Bryan’s mini pot still

Pot still design and discussion

Bryan’s mini pot still

Postby RuddyCrazy » Fri Jul 13, 2018 1:42 pm

pot head.jpg
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Last edited by Sam. on Sun Jul 15, 2018 9:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Changed title
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Re: .

Postby db1979 » Fri Jul 13, 2018 3:25 pm

I guess a picture tells a thousand words... You don't normally have nothing to say Brian :teasing-neener:
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Re: .

Postby EziTasting » Fri Jul 13, 2018 4:09 pm

Looks like the top of a tiny pot still ... for testing new recipes may be???
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Re: .

Postby Sam. » Fri Jul 13, 2018 4:13 pm

Funnel to fill up the tractor oil :laughing-rolling:

Or a mini Scottish pot still head :think:
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Re: .

Postby RuddyCrazy » Fri Jul 13, 2018 8:15 pm

Yea it is a mini pot still and after seeing one on another forum I got the copper bug and just had to make one. So thought about it for a couple of weeks and though well if I form the horn on that new anvil I'm making I can use it for hammering the onion and other bits.

anvil.jpg


I just got some scrap copper out of copper scrap bin about 40 mm wide and just started hammering. Then found the horn was too big so then used a carrot wedge after I rounded off the end of it. Had no idea what size it would end up and it turned out a 3/4" hole was the closet size. The carrot wedge also proved handy for making the 1/2" to 3/4" frustum and after 2 anneals that frustum was done.

Now I was originally intending putting a 1" fillport to emulate the big ones but found by putting a 4" easy flange will make for a quick fill and make it possible to clean after use.

Now I know you guy's are going to ask WHY make a mini pot still :snooty: :snooty: :snooty: well apart from the cool factor it will be the quickest way to get a bottle of macerated neutral.

I am thinking of putting in an inline thumper where I can charge it with 90% neutral to up the ABV and rather than making a liebig I'm thinking of putting a worm in.

All good fun and did I say I love working with copper.

Cheers Bryan
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Re: .

Postby EziTasting » Sat Jul 14, 2018 8:39 am

After looking up 'frustum', I almost feel like I'm on the same page as you... :laughing-rolling:

Not sure why my old man threatened me with a violent death if I became a tradie, these fabrications are fascinating me no-end! :clap:

I am in awe of all of you home 'make' stuff out of copper/SS/wood. Thank you for being such inspirations!

:text-thankyoublue:
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Re: .

Postby RuddyCrazy » Sat Jul 14, 2018 1:14 pm

Well after finding out the bunnings trade gas is nothing more than propane duly headed off into town and bought a bottle of mapp gas. Cleaned up the joint and got back to heating only to find even the mapp gas won't get the copper up to temp for 45% SS. :angry-banghead: :angry-banghead: :angry-banghead: This damm frustum and onion are a bloody good heatsink :teasing-nutkick:

Anyway for this years tax return I'm going to buy an oxy bottle so I can go back to lpg/oxy and NOT have these heating problems ever again. :happy-partydance: Last year bought a bottle of argon with my return so it only fitting to get another one out of the return so the fun in the shed can continue.

Anyway with cutting the frustums it's easy as piss :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: just use the template off this forum, wrap it around the copper and mark then have some fun making the frustum. Below is a pic of the templates I made and yes they do look crude but I always add a bit more on for the cleanup with a file of angle grinder.

templates.jpg


Now for the boiler I am thinking as my inline thumper needs fixing the 6" along with a 4" easy flange may be the go for the boiler so the capacity is more to make it worth while doing a run. The 6" base will sit on that single ring burner where I made new nozzle out of brass with a 0.7mm hole and now on low hp reg it is a nice blue flame with no crappy yellow flame. :happy-partydance:

Cheers Bryan
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Re: .

Postby RuddyCrazy » Sun Jul 15, 2018 9:31 am

G'day Guy's,
Well went into town and got a can of mapp gas and found even the mapp gas had trouble so setup the tig welder and had a go. Well what a nightmare as for the filler I used 1.6mm copper wire and didn't get all the insulation off so it left porosity holes in the welds. :angry-banghead: . Anyway left it for a while then went back and cleaned it up then thought what if I just concentrate the heat in one spot and that did the trick so got the onion soldered onto the frustum. Doing the leak test kept finding small holes left by the porisity so cleaned it up then back under intense heat and finally got all the holes done. Also as I was brazing with the 45% got a nice smooth finish too.

Now onto the 4" boiler, I had a 140mm diameter round of copper left over from the 6-7" reducer I made so duly cleaned it up and sat the pipe on the plate and started to heat. WRONG there's no way the mapp gas would get the copper cherry red for soldering so I cut the plate down to 4" then had a go soldering with the plate ontop. I did get a nide whirlpool going and got 3/4 way around the pipe and lost the heat :angry-banghead: . Trying to get the heat back was impossible and I didn't want to waste a full bottle of mapp gas.

So time for a bright spark idea :lol: :lol: :lol:

Put the boiler onto that lpg burner I made the new jet for and put the heating torch on the bit I wanted to solder, 30 seconds later started brazing and a few minutes later job done. So that bright spark idea did prove right and will become handy in the future when hard soldering large copper projects. Just got the easy flange to put on the boiler today then it's onto the next section which is the inline thumper.

Cheers Bryan

note: if the mod's want to rename this thread as 'mini pot still' and put in the public forum I'm sure some of the tips I'm putting will benefit the whole community
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Re: .

Postby EziTasting » Sun Jul 15, 2018 9:43 am

you have any pics of what you're describing, Bryan?

It funny you should mention the "Bright Spark" idea - just just talking to family about a BBQ and that would have been my suggestion... but then I'm only now looking into have to Braise/Silver soldier ... Pros & Cons... I have absolutely NO experience or theoretical knowledge.

Love you work. Inspirational :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Bryan’s mini pot still

Postby Sam. » Sun Jul 15, 2018 9:44 am

Moved as requested :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Bryan’s mini pot still

Postby RuddyCrazy » Sun Jul 15, 2018 10:01 am

From what I've learnt playing with copper it is a massive heatsink so the bright spark idea was to have heat going over the full base and the heating torch at the soldering spot. Where this idea worked for the small areas I needed to do trying this from scratch may be a different biscuit so the item may need a good solid tack in a few places before starting.

I do know 45% silver solder is expensive but I did get 20 or so sticks of a plumber as he liked my gin so much so I thought well it's time to learn how use these sticks and the results to date are encouraging.

Now as I found out yesterday that cast iron burner I made the new jet for is too big for the 4" boiler it is time to make a small burner for and use it as a learning curve for bigger burner to replace that 3 ring bunnings burner that just won't throw enough heat to get my bubbler to it's full potential.

All good fun and games and the best part being off the grid no power costs. :dance:

Cheers Bryan
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Re: Bryan’s mini pot still

Postby RuddyCrazy » Sun Jul 15, 2018 11:40 am

Ok on cleaning up the solder joint found a leak so time to revisit this bright spark idea. So starting from cold to finish it took about 5 minutes total. Anyway a pic below of the burner setup.

burner setup.jpg


5 minutes later

first joint done.jpg


So cooled it off and checked for leaks only to find it leaking beside the bit I had done :angry-banghead:

So decided to give this idea a run and went right around only having to move the boiler once, the heatup time was less than a minute to get the 45% flowing and on cleanup I'm not going to grind it all off I'll just smooth the solder joint out to keep the strength in the joint. Well it will be in the path of the flame so the more the merrier.

finished job.jpg


Now as I have been talking about that cast iron burner where I made a new nozzle here's a pic of the flame.

new burner flame.jpg


Cheers Bryan
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Re: Bryan’s mini pot still

Postby RuddyCrazy » Sun Jul 15, 2018 2:18 pm

Well finally got the 4" boiler done and everything cleaned up.

stage one done.jpg
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Re: Bryan’s mini pot still

Postby EziTasting » Sun Jul 15, 2018 2:35 pm

Looks awesome!

Like a Mini-me... :laughing-rolling:
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Re: Bryan’s mini pot still

Postby hillzabilly » Sun Jul 15, 2018 2:50 pm

Nice one Bryan,are ya gonna make a false bottom or basket to go inside so you do not scorch botanicals or macerations on the bottom ,that is heated by ya little gas burner.cheers hillzabilly :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Bryan’s mini pot still

Postby Professor Green » Sun Jul 15, 2018 3:45 pm

That's a little ripper Bryan.
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Re: Bryan’s mini pot still

Postby db1979 » Sun Jul 15, 2018 4:22 pm

Nice :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Currently having a makeover: 2" x 4 plate solid state bubbler (1" bubble caps, no sight glasses...maybe not for much longer!) on a bain-marie boiler.

Re: Bryan’s mini pot still

Postby RuddyCrazy » Sun Jul 15, 2018 5:26 pm

Ok guy's,
Well getting there and after finishing the boiler and getting the pot head all sorted it has been a big weekend having fun.


Hillz as far as scorching with maceration's I never in the past seen scorching when I used my 5 litre SS pot still ( the one I started out on). Now what had in mind is just use a 5 litre glass demi I have currently with CFW in to donate. Then do small runs that suit the pot still and I'm thinking of making a copper valve so it can bypass the thumper for stripping runs.

Now as far as heating goes I did get some 3/8" bent sort of round on a 3" bend to start on my own burner, but it came back to well if I'm going to make wood gas to replace LPG I better on making the fittings and compressor. Then I looked over and saw my old heat source for my pot still and as it uses those $1 green cans from bunnings it does look like the new burner for this project. I'll just rip the burner, reg and can setup out and make it fit the box this project is going on.

heatup setup repurposed.jpg


This was a $20 jobby from bunnings and even the new models aint that much more. So if this clags out I can just buy a new one and fit to my project.

Now as far as the thumper goes I need to work out using 3" copper pipe a suitable sized volume. Now off memory the rule of thumb is 1/3rd the thumper size I reckon a 500ml vessel will be the go.

Onto the cooling and from a past project I found a coil already made, a tad dirty :scared-eek: but that is copper :laughing-rolling:

future worm.jpg


I do have some 3" and 4" perspex tube here and do you think I could find the 4" holesaw :angry-banghead: Anyway the 3" holesaw does look to leave a 73mm slug and I need a 70mm slug for the base of the perspex tube. So a quick trim up in the lathe should make a smug fit. I do need to buy some MEK to use as some glue for the perspex.

The coil does fit sort of snug with the 3" and size wise I do think it would suit the aesthetics of the project.

Also got to think about a base and I have a SS tray that could become a donor.

Cheers Bryan
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Re: Bryan’s mini pot still

Postby hillzabilly » Mon Jul 16, 2018 6:28 pm

I used ta snoop on a site called schnapps brennen,they had a few little pot stills like that,and used little camping metho burners to heat them,but they often had a worm,plus the site was in german with the google translater helping a lot .cheers hillzabilly Look at https://www.distilling-fermenting-semin ... destillen/
Last edited by hillzabilly on Mon Jul 16, 2018 6:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Bryan’s mini pot still

Postby RuddyCrazy » Thu Jul 26, 2018 9:50 pm

G'day Guy's,
For a bit of fun I decided to have a go at making my own little burner for this project and finally got the air/gas mix right and got a clear blue flame going nicely. Not flatout like rocket taking off and a 100db sound screeching in the ear either :laughing-rolling:

new copper burner.jpg


Just using a low pressure regulator like the ones used on a bbq and I may have to try it with the HP reg to see just how bad this baby can be :music-deathmetal:

Still got put legs on it and give it a good cleanup then thats the heat source sorted for this project.

Cheers Bryan
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