Putting it all together.

[Chips Molasses]

Hi Guys, I now have the keg with the spear removed, the $4.25 still head from eBay (confirm silver solder, not lead solder). I need to work out how to attach the still head to the keg, any suggestions? In the pics you can see they have been using some sort of small threaded end on the still. I am thinking I should cut this off? So the column fits neatly into the keg. The condenser holds water, so I think I am not far off being able to use it!!! The top of the column is open, so I will need to find a cap for that. Any tips or suggestions appreciated.

[Yummyrum]

Hey Chips ,wouldn't mind seeing a pic of the entire still head ....Its a bit unclear what you have .

A column thats open at the top may well mean its a vent if its LM or LM still......capping the vent will make you a bomb ......need to see it before any further advice from me.

[Chips Molasses]

I had to crop it down a little, but I think this shows all of it.

[Chips Molasses]

Also the column is packed full of steel wool, presumably for more reflux effect. I intend to remove the steel wool.

[Dominator]

That is an interesting piece of kit chips. If you plan to use it as a pot still then yes, a cap on the top will work fine. You could cut that bit of extension of the top, slot it length ways and hammer it flat then solder it to the top. To connect it to your keg the best way is an Easy Flange. Then you just need a 2" tri clamp amd seal from FSD.

[Yummyrum]

That helped :handgestures-thumbupleft:

It was a CM still which looks like it was made without the silly through tubes ....you are lucky.

So you can do two things with this ,take the scrubbers out and use it as a pot still if Rums and whiskeys is your aim .
You can buy a 2" copper cap from Reeces or the likes to cap the end

If you want to make neutrals then it will require a few extra mods to get it working. You have a nice long packed column but it could be made into a CM column by inserting a small coil attached to a cap down inside just below the takeoff or better still would be to cut off the condenser and stick a gate valve betrween it and the column and then stick a big reflux coil on the top ...but you will have to get hold of some more copper .


Re the attachment to the keg . ...Triclamp is definitely the way to go .

to options ...buy a 2" ferrule and a 2" copper coupling and solder it on ....or ...make an easy flange ....but since you have to order a clamp ,probably easier to get a ferrule as well

[Chips Molasses]

Are the ferrule and the coupling something I can buy on her? Or is it plumbing store gear? Thanks for the help guys.

[MacStill]

Are the ferrule and the coupling something I can buy on her? Or is it plumbing store gear? Thanks for the help guys.

Mac sells them 5 Star

The ferules are the same diameter as the 2" pipe so easiest is to buy a 2 " copper coupler from a plumbing shop for a few bucks ...Tradelink had them for about $3 and solder it on .

[Yummyrum]

Sorry Mac you will have to do it again ,I just re;edited it while you were . :angry-banghead:

[hillzabilly]

You could get a 2'' to 1'' reducer themo and bung then solder to column.cheers hillzabilly

[Chips Molasses]

http://5stardistilling.wazala.com/widge ... ubdomain=1

This one with the easy join thing?

[Yummyrum]

You solder one of these onto the bottom of your pipe

Ferrule.jpg

And you clamp it on to the keg with one of these

Tri-clamp.jpg

you will also need a gasket between them

Should end up like this. Can you see what I mean about the copper coupling to join the pipe onto the ferrule

[Chips Molasses]

I have ordered the ferule and clamp fro the macstill page. I have a 2kg nutrigrain wash dowj hope to strip it next weekend.

[hillzabilly]

So you will be cutting the 2''-1'' reducer off the bottom of the column with the threaded bit (remove threaded bit and 1'' tube clean up and reattach to top),maybe cheers hillzabilly

[Chips Molasses]

I was going to try and sweat it off with mapp gas. Then when the ferrule comes I can silver solder it back into the same fitting. I was hoping to leave the 2 inch column intact without permanently reducing the diameter. That was I can put scrubbers in and remove them easily if I get over making rum and scotch. I am not sure why they would have run with the reducer on the boiler end? Any ideas?

[Chips Molasses]

You could get a 2'' to 1'' reducer themo and bung then solder to column.cheers hillzabilly

So that would go in the top?

[Chips Molasses]

I ordered one of these too.

[Chips Molasses]

So you will be cutting the 2''-1'' reducer off the bottom of the column with the threaded bit (remove threaded bit and 1'' tube clean up and reattach to top),maybe cheers hillzabilly

I tried to sweat it out with mapp gas. Didn't budge. So I cut it just above the joiner. I didn't re-attach, I am thinking I will use a flat cap, or something like the plug with thermometer you posted.

[Chips Molasses]

I was using my bernzomatic for the soldering. I asked for a canister of mapp gas, I went home with propylene or propane..... No wonder I couldn't sweat off the joiner.... Also, took allot of patience to silver solder the ferrule and the joiner on, and it's certainly not a neat job. But it's done!!!

I will get a gas bottle tomorrow and do a cleaning run with vinegar. My 50l nutri grain wash is looking great. Can wait to get it into a stripping run, and then on to cuts over the weekend, and on to oak.

[SBB]

If you cant get enough heat into a job a gas burner if you have one laying around will help a lot, sit the job on the burner..get some heat into it.
Then attack with the blow torch. its worked a few times for me.