the parrot, rather than have it hang on the 1/2 or now 3/8 pipe only.

Mail delivery today, one of 4" to 2" inch reducer, stainless, for about 30 bucks delivered. Also got a couple of 2 inch triclamps at the same time.

I was going to make the reducer from copper but it wouldn't have looked anywhere near as nice as this!

These are some weird looking snags...