Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

It doesn't add up for me.

I noticed you've got some copper plate. Can you try an experiment for me? Try cleaning and fluxing a small portion of it, cut off a piece of solder and leave it on the plate, heat it up away from the flux and if it forms beads then your flux isn't working. If it tins the copper then maybe you've been using too much heat. But it shouldn't run away anywhere cause it's just plate and has nowhere to go.

What does the flux say is its major ingredient?

Only 1 weld to go, mount the elements and wire them up and I'm ready for a clean and sac run.

The drain and fill port can wait until I procure them (can't find a drain I like), and I still need to duck down to my pet produce shop for maize and grain stuffs and my HBS for malted barley so I can finally have a crack at MrsMacsBourbonKO.

Birdman85 wrote:Only 1 weld to go, mount the elements and wire them up and I'm ready for a clean and sac run.

Good stuff.. the perseverance is getting you ever so closer.
Have ya got a sparky lined up to do the elements for you?

dans.brew wrote:Have ya got a sparky lined up to do the elements for you?

Nah I don't. The elements I have use ec111 plugs (still not bought). I have plenty of leco mates anyhow

Birdman85 wrote:

dans.brew wrote:Have ya got a sparky lined up to do the elements for you?

Nah I don't. The elements I have use ec111 plugs (still not bought). I have plenty of leco mates anyhow

Handy if you have tradie mates.. one way to keep cost down without sacrificing safety.

So I just went and bought my ingredients for my first all grain. $2.40 a kg for wheat and corn compared to the $7 at the HBS. Unfortunately pets don't eat malted barley.

Now just to find yeast.

Bought my drain and power chords. Hopefully my first pot run will be in a week.

:happy-partydance: :clap:

Nice going mate. Did you end up welding the copper?

I got a mate with experience to do the shotgun and I've done the rest. Haven't had time to get out the shed today but I've been in the kitchen...

Between cooking a batch of chicken pot pie filling I put this down.



Found just under a quarter cup of Lowans in the pantry so I put it in a jar with half a cup of sugar and I'll add it into the mash later tonight.



Actually kicked off real quick.

Half a cup of sugar it’s going to blow the lid off that jar real quick
I wouldn’t have put a tablespoon of sugar in that much water

The Stig wrote:Half a cup of sugar it’s going to blow the lid off that jar real quick
I wouldn’t have put a tablespoon of sugar in that much water

Yeah I didn't really think it through very well :angry-banghead: :angry-banghead:

Ended up frothing pretty hard so I just chucked it in the mash and it started popping the airlock within minutes.

Now just have to make sure I finish the still and boiler with time to do a vinegar run and sac run (or could I use my first gen run as the sac run?).

Nah just whack down a tpw for the sacrificial run.

db1979 wrote:Nah just whack down a tpw for the sacrificial run.

:text-+1:

Burnt out my step drill bit on my 2 element holes. Wish I'd have paid attention to the material differences earlier. But I finished the holes with a borrowed carbide bit (in the drill).

Threaded the element through the keg opening, tightened them up (weldless) and added some water to find a nice leak. Ran a bead of 100% silicon around the hole, let skin and retightened to sit for a day or 2 before I retest.

Just picked up a cheap 3in1 welder too (now just need to learn how to weld ;-) ).

Thinking on Lesgolds virtual build earlier today, how good would it be if materials didn't hinder still creation? Dog food and cat food cans are perfect module sizes for a bubbler. :))

Rum with pal notes :puke-huge: :laughing-rolling:

bluc wrote:Rum with pal notes :puke-huge: :laughing-rolling:

We'd be getting some interesting build names though.

Chum the 6 module can bubbler

bluc wrote:Rum with pal notes :puke-huge: :laughing-rolling:

Yeap, that is disgusting..... Rum, who would drink it :teasing-tease: :laughing-rolling:

:laughing-rolling:

So I let it sit for a few days (in others words I had to work to help pay for centrelink), and the seals held up well.

My SS ball valve drain turned up...but I can't install it because I don't have insect sized arms so I'll have to be buying that 4" fill port sooner rather than later... Have to start saving though. Thinking about putting both elements and the drain on the one side so when carried nothing will be damaged.


Here's the insulation I got too. Hopefully it will do the job.



Only one easy flange to go but ran out of gas so I'll have to figure that one out too.

That insulation looks the goods. Can’t wait to see this boiler build. I made a mistake with my boiler and put the second element above the first. My intention was to only use the second element for heat up but this may change. It works but you have to be aware of your wash levels. I reckon I’ll eventually cap the top one and move it down. No major drama. May end up building another one in time after I find the shortfalls of this one.