Building my first still

[Rolf Boldrewood]

Howdy, I'm in the process of building a small pot still for the spirit run based on this 12 litre stainless steel pot

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I have made the liebig condenser using 1/2" inside 3/4". It is 600mm long

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I'm thinking of using 1" pipe for the column. Would this suffice or should I go to 1 1/2"? Also from what I've read the height of the column should be kept short so that the flavour is retained. What are peoples thoughts on this? How high should the column be.

Also, what angle should the condenser be at? I've looked at all the pot still images I can find and the angle seems to vary.

I'm wanting to eventually be making Calavados style apple brandy as well as using plums and pears. So mainly fruit based washes.

Regards
Rolf

[JayD]

Nice work so far...as suggestion if I may, If you have a 1/2 tube bender I would bend the top of your liebig to 90* so it flows and join it to the column with a compresion fitting so you can adjust the angle of your condensor. 2" tube for your column is better than 1". If you easy flange the 90* bend you can add a boka head to it later and have the best of two worlds...Boka for neutral and pot still for Whisky and Rums etc...although you have a pot boiler...it's not to late to find a decomisioned keg to run her on and a easyflange once more fits on to the keg original fill port if you use 2" tube, from this set up you get enough distilate to make it worth while. All of this is only a suggestion from some one that started with a even smaller pot than you have atm. If you get stuck give me a yell.

[Rolf Boldrewood]

Thanks JayD - should have said that I have bought a 2" still that I will run on a keg for stripping runs (waiting for it to turn up). I will share this still with a mate an hour and a half away. What I intend doing is doing the stripping run using the bigger still and then bring the spirit home and for the spirit run using the smaller one. Also use the smaller one for experimentation.

I was thinking of using a compression fitting so I could adjust the angle.

Any thoughts on the height of the column?

Rolf

[JayD]

From 60 cm to 100cm, if your going the two in one type of still (bokapot) go 100 cms...What you can do is run it through the big boiler hard and fast and collect your low wines for a big boiler charge of not more than 40% abv then do a slow run to gather your finnished distillate. Although the smaller pot is a good idea...it will be painfully slow trust me i've been there...time will change your mind on the small boiler...lol's to much time to little results. I'm not trying to rubbish your idea just giving you heads up so your efforts will be rewarding. I'm here anyway to help if needed.

[SBB]

My understanding from reading around the different forums is that column length on hobby sized pot stills doesn't make much if any difference.
It does come into play on the big commercial pots that the whiskey distilleries use.

[Dominator]

I would go 2" for the column, that way you can easily adapt it to a keg if you get one in the future. Like SBB said, for hobby pot distilling column height and lyne arm angle won't make much difference. My pot still column was only about 350mm high and I used to run the condenser about 10 degrees below horizontal, that way I could get the most efficency out of the condenser.

[Smbjk]

I would go 2" for the column, that way you can easily adapt it to a keg if you get one in the future. Like SBB said, for hobby pot distilling column height and lyne arm angle won't make much difference. My pot still column was only about 350mm high and I used to run the condenser about 10 degrees below horizontal, that way I could get the most efficency out of the condenser.

:text-+1: looking good mate. best to build something that can eaisly be converted into another use. 2" would be best as it can eaisly be used on a 50lt keg you will want to upgrade as you go along. How you planing on sealing the lid on you pot? a keg is far easier as you only need a triclamp, easy flange and gasket :handgestures-thumbupleft: haveing a stock pot lid you will probably need a large seal. lots of bulldog clips or weld the lid on then make a attacment for the 2" pipe to connect to. lots of variables and potential leaks. Great job on the condenser looks great :D

[Rolf Boldrewood]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I hear what you are saying about bigger being better but sometimes it's better from a 'domestic' perspective to start small. I will probably go with 40mm for the column at this stage and see how it goes. I will keep you posted on the build.

Regards
Rolf

[Zak Griffin]

If you have access to 50mm copper pipe, you'd have to be mad to use anything smaller... As said above, 50mm pipe will flange straight onto the keg that you will be using for a boiler by mid next year...

I do like the idea of a smaller 'stovetop' still for experimenting and small spirit runs, but remember that in a 10L charge of 40% low wines, you have 4L of alcohol... With a pot still, you're not going to be able to collect all of that, and you've got heads and tails to deal with as well, so you end up with maybe 2L of 40% drinking stock... A lot of time and effort for not a huge reward!

[JayD]

ok, it's your build...we all just tried to give you some food for thought, keep the photos coming of your build mate, as you have seen theres plenty of folk willing to help you if needed. Keep up the good work. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Smbjk]

:text-+1: keep it up mate. What ever you make will be just fine. You can always build a bigger rig next when you gain mor3 experience :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Rolf Boldrewood]

Thanks everyone for the advice and encouragement. I think I get it - go with a 50mm column!

I still want to run it off the 12 litre boiler to start with. (I do have a second still on it's way that I will run off a 50 litre keg.)

So, how do I go about connecting the column to the lid of the boiler? Make a reasonably wide flange on the column and then bolt it to the lid with stainless steel bolts? Will need a washer of some description but can work that out later.

Suggestions?

Rolf

(I'm not actually a big spirit drinker so volume isn't a concern. Just like a bit of the good stuff)

[JayD]

you could cut the handle off and mount the column on using a ezy flange and a 2" seal with holes cut through it for your little s/s bolts n nuts.

[SX170]

I have a piece of 2" about 650mm left over you can have free if you need it.
I will be in East Gippsland at Christmas, if you can wait that long I can drop it down there somewhere.
Also have about 3 silver soldered rings out of 1/4" copper used for 2" easy flanges you are welcome to as well.
Let me know if you want it.

Edit, this is second hand tube thats been used for fire service water. (type "B")

Cheers.

[Rolf Boldrewood]

That's terrific SX170. I will take you up on that.

I'm at Newlands Arm for Christmas but can arrange a pick up in Bairnsdale if that is easier.

Where abouts are you going to be?

Rolf

[SX170]

No need to pick up in Bairnsdale mate. I will be in Paynesville. Stand on the bank and ill chuck it across the lake ha.
Pm me your number and I will contact you Christmas Eve.
Cheers

[Rolf Boldrewood]

PM sent

[Rolf Boldrewood]

Thanks to SX170 for the 50mm copper pipe. I got the still completed on Christmas Eve and did the cleaning run and sacrificial alcohol run done that evening. Managed to do a stripping run on Christmas Day (not sure how I got away with that) and a bit more on Boxing Day. Finished off the stripping run yesterday and today I did the spirit run. I'm very happy with how it runs and the end product easily exceeded my expectations. I had 60 litres of Satsuma Plum wine that was 2 years old and still as tart as all buggery so I used that for my base.

Ended up with around 10 litres of 40% ABV spirit. Have made some of Mrs McStill's Coffee Liqueur and a batch of Aussie Cream which have both been favourably received. I'm also in the process of making Limoncello and Crème de cassis using 1.5kg of black currants that we picked off our bushes.

I have some apple wood here that I used to smoke salmon so I will roast and char some of that and add to some of the raw spirit. I'm also keen to do a quince liqueur in a few months when they ripen.

The good news is that this season's plums are about a week off being ripe and we can start all over again.

I will post some photos when I get a chance.

Thanks everyone for your encouragement and advice.

Rolf

[Aussiedownunder01]

Would love to see photos of the finished still :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Rolf Boldrewood]

She ain't pretty but here she is! I bought a relatively cheap 3 ring gas burner from a camping place and as you can see from the black on the side of the boiler the flames lick the side a little. I made a gasket from cardboard and teflon tape and there is one small leak that seems to have sealed itself. I will replace it with a gasket cut from a silicon sheet before I use it again. Lots of clips on the top because that was how many was in the packet. No leaks there.

On the stripping run I had about 2 litres a hour coming out. (This wasn't where I was running it.)

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Rolf