Sciencemadness Discussion Board

DIY Moonshine Still

radiance88 - 22-2-2015 at 12:50

Hey fellas - need to run something by you guys.

I'm currently in the process of trying to construct my first still. After watching some "Moonshiners" and also coming to understand that ethanol itself is a very useful solvent, I decided to bring out the inner redneck in me. . both for purposes of science and inebriation.

So I bought some copper tubing, formed it into a coil, and put it into this bucket. This is going to be my condenser/"worm box". The plan is to bore a hole in the side of the bucket, push the coil through and use polyester body filler to seal up the hole.



Where my plans are foiled from fruiting is the fact that I'm not entirely sure how to properly connect my copper condensing coil to this pressure cooker. I don't know how to weld, braze, or any of that other stuff.. I haven't a DIY bone in my body (yet).

Also, I'm guessing that to do this properly I'm going to need some kind of thermometer attached as well to control the heating temperature properly. I don't have another hole , so I'm guessing I'll have to find a way to make one?

To those of you more experienced in still-building, how would you recommend I proceed?

Zombie - 22-2-2015 at 13:09

It's real easy.
First things first... IF you intend to take a taste test... Forget it. The rubber gasket in the cooker will leach into EtOH, and Aluminium is oxidized by hot EtOH vapor. it will melt your nose hairs.

That said...
Turn the lid upside down, and drill out the pressure spigot.
Get a NPT to compression fitting at any hardware store, and a NPT thread tap to match.

Assemble that, and you are done. Easier than getting the pastor to let go of the collection plate.

Forget the thermometer too. No need for one. The EtOH will start dripping slow. When it does turn down the heat to maintain that drip rate.
The very first drops (perhaps one ounce) is Acetone. Smell it, and you will see.
After about 2 ounces of dripping, you can turn up the heat to induce a toothpick sized stream but nothing faster. Water vapor will carry over thew more violent the boil rate.

After about a pint to a pint, and a 1/2 you will see the collection rate slow. That is about all the usable EtOH you can get. The ABV will fall so fast from here it is not worth collecting. Youe will also be collecting Fuesil oils, and purification will get more difficult.

What you do collect as product will be around 30-40%ABV so a second purification distillation will be needed. You can most likely run that thru a lab set up, and actually make some Azeo. EtOH.

IF I were gonna take a taste sample... It would be from that second distillation. I would also water it down to at least 50%ABV, unless you wanna breath fire for a minute.

Edit: The second link describes EXACTLY what you are doing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFpZfr0YQ28

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfOL60CsF9U

[Edited on 2-22-2015 by Zombie]

blogfast25 - 22-2-2015 at 13:12

What's the internal diameter of your worm tube?

Zombie - 22-2-2015 at 13:15

Use Silicone sealer... The Poly wont stick to the bucket.

Also 1/4" tubing... 1/8" will have to high a vapor speed.

blogfast25 - 22-2-2015 at 13:18

Quote: Originally posted by Zombie  
After about 2 ounces of dripping, you can turn up the heat to induce a toothpick sized stream but nothing faster. Water vapor will carry over thew more violent the boil rate.



Toothpick sized stream... I just love your measuring units. So much more rational than SI units! ;)

[Edited on 22-2-2015 by blogfast25]

m1tanker78 - 22-2-2015 at 13:19

Those pressure cookers are almost always made of stainless steel. SS is a b&^%h to drill, cut and weld especially considering...
Quote:
I haven't a DIY bone in my body (yet).


Depending on the size of the hole in the lid, you may be able to tap it and thread on a standard brass fitting which can then be soldered (better brazed) to the copper tube. This configuration approximates a retort so you'd have a hard time fractionating the goods from the bads.

On the other hand, if you're able to thread a fitting directly to the lid, you might as well add a column and use a tee fitting at the top for the takeoff and thermowell.

You might get away with using 100% silicone gasket around the hole in the lid and some sort of compression fittings. You have to be careful since the pot contents tend to froth up and make their way through the condenser and into your distilled goods.

Find a buddy with a tig welder and drop by his house or shop with some beer?? How can you say no to that?

Zombie - 22-2-2015 at 13:24

Toothpick sized stream... I just love your measuring units. So much more rational than SI units! ;)

[Edited on 22-2-2015 by blogfast25]


maxresdefault.jpg - 46kB

[Edited on 2-22-2015 by Zombie]

blogfast25 - 22-2-2015 at 13:30

Quote: Originally posted by Zombie  
Water vapor will carry over the more violent the boil rate.



That's seriously debatable, BTW.

The BP of an EtOH/water mixture doesn't depend on boiling rate at all. The EtOH/water liquid/vapour phase system isn't affected by it either.

At 'violent' boiling rates you can have some mechanical entrainment of liquid droplets. Is that what you're referring to?

Zombie - 22-2-2015 at 13:34

Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25  
Quote: Originally posted by Zombie  
Water vapor will carry over the more violent the boil rate.



That's seriously debatable, BTW.

The BP of an EtOH/water mixture doesn't depend on boiling rate at all. The EtOH/water liquid/vapour phase system isn't affected by it either.

At 'violent' boiling rates you can have some mechanical entrainment of liquid droplets. Is that what you're referring to?



Yes. Partial atomization.

blogfast25 - 22-2-2015 at 13:38

Quote: Originally posted by Zombie  
Toothpick sized stream... I just love your measuring units. So much more rational than SI units! ;)



What's a young version of Usama bin Laden gotta do with anything here? ;)

Zombie - 22-2-2015 at 13:52

You crack me up.

Actually you remind me of my Grandfather... He would debate anything until the sun fell out of the sky, and then yell at you when you said you had to leave.

:D:D:D:D

blogfast25 - 22-2-2015 at 17:25

Quote: Originally posted by Zombie  
He would debate anything until the sun fell out of the sky, and then yell at you when you said you had to leave.


I never yell at someone for leaving but if they give me a good argument I'm sad to see them leave.

The sun can't fall out of the sky so [ensues debate] (Just kidding!)

[Edited on 23-2-2015 by blogfast25]

Zombie - 22-2-2015 at 17:47

Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25  
Quote: Originally posted by Zombie  
He would debate anything until the sun fell out of the sky, and then yell at you when you said you had to leave.


I never yell at someone for leaving but if they give me a good argument I'm sad to see them leave.

The sun can't fall out of the sky so [ensues debate] (Just kidding!)

[Edited on 23-2-2015 by blogfast25]



Love ya' Gramps! Goodnight.

Sulaiman - 22-2-2015 at 17:49

Radiance88;
I made a similar water still and I used silicone tubing to connect the pot to the tube
use platinum cured silicone tubing, slightly more expensive
but still (!) cheap and avoids nasty chemicals in your drink/reagent.
Silicone tubing is reasonably resistant to ethanol.

You are constructing a 'pot still' so at least double distillation for consumption
and you will not be able to get 'pure' (95.6%) alcohol.
ferment grains not fruits to avoid chemical complications.

So, don't put too much effort into your current design,
just try distilling water first.
I'm sure that you will change to a reflux design.


For vodka/pure/reagent use you will need reflux (typ. 5:1 to 10:1) distillation.

look here http://homedistiller.org/intro/legal
loads of info.

I don't drink alcohol, I was just looking at still design for general purposes
so I can't give practical advice.

[Edited on 23-2-2015 by Sulaiman]

cyanureeves - 22-2-2015 at 18:01

does this all mean that alcohol will always distill out before the water in the mash?even at 212 deg?say you bring it to a rapid boil and it reaches 212 deg. quick,will all the alcohol evaporate first before water?can the mash temp be maintained only at ethanol boiling temp so no water comes over?when i turned up the heat it seemed i would get very diluted alcohol and when i turned down the heat,nothing would come over.the mash still smelled like alcohol when i stopped after hours of distilling so i only got two 32 oz. out of 5 gal. of mash.

m1tanker78 - 22-2-2015 at 18:07

Ethanol and water form an azeotrope so there's no way to avoid the ~5% water content coming over with the ethanol with distillation alone.

blogfast25 - 22-2-2015 at 18:12

Quote: Originally posted by cyanureeves  
does this all mean that alcohol will always distill out before the water in the mash?even at 212 deg?say you bring it to a rapid boil and it reaches 212 deg. quick,will all the alcohol evaporate first before water?


Nope. It doesn't mean that AT ALL.

Water is quite volatile too, so quite a bit water evaporates too.

If you take the simplest of distillations where you simply boil a water/EtOH mixture and then condense the vapours, you will have enriched the condensate in EtOH considerably but there still plenty of water in it.

If you started from roughly 8 w%, with ONE single evaporation plus condensation, you'll end up with about 39 w% EtOH, a very considerable gain but certainly not water-free.

To enrich more you need to repeat the process or use some kind of a fractionating column.
Quote: Originally posted by m1tanker78  
Ethanol and water form an azeotrope so there's no way to avoid the ~5% water content coming over with the ethanol with distillation alone.


True but it's quite a different issue and doesn't really answer his question.


Scroll to about half way for a non-scaled EtOH/water phase diagram:

http://www.chemguide.co.uk/physical/phaseeqia/nonideal.html


[Edited on 23-2-2015 by blogfast25]

radiance88 - 22-2-2015 at 23:29

What I have here 5/16'' copper tubing.. don't know the exact inner measurement as I just eyeballed it and had it cut ('doh). The pressure cooker is stainless steel.

Okay, so from my understanding this "compression fitting" has a tapered inside, a double-tapered ring that goes over the tubing, and uses a nut that when tightened that squeezes the ring to the tapered inside. The other side is supposed to have a threaded end, right?

So then I'm going to have to find another thing to fit that threaded end, force that through the pressure cooker, and then somehow solder/weld/braze it there?

Zombie - 23-2-2015 at 02:38

Quote: Originally posted by cyanureeves  
does this all mean that alcohol will always distill out before the water in the mash?even at 212 deg?say you bring it to a rapid boil and it reaches 212 deg. quick,will all the alcohol evaporate first before water?can the mash temp be maintained only at ethanol boiling temp so no water comes over?when i turned up the heat it seemed i would get very diluted alcohol and when i turned down the heat,nothing would come over.the mash still smelled like alcohol when i stopped after hours of distilling so i only got two 32 oz. out of 5 gal. of mash.



First you will NEVER reach 212^f unless there is NO EtOH in the mash. The water / EtOH will boil at whatever temp is on the scale going by Mole Fractions,
You can only control the rate of the boil, and not the Temp.

You want the minimum boil rate that produces EtOH vapor.
Edit: If you are using a hot plate or electric stove, they cycle off, and on to maintain a set temp. They respond to a 5 - 10 * f change so they really don't work well for distilling, and you will never get a good result.

The best way to start is buy some cheap wine. Use the ABV of the wine to figure out a 40% ABV mix in your pot. That is the highest ratio you want to distill.
From that 40% in a pot still you will recover down to 20% ABV product. If you start with a gallon at 40% you should recover about 30 ounces due to leaving 20% behind.

Your product will be around 40% or 80 proof Etoh.

Ps... Sorry to say, do NOT use any sort of silicone near hot EtOH vapor. It will leach.
The only safe or inert "plastic is PTFE.

[Edited on 2-23-2015 by Zombie]

Sulaiman - 23-2-2015 at 02:49

Are you sure that platinum-cured silicone tubing will leach?

just asking for my own knowledge as when I wanted tubing I looked up the chemical compatibility and it was reported as good.

I don't want leached products in my products.

any reference(s)?

[Edited on 23-2-2015 by Sulaiman]

Zombie - 23-2-2015 at 02:52

Quote: Originally posted by radiance88  
What I have here 5/16'' copper tubing.. don't know the exact inner measurement as I just eyeballed it and had it cut ('doh). The pressure cooker is stainless steel.

Okay, so from my understanding this "compression fitting" has a tapered inside, a double-tapered ring that goes over the tubing, and uses a nut that when tightened that squeezes the ring to the tapered inside. The other side is supposed to have a threaded end, right?

So then I'm going to have to find another thing to fit that threaded end, force that through the pressure cooker, and then somehow solder/weld/braze it there?



The way you explained the fitting is correct.

Get a 5/16" compression to 5/16" NPT adaptor, and 5/16" NPT Tap, and the matching COBALT drill bit.
Nothing else or nothing different no matter what Anyone says,

Drill the spigot out of the lid from the bottom side, and tap the thread from the top.
If you cut the thread cleanly you will not need sealer. Pipe threads self seal.
For peace of mind? Use Teflon Plumbers tape.

Taping threads is a precise chore so if you are uncomfortable... Ask a buddy or the guy at the local garage. Just laugh, and tell him you are gonna make Super Meth. That usually shuts them up! :D

radiance88 - 23-2-2015 at 11:00

Judging from this Amazon link.. an "NPT tap" is some sort of drill bit? You use this to create threading, am I right?

So I should drill a hole in the lid (it's already got one there, probably just make it larger?), and then use this "tap" to create threading in the lid, right? Then fit the other end of the adapter into this thread?

I just sat here for about an hour trying to figure how all of this fits together.. Sorry yes I am a pipe retard. lol

aga - 23-2-2015 at 11:38

Yep.

In Engineering, a 'tap' creates a screw thread inside a hole.

Technically you should use a 'second' after the 'tap' but that isn't really needed here.

Nobody is born a plumbing expert !

For quite a while after birth we all tend to leak (a year or so)

Edit:

A Tap is a hand tool : if you try to run it fast inn a drill, something will break.

The technique is to apply it vertically into the hole, do a 1/4 turn, back it off a little, repeat.

Use some oil to lubricate the tool.

The Hole you drill should be about 1mm smaller than the size of the thread you want - there has to be enough metal left to cut a thread into ...

Another edit :

Use Meths to lubricate if it's aluminium - works better than oil for Al/Fe.
Oil works better for most other things.

[Edited on 23-2-2015 by aga]

[Edited on 23-2-2015 by aga]

aga - 23-2-2015 at 11:51

this shows it quite well :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVnN4jiB7Gk

Zombie - 23-2-2015 at 12:12

Quote: Originally posted by Sulaiman  
Are you sure that platinum-cured silicone tubing will leach?

just asking for my own knowledge as when I wanted tubing I looked up the chemical compatibility and it was reported as good.

I don't want leached products in my products.

any reference(s)?

[Edited on 23-2-2015 by Sulaiman]


You are correct that Silicone is rated as good. It is not excellent or inert.

This topic has been discussed to death on distillation forums for a decade.
PTEF is the only accepted "inert" plastic.

http://www.coleparmer.com/Chemical-Resistance

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&...

Zombie - 23-2-2015 at 12:21

Quote: Originally posted by radiance88  
Judging from this Amazon link.. an "NPT tap" is some sort of drill bit? You use this to create threading, am I right?

So I should drill a hole in the lid (it's already got one there, probably just make it larger?), and then use this "tap" to create threading in the lid, right? Then fit the other end of the adapter into this thread?

I just sat here for about an hour trying to figure how all of this fits together.. Sorry yes I am a pipe retard. lol



You are correct on all counts (minus the pipe retard) I wouldn't dare go there...

Here's a Utube vid, and there are plenty more.

The first link I posted in that billy moonshine vid shows the exact fitting I am talking about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veO270DcKXE

radiance88 - 24-2-2015 at 00:08

Are you guys sure this thing is even thick enough to thread properly? It looks like I'd barely get half a turn in there.




Also, is NPT absolutely necessary? This is an American standard, correct? I was looking on my country's version of Ebay... I found some tap/die sets with NPT, and some with metric..not that many though.

I'm not even sure I'm going to be able to find the compression adapter here.. considering that the people in the biggest hardware store in town had absolutely no clue what plaster of paris was.. I'm pretty sure they will have no effing clue about all the stuff that I'm about to be asking them tomorrow.

morganbw - 24-2-2015 at 03:48

Quote: Originally posted by radiance88  
Are you guys sure this thing is even thick enough to thread properly? It looks like I'd barely get half a turn in there.




Also, is NPT absolutely necessary? This is an American standard, correct? I was looking on my country's version of Ebay... I found some tap/die sets with NPT, and some with metric..not that many though.

I'm not even sure I'm going to be able to find the compression adapter here.. considering that the people in the biggest hardware store in town had absolutely no clue what plaster of paris was.. I'm pretty sure they will have no effing clue about all the stuff that I'm about to be asking them tomorrow.


NPT is not absolutely necessary. It does offer the benefit that it is slightly tapered and normally seals well.

You have lots of options, ( welding/silver solder/brazing/compression fittings/threading/(hell you could just stick a tube in the hole and use oatmeal or starch/flour to seal it).



Zombie - 24-2-2015 at 07:13

Quote: Originally posted by radiance88  
Are you guys sure this thing is even thick enough to thread properly? It looks like I'd barely get half a turn in there.




Also, is NPT absolutely necessary? This is an American standard, correct? I was looking on my country's version of Ebay... I found some tap/die sets with NPT, and some with metric..not that many though.

I'm not even sure I'm going to be able to find the compression adapter here.. considering that the people in the biggest hardware store in town had absolutely no clue what plaster of paris was.. I'm pretty sure they will have no effing clue about all the stuff that I'm about to be asking them tomorrow.


Why is the hole there?

Was that a safety pop out valve?

You can rig up whatever you like. I just explained the easiest way.

The lid is plenty thick for an NPT. That stands for National Pipe Thread.

ASE is different, and they do not exchange places or uses.

Were you able to watch the videos? It's all in there.

blogfast25 - 24-2-2015 at 07:58

Regards that seal on the starting point pressure cooker. Many are made of vulcanised food grade NBR. There should be no problem using that even for drinking alcohol.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrile_rubber (uncompounded NBR)

If in doubt about leaching, soak the seal in cheap vodders for a week or so.

[Edited on 24-2-2015 by blogfast25]

aga - 24-2-2015 at 13:48

Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25  
If in doubt about leaching, soak the seal in cheap vodders for a week or so.

Damnit !

I leach !

Magpie - 24-2-2015 at 14:41

Quote: Originally posted by radiance88  

.. considering that the people in the biggest hardware store in town had absolutely no clue what plaster of paris was.. I'm pretty sure they will have no effing clue about all the stuff that I'm about to be asking them tomorrow.


Try to find a clerk older than 50. :D

Zombie - 24-2-2015 at 14:57

Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25  
Regards that seal on the starting point pressure cooker. Many are made of vulcanised food grade NBR. There should be no problem using that even for drinking alcohol.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrile_rubber (uncompounded NBR)

If in doubt about leaching, soak the seal in cheap vodders for a week or so.

[Edited on 24-2-2015 by blogfast25]



A lot of beginning "hootch" distillers will go that route but in the end they all move away from rubber / silicone / nibril, ect.

EPTFE (teflon foam) is the only sealing product that is 100% inert to EtOH vapor.

Sort of or actually the goal is to make a liquor better than anything you can go out to purchase. All the tiny little things add up.
Best grains, best yeast for the purpose, the best equipment you can get, ect...

Like a home chef. A 400 dollar knife doesn't really cut better than a 40 dollar one but the love is there.
That same chef would never serve a fish filleted with a plastic spork.

Starting out w/ a pressure cooker is fine. Don't worry about spending money on it tho. Just make it work.
If you like the process (you won't like the product) move up to a better rig.
That's when you can start spending a few bucks, and getting things right.

blogfast25 - 24-2-2015 at 16:54

Zombie:

There are plenty of vulcanised elastomers that resist hot EtOH very well. EPDM (ethylene propylene diene) based formulations would do very well too. And MUCH cheaper too.

http://www.dow.com/elastomers/products/nordel.htm

EPTFE, Viton, Vamac etc are really the Rolls Royces of that application.

Trust me, I was an elastomer formulator for about 10 years. Bored the pants of me in the end.

[Edited on 25-2-2015 by blogfast25]

[Edited on 25-2-2015 by blogfast25]

Zombie - 25-2-2015 at 02:46

The only reason (to my knowledge) that distillers stay away from those materials is no one has been able to find a manufacturer willing to state (in writing) that there products are indeed 100% inert in EtOh vapor.

Many MSDS statements exist for liquid EtOH but none for the heated vapor.

I do trust you are 100% correct but until we see the data sheets... Stillers are a superstitious lot.
We peek from behind logs, and shoot first.

I mean "THEY" do. Uh Hum... yeah... them.

Fulmen - 25-2-2015 at 02:58

There is resistance and there is the risk of imparting taste. We know that regular plastic/rubber hoses handle water just fine, but taste water that's been standing in in for a while...

hyfalcon - 25-2-2015 at 06:49

You know, as thick as that lid is, I would suspect it being aluminum instead of stainless steel.

Zombie - 25-2-2015 at 10:09

Agreed. The pot does appear to be Aluminium.

Many distillers believe aluminium is dangerous to use but it is not.
For a boiler it is fine. It will etch away, and eventually give you Alzheimer but you will quickly forget where you got it. (bad joke sorry)

It will etch but the EtOH is far more dangerous to your health on a PPM basis.

What Mr. Fulmen stated about taste is the entire point in avoiding all forms of rubber, and silicone. Solely a taste thing.

If you do not have access to EPTFE then Flour, oatmeal, and water make a paste that will seal against vapor leaks.

You apply the paste when the parts are heating up. This will cure it quickly, and in general it will hold for the duration of the run.

Keep in mind that Eth vapor is heavier than air, and it will ALWAYS find the heat source.

I've seen my fair share of WHOOSHHHHHHH!

radiance88 - 26-2-2015 at 01:22

I just googled the markings on the bottom of the pot. "mirro m-0536-11" and found out indeed that it is cast aluminum. I thought it was stainless but I guess not.

Whoop-dee-doo.

Zombie - 26-2-2015 at 01:30

In that case you can save a few bucks on the drill bit.Any high speed steel bit will do fine.

Just for general information... Cobalt bits are required for drilling stainless. Titanium, black oxide, ect... all dull out almost instantly

[Edited on 2-26-2015 by Zombie]

radiance88 - 26-2-2015 at 02:21

Quote: Originally posted by Magpie  
Quote: Originally posted by radiance88  

.. considering that the people in the biggest hardware store in town had absolutely no clue what plaster of paris was.. I'm pretty sure they will have no effing clue about all the stuff that I'm about to be asking them tomorrow.


Try to find a clerk older than 50. :D


That's another prob.. there are no clerks older than 50.

The job market where I'm at in southeast asia is particularly horrible. The only thing actually keeping the country afloat is the remittance money it receives from overseas workers. All the big corporations here only hire people contractually for 6 months, because in that manner they can avoid paying people's insurance and other benefits. So everyone you find working in malls and stores here is generally a college-kid temp-jobber with no actual experience or training, and it doesn't matter anyway, being that he'll/she'll be gone in a few months.

The other day I asked a clerk at the local big house-improvement store if he had any 1/2'' threaded rod (for my hotplate).. He affirmed that he did, and then proceeded to show me some 1/2 '' GI pipe. *facepalm*

I'm also having problems as well finding copper pipe and such. I was considering actually moving to a reflux column design made out of copper (superior concentration of ethanol in distillate), but it turns out that copper as a water pipe is actually very rarely used here, and thus is very expensive.

DIY here is such a pain.

Zombie - 26-2-2015 at 07:18

If you move to a column forget the pressure cooker.

Move up to a "beer keg". There is a 2" ferrule on top, that readily accepts a 2" sanitary fitting.
You can build completely out of Stainless, and just use some copper scrubbers in the vapor path.

Google around the distillation forums for ideas. All told you can spend around 4-5 hundred USD, and have a still that will make any liquor you like.
The pressure cooker will only produce a liquor that nobody likes. It is a way to learn the method tho...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbO7Z83uCKk



[Edited on 2-26-2015 by Zombie]

images.jpg - 8kBHillbilly-Flute.jpg - 97kB

radiance88 - 27-2-2015 at 04:24

Actually I was thinking of something a little smaller and simpler https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2DfCr2Qsx0

It seems I'm in quite a bind here. Copper is hard to obtain here, and stainless is expensive, and I don't know how to properly weld or solder either one. I kind of wish that I could just head to a Handyman and grab everything to your heart's content like you can in the States.

I'm trying to get the requirements for me to head to a local trade school at the moment. but they only offer SMAW welding, which isn't any good for stainless. I've never seen anyone here do any kind of TIG welding in my 15 years of staying here.

I'm also considering just doing everything via lab gear, 5 liter round bottom flask, water bath, vigreaux column and all.

Zombie - 27-2-2015 at 04:42

In the states, Stainless is one of the least expensive materials to use. It has very little scrap value, and can easily be found cheaply in any scrap yard, marina, auto slavage.

That being what it is, you have to decide if you are using this as a drinking still or as a chemistry still.

In a 5 liter set up you will most likely end up with 300ml of palatable product rating between 30 / 40% ABV. The rest is acetone, ketones, and fuesil oils. These come off before, and after the EtOH.

I will say that the palatable product will be better coming off of a glass-ware rig, than a pressure cooker.

There are lot's of solder-less methods if you choose to stay with metal components. There are literally thousands of builds, and designs on the internet.

Sulaiman - 27-2-2015 at 08:04

or you could go for something like this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Distillation-Apparatus-Kit-Lab-Vac...
All glass.

Note: I just did a bit of research,
a vigreux column like the one above only adds about one 'theoretical plate',
so one distillation 10% ethanol should theoretically give 80% to 85% product.
so maybe better to go for a reflux still.
http://homedistiller.org/equip/designs/reflux_plan

[Edited on 27-2-2015 by Sulaiman]

Zombie - 27-2-2015 at 10:08

The yield would be around 50 - 60ml @ 30 - 40% ABV (palatable) from a 10% ABV starting point.

When you are talking about boiler contents of 5 gallons or less... You are better off keeping the ferments as either wine or beer.

Even IF you fermented 10,000 gallons all the individual runs combined produce more waste, and the time / energy consumed is so great that it winds up easier to buy a bottle of hootch.

Plus you don't have to worry about the Alphabet people. (ABC / ATF ) :(


Don't get me wrong here... distilling is a great hobby, and the rewards are / can be many. Creating your own Single Malt Scotch, or hand crafted Bourbon is a delight.

Reality is you need at LEAST a 5 gallon boiler to run 3ish quarts of a good product. 15 gallons is about the average size boiler for "hobby" distillers, and old timers will run between 55, and 90 gallon rigs (pot / thumper).
If you're not an Alchy., and have not intent of selling your product, (I personally frown on people in this for profit) you can run 2-3 times a year, stay under the radar, and have something you are proud to share with friends, and family.

Any other scenario ie: curiosity or profit don't lend well to making a really great product.

Just as in the chemistry you all love... Things have to be done correctly, and with the proper equipment if you want good results.

[Edited on 2-27-2015 by Zombie]

[Edited on 2-27-2015 by Zombie]