StillSmart

A word to the wise!

Using any kind of gas burner is a no-no unless you're going to run your
still outdoors - permanently.

The risk of explosion when using a gas burner is very, very real and there have been too many such incidents in the past few years.

Electric elements are cheap and completely safe but you will need a power controller. I built one with help from YHB and it functions perfectly with my keg boiler and it was very cost effective.

AM

Hey Chubby
+1 with Aidanmac on the gas burner. A definate no no. Try this from ebay. Realy good price and it works great.
Regards
RM
http://www.ebay.com/itm/10000W-220v-Adj ... Thermostat

ok i dont mind sticking it in the garage as i was going to run in the kitchen.


the lik doesnt work but will have a look for a controler

is this one has the same title as the last

Hi Chubby
Try this link
Regards
RM
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181004146734? ... 1439.l2649

Hi Chubby..

Im not in a position to give too much advice as im fairly new here myself. What strikes me though here is you dont seem to have a clear image of a build yet?.
When i decided on mine a couple of months ago, i knew from the offset what i wanted to do and the cost limitations etc....draw up a plan and stick to it. It wil help you focus better. Consider the cost of a t500 - £380. Ive built an electric powered boka 2"for maybe £120 all in..
I expect it to perform as well as the t500 (once the god damn power controller eventually arrives).
I currently do stripping runs and it is infinately better than my airstill....
For what its worth, my advice is dont go gas or keg. A boiler and power controller should be do-able for £50 tops.
Whatever you do, utilise the advice on this forum and do what yer doing safely.

Rich

ok im that much of a cluts i even forgot the link

runningman
yeah that was the same thing i was looking at .

i was going to build a boka to the same spec as the wiki plans
but im now thinking of the same top just bigger boiler im going to keep looking for a water boiler and forget about the gas burner .m

if i carnt find a eletric boiler would this power a good sized stock pot

instead os using the gas stove

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1500-WATT-ELE ... 27b01bd84c

Go here, viewtopic.php?f=15&t=749 and read everything. If you have any probs or questions, PM me and I'll help as much as I can.

AM

chubby_78 wrote:if i carnt find a eletric boiler would this power a good sized stock pot

instead os using the gas stove

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1500-WATT-ELE ... 27b01bd84c

Chubby

These are notoriously unreliable and not very strong.

"a good sized stockpot" is very heavy and needs to be very ridgidly supported. The hotplates like this that I looked at, were a bit wobbly and did not look strong enough to support a 5 gallons stockpot.

Once again this has a thermostat controller which will need to be replaced or over-ridden with a power controller.

1500w is a bit on the low side for power.

it was just a thought as i came cross them as i was looking for a boiler im watching about ten boilers at the mo but they all start about £35 and there is one at 40l for £80

A straightforward question;

Can you get hold of a stainless steel beer keg?

If so - for how much?

after reading aidnmacs post about his copper coffe pot

im gutted as well as impressed (well done fella)
and im now going to gather all the bits to make a thing of beauty just like his i will continue to build me a smaller scale still with a stock pot and the head iv got get im experiance with that .

then once iv got all the bits build some thing not the same but like his

my hats of to you fella happy brewing .m

My 50lt Stainless Steel keg cost me nothing - I wrote a begging letter to several breweries and one took pity on me and gave me two used kegs in perfect condition. The Stainless Steel fittings for the element, the drain tap, the thermometer and the ferrule for the column to connect to, all cost less than 25 Euro and I paid a local engineer 50 Euro to weld the four fittings into place.

The 11 inch, 3kw element for my keg is screwed in through a 1.5 inch SS socket welded into the bottom of the side wall of the keg and this element cost me 23 Euro.

I also fitted a dial thermometer half way up the wall of the keg and this cost me 12 Euros.

My power controller was built with assistance from YHB who gave me the parts list and where to get them, in China, and cost less than 50 Euros.

Total cost for my boiler was about 160 Euros, that's about £130 sterling. I think that's quite cheap.

At the time, it took me a while to get it all together and finished because I didn't have the skill or the know-how.

Today, because of the knowledge base on this forum, contained in the detailed posts by members who have done these things and the willingness of members here to help others getting started, the job of building a still is, relatively, simple as all the guesswork has been taken out of the job.

Even column building is supported by a substantial library of advice and experience here and one of the main things I love about this forum is that it's all about distilling and the associated skills and crafts. Everything from metalworking to sipping your home produced, high quality spirits is supported here.

No bull or bullshit, no egos to be stroked, no preening, no strutting peacocks, just distillers of all levels and friends.

AM

he he he i like your balls for asking the breweries may give it ago .

iv taken a lot on board from this site and before i came on here id never thought about soldering let alone welding

but iv done the soldering and im thinking of enrolling into a welding corse as iv got the chance to have a welder for free .and would help me fix my van for next to nothing too.

iv got lots of love and no bad remarks from anyone here and it's turning into a very good hobby so fare.m

hi all iv been looking for a tea urn and carnt find one under 60 to 80 pounds

used so i was looking at this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261152242772? ... 1423.l2648

would one or two of these elements be ok for either a 27lt stock pot ?