Building a still: Take 2

[RudiC Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RudiC]

Alright, I found a 50l keg. Apparently a 2" tri-clamp fits the head of a keg perfectly. Now to find or build a column. Advice, help, hints, tips?

Yes they fit well, have similar thing going.

Are you going coper or stainless with the column?

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

I'd love to go stainless, but the price is a pain in the neck. I see Distillique sells 2" copper piping for around R600 per meter, so I'm thinking of getting me a length of that and using that as the column, sommer in one piece. To get that down to smaller size with a thermometer and everything in there, I dunno though. I want to go for a much thinner lyne arm, preferably 22mm, but how do I get that 2" down to 22mm?

[RudiC Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RudiC]

I'd love to go stainless, but the price is a pain in the neck. I see Distillique sells 2" copper piping for around R600 per meter, so I'm thinking of getting me a length of that and using that as the column, sommer in one piece. To get that down to smaller size with a thermometer and everything in there, I dunno though. I want to go for a much thinner lyne arm, preferably 22mm, but how do I get that 2" down to 22mm?

Easy to get reducers to get you from 2" to 22mm, might not be one, but you'll find a solution. You'll find it in your area at either LJR Plumbing or Plumblink. They also sell tubing per meter.

[Langchop Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Langchop]

Ask these guys for a quote. They seem to stock a lot of the bigger sizes and their prices were good. For the fittings.

https://plumbstation.co.za/

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

OK so I got a place that said they'll build me a reducing unit from 2" down to 28mm, and then from 28mm down to 22mm, all for less than R100. That's REALLY cheap, so I'm busy building a parts list so they can quote me on it all in one shot. If all goes to plan, it'll be REALLY cheap to build and perhaps I can then build stills on the side as well. Kegs are DIRT cheap for what they are (really, holy crap!) so if the copper parts can come in cheap-ish, it'll be a winner!

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

OK so the next question: Gas vs electric. Obviously electric would be best, and I'd love to go that route, but it means more cutting on the keg, installing elements, etc. I'm currently brewing beer and whatnot in an urn with a 2,500W element and it takes while to get going, but it's also not too bad. However, I'd love to go a bit larger, perhaps up to 4kW on the element. That'll still allow me to run if off a regular home plug, which is great, and it'll speed up the heating phase.

I can go with gas with the keg as-is, but I'll have to buy a gas burner for that, either mounted to a table-style stand, or I'll have to build one. I'll also need a gas regulator and pipe, and the lot of that will cost around R700 on it's own (yes, I checked). So it's not like it's free either. I currently run my small still on a 2-plate gas stove, but it's not going to hold the weight of a 50l still when full. Not at all. That thing will break. So electric makes more sense here now as well.

However, that means I'll have to get temperature control. With the gas I can turn it down and run the still nice and slow during the spirit run, but electric is harder. That has me thinking - PID or voltage controller? I see some controllers being sold with thermocouplers and stuff that can handle up to 40A apparently, but I have NO IDEA how these thing work, at all. So I'd like some guidance. My hands aren't round so if I can just get someone to point me in the right direction I can build something, but I don't even know what to buy...

EDIT: Can I just buy something like this: https://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/5022...t_AC_220V.html
Or even better, one like this, in local stock: https://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/5030...CAL_STOCK.html

[Langchop Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Langchop]

4kw is a bit high for a typical 16 A plugpoint. It will probably hold out a while and then trip.

[groenspookasem Banned Find all posts View Profile Close groenspookasem]

[FaanP Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close FaanP]

OK so the next question: Gas vs electric. Obviously electric would be best, and I'd love to go that route, but it means more cutting on the keg, installing elements, etc. I'm currently brewing beer and whatnot in an urn with a 2,500W element and it takes while to get going, but it's also not too bad. However, I'd love to go a bit larger, perhaps up to 4kW on the element. That'll still allow me to run if off a regular home plug, which is great, and it'll speed up the heating phase.

I can go with gas with the keg as-is, but I'll have to buy a gas burner for that, either mounted to a table-style stand, or I'll have to build one. I'll also need a gas regulator and pipe, and the lot of that will cost around R700 on it's own (yes, I checked). So it's not like it's free either. I currently run my small still on a 2-plate gas stove, but it's not going to hold the weight of a 50l still when full. Not at all. That thing will break. So electric makes more sense here now as well.

However, that means I'll have to get temperature control. With the gas I can turn it down and run the still nice and slow during the spirit run, but electric is harder. That has me thinking - PID or voltage controller? I see some controllers being sold with thermocouplers and stuff that can handle up to 40A apparently, but I have NO IDEA how these thing work, at all. So I'd like some guidance. My hands aren't round so if I can just get someone to point me in the right direction I can build something, but I don't even know what to buy...

EDIT: Can I just buy something like this: https://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/5022...t_AC_220V.html
Or even better, one like this, in local stock: https://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/5030...CAL_STOCK.html

Go gas. In the end the electricity version will be more expensive with the PID etc.

Sent from my SM-G988B using Tapatalk

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

OK so I have almost completely set my mind on electricity, but now I have to go do the maths.

Electric:
Element Ferrule: R300
2" Ferrule to weld to the keg: R95
Cutting and welding (quote from local place): R450
Bottom drain nipple, 1/2" SS: R33
Bottom drain ball valve, 1/2" SS: R135
Geyser element: ~R300, depending on size and where and whatnot
Temperature controller: R500 seems to be a good bet
Total: R1,813

Gas:
Bottom drain nipple, 1/2" SS: R33
Bottom drain ball valve, 1/2" SS: R135
Cutting and welding (quote from local place): R200
Gas burner table: R429
Bullnose regulator and 2m hose: R199
Total: R996

Wow, that's almost half the price. I can always go electric in the future, so yeah I'm going to stick with the gas for now.

[RudiC Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RudiC]

How are you going to cool the vapor? Liebig cooler, copper coil or what?

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

I've already got a coil, built for my by a forum member. 5.5m 15mm copper pipe bent into a coil. I can't wait to get to use it, actually.

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

Oh great, and now I got hold of a guy who can do the element installation for even cheaper for me. GREAT.

Thing is, with the element in there I can still use gas if I need to.

[RudiC Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RudiC]

Did Jonathan help you with the info you needed?

[groenspookasem Banned Find all posts View Profile Close groenspookasem]