My first build

[Dig Brinker]

No.

Unless it's food grade stainless and you can weld the top on. Even then may not be structurally strong enough to hold your still.


Or maybe galvanised whisky is tasty????? :puke-huge:

[Zak Griffin]

Could make a good insulation shell for a keg, though!

[ultrasuede]

Ka ching! Old mate at the local hbs said I could have it for free if I fished it out his shed. That fits my budget to a tee :laughing-rolling:
Time to hit the google machine to see how it all fits together

[EziTasting]

theres plenty of Youtube vids on how to remove the spike and how to 'make a HLT' will show you how to install weedless heating elements... see if I can find the links...

I like this bloke (gash slug) making a HLT;

and this is how you open and remove the spike from your keg... hope this helps...

[ultrasuede]

Awesome, thanks mate!

[ultrasuede]

Question, is it essential to have a cleaning hole on this? I cannot weld. I do plan on making molasses rum, but I do clarify my molasses by boiling it first. Also, I'm having trouble with the coupler design (connecting the condenser to the keg) the local hardware has never heard of it.

[bluc]

Once the spike is out you should be able to use a 2" triclamp on the keg and put either a ferrule or easy flange on your still. You will need a gasket between still and keg. You can get gaskets and tri clamp from mac at 5star distilling.

You can get away without a fill port and you can make a boiler with no welding just gotta drill holes for the elemnts then fit them from inside out..

[hillzabilly]

I would get a 2inch tri-clamp union from 5Star,and take ya 2inch pipe there and he may be able to expand the 2inch copper pipe ta fit,to save ya getting a 2inch copper joining ring ,or make a copper easy flange on the end of ya 2inch copper tube, wich will still require ya to get a 2inch tri clamp,as thats what the fitting on top of the keg is .cheers hillzabilly :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Plumby]

Have a read of this, viewtopic.php?f=41&t=76
This is how I attach my column to my boiler same as most guys here I assume. I don't have a drain or fill port on my boiler, just fill through the top, attach still, when the run is over I take the still off and rinse it out and wait for the boiler to cool down to empty out.

[ultrasuede]

Electric vs gas? I have a gas burner I use to boil my 90lt hot liquor tank. The stand fits the keg perfectly and if memory serves, it is 200,000 BTU (Great for stir frys). Too dangerous?

[Aussiedownunder01]

whats the garbage can for

[ultrasuede]

Was my idea for a boiler. Had sense slapped into me quick smart. Now I have an old 50l keg

[Zak Griffin]

Plenty of people use gas... I used to. Just make sure the collection point is well away from the burner.

[ultrasuede]

Here are my parts ready for brazing. My idea is to braize the condenser directly to the insert that came on the keg, that way I can just screw the whole thing on. The cooling pipe comes off to make this easier.

[TasSpirits]

A easy flange would be the go, that part of the keg is usually chucked out, for a few dollars more a clamp will be heaps easier to work with. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Plumby]

A easy flange would be the go, that part of the keg is usually chucked out, for a few dollars more a clamp will be heaps easier to work with. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

:text-+1: you are halfway to having an easy flange anyway, bit of 1/4 inch copper tube and a dab of silver solder and you are done

[EziTasting]

Yep, only point for keeping the piece you've removed is to lock down the keg as a storage container!

[ultrasuede]

Sent it off to get braised.. They gave it back with the elbows on the wrong way :angry-banghead: I also went against all advice and am getting the condenser braised to the keg screw, he said "It's impossible to braise copper to ss" :angry-banghead:

[scythe]

Yeah i have not tried to braise copper to stainless, but silver soldering does work, i have done it with 45% silver rods without too much drama.
You can also soft solder stainless and copper. , you just need to pay more attention to what you are doing.

[Plumby]

Sent it off to get braised.. They gave it back with the elbows on the wrong way :angry-banghead: I also went against all advice and am getting the condenser braised to the keg screw, he said "It's impossible to braise copper to ss" :angry-banghead:

May I ask why you didn't do it yourself, and why you are wanting to join the condensed to the keg coupling? You realise you are going to have to turn the whole thing to attach it to the keg and how are you going to make the coupling leak proof?