Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

I reckon the stainless saddles will be ok :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Peanut wrote:I have just recently purchased one of these stills and am now looking at making the changes you suggest. Mine has stainless and copper saddles, is it worth changing to the stainless scrubbers or am I better off leaving the scrubbers in? Is it worth adding extra copper ones?

Thanks for your help.

I've got a hybrid of copper and ceramic scrubbers...

Hi,

I have packed my column as per the advice in this thread using 5 of the same size scrubbers.

My copper saddles jiggle around a little at the top, just wanted to know whether this is an issue? Do the copper saddles all need to be pushed and held tightly at the very top by the scrubbers?

Thanks

Mine rattled about too, so I'd say your all good
Definitely don't want to over pack the column too tight

Doubleuj wrote:Mine rattled about too, so I'd say your all good
Definitely don't want to over pack the column too tight

Appreciate the reply Doubleuj

I'm currently collecting fores as I type, the guide says to expect the first drop at around 40-45 degrees, my first drop was at 30.4 degrees and it is drip, drip, dripping at a consistent 30.8 degrees.

Any explanation for the significant difference in temperatures, am I doing something wrong?

I will reduce the water flow rate after I collect the fores and hopefully bring it up to around 40 degrees.

Hopefully the above isn't an issue and things are going ok, I did have the top water hose pop of initially soaking the roof and kitchen but a few hose clamps took care of that. :laughing-rolling:

All good mate ignore the temp. Those drips and the rate they're coming is what's important

Thanks, I got a bit impatient and turned the water rate down a bit raising the temp to 33 degrees- its dripping a bit quicker now.

Thank you for this thread, I have recently purchased a T500 and I am obviously not using it properly.
I don't get any drips until the temp shows 65-70C.
I will replace the ceramics with SS
I have also not been using the needle valve properly, apparently, setting the flow very low at the beginning.
Is there anything else I should know.

Have a couple of the small hose clamps at the ready, it may save you from turning off your boiler and doing a trip to Bunnings. :laughing-rolling:

beaull wrote:Thank you for this thread, I have recently purchased a T500 and I am obviously not using it properly.
I don't get any drips until the temp shows 65-70C.
I will replace the ceramics with SS
I have also not been using the needle valve properly, apparently, setting the flow very low at the beginning.
Is there anything else I should know.

Sorry Beaull, I forgot to reply to your post.
Having your water on faster will create more reflux and keep your temp down

freebeertomorrow wrote:Have a couple of the small hose clamps at the ready, it may save you from turning off your boiler and doing a trip to Bunnings. :laughing-rolling:

:text-+1: lucky i had some cable ties in the shed for my first run haha

2nd TPW run today, first drip at 30 degrees.

I'm 1 hour in and I've only collected around 120mls of fores - I think I'm running things a bit too slow?

I know the guide said to run slow but at around 32 degrees this is going to take forever. I've just raised the temp to 38 degrees and after I discard 150ml of fores I'll bring the temp up to around 40 aiming for a drip drip dribble.

Am I doing the right thing here? Would appreciate any input.

Cheers

i have a question no so much about the post but more about the t500 cooling. i have made my own cooling condenser which works really good. what im wondering is does the t500 need the extra cooling water in the top of the collum? i want to take it out and make a new top for the collum and not have to run the cooling in the top. would make it also alot easier for cleaning and replacing the ss scrubbers as that cooling pipe i want to remove runs down the inside of the collum.

any info would be much appreciated thanks in advance

It'd just be a pot still with out the condenser in the top of the column. Many have tried to modify the t500, and apart from changing the plastic top to a copper one, none have been successful imo.
Build a dedicated pot still, they're the most basic of stills and won't cost you more than around $100 max. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

freebeertomorrow wrote:2nd TPW run today, first drip at 30 degrees.

I'm 1 hour in and I've only collected around 120mls of fores - I think I'm running things a bit too slow?

I know the guide said to run slow but at around 32 degrees this is going to take forever. I've just raised the temp to 38 degrees and after I discard 150ml of fores I'll bring the temp up to around 40 aiming for a drip drip dribble.

Am I doing the right thing here? Would appreciate any input.

Cheers

How'd you end up?

Doubleuj wrote:It'd just be a pot still with out the condenser in the top of the column. Many have tried to modify the t500, and apart from changing the plastic top to a copper one, none have been successful imo.
Build a dedicated pot still, they're the most basic of stills and won't cost you more than around $100 max. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I'm trying to upload an image of what I want to build..... It keeps saying the file is to big

Pic must be less than 1mb, if you're on a smart phone email it to yourself or screenshot and re save

i think i got it to work lol

You will find better designs here in our pot still section.

i don't like the dramatic decrease in diameter well before the Product Condesnser.

I bet this thing would sound like a freight train huffing 8-}