OT: I'm going to distill - any tips?

[sKilled]

I've been doing some thinking for a new hobby, and I have come across distilling. Thought it might be interesting to build a fractionating column (esp. because I want a high %age for making liquers). Anyone here have any experience with this?

Any tips on what to use for the pot and heating (gas is easy, but I have read that it can cause hot spots which lead to awful tasting by-products).

Anyone know a cheap source for the copper parts in NZ?

Please post a pic of your still if you have one as I haven't commited myself to a particular style.

Thanks guys!

p.s. Don't drink and drive, you might spill it!:D

[Robin-535im]

I've been doing some thinking for a new hobby, and I have come across distilling.

Well - it's illegal here in the US, so my knowledge of this is purely hypothetical. Hypothetically I could have a friend with a still in his garage, made mostly of food-grade PVC tubing / piping from the local home improvement store. IIRC (hypothetically) he would have a big stainless steel pot as the boiler and just get various PVC connectors / reducers to get it to a small tube size, then have copper pipe to cool the vapor. No solder! Lead is a bad thing to drink! Good hobby though. Hypothetically I could have had some of his brew and it would have been very nice. Smooth, flammable, and a pleasant taste.

[Alexlind123]

Well - it's illegal here in the US, so my knowledge of this is purely hypothetical. Hypothetically I could have a friend with a still in his garage, made mostly of food-grade PVC tubing / piping from the local home improvement store. IIRC (hypothetically) he would have a big stainless steel pot as the boiler and just get various PVC connectors / reducers to get it to a small tube size, then have copper pipe to cool the vapor. No solder! Lead is a bad thing to drink! Good hobby though. Hypothetically I could have had some of his brew and it would have been very nice. Smooth, flammable, and a pleasant taste.

What do you mean "no solder"? People drink out of copper plumbing all the time.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Household pipes use lead-free solder, no idea why you couldn't use that in the "hypothetical" still.;)

[sKilled]

Yeah, I am thinking of going with copper as PVC can cause problems with the pressure/vapours. There is a lead free solder for stuff like this, the same as used in plumbing. Lucky for me, here in NZ we don't have to keep it hypothetical, nor do we only use it for purifying water. We don't, for example, have to work out that, at leastt on paper (wink, wink) the $99 water distiller from Sears can, theoretically on paper, produce a roughly 40% distill. In theory mind you ;)

[Robin-535im]

What do you mean "no solder"? People drink out of copper plumbing all the time.
I meant no Soldiers... ;p

[Mitch90535im]

google it

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

which is very similar to the process making a whisky or scotch.

You'll need to mash some malt and/or other forms of starch and sugar, ferment it with a strain of brewer's yeast (many to choose from) drain off liquid after fermentation is complete and then distill it down.

A lot of care into the brewing and fermentation process for the proper flavors and ETOH (alcohol) yield.

[mattyb]

Only One Tip. No Smoking!

[sKilled]

Hey I've found a great website http://www.amphora-society.com/ where it covers everything I needed to know.

Turns out that they manufacture stills in the US, but the guy who runs it lives here in Auckland (NZ), so I gave him a call and had a good chat. He's going to see what he can do in regards to putting together a still for me (probably stainless steel - so cool!).

Also turns out that the book I grabbed at the local library was written by him - lol.

Anyhow, I will post pics and details of my progress as it develops.

[sKilled]

Oh yeah, to finance my new hobby, I have to get rid of another (too cost intensive) - anyone in NZ looking for a Tippmann A-5, with a 16" PI barrell (ultra silent), Ricichet hopper, remote line, Response Trigger, 20 ounce bottle, weapon bag, 5 position tactical stock, V-Force mask (cheap but does the trick) and some tools. Looking for $700 NZD ono.

[calmloki]

As a lad I made a still from the mater's large pressure cooker - nicely pre-tapped and ready for copper pressure fittings. Did the 1/4" copper cooling coil inside a 3# coffee can (in at the bottom, out at the top). Had the cooling can in the kitchen sink with cold water running into it. You want to keep the still temp below 212 to try and vaporise a minimum of water (190 would be nice). Found that really crappy homemade grape wine made an excellent and tasty base brew, good for anesthetizing one's mouth. Tough to swallow as it tended to be absorbed in the mouth instantly. Later, in the Navy, I tried a sprouted grain mash - didn't care for the flavour. Figure the hillbillies are more skilled or less discerning than me. Fun project, may be less likely to generate a visit from Johnny Law than having a grow room or building automatic weapons. OTH, doesn't impress girls, and unless you drink a lot buying good booze is cheaper and easier.
I uz a country boy.

[wingman]

Buy a hundred pounds of yeast and some copper line... And a big black Dodge!:D

[calmloki]

Buy a hundred pounds of yeast and some copper line... And a big black Dodge!:D
An if the Revenooers don getcha then the road sure will...

[sKilled]

Booze is expensive here in NZ - bottle of premium (locally made) 42 below costs around $50 NZD (for 700ml with flavour, or for 1 litre plain). Ergo, if I can produce a high quality spirit for $6 to $8 a litre at the same %, it's a boatload cheaper for me. Plus I can get rid of the crap chlorine taste of Auckland city water!
I hear that the perfect range is 86-92 degrees celcius, but don't quote me on that. The still will definetely have a thermometer built.