G'day from Darling Downs Qld

[lostmarbles]

Hi folks,
Just stopping by to say hello. I bought a still spirits kit a month or so ago, it's now gone and after stumbling round in here for the last couple of weeks I have started a 50l keg boiler & 4" modular bubbler with removable packed section build. I figured it was probably the most versatile way to go with a decent output.
Anyhow I have got the pc core together this arve ready for pressure testing, just got to figure out how to reduce pic sizes to post. Still waiting on some more bits before I start on those not so easy flanges. Top info around here. Cheers everyone. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Sam.]

Welcome mate, look forward to the pics :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Plumby]

Hi mate plenty of info to be had here.
The easiest way I found to post pics is if you are using a smart phone take a screen shot of the picture and up load that. Works every time for me :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[lostmarbles]

Pics so far,

20170326_123519.jpg

20170326_123540.jpg

20170326_144751.jpg

20170326_144910.jpg

20170326_150536.jpg

Can only post 5 at a time, second lot coming up.

[lostmarbles]

Here's the rest from Sunday arvo,

20170326_151656.jpg

20170326_162512.jpg

20170326_162520.jpg

20170326_162746.jpg

20170327_214714.jpg

Got my 4" tri clamps and some other bits today. Just waiting on a couple of bits from Mac.
Time to make something to press these flanges into shape, or waste a bit of copper trying.
Might get a bit more done if it rains later this week. Cheers.

[Fishleg]

Welcome,
Nice work, looks like you're all over it like a fat kid on a smartie!

[lostmarbles]

Thanks for the welcome.
So it rained a little bit, and I got a few hours to sort out these easy flanges so I can form them on the T's with no welding. The question I have is do I keep posting this build here, or should it be somewhere else? I realize that a lot of you have seen all this stuff before and my build probably won't be particularly pretty. Hopefully it will be functional and make good product.
Might as well throw up some more pics seeing I'm here :)

20170331_173325.jpg

20170331_173244.jpg

20170331_173309.jpg

20170331_173421.jpg

20170331_173456.jpg

[Sam.]

Looks like you have the tools and skills mate :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Keep posting your build pics here if it's easiest and we can split the topic off later to go in right section if needed ;-)

[Zak Griffin]

Welcome mate. KEep the pics coming, we love seeing builds! Especially if they're little bit different :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[lostmarbles]

Thanks fellas, I'll keep posting the build here then. At least I'll be able to remember what I did if I ever have to build another.
More toys in the shed is always better than less. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[wynnum1]

Is there any Sweet sorghum growing around your area .
Sweet sorghum is a fast growing plant that produces a stalk up to five metres tall with a high concentration of fermentable sugars at a level similar to that of sugarcane,

[lostmarbles]

Is there any Sweet sorghum growing around your area .
Sweet sorghum is a fast growing plant that produces a stalk up to five metres tall with a high concentration of fermentable sugars at a level similar to that of sugarcane,

Sorry mate we don't grow any, but an interesting idea. Have you tried this before and if so what were the results? It would be interesting to know.
We only grow dryland & irrigated grain (corn, sorghum, wheat, barley, chickpeas & mung beans ) & cotton here. Never seen sweet sorghum 5 metres tall. :scared-eek:
One of the neighbours usually puts in a few hundred acres for his cattle. He's about as friendly as a bag full of mulga snakes, so I'm not going there. He usually feeds it off before it reaches 1 metre tall or it dies from lack of rain.

[wynnum1]

Have to get someone with a farm to ask about where to get the correct seed and then make a manual crusher.

https://rirdc.infoservices.com.au/downloads/13-087
http://extension.psu.edu/natural-resour ... ion-basics

It is relatively drought tolerant, has a high forage and ethanol yield per acre, has relatively low cost of production, is adaptable to no-till, has a co-product called bagasse that could be used for animal feed, and the crop itself could be used for silage if needed. It is also a late planted crop that fits well into cover cropping systems. Yields of 25 tons (fresh weight) are possible with juice yields of 2500-3000 gallons per acre possible.

[lostmarbles]

Ok I thought you may have tried a sweet sorghum or sugarcane wash through your still, sorry.
So by my rough as guts calculations you'll need about 40 healthy 3.5m tall plus plants to extract a about a litre of sap juice at roughly 12% sugar. Probably would have to have distinct flavour advantage or it not be worth doing. Interesting read all the same, they were telling us all the same things back in the late 70's using sugar beet & grain for on farm ethanol. Sounds like someone has spent a heap of cash researching it and probably be a logistical nightmare amongst other things out here. No one's going to grow it for ethanol unless there is a guaranteed price per tonne delivered to somewhere? (that hopefully is more than cost of production or it won't happen). I know that the local ethanol plant down the road that uses grain sorghum is a joke.
Anyhow on with the build.

[lostmarbles]

A few more bits, just got to find some old pistons the right size to spin up some sight glass retainers.

[Bobsyauncle]

Wow you're really not mucking around!
Looking good bud :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Zak Griffin]

More pics please! Love this build :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[lostmarbles]

Just a quick question, I've found about 5 square meters of stainless gauze around the back of the shed, would it work ok rolled up in the 500mm packed section?

[scythe]

Should be fine if it is grade 304 or 316 (probably 316).
You can check by seeing if it is magnetic, 316 will not be, 304 will be slightly.

[copperhead road]

Looks like your quite the master tradesman, looking awesome mate "top shelf"