Hi All from Over the pond

by **Muddydisco** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 6:41 pm

Hi everybody, Just joined as I'm doing research into a Still, Looking for the best of all worlds. I'm building a Pot still with removeable coloum and head so I can run the same boiler as a LM/VM combo. I have looked for fittings that will help acheive this but coming up with mega bucks, so I'm thinking slip joints and flour paste is the way to go.
I have just got photoshop so will be getting some drawings done at some point but basically
Looking at a 32ltr boiler electrically heated internally, with a 2" coloum around 18" tall with a Standard pot still head and liebig condensor to start with. Just before the top joint will be a straight slip joint soldered at the bottom so that the head can be removed and another 36" straight tube can be fitted with the Reflux heads on. A equal t piece that straight on goes up to a boka plate head with condensor above that etc The take off from the T will be reduced to 1" followed by a 1" valve down to a Liebig condensor again.

After I have the knack of this I might go and build a refrigeration system to do the condensing and save having to pump the water.

I have been playing with a Still spirit easy still for a couple of years but now want to move on and bigger.
I also have a 10 gal Home brewery for All grain brews so the fermenting mashes is the easy part for me. I already have 3 temp controlled fermenting cupboards. The biggest capable of holding 6 x 10 Gallon Vessels :lol:

Happy stilling all

by **MacStill** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 6:58 pm

Welcome aboard mate,

Sounds like a pretty good plan you got there, you could even use PTFE tape for those slip joins :handgestures-thumbupleft:

There's a guy here called Frank, I'm sure he's going to want to talk about your current rig.... he adores the air stills :laughing-rolling:

by **Cane Toad** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 7:19 pm

Hi Muddy,welcome.I'm sure you'll have a great time here.The only pre-requisite we have is....MUST post photos!!! :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: Have a great time mate :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Cheers
BD (this often changes :laughing-rolling: )

by **Frank** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 8:40 pm

Hi Muddydisco, welcome and good luck with your future still endeavours. Don't forget to take your time and make sure that you are happy with your still 'progression'.

.....and re the following :roll:

McStill wrote:...There's a guy here called Frank, I'm sure he's going to want to talk about your current rig.... he adores the air stills

mate, dont believe everything said on this forum IMHO ;-)

by **Kimbo** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 9:55 pm

Gday Mud,
wecome to the forum mate, you'll have a blast :handgestures-thumbupleft:

by **QLD.Andy** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 9:59 pm

Welcome aboard M.Disco.
There is 1 requirement to being a member here - a good sense of humor :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:
Isnt that right Frank :teasing-tease:

by **Muddydisco** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 10:06 pm

Thanks Guy's, I know the air still is hated through out the communites, But it was my first steps and it had it's use's, Now on to bigger and better and doing it "Properly" :mrgreen: I have a freind that worked in the Distilleries so hopefully between you guy's and him I will find the path to enlightenment.

Don't worry I will be posting pic's all the way through, 1 pic tells a 1000 words which is good cos I hate typing :))

Just need to earn some overtime and get the copper ordered, and build build build

And yes I have a sense of Humour, I have to, I live in the Land of wet summers and wetter winters and taxed to death. if you don't laugh you might as well not be there.

by **Sam.** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 10:16 pm

I don't think anyone "hates" anything around here any and all methods are accepted and people can add their own comments to them. If there was one single way to do everything perfectly then we wouldn't need a forum...

by **Frank** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 10:35 pm

Muddydisco wrote:........... I know the air still is hated through out the communites, ..........

:o :shock: :sad: [-( :ymsigh: :-s =(( ~x( :-j x_x %-( ^#(^
:text-deletetopic:

by **Muddydisco** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 10:40 pm

Ok hate maybe a too strong a word :oops: But most people would say they are floored, with plastic drip tubes etc and the money I spent on buying it I could have build 2 half decent pot stills

by **Cane Toad** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 10:42 pm

Sorry Frank,I don't know how to do it :)) :))

by **Sam.** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 10:56 pm

Yeah mud ur right they may be an inferior design but I'm sure that people that have used them have made some good stuff in their eyes! In this quest of perfection you must start somewhere! ......but yeah just make your own and then you will have more than enough satisfaction knowing the brew shop hasn't just taken you for a ride for a gorilla

by **Muddydisco** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 11:03 pm

As I said prevoius It had it's uses, I have done several kits as in off the self sugar washes and flavourings and not had bad results. And done plenty of water runs for distilled water for my brewing beer yeast washing etc. But you mention one on a forum if you wanted to buy one and everyone will tell you to build your own. And there's not many tips on modifying them around.

by **Sam.** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 11:44 pm

Sorry mud got bit off topic sounds like your on the right track with your original post would like to know more about the refridge system your thinking of...

by **Muddydisco** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 1:33 am

Something like a small beer line chiller so it has condensor and compressor all built in ready to go but instead of cooling a water bath make up a new evaporator either like a Liebig with vapor through the middle and gases on the outside or other way around with vapour on outside and gasses on inside and have some cooling fins on the smaller pipe to aid cooling and circulation of vapour and condensing.
Does that sound feasable? All I can think is there will be a problem if the cooling side goes below 0c?? water freezing in the vapour side and raising the %abv, if it didn't block flow of vapour would that be a good or bad thing???
Just thinking this as I want the still running in my Workshop but don't want the hassle of plumbing in water supplies tanks and pumps etc

by **R-sole** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 3:05 am

I would suggest researching triclamp connections for your joint. No mess, no stress.

by **Muddydisco** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 3:13 am

I did look but cant find things I need over here you lot have it far easier! Cos my boiler isn't a keg I need a tank connector type fitting ( it needs to be screwed tight between a surface I can't use heat or solder) so finding a fitting like that to tri clamp is hard, I have found a thread about brass not needing to be pickled in US, I'm now looking into the lead content of Brass over here, and considering Brass threaded connections instead? But whats peoples stance on Brass is it to be pickled or not??

by **R-sole** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 6:37 am

I avoid it.

You can still use triclamp for the middle joint is what i was getting at.

Where are you?

by **Muddydisco** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 8:53 am

UK :cry:

by **R-sole** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 8:57 am

http://www.artisan-distiller.net/phpBB3 ... =56&t=4191