Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Hey all,

I thought I would make any Kiwis out there aware that there is a Lower Hutt engineering firm - Barnicol Engineering - producing T500 style reflux condensors made from copper.
They are selling on Trademe for a buy now of $440NZ including 25L boiler or $350NZ for just the condenser.

I have purchased one to test it out and also had a exchangable pot still condenser and lid made for an extra $80.

All up it is a shit load cheaper than the same thing at the local HBS.

Has anyone had any experience with the copper versions of the T500?

I'm putting a TPW stripping run through the new pot still this weekend and will do a reflux run next week. I will post the results here.

It is not as cheap as a DYI but for me it was an easy option and reasonably priced ;)
I will post some photos soon as well.

Just an update on this still.
The workmanship is great and I am really happy. No plastic cap or any cheap parts.
Ran 2x 25L TPW through the pot condensor and collected 2x 4.5L @ 47%ABV in 2.5hours (2000W element).
I noted times, temps etc of each run and both were within a minute of each other so very consistant ;)

Added this to about 6L of water and ran through the copper reflux with a hearts collection of 3.25L @ 95%. 100ml F/S, 300ml Heads and 1L tails before I shut down (was still getting a couple drops a second at about 80%ABV).
The reckon the T500 style has no noticable tails but I think thats not true.
The hearts are the best I have done.

Overall I am really happy with this setup and would recommend to anyone in NZ. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Thanks for the update CB :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Pics???

My still arrived yesterday :handgestures-thumbupleft:



I have learnt alot from hanging round here this week & are glad I got my still for nearly half the retail price of LHBS
The thermometer looks very budget so might keep an eye out for something better



By the end of next week I reckon I will be ready to build my own :D But will settle on making a parrot & concentrate on making product in the mean time.

TWP been down for 9 days now & has slowed down heaps but still has alot of colour to it......need to get back to town to grab another fermentor :dance:

Quick test for Me 8-} .....My still is a CM reflux???

Hi After a lot of thought and reading the opinions of people on here I decided to go with what I thought was aT500, with copper replacing the S/S. I had seen one on Trade Me selling for over $600.00NZ but even at that it appeared to be good value when measured against the T500.
Further enquiries led me to copperhead distilling @xtra.co.nz. This is an engineering company who made T500 stills before the manufacture was taken off shore to China. I found that there were no plastic parts, (a problem, with the T500) in their stills.
I cut trade me out of the loop and bought one direct from the makers. It is heaps less expensive than the T500 and I am about to put it to the real test. For the cynical amongst you I am fairly new to distilling. I have no connection with any still maker or seller. Just thought that I would share this with you and let you know that my PLASTIC Duplast has gone to a good home.

Bob127 wrote: I found that there were no plastic parts,

hey Bob is yours the same as mine pictured above?

Fatherjack wrote: My still is a CM reflux???

Sure is :handgestures-thumbupleft:

They look pretty nice eh.

Yeah there's been quite a bit of chat about these but as far as I know no one has posted any first hand results on here about them. They seemed like pretty thin copper but when its said and done yaz wont be back ramming strainer posts with them so who Fucking cares :handgestures-thumbupleft: interested to hear you go with it

Hi
I have just been reading some of the comments from people who have bought the new copper still.
For the record, we have no association with the T500 still.
If any Australian members of this forum would like further information on our still, please email "removed"
We welcome any feedback, and would be more than happy to sell to our Australian cousins.
Thanks
Michelle
Copperhead Distilling

copperhead2012 wrote:Hi
I have just been reading some of the comments from people who have bought the new copper still.
For the record, we have no association with the T500 still.
If any Australian members of this forum would like further information on our still, please email "removed"
We welcome any feedback, and would be more than happy to sell to our Australian cousins.
Thanks
Michelle
Copperhead Distilling

Hi,

Please go see our rules for the site, pay particular attention to the commercial advertising rules ;-)

I wonder if they could be convinced to ship them to Aus. Going with DHL's quote, both it and shipping still works out cheaper then buying a T500 from the local bricks and morter shop.

Fatherjack wrote:

Bob127 wrote: I found that there were no plastic parts,

hey Bob is yours the same as mine pictured above?

Hi Sorry for the delay in replying FJ Yes just the same

1st spirit run today

5kg sugar 25L TPW wash gave me 10 stubbies (330mls) that measured between 92%-85% :dance:

Fatherjack wrote:1st spirit run today

5kg sugar 25L TPW wash gave me 10 stubbies (330mls) that measured between 92%-85% :dance:

Hope you didnt drink those stubbies all at once! :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

sam_and_liv wrote:Hope you didnt drink those stubbies all at once! :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

Na mate..........I mixed number 5 stubbie down to 40% & drunk that :dance: farkin beauuuuty

I poured numbers 2,3,4 & 6,7,8 into 2 1L bottles. Numbers 1,9,10 went into feints jars, 150mls fores were discarded

not sure weather to dilute the 2 bottles I got ( & drink em) or run them with my next wash, as I want to take smaller cuts next time like 200mls to find where heads, harts & tails all start & finish?????

If you can wait keep them to run, will be easier to find your cuts with some more product

Hi Fatherjack,

Using this still I run 2x 25L TPW through a stripping run (with a pot still lid that fits this boiler) taking approx 4L x2 (sometimes I push it to 5L) and then run the 8L through the reflux.
I get between 4 - 5L of 90 - 92% of nuetral which is great for doing flavoured drinks.
The only cuts Im taking is the 1st 100ml of each strip and 100ml of the final run.
You can start to taste the tails beginning at about 3.5-4L on the final run but it still tastes sweet so I keep them and blend it all.

Each to their own with cuts and the like and I would not run my whiskey or rum like this but for flavoured drinks it works a treat ;)

Im still very happy with this lil setup, so easy to use, especially in my little place where space is a restriction.

croweater wrote:Yeah there's been quite a bit of chat about these but as far as I know no one has posted any first hand results on here about them. They seemed like pretty thin copper but when its said and done yaz wont be back ramming strainer posts with them so who Fucking cares :handgestures-thumbupleft: interested to hear you go with it

I've got one, the copper isn't at all thin. It's built with a weldless design, I wouldn't mind a DIY kit version which you could solder together, as I would like to do away with the rubber gromet at the top, and the o-rings for sealing the passthrough of coolant from the liebig to the reflux coil/output. Additionally if the reflux coil's output could turn back up before the thermometer block it would be good as a bit of an airlock forms in there due to the water flowing downwards in the reflux coil.
It certainly performs exactly as advertised, I ended up with about 5 litres of 90-92% which tasted very clean.

Best off the shelf still available in NZ!

blackstump wrote:Best off the shelf still available in NZ!

Best price -yes definatly best value there is for a off the shlef plug and play. no auguements there BUT best? still :scared-eek: some (me) would disagree as its stilll basically Artisan T500 which is a very nice still but cant but used as a pot still for stripping without damaging the seals....

another contender for best off the shelf still is the Spirits Unlimited Euro 60 or 30 reflux stills as they can be detuned to be run as a potstill too however they cost much more for not much more performance. so the euro can be eliminated on price alone...

then theres the Alex N25 fractional still coming in at about the same price as the copperhead and ALL 316 and 314 stainless steel with removable packing sleeve for running in pot still modeIMHO the alex 25n is the best off the shelf still availible in NZ! :music-deathmetal:

so yes copperhead still is a amazing price for a top performing still and because of that a way way way better buy than a T500 if thats the way you are heading , but the best off the shelf still.... :hand: thats a huge claim

PS i have no financial interest in the Alex N25 other than owning one........
PSS. everyone who has bought a copperhead still seems very satisfied with it and the quality so I guess that the best advertisment there is for these stills are satisfied customers...
Now if Copperhead started knocking out bubblers at such awesome price then they would have my attention real fast..