StillSmart

Hi All,

Thinking about building a still and looking at some plans. Has anyone tried anything similar to the internal reflux still detailed in this link?
http://www.moonshine-still.com/still.pdf
It's quite an old document as it's one I first saw years ago when I was thinking about it but now I am definitely going to go for it, just not sure whether to get a commercial one, pay aa local builder (if there are any) or go DIY..

Confused..

Great another builder I was starting to think I was the only one.

This is the very document that started me off thinking about building a still.

As you said this is a very old document and since it was published distilling has come on a lot.

There are lots of articles on the web that indicate that the still does not work very well, has no control as such is relativly expensive to make, there is a lot of soldering to do.

There are a lot better, cheaper and easier designs to build that will make better drinks.

Sorry run out of time - do not be discouraged - keep reading

When I get back I will add a couple of links that helped me a lot, in deciding what I wanted to make.

Hi,
thanks that would be brilliant. I'd quite like to experiment with a pot style and a reflux style, that is one of the things that attracted me to the design in that document. If the general consensus is that there is no great 'jack of all trades' design I'd be happy to build two columns.
I've seen a lot of Americans talking about DIY and there seems to be a lot more support over there for them. One thing that pops up in their discussions is how a commercial still such as the t500 gets well and truly beat by anything you can DIY. Is this true in your opinion?
Thanks again, I notice you're in Yorkshire too, your knowledge could come in handy for sourcing components locally if I sway to the build option.
Si

Sorry about the first negative response.

The design you quote is cooling management ( CM )reflux.

The Captain uses a vapour management ( VM )reflux

And I have opted for the Bokakob which is a liquid management ( LM ) reflux.

This article compares and describes all three

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=13360

This seems to be anicely balanced article, there are others that are a lot more damming about the claims made in the document you reference.

I do not claim to be a distiller - I am happy at the moment to be a builder.

When I was looking at your still I priced up the copper required to make it. It was a lot, the fittings are very expensive.

I can't be much help with the pot still, have a look at the Captain's it looks nice.

Yes a lot of the other sites and forums are US based. They seem to have acres of space to build huge stills in and have a need to make 15 gallons of whiskey a week.

Have look at the link and if I can help with any of the building bits / materials, then just ask.

If you have not read it yet have a look at the post Brian's Bokakob. I am a bit further on than that, but I will probably only be posting one episode a week.

Don't give up - keep reading.

Hi Still Not There Yet, The still in that document is now a bit outdated, it is now thought that cooling lines running through the column is not a good idea, it destabilises the column meaning you get less effective separation. All reflux should happen above the packed section.

I'm very happy with the way my VM worked out, it's a really simple design, but has a large bore gate valve, which is a fairly pricey piece part if building to a tight budget.

YBH's LM is a solid design, is slightly cheaper to build as does not require an external condenser but is IMHO a more technically challenging build with the slanted plates.

There are lots of great designs out there.

Thanks for the link which explains the 3 fundamental designs Bob. I understand them a lot better now. There were 2 designs in the doc I sent, one CM and one LM. Do you think even the LM is outdated given the external coil vs the bokas internal?

So either way, I'll probably go for a VM after reading that. I like the idea of making the run as simple as possible.

Capt-Cudellez, the cost is not of huge importance. What's more important to me is building something of good quality that will last for years and will produce a great drink. The complexity of the build is something I can cope with too, I'm fairly practical with physical work. Do you have more details of your VM please? I'll probably waste most of today looking at build plans now..... Well, in IT everything goes quiet running up to Chrimbo so it would be rude to just sit there bored

Thanks everyone for the help, very useful!

This link has a few examples of stills and both the designs you quote are crossed out as no starters. This is written by someone who has a lot more experience than me.

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 15&t=14972

Still Not There Yet wrote:One thing that pops up in their discussions is how a commercial still such as the t500 gets well and truly beat by anything you can DIY. Is this true in your opinion?

Before I start, this is a personal opinion I thought I'd share and is not aimed at SNTY or anyone in particular!

I'm no still builder, but just on the point above - I don't believe this is true and it is one of those opinions that put people off other distillation sites because they seem unhelpful and sometimes abusive.

The T500 is a commercial still which is designed and built to operate in a certain fashion. Yes it definitely has flaws, yes it could be considered expensive for the materials involved, but if all you want is to create neutral alcohol in a reasonably simple fashion then it is spot on. If you want to do anything else (stripping runs, pot stilling) then you're going outside the comfort zone of the still and it won't perform as well.

If someone has the time, skill and inclination to build a still, that's all well and good. If they have enough understanding of how the process works to be able to adapt and modify to their preference, that's great. If they have the space and facilities to run and store a homemade still, again good on them. Many people conveniently ignore the cost of their own time when calculating the cost of building - make no mistake, it will take a fair bit of time, which needs to be factored in when deciding if the T500 is good value. If it's a hobby and you enjoy it, no problem - just another point of view about how the 'expense' of the T500 is not the whole story.

Personally, I like classic cars. I much prefer tinkering with them and getting my hands dirty than driving anything modern. But along with that comes the understanding that if it goes wrong, I might have to spend a few days finding a part or chatting to other owners to get a bit of advice, or having something custom made... whereas if I just went and bought a modern box I'd still get from A-B, maybe not in such a satisfying way but the end result would be broadly similar. Also, classic car owners tend to look down on other people in much the same way as distillers seem to, whereas people who just have 'cars' are busy getting on with their lives instead of hanging about on the internet putting other people down...

In a nutshell, if you understand the process and are happy with it, and you want to treat it as a hobby, a homemade still is the best way to make sure it fits your needs. If you're not handy, or you have any grey areas about how distillation works, or you lack time or space, consider buying a commercial still - you can run it a while, get the hang of it, and sell it on or modify it like the Capt did with the T500 boiler or the Aus guys do - don't forget that alcohol vapour can be dangerous and needs to be treated with respect.

Hi Jimmy,

thanks for that and thanks for the site.

You make a very good point and I appreciate the balance.

It sounds like the t500 is an awesome piece of kit and although expensive, it seems worth it. Especially as you say with the cost of your time. You're right, people are odd sometimes and forget that there is rarely a 'best for everyone' solution but there is always a 'best for you' solution. People need to choose what's best for themselves and be happy with that. I've really enjoyed talking to you guys and you've helped me finally decide what is the right fit for me which is.... <drum roll> to build.

I think I'll really enjoy building something from scratch and take pride in it. Even if it ends up producing rubbish, I've still had fun in the mean time.

Having looked further today I'm going to build a bokakob to start with as it seems like a relative doddle especially with a template I found. The boiler should be easy too but I might cheat on that and get something like the essencia wort boiler here:
http://www.homebrewmegastore.co.uk/shop ... oiler.html
Would that work?
Once I have one column runing and understand more about the process I'll consider building some different columns to experiment with different results and styles & techniques.

One thing I'm confused about though, how do you fasten the column to the boiler? I've seen all sorts of solutions from welding a flange to using a sink drain fitting to modifying a 2" cap to make a seat. Is there a standard way most builders overcome this or some 2" compression fitting readily available?

I'm starting to source the components for the column now. Any good place in West Yorkshire to get 2" copper tube and fittings? I'm really excited about the build now.

Excellent, keep us all posted on how you get on, there are plenty more that might take that step if you make all the mistakes for them first!

In fact I didn't find that template, it was thanks to Brian on the useful link he sent. Many Thanks!

For a few quid more you could have one of these..

http://www.screwfix.com/p/direct-stainless-steel-cylinder-900-x-450mm/99021

But more capacity and the heating elemtns are easily available..

That's not a bad thought, is this the solution you chose?

Thanks Jimmy, photo diary coming up.

Welcome to the Bok Building Fraternity.

I have just added a post on my build that gives my take on fitting the slant plates and the novell method I finally used.

http://www.stillsmart.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=733&p=6509#p6509

If you Google 54mm Compresion Tank Connector, you should get lots of people trying to sell you a standard off the shelf fitting that will connect your column to a boiler or whatever you finally choose - these connectors appear to range between £25 and £85 I do not know why there is such a big price range. I had some left over 2" pipe - split it - flattened it - and after a lot of filing made this connector - not much money, only time but it certainly a nice beefy one.



I will be adding this to my build thread next week.