Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Hey all. Reasonably new to the game and enjoying it. Been brewing All grain beer for 10 years and currently using a reflux and looking at moving to a pot still. I'm interested in doing rums, grain brews, as the reflux dosent cut it for anything other than neutral.

I've had a look through the pot still section at builds but the majority of the posts there have dead photo links to the build. Im looking at running a pot still off of a 50l stainless keg (as I have a spare) either on gas (I have a Italian spiral burner) or via immersion elements.

Im not sure where to start. 2", 4".Leibeig, shotgun, etc. It's all confusing to say the least. I just want to build something that will clamp to a 50l keg and produce a good product.

Can anyone guide me, link me to a decent build, style, design. As I literally am a novice when it comes to pot stills.

Thanks in advance.

Simplest would be, build a 2" shotty condencer, 2 90deg elbows a 500mm 2" riser with a easy flange on the bottom that will triclamp straight to the keg :handgestures-thumbupleft:

With a 2" pot and a still spirits 30l boiler used to take me 5hrs to make 2l spirit. Go 4" if you can afford it with at least 3600w element under its belly for stripping twin 2400w ones would be good then drop back to a single 2400w for spirit run.. I reakon 2400w would be about right for a 4"..

I strip on a 4 inch with a 2 inch shotgun. 2x2200w elements. Then spirit run on a single element running at about 60% on a power controller.

There's these threads to give you some ideas:
https://aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=10302
https://www.aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=8280
http://aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=9770
http://www.aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=7727
https://www.aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=9646

Otherwise, this is a cracker of a pot still and worth considering if you're open to buying something ready made.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

If you are having troubles with pics, try this
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=11612&p=202020#p202020

Sweet guys. Cheers for the info. So what's the best to run off a 50L keg a 4 " or 2", liebig or shotgun? I have a t500 so I could make a 2" sbb pelican design. BTW the Copper will be free. :dance:

Go 2" shotgun mate cause you can use that if you upgrade to a bubbler. A 2" will be fine on a 4" pot or bubbler :handgestures-thumbupleft:

You could go 2" pelican off your T500 boiler and buy the adaptor from 5 star so it clamps straight onto the lid.

If the copper is free, go 4 or 6 with a big shotgun and 6-9000 watts
Would the following be correct?
When stripping the heating and condenser size are more important than diameter, the vapor will move faster through a smaller pipe, the condenser just has to be able to knock it down at that higher speed
On a spirit run the larger diameter would let you run faster without smearing?

woodduck wrote:Go 2" shotgun mate cause you can use that if you upgrade to a bubbler. A 2" will be fine on a 4" pot or bubbler :handgestures-thumbupleft:

You could go 2" pelican off your T500 boiler and buy the adaptor from 5 star so it clamps straight onto the lid.

So the pelicans are a half decent bit of kit. Or would I be better of with the standard u shape with 4" upright down to a 2" shotgun.

I think most folks that go with a pelican design do so to offset the weight. That look dead sexy too!

I think you may also get a little more passive reflux.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

I wouldn't put a 4" on a T500 boiler, way to heavy. What I was getting at is that a 2" shotty will nock down the vapor from a 4".

woodduck wrote:I wouldn't put a 4" on a T500 boiler, way to heavy. What I was getting at is that a 2" shotty will nock down the vapor from a 4".

Yeah mate. Of course, got it. I have the t500 already. So the pelican to fit it makes sense. This one here looks the way to go -

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=11122

Yep that's the go, that's a nice build :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Here's the adapter, it will allow you to tri clamp an easy flange to the t500 lid. It says their out of stock but I would give them a call, they might have one there :handgestures-thumbupleft:

http://www.5stardistilling.net/t500-adapter/

woodduck wrote:Simplest would be, build a 2" shotty condencer, 2 90deg elbows a 500mm 2" riser with a easy flange on the bottom that will triclamp straight to the keg :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I know this is an old post but I was researching the same question for my build.
How can a shotgun condenser be the simplest? It seems like a lot more work than a copper coil or a liebig condenser.

FilthyPhil wrote:

woodduck wrote:Simplest would be, build a 2" shotty condencer, 2 90deg elbows a 500mm 2" riser with a easy flange on the bottom that will triclamp straight to the keg :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I know this is an old post but I was researching the same question for my build.
How can a shotgun condenser be the simplest? It seems like a lot more work than a copper coil or a liebig condenser.

A shotty isn't necessarily the easiest to build.. i think he was refering to the pot still column more so.
A liebig is def easier, but not as useful down the track as you upgrade. A 2" shotty however can be used on a future bubbler hence save starting from scratch.
A 2" shotty will knock down way more vapour than a small scale liebig too. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Im using a 6 foot liebig, good for 12 litres an hour so far, more heat to come next stripping run, I think I will find the limit next time with the new gas regulator I just got :music-deathmetal:
(then I just need a bigger coolant pump right? worse than racing a car...)

I have no doubt the multipath condenser is a small amount faster and would help to lower power requirements a tiny bit due to the lesser restriction, but the liebig is certainly an easy way to get going and an awesome stepping stone up into the intermediate/high level of gear, especially at the regular hobby power levels.

Theres nothing stopping you from running one on a plater, it just dosent look as cool and at longer lengths is a bit more painful to use.

I have seen a double barrel liebig built and used recently, starting to get spendy in fittings, but the unit seems to work with no dramas and is still on the easy side to construct.

Heck a copper worm in a plastic bucket is even easier, it just dosent seem the "done thing" here in oz.

RC Al wrote:Im using a 6 foot liebig, good for 12 litres an hour so far, more heat to come next stripping run, I think I will find the limit next time with the new gas regulator I just got :music-deathmetal:

Thats a long liebig RC Al!
What size pipe out of curiosity? :handgestures-thumbupleft:

It's heavy gauge 1/2 with 19 over and 19 water connections, done again i would not have done "turbulence" crimps on it (noticable crush every 3-4 inches in an alternating pattern) and used the .71mm stuff

Damn it Dan , I want to make 2 more liebigs now... in the thin stuff and with/without the turbulence crimps.... I have enough crap to solder already :angry-banghead:

RC Al wrote:Damn it Dan , I want to make 2 more liebigs now... in the thin stuff and with/without the turbulence crimps.... I have enough crap to solder already :angry-banghead:

Soldering is great fun RC :))
Whats the reason for scrapping the crimps.. is it just not necessary?
I actually crimped the pipes on my 2" pc, not sure if it really makes a difference or not.