Stillmaker.pdf

BUILDING A HOME DISTILLATION APPARATUS

A Step by Step Guide

Building a Home

Distillation

Apparatus

BUILDING A HOME DISTILLATION APPARATUS

Foreword

The pages that follow contain a step-by-step guide to building a relatively sophisticated

distillation apparatus from commonly available materials, using simple tools, and at a cost of

under $100 USD.

The information contained on this site is directed at anyone who may want to know more about

the subject: students, hobbyists, tinkers, pure

water enthusiasts, survivors, the curious, and

perhaps even amateur wine and beer makers.

Designing and building this apparatus is the

only subject of this manual. You will find

that it confines itself solely to those areas. It

does not enter into the domains of

fermentation, recipes for making mash, beer,

wine or any other spirits. These areas are

covered in detail in other readily available

books and numerous web sites.

The site contains two separate design plans

for the stills. And while both can be used for

a number of distillation tasks, it should be

recognized that their designs have been

optimized for the task of separating ethyl

alcohol from a water-based mixture.

Having said that, remember that the real

purpose of this site is to educate and inform

those of you who are interested in this

subject. It is not to be construed in any

fashion as an encouragement to break the

law.

If you believe the law is incorrect, please take

the time to contact your representatives in government, cast your

vote at the polls, write newsletters to the media, and in general, try to make the changes in a

legal and democratic manner.

As a final word, if you decide to build a still like this, you will be on your own. It is distributed

WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of

MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

BUILDING A HOME DISTILLATION APPARATUS

Table of Contents

FOREWORD................................................................................................................................... 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS...............................................................................................................3

INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 7

G OVERNMENT R EGULATIONS ......................................................................................................... 7

WHERE TO START?.................................................................................................................... 9

I NFORMATION S OURCES .................................................................................................................. 9

WHAT KIND OF STILL? .......................................................................................................... 12

P OT S TILLS .................................................................................................................................... 12

REFLUX STILLS ......................................................................................................................... 14

O VERVIEW ..................................................................................................................................... 14

Adam's Still ................................................................................................................................ 15

Corty’s Still ................................................................................................................................ 15

Cellier-Blumenthal Still............................................................................................................. 16

B ATCH D ISTILLATION ................................................................................................................... 17

DISTILLATION PURITY CONSIDERATIONS................................................................... 18

F ICTION AND F ACT ........................................................................................................................ 18

M OONSHINE AND D ISTILLATE P URITY ......................................................................................... 19

D RUGSTORE M OONSHINE ............................................................................................................. 19

W HAT ' S IN A P URE S PIRIT ............................................................................................................. 20

BOILER SELECTION ................................................................................................................2 1

S ELECTION C ONSIDERATIONS ....................................................................................................... 21

S TAINLESS S TEEL .......................................................................................................................... 22

S TAINLESS S TEEL M ILK C ANS ...................................................................................................... 22

S TAINLESS S TEEL B EER K EGS ...................................................................................................... 23

THE TOP END.............................................................................................................................. 24

O VERVIEW ..................................................................................................................................... 24

W HY T WO D ESIGNS ? .................................................................................................................... 25

Versitality ................................................................................................................................... 25

Simplicity.................................................................................................................................... 25

Ease of Construction ................................................................................................................. 25

Performance............................................................................................................................... 25

BUILDING A HOME DISTILLATION APPARATUS

Cost............................................................................................................................................. 25

M AKING THE C HOICE .................................................................................................................... 26

Internal Reflux Still.................................................................................................................... 26

Valved Reflux Still...................................................................................................................... 27

TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES .................................................................................................... 29

T OOL L IST ...................................................................................................................................... 29

C ONSTRUCTION O VERVIEW .......................................................................................................... 30

S OLDERING THE F ITTINGS ............................................................................................................. 30

S ILVER S OLDERING ....................................................................................................................... 31

INTERNAL REFLUX CONDENSER ...................................................................................... 33

C ONDENSER C ONSTRUCTION ........................................................................................................ 33

J ACKETED C ONDENSER ................................................................................................................. 34

C ONDENSER C OOLING F LOW ........................................................................................................ 35

C ONDENSER J ACKET O VERVIEW .................................................................................................. 36

C ONDENSER J ACKET ..................................................................................................................... 38

INTERNAL REFLUX TOP END .............................................................................................. 39

C OLUMN C ONSTRUCTION ............................................................................................................. 39

T HE C OLUMN H EAD ...................................................................................................................... 39

T HE C OLUMN B ODY ...................................................................................................................... 40

F INAL T OP E ND A SSEMBLY .......................................................................................................... 40

VALVED REFLUX STILL HEAD ........................................................................................... 42

V ALVED R EFLUX O VERVIEW ........................................................................................................ 42

S TILL HEAD C ONDENSER ............................................................................................................... 42

C ONDENSER C OIL .......................................................................................................................... 43

I NSTALLING THE C OIL ................................................................................................................... 43

N EEDLE V ALVES ........................................................................................................................... 44

VALVED REFLUX COLUMN.................................................................................................. 45

C OLUMN O VERVIEW ..................................................................................................................... 45

T HE C OLUMN H EAD ...................................................................................................................... 45

C OLUMN AND H EAD A SSEMBLY ................................................................................................... 46

C OOLING S UPPLY .......................................................................................................................... 46

F INAL C OLUMN A SSEMBLY .......................................................................................................... 47

ATTACHING THE COLUMN TO THE BOILER................................................................ 48

S TAINLESS S TEEL M ILK C ANS ...................................................................................................... 48

F LANGE A DAPTER ......................................................................................................................... 49

A DAPTING A S TAINLESS K EG ....................................................................................................... 49

Cutting the Keg .......................................................................................................................... 50

Anchoring the Cover.................................................................................................................. 51

Building the Column Adapter ................................................................................................... 51

BUILDING A HOME DISTILLATION APPARATUS

Fitting The Adapter and Cover ................................................................................................. 52

Covering the Column End.........................................................................................................5 2

Making the gaskets .................................................................................................................... 53

Finishing the Keg Cover ........................................................................................................... 53

COLUMN PACKING ..................................................................................................................5 4

P ACKING M ATERIALS .................................................................................................................... 54

HEATING THE BOILER ........................................................................................................... 57

E LECTRIC H EATING ....................................................................................................................... 57

H EATING WITH G AS ...................................................................................................................... 58

COOLING THE STILL .............................................................................................................. 59

O VERVIEW ..................................................................................................................................... 59

I NTERNAL R EFLUX S TILL .............................................................................................................. 59

Cooling Recirculation ............................................................................................................... 59

Recirculation Tanks................................................................................................................... 60

Submersible Pumps ................................................................................................................... 60

V ALVED R EFLUX S TILL ................................................................................................................ 61

STILL OPERATION ................................................................................................................... 62

S AFETY .......................................................................................................................................... 62

I NITIAL C HECKOUT ........................................................................................................................ 62

T HE I NTERNAL R EFLUX S TILL ...................................................................................................... 62

Shutdown.................................................................................................................................... 64

V ALVED R EFLUX S TILL ................................................................................................................ 65

Initial Startup ............................................................................................................................. 65

Shutdown Procedures................................................................................................................ 66

OPTIMIZING STILL OPERATIONS ..................................................................................... 67

T EMPERATURE C ONSIDERATIONS ................................................................................................. 67

P URITY R E -V ISITED ...................................................................................................................... 70

F USEL O ILS AND C ONGENERS ....................................................................................................... 71

H EADS AND T AILS ......................................................................................................................... 71

R EFLUX C ONTROL ......................................................................................................................... 72

T HE I NTERNAL R EFLUX S TILL ...................................................................................................... 72

T HE V ALVED R EFLUX S TILL ......................................................................................................... 73

THE LAST WORDS .................................................................................................................... 74

APPENDIX I – COST SUMMARY........................................................................................... 75

M ATERIALS AND C OST .................................................................................................................. 75

V ALVED R EFLUX S TILL T OP E ND S UMMARY .............................................................................. 75

I NTERNAL R EFLUX S TILL T OP E ND S UMMARY ............................................................................ 76

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