Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Hello from across the Tasman Sea. Been reading and lurking here - among other places - for a while now.

Space constraints mean I've been restricted to only an air still but I am wanting to move to the copperhead reflux/pot combo when I eventually throw out and move stuff around to create more space.

Been thinking of going a little step further though and replacing the reflux column with three or four inch bubble plates. The boiler only goes up to 2000 watts and I'm guessing thats not enough power for four inch plates and maybe enough for three?

Managed to find a t500 adaptor that converts to a two inch tri-clamp thing - hoping it fits on the copperhead lid too. Will there be any problems/bottlenecks going from two inches up to three or four then back down to two?

I don't have the skills necessary to build my own still/boiler.

The weight of a 4” plated still will crush your turbo boiler , your going to need at least a keg converted to a boiler or a milk can boiler.

The Stig wrote:The weight of a 4” plated still will crush your turbo boiler

Damn, I hadn't even thought of that!

The Stig wrote:your going to need at least a keg converted to a boiler or a milk can boiler.

Apart from the lack of skills required, I'm trying not to get too far ahead of myself - which it seems like I already have

renedox wrote:

The Stig wrote:The weight of a 4” plated still will crush your turbo boiler

Damn, I hadn't even thought of that!

The Stig wrote:your going to need at least a keg converted to a boiler or a milk can boiler.

Apart from the lack of skills required, I'm trying not to get too far ahead of myself - which it seems like I already have

You can get brackets that you can attach into a wall or a frame etc to help support the weight of piping etc

One of my biggest constraints is space and the ability to pack things away easier. Could also make stands for it but I'm really not sure that a 2kW boiler is going to be powerful enough to reasonably run a four inch column.

Would I be able to use a three inch column instead?

You would get very little alcohol out of a 25L boiler by the time you've loaded the plates etc.
Its just not worth doing, but that just my opinion :greetings-waveyellow:

Probably explains why I haven't been able to find anyone who has done this yet.

The Stig wrote:Its just not worth doing, but that just my opinion :greetings-waveyellow:

Opinions of people with more experience than me is why I'm here!

:text-thankyoublue:

The beauty about beer kegs is a 2" tri-clamp will fit the outlet once the spear is taken out and one can use a 3 ring crab burner under the keg which is the way I started out with heating. I did find the 3 ring burner didn't have enough grunt to load all 4 plates on the 4" bubbler I made so I made my own BD burner which has solved the problem of plate loading and heatup times.

But one does have to start somewhere and if you do go with gas MAKE SURE the place you do has fresh air coming and going as using gas in a sealed room is just not on due to the risk of the fumes from the burner displacing the air in the room.

Oh and Welcome to the forum mate :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Cheers Bryan

Yeah, I'm already thinking about possible alterations/upgrades to the copperhead still - the T500 adaptor has already arrived. I do prefer modular designs over those that aren't.

Again, storage space is a concern at the moment and unfortunately also includes ease of use. Using a beer keg as a boiler is out as an option at the moment :(

Welcome. That adapter will make it REAL modular, I got one ages ago and have got all kinds of extras now. Chur bro. :techie-typing:

2000 watts is more than enough for an insulated boiler and 4 by 4 inch plates used correctly, at least that's what i know.

chipboy wrote:2000 watts is more than enough for an insulated boiler and 4 by 4 inch plates used correctly, at least that's what i know.

Only just , very slowly, very very slowly