Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

I’ve been scouring the internet for ideas on an easy to build still that will do both whiskey and vodka. I came across this design which seems like it is going to fit the bill. Its much simpler that a bubbler and would cost a lot less than a bubbler which is what I want being on a tight budget.

Before I go and buy all the materials for the build I thought I should run the idea past the brains trust here and get your thoughts on the design.

To me it looks like a simple pot still when the product condenser is facing down and a form of Boka still when the product condenser is facing up. This to me would be the two stills I need to produce the different spirits I want.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

These stills do neither job really well, they do both jobs only just.
In all honesty, as a pot still they are fine.
But why are you mucking around with this when your equipment list states 4" 4 plate bubbler

i would think the condenser on the tower before the bend would be unnecessary.

Hey mate, I have only got a pot still but using the WBAB as my base and then doing a stripping and then 2 spirit runs I am really enjoying my triple distilled vodka. You may find your Pot still is enough to produce a nice Vodka for your purposes.

The Stig wrote:These stills do neither job really well, they do both jobs only just.
In all honesty, as a pot still they are fine.
But why are you mucking around with this when your equipment list states 4" 4 plate bubbler

Unfortunately not all of us survived Covid. :sad: I had to sell the bubbler to pay the bills.

I now want to get back into distilling but dont have the time or budget to build a bubbler so I'm looking for alternatives.

I must update my equipment list

The Stig wrote:These stills do neither job really well, they do both jobs only just.
In all honesty, as a pot still they are fine.
But why are you mucking around with this when your equipment list states 4" 4 plate bubbler

Hi Moonies
I saw this post today and to be honest it was an excuse to ask a question which I've been mulling over for some time

So to paint my picture if i may...

Ive got my fsd reflux and fsd pot (2 inch )and a pretty crappy essentia boiler which doesn't look like it will last much longer and I've got a brand new 30 liter keg which I cut a whole in the bottom and put one of Andrews taps in plus this same keg has a 4 inch tri clamp fitting on top

So mostly now I'm using my pot with the bwko recipe.I do a strip of three washs then a spirit with the pot with 2 coils of copper in.A few weeks ago I took one of the copper coils out and did my spirit run with one coil.Then last week I took this out and did the spirit run with no coils

I tasted the product the next day and hated it.BUT it was only a day old.So I put some toast in and for the third day in a row it tasted better - so I'm encouraged by this

I might go back to putting some coils in but I won't do anything until my latest experiment settles down and I see if I really like it .

So my question is

Looking ahead and seeing I think I'm developing a propensity for this type of product what would you suggest I add now to maybe make use of my unused keg ( element etc) or if I need to buy another boiler and perhaps thinking I might also want to get a bubbler type still but something that I could still use parts or all of my fsd pot condensor with etc. So utilising all my fsd good stuff and adding to it that will enhance the Grain type direction I seem to be taking

BTW I am really happy with my reflux column etc

Gasman wrote:

The Stig wrote:These stills do neither job really well, they do both jobs only just.
In all honesty, as a pot still they are fine.
But why are you mucking around with this when your equipment list states 4" 4 plate bubbler

Hi Moonies
I saw this post today and to be honest it was an excuse to ask a question which I've been mulling over for some time

So to paint my picture if i may...

Ive got my fsd reflux and fsd pot (2 inch )and a pretty crappy essentia boiler which doesn't look like it will last much longer and I've got a brand new 30 liter keg which I cut a whole in the bottom and put one of Andrews taps in plus this same keg has a 4 inch tri clamp fitting on top

So mostly now I'm using my pot with the bwko recipe.I do a strip of three washs then a spirit with the pot with 2 coils of copper in.A few weeks ago I took one of the copper coils out and did my spirit run with one coil.Then last week I took this out and did the spirit run with no coils

I tasted the product the next day and hated it.BUT it was only a day old.So I put some toast in and for the third day in a row it tasted better - so I'm encouraged by this

I might go back to putting some coils in but I won't do anything until my latest experiment settles down and I see if I really like it .

So my question is

Looking ahead and seeing I think I'm developing a propensity for this type of product what would you suggest I add now to maybe make use of my unused keg ( element etc) or if I need to buy another boiler and perhaps thinking I might also want to get a bubbler type still but something that I could still use parts or all of my fsd pot condensor with etc. So utilising all my fsd good stuff and adding to it that will enhance the Grain type direction I seem to be taking

BTW I am really happy with my reflux column etc

So how are you going to fill the keg without a fill port, cause the only way would be to take the still off the keg each time, may not be a prob for you, but I know it gets challenging for my BIL

Gasman:
If your going towards a bubbler a 50L boiler is a very good idea.
Leave your 30L keg as low wines storage/ ageing.

Navarau:
If your back on a budget then make a 2" pot still and and 2" boka (slant plate or double reducer your pick).

IF there was a single type of still that did it all well, we would all be using them, oh wait that's what a bubbler does...
Maybe look at a 4" modular pot still and slowly upgrade by adding modules as you can afford them.

scythe wrote:Maybe look at a 4" modular pot still and slowly upgrade by adding modules as you can afford them.

This :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I can highly recommend this option.

The Stig wrote:

scythe wrote:Maybe look at a 4" modular pot still and slowly upgrade by adding modules as you can afford them.

This :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Thanks Moonies

So stigster and Wellsy
I'm not sure what still still your referring to.See my attachments
Are you advocating the pot modulator or bubble plate modular and some of the bubbler type still are see thru glass instead of round with a window ? I sit here all night watching still porn but haven't been able to find/ tell the difference

The one on the bottom can be grown into the one in top.
You said you wanted to start slow , so we pointed towards the bottom one

100% go a 50 or 100l boiler

When your pot stillin a bigger boiler helps with cuts

The regular round window jobbies are great - the all glass ones are a bit more towards the "bling" side of things

RC Al wrote:100% go a 50 or 100l boiler

When your pot stillin a bigger boiler helps with cuts

The regular round window jobbies are great - the all glass ones are a bit more towards the "bling" side of things

Rc
I'm.really curious as to what a 3 plate 4 inch glasser is / looks like.
Could you post a pic of it or pm me a pic of it please
Regards Geoff

Here it is on top of my steam stripper
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=13005&start=580#p236669

This the 5 star one, I like how its built much more
https://5stardistilling.com/product/4-visualizer-mk2/